60 Grit

Alton used to have a guy in is circle of friends that he gave the nick-named of ''60-grit'' because, according to Al,  his personality was like coarse sandpaper and it rubbed him the wrong way. I think we all know some 60-grit people and dealing with them can be a challenge. But, as believers, we have to ask how Jesus would have us respond.


Jesus said that the greatest commandment is for us to love God and love each other. And, he doesn’t let us off the hook when the others who surround us are very difficult to love.  In Matthew 5:43-45 Jesus says,  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”


As Jesus stated in these verses, a key to dealing with difficult people is to pray for them.  When our minds start to “go there”, dwelling on all the ways we’ve been mistreated by a sandpaper person, we need to immediately turn those negative thoughts into a prayer...praying for peace with the situation and that God would intervene and provide reconciliation in the relationship.  

California Dreamin'

"Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts." ~ Unknown.


This Thursday, I will get to remove an item from my so-called “Bucket List”. I am going to be a contestant on the Wheel of Fortune. And, whether I go home with big money or leave with the $1,000 consolation prize, I will at least have the peace that comes with knowing that I chased a dream far enough and long enough to touch it.

What dreams are you chasing today? If the Lord has put those things in your heart, they are there for a reason. Don’t let them go! There may be risk involved and there may be failure in the end. But, I truly believe it is better for your heart to go after something and fail then to never go after it at all.

War Zone

It was an incredibly intense spring across the United States with a record number of tornadoes taking lives and destroying homes and business. The victims of these storms tend to use the same phrase to describe the damage, they say “It looks like a war zone!” Looking at the footage from these devastated areas, the analogy seems more than fitting.

When I look at the lives of many of my friends and family members, I see another kind of war zone. Broken homes, rebellious teens, bodies ravaged by disease and families in financial crisis are just some of the signs of another battle that is underway.

The Bible tells us that there we are, indeed, in the middle of a spiritual war zone. Listen to these words from Ephesians 6:12-20, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

There’s no need to fear; however, because as believers, we have the promise of God’s power to fight these battles, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 3-4)

So, if your life looks and feels like a war-zone today, cling to God for His strength and power!

Baggage

Thanks to ever-tightening luggage restrictions being enforced by the major airlines, I’ve learned how to pack a lot of stuff in a little space. I’ve actually developed a real appreciation of traveling with fewer bags. There’s freedom found in traveling light.

Unfortunately, lots of us are weighed down by another kind of baggage…emotional baggage. Just like that poor guy trying to make his way through the airport with 3 or 4 heavy suitcases, emotional baggage makes our journey through life so much more difficult and strenuous.

The good news is that there is a kind Gentleman who wants to help us with our bags…he’s willing to take them from us, freeing us from our burden. His name is Jesus and here is what he has to say to those of us who are still carrying our own bags, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Hear Ye?

Do you sometimes feel like NO ONE is listening to you? You’ve asked the kids to clean their room 3 times and it’s still a mess. Your husband completely forgot the date night you had been planning for months and instead bought tickets to the big game on what was supposed to be your special night. Your boss has, once again, overlooked you for that promotion even though you have expressed your interest in the position several times.


It’s so frustrating to be ignored! But, take heart! There is someone listening, and that someone just so happens to be running the universe. God hears the longings of your heart, the groanings of your agony and the words from your mouth before they are ever even formed. You are not being ignored, in fact, the only one who really matters hears it all.

Be encouraged today by Psalm 116:1-2, “I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.”

Three More!

It was just a scrimmage, but all the boys on my son’s football team were anxious to get out on the field and show what they could do. Just a few plays into the game, on of the running backs on our team scored a touchdown. As soon as he could he looked up to the stands and yelled, “Hey dad! Did you see that? I got a touchdown!” His dad was beaming with pride and shouted back down to him, “That’s great, son! Now, go get three more!”


We all could use a little of that “three more” spirit. It’s a great feeling to experience success when we’re doing kingdom work. But, we can’t dwell there. Like that dad in the football stands, God is thrilled with our kingdom victories, but he knows that we are capable of so much more!

Immovable

My 14-year-old son has undergone quite a transition over the past few years. The cute, chubby little boy that lived in my house a couple of years ago has been replaced by a towering, muscular and extremely strong young man. That little guy who I used to easily pick up, wrestle with or playfully push around can now pick ME up! The other day he decided it would be funny to try and block me from getting into the kitchen. And, you know what? I couldn’t even get him to budge! It might as well have been a brick wall standing in my path!

It’s cool when our faith begins to strengthen like my son’s physique. When we become Christians, many of us are easily swayed. Trials and troubles cause us to lose focus and knock us off balance. But, as time goes by, as we trust God instead of relying on ourselves, our faith develops. Before long, our feet are firmly planted in Him and we are not easily moved. We become living examples of these words from Psalm 16:8, “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. “

If You Can't Take the Heat

It's hot...and I pretty much can’t take it any more! After sweating through a month of temps in the high 90’s, I can’t remember a summer when I was so ready for winter’s frosty return. Even though I can’t see it or feel it, I know that the season will change bringing relief in the form of cooler temperatures. And, that assurance is the only thing getting me through these blazing days.


Believing the season will change in the middle of one of the hottest summers on record, is a great, real-life example of what having faith is all about. Sometimes, our lives can be pretty uncomfortable, unbearable even. But, having faith means fully believing that God is in control, that things will get better and that a heavenly home awaits us, even in the midst of the pain. Even when we can’t feel or see God.

In the meantime, we can cling to the promise of this long-term forecast found in Revelation 21:4 “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

YAWN!

Are you tired?

With the crazy schedules most of us keep, how could we NOT be tired?  Most of us are trying to balance work, family responsibilities, taking care of our homes, preparing meals, juggling our kids schedules and their needs, caring for sick or elderly family members, fitness and volunteering.  And, how many of us actually get the 7-9 hours of sleep we need each night.  No wonder so many of us are walking around somewhere between cranky and comatose!

If this hits a little too close to home, don't forget that you have a powerful remedy to exhaustion right at your fingertips (and, no, I'm not talking about Red Bull).  This is God's promise from Isaiah 40:29-31,

"He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."

Fog Light

There was a heavy fog on my way into work this morning. With the help of my car’s headlights I was able to see just the road in front of me, but no further. As I looked at the little bit of road I could actually see this morning, it reminded me of this verse from Psalm 119 (105) “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
Life is kind of like the foggy road I was driving on this morning. We travel through it not really knowing what the future holds. We can guess, plan and hope, but only God knows. But, what God does give us is his word, to illuminate the path just ahead of us. He wants us to trust him with the future and rely on Him to guide each step we take in the present.

Is This What Jesus Told Us to Do?

I recently read a book called Jim and Casper go to Church. Jim is a

Christian who has also worked as a pastor and church planter. He is
curious about what outsiders think of the church and the way we express our faith,
hoping that this insight will help him find new ways to reach the un-churched.
So, he hires Casper who is an atheist to travel across the country visiting ten churches
of different sizes, shapes and styles. After visiting each church, Casper has
the same question, “Jim, is this what Jesus told you guys to do?”

His question has stuck with me. When I observe the many expressions
of our Christian faith today, I can’t help but ask myself the same question.
For example, the largest Christian church in all of Latin-America is in
Guatemala city. At over 1.2 million square feet, the enormous and beautiful
facility stands in stark contrast to the poverty that surrounds it. As I drove
past it this summer while serving on a mission trip in Guatemala, I heard
the question loudly being asked in my head, “Is this what Jesus told you
guys to do?”

What do you think? Are Christians today are doing the things Jesus told us
to do?

Free Indeed

Across America, we’re celebrating Independence Day, a day set apart to revel in the freedom we have as residents of the US. As Christians, we have another kind of freedom to celebrate, our freedom in Christ.

In the New Testament we find many verses about this freedom, here are just a few…
Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (NIV)

So, we can rest assured that our faith in Jesus has set us free, but from what?
When we become a Christian by first acknowledging that we have sinned and then accepting Jesus’ sacrifice as the punishment for those sins, then we are free. Free from slavery to a system of laws and free from the eternal consequences of sin. Free Indeed.

Gimme Your Eyes

Not long I came across a line in one of Rick Steve’s travel guides that has caused me to think hard about my place in this world. If you watch much public TV, you know Rick…he’s the guy that does all of the European Travel shows. How do you get that job???

Anyway, Rick was talking about how to best tour a new land and his advice was to enjoy the country more like a local than a tourist. He recommends getting out of the really touristy areas to experience how people actually live. Rick believes that travel can make you a happier American and citizen of the world, because it brings to our attention that we are just one of the nearly 6 billion equally important people who live on the planet.

Whoa…how’s that for perspective? I am one of 6 billion equally important people. Remember, I am an only child, so this is a very hard pill to swallow. But, Rick is right. While it is true that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and that God knows the number of hairs on my head, it’s also true that he knows and loves hundreds of millions of other people just as intimately.

So either I am far less important than I’d like to think, or everyone else is far more important. I believe it’s the latter. Jesus confirmed this when he said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 'This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. To love someone else as yourself means you accept them as equally important.

I encourage you to join me in taking some time today think about your perspective about the importance of others. Ask God to help you to see others through His eyes, each person as an equally important individual created and called by the King.

Fluent in Faith

Thanks to my 7th Grade Spanish teacher and 3 trips to Guatemala, I’ve picked up a little Spanish. On my most recent trip, I found I had picked up just enough Spanish to almost engage in a conversation with someone, but then had nowhere to go because of the language barrier. It was SO FRUSTRATING!!! I’m a talker, I majored in Communication and talking is what I do for a living. So, for me, only being able to have shallow chats with people and not having the words to go deeper was really stifling. Fortunately, the Guatemalans I found myself in this position with were very gracious. They seemed to appreciate that I was at least trying to speak their language, even though my heart to communicate far exceeded my ability.

I sometimes feel the same way when I get into conversations with people about my faith. I know enough about what I believe and the Bible to start a conversation with people, but once we go deeper, I sometimes struggle to find the words to articulate why I believe what I believe. Has this ever happened to you? There are a plethora of books and websites that can help you find the words you need to have conversations about your faith. Josh McDowell’s website, Josh.org is a good place to start. New Christians and long-time Christ followers alike could probably all benefit from a lesson in apologetics.

On the other hand, I have met many Christians who are extremely well educated in theology, doctrine and the Bible, but seem to lack the compassion and love in necessary to communicate that knowledge in a way that others are receptive to. In 1Corinthians 13 Paul emphasizes the importance of love in our communication with others, saying, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

Paul reiterates the point that the language of our faith is a language of love. We can have the words and the ability, but it is love that allows the message to penetrate other’s hearts.

Butterflies & Moths

On a recent trip to Guatemala, I developed a new appreciation for moths. This happened as an unintended consequence of my roommates and I leaving the bathroom light on at night. Each morning, the room was inhabited by a new collection of these winged insects. They came in an enormous variety of colors, patterns, shapes and sizes.

Moths really are amazing creatures, but they’re the Rodney Dangerfield of the insect world…they get no respect! Instead, their first cousin, the butterfly, gets all the notoriety. Even though there are moths that rival the beauty of any butterfly, you never hear of anyone releasing moths at their wedding. There’s a butterfly farm in Greensboro where you can go see butterflies in various stages of development from caterpillar to chrysalis to adult butterfly. You can even feed the butterflies there and have them land on your hand. You’d never find a similar attraction for the lowly moth. Many little girls have rooms decorated from top to bottom with butterflies. A moth found in a little girl’s room will most likely get swatted.

Just as we may value the butterfly more than the moth, even though they are basically the same insect, we also tend to value some people more than others. Can you think of the butterflies and moths in your life? Are there certain people or groups of people that you value and respect more than others? Is that perspective in line with the example given to us by Jesus?

Remember, when Jesus walked the earth, he spent his time ministering to the people that could be classified as the “moths” of society. He spent his time loving and sharing the good news with prostitutes, tax collectors, fishermen and thieves. He avoided the people who enjoyed an undeserved place of prestige in society. He also calls us as His followers to the same standard, challenging our value system by reminding us that when we serve the “least of these” we serve Him.

Are You a Fruity Christian?

For me, nothing beats a ‘mater sammich in the summer time. In my book, the perfect recipe for this dog-day delight includes a big, juicy home grown tomato, Hellman’s Mayo, a slice of American Cheese and a couple of pieces of Wonder Bread. The tomato must be home grown. The best ones are still warm from the summer sun.

Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll ever successfully grow any tomatoes at my own home. Alton and I have tried year after year with no success. This year, I even let him put the scruffy looking plants in our front yard, the only location that gets the kind of full sun that tomatoes require. We’ve been so faithful about watering and feeding the plants. I was excited when I saw lots of buds and then little green tomatoes starting to develop, thinking our dedication was finally paying off. However, it appears that some kind of critter, maybe a bunny or a chipmunk, is getting to the nearly-ripened ones before we can. It’s so frustrating!

I can kind of understand how Jesus must have felt in Matthew when he was hungry and was hoping to snag a snack off a fig tree, only to find the tree bore no fruit. I’m guessing Jesus was more that a tad irritated when he said to the tree, “May you never bear fruit again!" causing the tree to immediately wither.

I think there’s a lot more meaning to this story than a hungry Jesus and a barren fruit tree. As Christians, we are meant to bear fruit. While bearing fruit is not a requirement for our salvation, it is an outward sign of the Holy Spirit that now dwells within us. In Matthew 7, when Jesus is teaching the disciples how to identify real from false prophets, he said, “By their fruit you will recognize them.”

Jesus hungers for fruit in our lives. He longs to see us allow the Holy Spirit to take over our hearts and minds enabling us to do great things for the glory of God. Ask yourself this question, if you were a fig tree like the one mentioned in the Gospels, would Jesus easily find fruit among your leaves? If you’re a little embarrassed by your bare branches, ask God for help. Ask Him to help you weed out the things that might be stunting your growth and to direct you down paths that lead to fruitfulness.

Meeting Jesus

My daughter Carley and I are leaving this Friday for a week in Guatemala to serve on a Caroline’s Promise mission team. I am super excited to share this experience with her! There are lots of great reasons to bring your child on a mission trip: they get to experience other cultures, they’ll hopefully gain a new appreciation of their own life, they will learn how to be more flexible, not to mention the incredible opportunity you’ll have to bond with your child while on your adventure. But the best reason I can think of to take your child on a mission trip (as soon as they’re mature enough), is that by doing so, you are giving him or her a chance to meet Jesus in person.
In Matthew 25 (35 & 40), Jesus tells his disciples, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me”...”Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Let’s be intentional about providing our children with opportunities to encounter Jesus among the least of these. You don’t have to travel internationally to do it, there are plenty of opportunities right here in our community! Just pray about where God would like you to serve and I promise, opportunities will present themselves.
What are your suggestions about places to serve Christ with your kids? Please, share them with me by email, tami@wbfj.fm.
Thanks!

From Heir to Eternity

Did you hear about the homeless guy from Utah who recently found out that his wealthy brother had passed away and left him a huge inheritance? For several months, this man walked around with no home, pushing all of his possessions around in a shopping cart without knowing his true worth. How many people spend their whole lives walking around poor in spirit because they do not know about the inheritance that awaits them? Through Jesus, we all are entitled to the spiritual riches bequeathed to us as children of the King. Yet, not everyone lives in this truth. Some are still clinging to the ratty things that this world has to offer.


Instead, let’s choose to live in this truth found in 1 Peter (1:3-5)

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

Thrill Ride

I’ll never forget the first time my husband took our, then, young son Andrew on a real roller coaster. It was about 2.5 seconds into that ride when my husband had the panic attack. It wasn’t because the ride scared him…but when he looked over at our young son, Alton began to wonder if Andrew was really big enough for the ride. Was he actually secured in his harness? Could he fall out? By the time the ride was over, my poor husband was so weak in the knees that he had to sit down for a few minutes just to compose himself.

Andrew, on the other hand was ready to do it again. And, once he realized that he and his son were safe and that he could trust the harness system on the ride, Alton was ready to ride again, too.
Like a roller coaster, life can be crazy, filled with ups, downs and moments of anticipation, acceleration and exhilaration. Fortunately, we’ve been given a safety harness to help us stay calm, even when life isn’t. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus offers this invitation, “Place my yoke over your shoulders, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble. Then you will find rest for yourselves.”

Lavish Them With Love!

My dad was pretty typical of the men of his generation. He was not very open about his feelings and emotions. I knew he loved me, but somewhere in the back of my mind I always questioned if he liked me. At my father’s funeral I was shocked as co-worker after co-worker shared with me that my Dad regularly talked about me at his workplace. They said he was so proud of me. I was shocked! I really had no idea that he felt that way.
Dads, please don’t let this be your story. There is an ever-growing body of evidence that shows that a close relationship with ones father is a predictor of future success in life. And, I’ve spoken to many people, women in particular, who did not have a close relationship with their father and now struggle to understand their relationship with their heavenly father.

Time is fleeting. Don’t assume that your kids know you love them and are proud of them. Take time to lavish love and praise on your children every day…starting today.