Living the Body of Christ

Who Are You To God?

2012-02-28T10:55:00.001-05:00

Take a listen to Third Day’s This Is Who I Am.

Who are you? You are the person God created. And did you know you were made perfect? Not perfect as in you have no flaws, but God didn’t make a mistake in you. He made you for His purposes, just as you are and He has a plan for you. You say you can’t accomplish His goals because you’re weak. He says, “My power is made perfect in your weaknesses.”

If you know the song on the link, you know this. God loves you just as you are. He’s waiting for you to ask Him into your life so He can complete the work he began in you. So call out, and be made whole. It can’t be done without Him.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

What is He accomplishing in you?

Try these links:

P.J. Sugar and You

How Many Talents Do You Get

The Great and the Small, Part 2—The Man Who Inspired a Congregation … Sorta

God’s Communication With Us--By Greg Johnson

2012-02-24T09:13:00.003-05:00

We all have read, heard through the media, or been taught about communication. Parents read and discuss children’s abilities in communication at various stages of development. Businesses discuss communication in terms of sales and marketing. How much have you thought about how God uniquely communicates with you, other believers, through creation, as well as reaching out to those who are not saved? Have you thought about and worked to hone your communication with your Heavenly Father?

The following are points to consider to stimulate your thinking regarding God‘s communication with us, as well as to encourage your faith growth.
Since we often repeat ourselves in our faith (same songs, read same parts of the Bible), and thereby don’t grow as we could, hopefully these ideas will help us go beyond the routine to stretch us to the extraordinary in our faith life.

Working to Become Mature
We don’t often hear about faith maturity (Ephesians 4:13) in the church today, but our communication with God is intricately tied to it. You can’t effectively communicate with another unless both are mature. We need to look at how we communicate with God as well as how He communicates with us. Additionally, we need to be aware of Satan’s designs to inhibit, to distort, or make us ignore this communication.

Personal History
One way God communicates with us is through our personal history, our life context. Each of us has a unique story, male or female, born into a certain decade, lived in certain places and this shapes how we initially come to communicate with God and those around us. I grew up respecting police officers, and was raised to call them in times of trouble. This leads me to better understand, going to authority and specifically God, in times of distress. Think of what God has given you, and it is easier to give, to love, and communicate with others (II Corinthians 8: 7) as well as with God.

I work with youth from the inner city who have a very different view of police, which is at least distrustful, and frequently antagonistic. It is easy to see this has affected their views of authority (Romans 13:1). Satan wants us to see where authority is perverted or ignored by those in whom it is trusted, and encourages us to say we are our only sure authority in life. The more we rely on self, the less we can trust God, the more we are distrustful, the greater difficulty we will have in being humble in our communication and our relationship with God.

His Provision
Another way God communicates with us is through his provision (Psalm 111:5). Yesterday I got an e-mail in which the last line said, “Hope your day has been everything it was intended to be.” It got me thinking back over the day, seeing where, in times of frustration, God had been there, and God had intended good in those situations. Of course Satan would like to have us stay so busy and distracted we focus on the frustration, not on the provision of the moments in our lives. It is a good exercise to look at each life situation, and see what design God had in allowing it in our lives. As we are open to be used, he will use us.

Listening
God communicates by listening. We often keep noise in our lives, don’t have quiet in our worship services, infrequently realizing that stillness is a vital part of communication. If you don’t listen to someone, or feel unheard yourself, how personal or even effective is the communication (I Samuel 3:9)? Watch an effective parent. He or she spends a great deal of time listening to the child, and knows exactly how to respond appropriately. The ineffective parent is often the one who simply comes into a situation and tells the child what to do. God wants us to listen, and for us to know he is listening.

We even have a two thousand year prayer partner in Jesus who enhances what we say to our Father (see ideas in Romans 8:34). Satan, of course, would like us to not listen, to not be peaceful enough to hear, to compress our prayers to the point that we leave no room for listening to God.
These are just a few snippets of a multitude of ideas about our communication to and from God. May you, this day, be more aware of how you communicate with God in all circumstances (see idea in I John 4:12). And more importantly, be heightened in awareness of how God is speaking with you. I imagine you will see God has been communicating with you a great deal more than you have been realizing.

LBOC says: To see what the Christian Music band, Third Day, says about communication with God, check out this link.

When do feel your communication with God is at it’s best?

Other posts you might like:

Judging Someone Else’s Servant

Jake the Encourager

Writer as Creator

Greg has been in ministry work since graduating from Gordon College, a Christian college, in 1978. He is a Christian counselor who primarily works with children and adolescents, but also sometimes long term adults. He has a hunger for prayer, and is dedicated to his family. He currently works two jobs, full time with boys in a group home, Cedar Ridge, and part time in a community counseling office, Christian Counseling Associates.

Christian Music Ministry

2012-02-22T11:21:00.002-05:00

Don’t ya just love King David? I know he’s one of those guys in the Bible that gets good press because he was a great leader and king. But what I love most about him is that he was a musician. And not just any old musician, but he loved the Lord so much, he poured out that passion in song. I can relate to that kind of love.

That’s why I’m a big fan of Christian Contemporary Music. It’s not just something I listen to to pass the time. It’s begins my day and inspires my life. Have you ever watched a movie scene with the score taken out? It’s comparably flat. That’s why music ministry is so important. When words alone may inform, music carries the ideas to our hearts, filling our souls and helping us really know. That knowledge is no longer bits of facts, but wisdom that exudes from our very being.

And music is so much more. Some of the best conversations I’ve had with my daughter on faith began with a question about the lyrics of a song. When I see those eyebrows draw together in thought, I know she is not just taking in what Mom says, but possessing it as her own. These are moments of growth.

I’ve known people who’ve given Christian music to “seekers” knowing it will speak to them in ways they cannot. So they impart emotion instead of platitudes. I know of one woman who shared a song with her dying sister to bring her hope in her last days. She was rewarded with great thanks. In one action they shared not only their love for one another, but also that of their Savior in a way that mere words could not.

So why am I expounding on the virtue of music in ministry. I guess it’s my way of thanking those of you who engage in it, whether at your local church or at the Patriot Center. Thank you for sharing your gift with me and giving me the words that trail my lips all day in rhythm and melody. The words that continually praise the One true God. Thank you.

So it is, with this in mind, I have decided to add devotionals inspired by Christian music on this site. I hope it blesses you as it has me.

What’s your favorite Christian Song?

You might also like:

Good Jesus Cardio

He enters our pain

What's Keeping You from Your Special Assignment?

The Winner Is ...

2012-02-22T09:19:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to announce the winner of my first book giveaway is Elaine Stock. Hope you enjoy the good read.

Meet Molly Noble Bull: The Dumbest Kid In Her Elementary School--by Molly Noble Bull

2012-02-17T10:26:00.002-05:00

I’m dyslexic.

Yep, it’s true. It is also true that as a child, I was the dumbest kid in my elementary school. I’m also a published novelist. If none of this makes sense, read on.

For a while, I thought I was the only published Christian novelist in the world that struggled with learning problems. Then I met six other published novelists with problems like mine via an email loop. All seven had published with Love Inspired, and five out of that seven decided to write a book together—share our experiences. And The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities was born. The authors of that book are Margaret Daley, Ginny Aiken, Jane Myers Perrine, Ruth Scofield and me, Molly Noble Bull.

All five of us suffer/suffered with Learning Disabilities. What a blessing it was to meet the other ladies and realize that I was not alone—to know that I was not the only published author in the world who had a hard time learning to read and spell.

My Christian faith inspired everything I have written since the nineteen eighties. In fact, the following words are written on the dedication pages of every one of my novels—“But to God give the glory.” These words are also posted on the dedication page of my first non-fiction book—The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities.

The purpose of The Overcomers is to encourage others to never give up. We also give personal tips that should help others with problems like ours on their journey to overcome.

Zondervan Publishing House published two of my novels way back in the late nineteen eighties. These titles were For Always and The Rogue’s Daughter. Both were reprinted and came out from the book division of Guide Posts as Promise Romances. More recently, I published with Love Inspired. These titles are Brides and Blessings and The Winter Pearl, and they are now available as kindle e-books.

Tsaba House published Sanctuary, and it placed first in two contests in the inspirational category for published authors in 2008—the Gayle Wilson award and the Winter Rose. Tsaba House also purchased five more of my books. However, the company went out of business before any of them came out.

In 2011, we decided to self-publish The Overcomers via Westbow Press.

The Lord is very important to all five of the authors of The Overcomers, and it takes determination, work and a lot of patience to triumph over learning problems like ours. However, with God’s help, it can be done. I want my readers to know that according to Ron Davis, who wrote The Gift of Dyslexia, wonderful talents and abilities of all kinds are often hidden behind labels like dyslexia and learning disabilities.

The only real danger is giving up.

All five of us overcame and are now published novelists. Others can do it, too.

UPDATE: Today I learned that The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities is a finalist in the Women of Faith contest for writers, 2011.

God is good—all the time.

If you will leave a comment and include your email address, I will write to you. And the winner of the contest here will receive either a copy of Sanctuary, the novel that placed first in two contests, or a kindle copy of The Overcomers. Let us know which of the two you want.

If you order The Overcomers at a bookstore, please include the complete title—The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities. There are other books out there merely titled The Overcomers. But when you add Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities to the title, you get my book. To find all my books at an online or walk-in bookstore, type Molly Noble Bull in the search slot.

LBOC wants to remind you to comment below with your email address to enter to win a copy of either “Sanctuary” or a Kindle copy of “The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities.

And don’t forget to subscribe to our email list to receive messages like this one in your inbox.

Related Posts:

How Many Talents Do You Have

The Gentle King

Signs of God

The Gifts We Have

Molly Noble Bull was born in Kingsville, Texas. She married her college sweetheart, and they have three grown sons and six grandchildren.

Her web address is http://www.mollynoblebull.com.

Her blog is http://writersrest.blogspot.com

Visit her Amazon author’s page.

We Really Are Safe--By Steve Green

2012-02-10T09:39:00.001-05:00

We live in a dangerous world. When we honestly look at what is going on around us, we see how dangerous it is. We are powerless to control our circumstances and protect ourselves economically, physically, and relationally. There are many different ways we are vulnerable in life. We do not have the ability to protect ourselves and we cannot keep ourselves safe.

But, we are not alone. Someone else is with us and is powerful.

Jesus. He is the Creator, and the Redeemer. Together with the Father and Spirit, He created the universe. He controls the universe. He accomplishes good, even in this fallen and dangerous world in which we live.

The big picture is good. God is at work to build His kingdom, and to care for His people. When we keep the big picture in focus, we live with hope. But we live in the smaller picture and we need to keep that in focus too. We need to see God at work in the details.

So, let me tell you a story.

Last year my wife was diagnosed with oral cancer.

In that moment our lives were thrown in to upheaval. We were new to Oregon and we had purchased private insurance because we did not have any way to buy group insurance. Private insurance has a lot of ways to limit what it covers. At the very same time we were trying to make decisions about what kind of treatment we were going to pursue, we were also trying to find out if insurance was going to cover it. We were vulnerable to circumstances and we felt exposed.

We prayed for God to provide healing. We prayed for God to provide the funding for treatment. We knew what we wanted, but we did not have the power to make it happen. We asked God to provide answers and direction so that we could make decisions and take action.

The doctors told us we needed to act quickly. Cancer was not going to allow us enough time to get everything lined up before we acted. If we waited, Ann could die.

God was at work. He was keeping us safe, even while we suffered. He has made clear in Scripture that life is precious. We knew that we were called to begin treatment for Ann’s cancer even if we did not know how the finances would work out. We knew that the right thing to do was to fight the cancer and do whatever we could to preserve Ann’s life. There was, however, a lot we did not know. Would Ann survive? What would her life be like after treatment? Would God use insurance to provide the financial resources to pay for the medical bills or would He provide in some other way?

God made clear only what the next steps would be. We did not know where He was taking us. We did not know where our path would lead us. We could follow His lead in the next steps, trusting Him for the results, or we could try to find our own path to accomplish our own goals. His path was scary. It felt at times like we were in the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23). In fact, we really were in that valley.

God took us into dangerous places. He also went with us. He protected us. Ann survived her cancer. She is surviving the effects of her treatment. We hope that He will restore her to strength and free her from pain. Insurance has covered what they should have covered. God has provided the finances so that we can cover what we should cover.

More importantly, God has worked in us to cause us to cling to Him and to do what He calls us to do. He is leading step by step. He is giving us the faith to follow Him without knowing where He will take us. He is focusing us on what is real and giving us hope for today. He gives us confidence that where we are going is where He wants us to be. He focuses us on the eternal issues and gives us greater freedom to live with integrity and strength today.

He keeps us safe. We are powerless in ourselves, but we are safe. What we cannot do for ourselves, God has promised to do for us. Not only does He promise, He does.

We all have to focus on either what we want to happen, or how we are going to live. For us as followers of Jesus, we are called to focus on how we are going to live and to trust God to take care of everything else. Jesus has saved us ultimately. The life we live now, we live by faith and with an ultimate confidence that we belong to Christ. He is going to bring us home. Jesus also takes care of us now. He takes care of us wherever He takes us. Living through cancer, or dying of cancer. Giving our family more time with Ann, or taking her home. He gives us strength to go into the valley of the shadow of death. He accomplishes good while we are there.

He is with us wherever we go, and our confidence is that He is taking us home. Traveling with Him we are safe.

LBOC wants to know, how has God led you through difficult times? Comment below.

Steve Green is a Biblical Counselor in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. He lives with his wife and children in Newberg, Oregon. He is a graduate of University of California, Irvine (B.A.) and Westminster Seminary in California (M. Div). He has worked as a pastor for 21 years and has founded Impact Biblical Counseling which works closely with churches to provide Biblical Counseling for their members. He also blogs on his own web page (www.ImpactBiblicalCounseling.com) as well as writing for other blogs (including Biblical Counseling Coalition’s blog). He is a member of the Association of Biblical Counselors and the American Association of Christian Counselors.

Related Posts:

He Enters Our Pain

Writer As Creator

His Power is Made Perfect in Our Weakness

Don’t forget to subscribe to receive LBOC in your email box on a regular basis. Check out the box at the top left of this site.

“Finally Being Able to Be Me” by Staci Stallings

2012-02-03T11:42:00.001-05:00

If you recognize this name, it’s because Staci always has much to share with those of us struggling to find our place in God’s world. So I keep having her back on LBOC. She has the heart to help others who feel different, not realizing they were made perfectly with a special mission in their “differentness.” We are all different, but it’s our connectedness with our Creator that makes us whole.

“Finally Being Able to Be Me” by Staci Stallings

For many, many, many years I tried to be someone else. It wasn’t a specific someone else. I simply had the impression that something was wrong with me, so being someone else made more sense. The weird thing was, I was desperately trying to be successful and get the approval of others while simultaneously hiding the parts of me I thought they wouldn’t approve of.

It was as if I was saying, “I want you to love me, but I’m not going to let you know who the real me is.” So I lived my life in fear that someone who loved me would figure out that wasn’t really who I was and they would decide not to love me anymore. Which of course is ridiculous because they weren’t loving the real me in the first place, they were loving the made-up me, which wasn’t me at all. What a mess, right?
Well, this year God finally broke me out of that miserable, rotten prison I was holding myself captive in. Little-by-little through life and writing, I have learned that being me is really okay, that using my gifts and letting others see them is all right as well.

In fact, it’s better than all right… it’s amazing!

You see, when I was trying to hide, I spent all my time radaring everyone else to see who they wanted me to be. I scanned my family and my friends. I scanned others in writing groups and you, my readers. I scanned everybody. And I spent so much time scanning trying to figure out who everyone else wanted me to be, I forgot to live!

When God finally convinced me (and it really did take some convincing) that He loved me just as I am and that He knew all about my weaknesses and all about those things I didn’t want to admit to anyone, and that He loved me anyway… It blew me away! I realized that all that hiding wasn’t doing anyone any good. God wanted me to come out of my little cave, bravely if possible or using His bravery if mine was shaky, and live.

Amazingly, upon finally accepting that, life has opened up to possibilities and opportunities I never would have even tried when I was wallowing in my self-cave of doubt and fear. This year I stepped out on God’s bravery when He asked me to put my books on Kindle and then on Nook. It took more of His bravery to get on Facebook and Twitter. And it took everything He could give me to start a new author connection group.

Best of all, I didn’t panic and run when things got tough. Instead, I stood on God’s promise that HE could do it even if I couldn’t. And miracles started happening.

So as I look back on the past year, I will be very thankful that finally, finally I listened to what God’s been trying to tell me all these years in a thousand ways: “I love you. It’s about Me being faithful to show you how awesome I am, not about anything you can do. I want to help you all the time, in every situation, especially when you don’t think you can do it. I want to be Your partner and Your best friend in everything. All you have to do is accept what I’m holding out to you.”

Understanding, believing, and accepting that has literally changed my life. So this year, I am thankful that God didn’t give up on this headstrong, confused, but good-intentioned girl. He is my Hero!

Comment below and tell LBOC how you are stepping out trusting God that He made you just the way you are for His purposes.

A Steamgun has many parts

How God Breathed Creative Inspiration in My Writing

Judging Someone Else’s Servant

… And don’t forget to subscribe to LBOC (top left), and be inspired by your email inbox!

A stay-at-home mom with a husband, three kids and a writing addiction on the side, Staci Stallings has numerous titles for readers to choose from. Not content to stay in one genre and write it to death, Staci’s stories run the gamut from young adult to adult, from motivational and inspirational to full-out Christian and back again. Every title is a new adventure! That’s what keeps Staci writing and you reading. Although she lives in Amarillo, Texas and her main career right now is her family, Staci touches the lives of people across the globe every week with her various Internet endeavors including:

Spirit Light Moments -- One moment with God each day

http://spiritlightmoments.com

Facebook Author Page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spirit-Light-Author-Staci-Stallings/266593276699576

Search Staci's Books:

http://stacistallings.wordpress.com/

Spirit Light Books--The Blog
http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com/

Or...

Follow Staci on Twitter @StaciStallings

Come on over for a visit…

You’ll feel better for the experience!

The Annual Life Journal—by Reverend Loyce E. Craft

2012-01-27T09:34:00.004-05:00

I’d like to welcome my very good friend, Loyce Craft, to LBOC today. We’ve known each other … uh … let’s just say a long time ;o). We’ve shared many hopes and dreams throughout the years, only to finally realize our hope is in the Lord and our dreams are to do His Will. Loyce is here to give us her inspiration to help you discover your purpose in Him.

The Annual Life Journal

What is my purpose? Why am I here? How do I know what God’s plans are for my life?! These are questions many of us might have asked ourselves at some time or another. From birth to death, we are constantly becoming the person that God created us to be. It is a learned process—and is best understood through purposeful spiritual discipline as we are led by the Holy Spirit. But how do we organize our thoughts? How do we ask these questions and get the right answers?!
Our lives have meaning—and we all, though individuals, walk with (or should walk with) each other and with God. The key is to have the clarity of thought to be able to focus on our walk with God, knowing and recognizing His Voice, and live as He has destined us to live in spite of ourselves! But what happens when we get off course? When we lose our direction? Or when everything we have been trying seems to amount to nothing?!
It is so easy to fall into a place of feeling lost and hopeless—particularly if we have been trying and striving for years and we see no apparent fruit. The Annual Life Journal seeks to help every born-again believer to intentionally ask the question: “Where am I in my walk with God (i.e., how am I doing in my walk with the Lord)?” The individual’s answer to that question is the launching point for writing in this Journal.
Do you long for a way to clarify and codify your thoughts, dreams, visions, and goals and to discover God’s plan for your life? Do you want to assess how you are doing with your life? The Annual Life Journal provides a structured and comprehensive approach to the journaling process. It is holistic and helps Christians consider several key areas: Spiritual journey, Bible study and Prayer, Relationships, Financial Health, Physical Wellness, Mental and Emotional Wellness, and Celebration. It features a free journaling section; a guide, How to Use the Annual Life Journal; and calendar section with scenic pictures to inspire reflection. As you journal, you are compelled to allow yourself to become all that God has destined you to be! The Annual Life Journal will help you to discover your “calling.” As author Frederick Buechner, wrote: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” For what are you hungry or passionate?!
The Annual Life Journal is prepared for people of all races, ages, and gender, because we are all on a Journey with God, and we all want to hear God say, “Well done.” My passion is to help His children focus on journeying well with God! The Journal is meant to inspire, encourage, compel, and give hope in Jesus. As people of the Kingdom of God, we are all brothers and sisters. This is my approach to ministry, and it is the way that I relate to God’s people. One of the things that blesses me the most is when I am in a corporate worship setting and I see a representation of people of all races worshiping God—together! As you journey through 2012, I pray you are inspired to follow God’s Voice wherever it may lead you as you choose to Journey Well with God ^TM.

About the Author. Reverend Loyce E. Craft is President of Aziel Ministries, a new Christian ministry dedicated to providing services and products to enhance the Christian believer's walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. She is an ordained minister, a consultant, and a writer, songwriter, and singer. Her desire is that every born-again believer is empowered to Journey Well with God ^TM. Rev. Craft has created the Annual Life Journal, which helps every Christian ask the question, "Where am I in my journey with God?" The comprehensive Journal also assists Christians in doing a spiritual self-inventory of their lives as Christian believers. As a songwriter, one of Rev. Craft's songs, "Hear My Prayer," was recorded and released on October 11, 2011, by Stellar Award Winner, Reverend Dr. Emory Andrews and the Oxon Hill High School Choir (Minister Phillip Carter, Producer/Stellar Award Winner). As Minister Carter said, the CD "is every choir director's dream"!

To order the Journal: Visit www.azielministries.com.
To order the CD: Visit www.emoryandrews.com
To email the author: azielministries@verizon.net

Comment below and share something you’ve discovered about your relationship with God in the past year.

Related Posts:

God of All Creation
How God Breathed Creative Inspiration
What Makes Your Work Most Valuable

The Gentle King—by Monika Holt

2012-01-20T09:58:00.001-05:00

“Homeschooling is for weirdoes and I am not in the business of raising hermits and social outcasts”, were the first ignorant words I blurted out when my sweet husband asked me to consider homeschooling our son. The truth is I could not wait for all three of my kids to go off to school, so that I would finally get a chance to become a free adult again. I yearned to go back to school, and further my degree. I ached to go back to teaching dancing. I hungered to once more have a clean house. Than, everything changed. My husband asked if I would please just pray about it.

Since I was dead set against homeschooling, I did not see any harm in praying for it. Plus I saw a great opportunity to earn brownie points with my hubby; through openly honoring his request for a prayer. I went to bed that night and prayed. I asked the Lord to make His purposes known to me. I guess I was sincere in my prayer, since what do you know, the next morning I woke up with an answer. Except, it was one I did not care for! The Lord wanted me to homeschool! The certainty of it resounded within me like a vibration of an enormous bell. Though strong and reassuring, it made me feel lost within my self, not quite knowing whether it was the trembling of His will I was feeling or the beating of my own heart. For a moment I thought I knew what Peter must have felt while walking on water. I was scared out of my mind, yet I did not dare to go against my Father’s so clearly stated wishes. This would require a lot of faith and courage!

A short month later I attended the homeschool fair; for if I was going to do this homeschooling thing, I was going to do it right. I researched and prayed. After purchasing my curriculum I lined the books up neatly on the shelf and prepared all the folders. I wrote out lesson plans for each week and allowed the excitement to build. I knew enough about my Maker to realize that when I accept a mission from Him, he will light the fire in me; and sure enough He did! I was ready! I was the teacher and I embraced my new role with passion!

I am glad that the Lord does not promise us the vision of the future, but that He always promises hindsight of 20/20. Indeed, for if I knew then what the next three years would hold for me and my son, I would have gone against my Father’s wishes, and bailed out, sending my son in to the public school system. However, in doing so I would also cheat myself greatly of the tremendous rewards, which awaited my whole family at the end of this rainbow.

Five months into Kindergarten my dear sweet, blue-eyed angel could not write or read. He had the hardest time with simplest letters and their sounds. His pencil became his greatest enemy, which drove him to tears, and me to serious anxiety attacks. He would slouch and slide beneath the table. He would stutter and yawn. In feeble efforts to document our work I purchased every hands on school activity there was. I blamed myself, than I blamed my son, I blamed my husband and finally I blamed God. I fervently asked God, if it was really what He wanted me to do. Maybe I misunderstood. How could I have been so certain and driven in to doing something that brings me so much stress? I cried and cried till there were no more tears left to drown the aches in my heart. I loved my son so dearly, yet homeschooling became a sore wedge between us.

I began waking up at 4:30 each morning to do my Bible study; I was afraid to face the day without the Holy Spirit filling me. You know the fear of failure, or of something so dreadful yet terribly inevitable? That is what each morning would hold for me. My evenings would also be robbed of peace and rest, as I squirmed in dismay, anticipating the next day. I learned to walk with Christ, so closely that the thought of me not leaning on Him constantly became strange and unwelcomed.

At the end of Kindergarten Cyrus was finally able to read short sentences and thanks to the Leap Frog DVDs he knew his letters and sounds. First grade brought more of the same. More prayer, more headaches, more testing of my love for my dearest child. More tears and frustrations. At home I was a mess, yet to the outside world I needed to appear that homeschooling was wonderful, because they would not understand the truth, which Patsy Clairmont stated beautifully, “ true victories are characterized by knee-knocking fear amidst God’s empowering strength.” I had the fear, and I had my Lord, now I waited for my victory.

With the start of second grade Cyrus and I made a pact; there will be no more yelling, just loving. I was spent and there was no more fighting left in me. I secretly began researching dyslexia. What else would make Cyrus, who was otherwise a very bright child, struggle so much with reading and writing? After all, he was a wiz in math and science. But dyslexia did not fit. I felt so defeated, and that is when my great Father allowed His Victory to happen. Again, a simple prayer changed everything. That night I lay next to Cyrus in his bed, praying. We both lifted our hearts up to heaven, and finally laid this burden at the feet of our Maker. We were out of ideas and depleted of human resources. The next day I woke up early, as usual ready to plead for renewing of strength and the gift of patience. After my quiet time I checked my email, and went on my dear friend Connie’s website: “Livingthebodyofchrist.blogspot.com”

There I discovered Stacie Stalling’s journey with her son’s dyslexia, and since dyslexia was already on my radar, I devoured the story searching for clues to my own depressing situation. Towards the end of her touching account, Stacie mentioned vision therapy, a concept I have never heard of before. I quickly switched over to Google and learned as much as I could about it. Within minutes I discovered a comment left for Connie, by another homeschooling mom, sharing that vision therapy was instrumental in extinguishing her son’s dyslexia. Next thing I knew, I was on the phone with Dr. Kotlicky’s office making an appointment to get Cyrus’s eyes evaluated. I was able to book this appointment for a day after tomorrow; everyone else I know had to wait a month. Honestly, I believed that the exam would show nothing at all and that more patience would be required of me.

Miraculously, a good friend of mine was able to watch my younger children. The evaluation took an hour and provided us with more answers than we could have ever hoped for. This was THE moment in my life where I looked back and saw the pieces of the puzzle fall in place so perfectly together, revealing the glorious picture of God’s undying love and mercy. All that He allowed us to endure brought us to a point where, after being humbled by our own weakness, we could worship Him unencumbered. The picture was clear. From the day my son was born, he was never interested in puzzles, blocks, coloring pages, Legos, or picture books. Not because he was a boy, though boys are different, but because he had eyes that could not see well, and those childish things held no interest for him. Instead, I think he learned how to observe the world quietly and listen for God’s ever-small voice in the tiniest of moments. My son’s heart belonged to His maker and his life was filled with actions, reflecting uncompromising truths, which dwelt within him.

This was why he could not write his name after two years in pre-school, and why he could not focus on the page in front of him. This was why his body drooped beneath the table when he attempted to read; for this seemingly simple task was overwhelmingly difficult for him to accomplish. I believe this is why God led me to homeschool him. In His love and mercy He spared us secular school systems and honored us with the trials designed to build His family and our characters.

Today we celebrate. We laugh each day and love school together. Though we are not done with eye therapy yet, my wonderful son now reads! What used to take him forty minutes to read, now takes him four. I did not even know that he loves to paint, and he loves to write stories, and he loves Legos. His hands are busy each day and he no longer mumbles or stutters. The biggest desire, one I yearned for since the moment Cyrus was born, was that one day he would read the Bible by himself. Three weeks ago, he asked me to get him a patriot Bible, which includes speeches of famous folks across the Christian history of our Nation, because his favorite is George Washington. That day for the first time in his precious little life, my son read the Word Of God! As he pulled out the highlighter and went for it, I melted and this time the tears of hope nourished my weathered heart.

Each day I watch Cyrus, I am amazed. Humbly I thank my Master for His perfect love and the Victory, which He gave us.

“All things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His Purpose.” Romans 8:28

Related posts you may also like …

Where have all the flowers gone? by Monika Holt

Empty Vessel

The Gifts We Have—Part 3, by Staci Stallings

Born and raised in Poland, Monika Holt is a homeschooling mom of three, with a passion for Christ. She has two special needs children, one with a peanut allergy and one with reading disability, on the mend. In her BC (before children) days she was a professional ballroom dancer with an unlikely degree in English Literature and Political Science from Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. She now chairs the Special Needs Committee in her local homeschool group.

How God Breathed Creative Inspiration in My Writing—by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

2012-01-13T08:42:00.001-05:00

People often wonder what got me into writing Inspirational fiction. The truth is, I didn’t start out writing inspirationals, but secular romance as early as 1994. Two years later, I flew to my first RWA Conference in Dallas, TX. I didn’t know a single soul and I didn’t care. I was determined. As a young 24 year old, I naively thought that was all I needed to succeed. That trip opened my eyes and taught me how little I knew about the publishing industry and the craft of writing. Instead of being overwhelmed, I became even more determined.

For the next 7 years, I wrote 3 more secular romance novels. My writing improved so I couldn’t understand why I’d been rejected so many times. I grew angry at God—that He wasn’t blessing my plans, goals and dreams. It was my goal to be published by the time I turned 30, but that birthday came and went to my bitter disappointment. One day while I was ranting and raving at the Lord, He quietly whispered to my heart that I wasn’t getting published because I wasn’t writing for Him. At the time, I didn’t feel qualified to write Christian fiction. I didn’t know enough, had too many questions, and the Bible was confusing to me. How in the world could insignificant me write Christian fiction?

That year some personal things happened in my life and I stopped writing for the next 3 years. We went through many hardships from financial ruin and loss to our daughter being born with a life threatening seizure disorder. It was during this time that God taught me a great deal to get through my circumstances.

The Lord whipped me into spiritual shape. I attended church more, prayed with hope more often, I read my Bible and suddenly it came alive to me and began to make sense. I’d always had a relationship with God, but this was deeper, tangible. I didn’t know it at the time, but God used these 3 years to train me to write Christian fiction—it would be a writing ministry that was God’s plan for me—something even better than I’d envisioned for myself.

When the desire to write came back in 2006, this time I knew I’d write Christian fiction. In 2007, two of my manuscripts placed in ACFW’s Genesis contest and I signed a contract with my literary agent, Terry Burns. On my birthday, October 30^th, 2008, I got the call that Highland Blessings had sold to Abingdon Press. It was the best birthday gift God had ever given me. It didn’t happen before 30, but it did happen before I hit 40.
My new novel, Highland Sanctuary, is dedicated to my 14 year old daughter, Celina. She was born with a seizure disorder and the heroine in my book is Serena Boyd. Serena has similar seizures in a time in 1477 when people didn’t understand or tolerate such a disorder.

One of the take way messages that I hope Highland Sanctuary conveys to readers is that sometimes we look to other people and things to provide us security and sanctuary, such as jobs, spouses, parents, teachers, pastors, worship leaders, nice homes, pretty yards, vehicles with all the safety features, etc. Yet, we need to let go, stop worrying and just live—be free in Christ—He is in our hearts and everywhere we go and in everything we do. He IS our sanctuary.
In Highland Sanctuary, Serena and her mother believe her secret is safe as long as they’re able to hide Serena’s seizures from the rest of the world and they stay hidden in the sanctuary of the small Village of Outcasts where she’s accepted. Eventually, her secret is discovered and she’s no longer safe. Only the ultimate sacrifice will save her, much like the sacrifice Christ made for all of us.

LBOC wants to know, what message is God breathing into you? If you don’t know … ask.

Website/Blog: www.jenniferhudsontaylor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenniferhudsontaylor

Twiter: www.twitter.com/jt4novels

Jennifer Hudson Taylor is an award winning author of historical Christian fiction and a speaker on topics of faith, writing and publishing. Her debut novel, Highland Blessings received a 4 1/2 star review from Romantic Times and won the Holt Medallion Award for Best First Book. Jennifer's work has appeared in national publications, such as Guideposts, Heritage Quest Magazine, Romantic Times Book Reviews, and The Military Trader. She serves as the Publicist at Hartline Literary Agency. Jennifer graduated from Elon University with a B.A. in Journalism. When she isn't writing, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, genealogy, and reading.

Jesus Wept

2012-01-10T17:41:00.002-05:00

Many years ago, I attended the viewing of my distant cousin. And though I didn’t know him very well, I knew his wife. My sisters and I used to call the couple Barbie and Ken because they seemed perfect in every way, having a relationship that read like a romance novel. So it was hard to believe the news, given two years before, that my cousin was slowly dying of cancer.

After we’d heard of his death, it seemed impossible to imagine his wife without him. I wondered what I’d find when I entered the funeral parlor. As I stepped in the door, I saw a take-charge woman, giving direction to family members, so the gathering would run smoothly. She stood confident and erect, and definitely in control.
I couldn’t understand how a woman who’d just lost the love of her life could be so strong, when her world had just shifted dramatically. In fact, I was battling more tears than she appeared to be.

In minutes, members of the immediate family lined the hall into the viewing room to greet those who came to wish their condolences. What was I going to say to her? Having never experienced a loss this personal and all-consuming, I could find no words.

My Grandmother inched along behind me, offering prayers and hugs to various people in the line. I later learned Grandma had been a mother figure to my cousin’s wife. Someone who’d been there for her throughout her married life.

I continued to inch along the line, plotting out insignificant words to ease the afflicted. Then, as I was about to grasp the widow’s hand, she caught sight of Grandma behind me, silently mouthed her name, and appeared to melt before my eyes. Grandma, who looked like a cross between the Pillsbury Dough-Boy and Shirley Temple, thrust me aside and threaded her arms around my cousin’s wife as if she were her only means of physical support. Finally, knowing someone would hold her up, my cousin’s wife sobbed uncontrollably, like a wet sack on grandma’s shoulder.

Now I know my grandmother is not God, but sometimes God shows pieces of Himself through His creation. And that day I spied a glimpse of Him through a plump, pink-cheeked, cherub of a woman with bottle-colored, golden curls, who held up a grieving woman as if she were a mighty oak in a tempest.

You see, we always think that because we have God in our lives, we should be strong ourselves and never cry. After all, He gives us the strength we need to endure all things. We know that in seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, we’ll have everything we need. We also know he’s with us in the Valley of Shadow and Death. But does that mean no tear should escape our eyes? Does it mean we can’t ever be weak?

I’d answer a big, resounding NO to both of these questions. Remember the shortest verse in the Bible. Jesus Wept. So why do we think we should somehow be better or stronger than our Savior? He needed His father in the Garden of Gethsemane, as we need Him during the trials in our own lives. His power is made perfect in our weaknesses.

My cousin’s wife knew she needed to be strong for her family. Her children had just lost their father and she was forced to host a gathering where others could mourn her very personal loss. I’m sure she felt a great responsibility to “be there” for others. I saw that in the way she comforted them.

It wasn’t until she saw the one who could hold her up through trying times, that she allowed herself to be weak. So she fell into my grandmother’s arms and finally released the hurt buried deep inside.

That’s what God can do for you. He’s not just the one who gives you what you need to brave any storm. He’s also that soft touch with strong shoulders. He will hold you up when you just can’t do it yourself.

So when life has beaten you down and you don’t know where else to turn, fall into the brawny arms of your loving Father in heaven. Cry on his broad shoulders. Look into His face and let Him wipe away your tears. If you do this, I believe you’ll feel His gentle kiss on your forehead and you’ll know you are truly loved.

Leave a comment and tell us how He’s been there for you.

A Steam Gun Has Many Parts, by Chad Young

2012-01-06T10:01:00.001-05:00

Today, I’m so excited to welcome Chad Young to LBOC. He is the author of the new book, Authenticity: Real Faith in a Phony, Superficial World. This is a great book about what it means to truly BE a Christian and let God’s work flow from who you are. Stay tuned in the next couple weeks. I’m currently reading this book and have a strong feeling you’re going to see more about it here.

… But in the mean time … Here’s Chad …

A Steam Gun Has Many Parts, by Chad Young

My son Clark is fascinated with guns. My wife Elizabeth and I attempt to discourage this fascination, but so far our efforts have been futile. At two years old, before we realized he even knew about guns, he ran around the house with toy cars, held them as if they were guns and pretended to shoot them. Two of his very first words were: “Pow! Pow!” At first we hid the toy guns cousins bought him for Christmas, but he just found sticks in the back yard and used them as rifles.

Clark is also very bright, and he amazes us by coming up with brilliant inventions. Recently, Elizabeth asked Clark what he wanted for his birthday, and this is what Clark said (in an innocent little 4 year-old voice):

Clark: “I want a gun that shoots steam bullets but doesn’t hurt you.”

Elizabeth: “Have you seen one of those on TV or in the store?”

Clark: “No, but I think they should make one.”

Elizabeth (amazed): “How does it work?”

Clark: “It has water inside and a heater. The heater turns the water into steam, and then the steam comes out of a tube and forms tiny bubble bullets. When you pull the trigger, the bullets don’t hurt you because they are just made of water and air. But the gun won’t work unless you have a heater.”

Clark was right! He realized his imaginary steam gun must have water, a heater, and normal gun parts such as a trigger and barrel! Each part of the gun is significant to the gun’s function and effectiveness.

As I pondered Clark’s idea, it occurred to me that Clark’s gun worked a lot like the body of Christ. True, few people ever compare the church to a gun, but there is a comparison to be made! Like each gun part, we were designed to play specific roles within the body of Christ. Only by becoming involved in a local church can we fully understand our role and determine our purpose within the church. Just as each and every part of a steam gun is essential to the overall performance of the gun, each member of the body of Christ is essential to the effectiveness of the body. It’s the responsibility of each believer to get involved in the local body of Christ.

God designed His church to include diversity and people with different gifts and abilities, so that we might all work together to make up the body of Christ. Paul writes, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

Are you connected to a local body of believers? If so, are you using your gifts for God’s glory? What are some ways you can be more involved or help your local church to be healthier or more effective? Two areas which are often neglected in a church are prayer and outreach, and yet they are two of the most critical elements of a healthy church. Can you help your church be more effective in one of these areas or another area God may be placing on your heart?

Spend time praising God and thanking him for sending his Son Jesus. Before Jesus came to give us eternal life, God’s people tried to live for God on their own effort, but inevitably they failed. That’s why Christ came. God knew we could never have an authentic relationship with him without his help; he sent Christ to die for our sins. By accepting Jesus’ free gift of salvation and surrendering our hearts to him, we can experience an intimate relationship with God and help the body of Christ to be healthy as well. Confess any sin these verses bring to mind, and make a commitment to help your local body of believers to impact your community for Christ.

LBOC would love for you to leave a comment below and tell us how God is using you. Remember, this is not boasting in self but in the Lord, so share away! And inspire us!

… To find out more about Chad’s wonderful book, visit …

http://www.findingauthenticchristianity.com/authenticity-the-book/

About the Author:

Chad Young is the author of Authenticity: Real Faith in a Phony, Superficial World, available at Amazon. As Campus Crusade for Christ’s director for the South Carolina Lowcountry with a scope of 25 college campuses and 70,000 students, Chad resides in Charleston, SC, with his wife Elizabeth and their four young children: Wyatt, Clark, Evelyn and Josilynn. He holds an undergraduate degree from Clemson University and a graduate degree from Georgia Tech; Chad worked in the paper industry for 6 years before going into full-time ministry. He has served on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ for 9 years and has also written a discipleship training manual. He has a passion for helping students learn what it means to have an authentic relationship with Christ.

What Makes Your Work Most Valuable in the Church, by Zeke Lam

2011-12-30T13:05:00.000-05:00

One day when I was explaining to my daughter why the Third Day song, Surrender, made me cry, she asked me what the word meant. I had to explain it’s origin and how it is used in terms of battles—it’s usually a bad thing … unless the One you are surrendering too is greater, more powerful than yourself, and loves you more than you can imagine. Then, surrender is a good thing. The same is true for the word "submission."

Zeke Lam is the author of the book, subMISSION: heeding only His voice. He has graciously agreed to visit LBOC today to tell us how obedience to God’s call for you and working in unity with the body of Christ will make your work most valuable.

… And don’t forget to check out the information below about his new book. It promises to be a most inspiring read!

The Body of Christ

The body of Christ, also known as the Church, is the common expression given to those who have been transformed by the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. It represents power, authority, love, and a measure of unity that can only exist through Christ. In terms of importance, there is not an institution on the face of this earth that can be considered its equal. Why? It is an expression of the very character of our Savior, and He gave His life for her!

Paul spoke frequently about the body of Christ. He emphasized the importance of the Church operating as a true body. In other words, each member understanding that he/she is essential although possessing differing gifts, talents, and roles. I Corinthians 12: 12-26 paints a beautiful picture of the importance of a properly functioning body. Similar to the human body, it is made of many different members, all of which play a critical role in its overall success.

The human body is set up in such a way that each part, regardless of how glorious it is, remains essential to the overall unity of the whole. Unity is not a struggle when each member’s focus is not on themselves. Consider verse 25 of I Corinthians 12 in light of this statement. Paul writes: “so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”

Division in the body of Christ is perhaps one of the most devastating plagues infecting the Church today. God creates each individual with a specific purpose and function through which He can be glorified. For some it is pastoring. For some it is missions. For some it is parenting. For some it is business. For some it is volunteering. While some callings and gifts appear from the eye of man as more glorious than others, God only sees one thing. Will we be obedient to the calling and purpose He has for our lives? Whether on a big stage or in a mountain jungle, what makes you and I an effective member of the body of Christ is our willingness to assume the role He ordained for us.

When we take our eyes off ourselves and place them on Christ, we can remain in a condition as a member of His body to do our part to see Him glorified. If you have received Him as your Savior, you are His beloved bride. He will cherish and love you like none other.

Consider this question as you and I think about the parts we play in His Kingdom work, and our faithfulness to it. “If you ceased to exist today, would the body miss you?”

Never forget how valuable you are to the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rank or title does not apply. The only thing that counts is obedience! If He created you to be an “ear”, and you spend your life as a “head”, then despite being one of the more crucial members, you have failed. An effective, Kingdom minded member is one who steadfastly obeys God’s purpose for his/her life.

LBOC Would love for readers to leave a comment about how God called you to do something you once thought was crazy, but were blessed enough to see its fruit ...

Prepare to be stirred by this authentic calling to return to Scriptural obedience.
—Pastor Gabe Turner, The Point Church of Charlottesville, Virginia

In my opinion Zeke has laid his finger on the defining message for our time. This message is essential for believers everywhere…
—Eric Stephens, Pastor of Life Changing Ministries and Fellowship in Sugarland, Texas
______________________________________________________
What is the greatest challenge that the Church is facing today? Zeke Lam suggests that one word is the greatest challenge: submission, or the lack thereof. It is not external forces that nullify the testimony of a Christ-centered believer, but rather the failure to humbly submit to the voice of the Lord. This book will help you to live a surrendered life abiding in Christ.
Ø Is the approval of God more important to you than the approval of man?
Ø Is the presence of God evident in your life?
Ø Do you fiercely protect your intimacy with Christ?
Ø Do you desire to live a life of truth, free from the lies of the devil?
Ø Is God’s divine character visible to those around you?
Learn how to submit your life wholeheartedly to the Lord so that you can dwell continually in the secret place—a place of intimacy, surrender and joy.
______________________________________________________
ZEKE LAM is the founder of SUBMISSION Ministries—a ministry devoted to seeing lost souls encounter God and live lives fully surrendered to the risen Christ. A graduate of Liberty University, Zeke’s deep passion for following Christ’s will has led him through many years of youth ministry and itinerant evangelism. Both of these experiences have enriched and fueled his desire to hand others the keys to a Christ-centered life. Zeke resides in Virginia with his beautiful wife, Kathleen, and a growing family of future world-changers.
3. ISBN-13 978-1-9374-8100-1
4. ISBN-10 1-9374-8100-X
5. Author website
http://submissionministries.org/

If you'd like to see a great interview with Zeke and learn more about the writing of his book, visit the blog Peering Through Life's Window.

The Great and the Small, Part 4—How One Small Girl Inspired A Ministry of Access

2011-12-27T15:38:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I recounted the story of how Lon Solomon, pastor of the Mega-Church, McLean Bible, came to Christ through his contact with one man who he’d once called the weirdest man in the universe. Today, I want to tell you about the little girl who encouraged him to start a ministry that would impact hurting families across the country—his daughter Jill.

Jill was born to Lon and his wife, almost twenty years ago, with a seizure disorder that left her severely disabled. And though God used this little girl (now a young woman) to stretch and strengthen the faith of a man who is pastor to thousands, she may be most credited for her inspiration to create Access Ministry, the special needs ministry at McLean. What is Access Ministry? It is a multidimensional program for families which includes small groups for Mom’s with special needs children, day programs for adults with disabilities, Bible classes for SN children, lecture series for families, friendship clubs, support groups, signing groups, summer camp and family events. <deep breath here> But if that weren’t enough, McLean Bible Church goes the step further to “spread the love.” Once a year they hold a national conference designed to help churches, communities and families to provide for members with special needs. It’s called Accessibility Summit. I highly recommend this summit to anyone who would like to discover new ways to help this community, especially since it is a hurting community within the Body and is too often neglected by it.

Often, families with special needs forego the blessing of church attendance because they have a child who will not “behave” in the sanctuary and the children’s program cannot accommodate them. These families need Christ as much as anyone else, but are sometimes forgotten as we strive to reach families solely through Christian sports ministries which only alienate the disabled further.

Having visited McLean, I can tell you, they do not alienate the disabled in any way. I have written on blogs about how I rarely see an accurate microcosm of the special needs community among church attenders. The percentage of disabled in most churches on a given Sunday seems much smaller than that which is among us in the public sphere. Not so at McLean. As I walked the corridors of the complex, I encountered groups of individuals signing to one another, scads of members in wheelchairs, parents gripping the hands of their autistic children and members leading the blind into elevators. I was in awe! This is the fruit of Jill’s inspiration.

My prayer today is that you, the reader, will visit the Accessibility Summit site and beg your church to send someone to the conference April 20-21 this year so YOUR church can be part of this great ministry.

God Bless!

The Story Behind Diamond Estates--by Nicole O'Dell

2011-12-23T12:54:00.000-05:00

As promised last Friday, Nicole is back to tell us what inspired her to write The Diamond Estate Series. It's a great reminder of the call God has on all of us to help the hurting, as well as an example of how God can even take our sorrows and use them to bring something special to others.

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Mansfield can’t wait to escape the confines of her home, where she endures nothing but perpetual torment and abuse from her stepfather while her mother turns a blind eye. She dreams of being accepted into a prestigious music school far, far away . . .but until she graduates from high school, Olivia must make the best of her dire situation. When poor choices lead her to the brink of a complete breakdown and she finds herself dealing with the unexpected death of her best friend, Olivia comes to a crossroads. Will she find the path to ultimate hope and healing that her heart longs for? Or will the demons from Olivia’s past prove too much to bear?

Join sixteen-year-old Olivia Mansfield on her journey to hope and healing, as she struggles to pick up the pieces of her life—and faith—at Diamond Estates. October 1, 2011, Barbour Publishing. . .available in the Choose NOW Store or anywhere books are sold.

The story behind The Diamond Estates series is a good way for me to segue’ into talking about why I started reaching out to teens. The Wishing Pearl is my story in many ways--not all, but many. When I was a young teen, like Olivia Mansfield, I started making some really bad choices in response to some things that happened to me. My life spiraled out of control, and I hit rock bottom. I got to the point where I didn’t think I’d even have a chance at getting it together unless I got out of my circumstances, so I went to live at a residential home for girls called Teen C hallenge. I lived there for about eight months, and so much of what you read about Diamond Estates is how it was for me at Teen Challenge.

Olivia’s story is not completely my own, but her life and the lives of the girls she meets at Diamond Estates (and the ones in books two, The Embittered Ruby, and three, The Shadowed Onyx) are all sort of a conglomeration of all I saw and experienced during my months of prayer, counseling, introspection, and solitude at Teen challenge. Without that opportunity, I don’t know where I’d be today, because it was during that time the Holy Spirit got ahold of my heart and set me free from many strongholds.

Our enemy is so good at telling us the lies we’re programmed to believe. He’s not going to come at every teenager the same way because that wouldn’t be effective. It’s hard to recognize his darts as lies because they’re often the things we’re most afraid we’ll see in ourselves, so when they crop up, we’re not taken by surprise.

I often get criticized, or at least questioned, about why I tackle such tough issues in The Wishing Pearl and my other books. Things like drug/alcohol use, teen sex, sexual abuse, eating disorders and even abortion. Readers and their parents wonder why I want to cover those things and whether it’s even appropriate in Christian fiction for teens. The thing is, though, that list sounds about like a normal week at an average high school. Those things all exist in the lives of our teens and/or those around them.

My passion is to help teens face the tough issues well in advance of those things actually popping up in their lives. I believe it’s far easier for teenagers to make a commitment to good decisions and prepare a response to temptation before peer pressure is staring them in the face.

In order to keep balance, I spend a lot of time in prayer and really searching my heart to make sure I’m not going there just for a sensationalistic reaction from readers. I believe that if I feel right about putting a subject or storyline in my book, and if I can defend it when asked about it, then it’s my responsibility to go there. I think that’s part of my calling. I mean, it’s tough to address the topic of making good choices if we can’t talk about what those choices will be.

It’s all about choices!

Nicole O’Dell, founder of Choose NOW Ministries is a youth culture expert, who writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents about how to prepare for life’s tough choices. She is the author of a bunch of YA books, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the upcoming Diamond Estates Series, 2011-2012. Non-fiction for teens includes Girl Talk, 2/1/12, which she wrote with her two daughters based on their popular blog column by the same name, and O’Dell’s desire to bridge the gap between parents and teens is evident in her adult non-fiction like the upcoming Hot Buttons series.

The host of Teen Talk Radio where “It’s all about choices!”, Nicole dives in on topics like peer pressure, dating, purity, drugs, alcohol, modesty, popularity, decisions about the future, and many other things that might come up along the way. Over the years, Nicole has worked as a youth director, a Bible study leader for women and teens, and a counselor at a crisis pregnancy center. She lives in Illinois with her husband, Wil and her six wonderful kids–including a set of toddler triplets.

Nicole O’Dell, Choose NOW Ministries

…battling peer pressure by tackling the tough issues

The Great and the Small, Part 3—God

2011-12-20T09:40:00.001-05:00

Recently, I viewed a Youtube video of a preacher sounding off about how some ministers of the Gospel want to make God into a people-needing wuss, which of course He is NOT. I only saw a portion of the sermon (that which was on Youtube) and can’t speak to the whole of the text, but I think the man had a problem with the way God was portrayed in the novel, The Shack. This brought to mind reviews I’d seen of the book that also disliked it, feeling it made God look small.

Okay, I admit, I haven’t read the Shack, so I can’t respond to the criticism of whether or not the picture of God is accurate. However, given that my series this month is entitled “The Great and the Small,” and it IS Christmas season, I just wanted to speak to the idea of God being “small.”

I can see you now, hackles up. “Don’t call the Creator of the Universe small,” you cry, and threaten to navigate away from my blog. So I won’t do that. But—think about this now—He can be small …

If.

He.

Wants.

He’s that powerful!

God is the alpha, the omega, the beginning and the end. The Creator of All Things. Not just you and me, folks. I said All Things. And yet, He chose to become God With Us, Emmanuel. He chose to be born of a virgin in a stable, which by the way, was really a dung-filled cave. He chose to be laid in a manger--aka. a feeding trough—by a lowly carpenter and his wife.

A man once suggested to me that what Jesus did on the cross was really not that big of a deal, because, after all, he was God. I submit to you the reverse. That’s what made it so extraordinary! Think about it. Who would be most troubled by sudden poverty? One who has lived it all his life, or one who has had everything he’s ever needed and suddenly is bereft of these. God could have chosen to leave it, and yet He did not. God did not NEED to be a poor carpenter. God did not NEED to be mocked, harassed, beaten and put to death. WE needed Him to be those things. And so He did them. He became small. Not because He needed us, but because we needed Him. His occasional “smallness” is not about His lack of power. It is about the depth and intimacy of His love.

So yes, God is great … and small. He is all in all. He is sculptor of the walls of water that allowed the Hebrews to escape Pharaoh. And He is the still, small voice that speaks to us every day. He is Wonderful, Counselor, Teacher and Father. The alpha, omega, beginning and end!

He is God!

How I Stumbled Into Radio--by Nicole O'Dell

2011-12-16T10:21:00.000-05:00

Why am I so thrilled to have YA author, Nicole O'dell on my blog today? Because I just read her newest novel, The Wishing Pearl, and wanted to help her share her great ministry to teens. She has a heart to help youth find their way in God's world so they can see Him unfold His Love and Joy through the gifts He gave each and every one of us.

Read, and see what I mean ...

Big or small, major or minor, there's a moment before every decision when you can alter the course of your life. On Teen Talk Radio, where “It's all about choices!” I dive into topics like peer pressure, dating, purity, drugs, alcohol, modesty, popularity, decisions about the future, and many other things that might come up along the way. This show is for teens, about teens and with teens.

They tell me I'm a youth culture expert because I write books and speak to pre-teens, teens, and parents about how to prepare for life's tough choices. But, it's the memory of my own teen years (yes, I can remember that far back) that has created a passion within me to reach out to teens and help them muddle through the confusion and pressure that life throws at them…at you!

I kind of stumbled into the radio thing when I was looking for more platforms and avenues to be able to communicate with teens on a regular basis. I never set out to work in radio--never really thought about it. But over the past year and a half, I’ve really loved every minute of it. It’s been an amazing experience and clearly something the Lord led me to do.

How do I know what God wants me to do?

That’s a question I get asked quite often. It’s interesting to consider the questions surrounding God’s calling. How do we know? What if we mess up? What if we go the wrong direction?

The best advice I have for discovering what it is that God has for you to do is to move forward with the things you like and the things that interest you. He created you the way He did--with interests and passions unique only to you--for a reason. Explore them and let Him steer you as you put one foot in front of the other.

In my opinion, it’s better to make a mistake when you’re erring on the side of serving God, than to sit still and do nothing. The Holy Spirit will guide you when necessary if you remain open to Him.

There are a couple of Teen Talk Radio podcasts I’d like to recommend on the topic of teenagers finding their callings and working in their giftings:

Making your Faith your Own, with Alison Strobel, daughter of Lee Strobel

Teens Recoginzing God’s Call in their Lives, with Cara Putman

Teens Pursuing Big Dreams, with Lezlie Evans

And remember...It’s all about choices!

Do you have any questions about this topic? Feel free to leave them in the comments!

... And come back next week to see more about Nicole's newest release, The Wishing Pearl. She shares how her own experience with Teen Challenge led her to write a series about a Christian home for girls. Very inspirational!

Nicole O’Dell, founder of Choose NOW Ministries is a youth culture expert, who writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents about how to prepare for life’s tough choices. She is the author of a bunch of YA books, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the upcoming Diamond Estates Series, 2011-2012. Non-fiction for teens includes Girl Talk, 2/1/12, which she wrote with her two daughters based on their popular blog column by the same name, and O’Dell’s desire to bridge the gap between parents and teens is eviden t in her adult non-fiction like the upcoming Hot Buttons series.

Nicole O’Dell, Choose NOW Ministries

…battling peer pressure by tackling the tough issues

The Great and the Small, Part 2—The Man Who Inspired a Congregation … Sorta

2011-12-13T10:15:00.004-05:00

So often, when we praise others, it’s because of the great things they do and the numbers of people they impact. However, rarely do we praise the one man who inspired only one. I’m going to do that today.

Recently, I re-listened to the story of how Lon Solomon, of McLean Bible Church, came to Christ. The piece of the story that intrigued me the most is the part where he mentions the man who first showed him the gospel, Bob Eckhart. This man spent many hours on the Chapel Hill Campus of the University of North Carolina driving around in a white, Econoline van, playing hymns, in the hopes of spreading the Good News to non-believers. Lon, at that time, called him the weirdest man in the universe. Many people spit on this man, cursed him and threw his Bible tracks back in his face. And yet Bob continued relentlessly, eventually winning over a young man whose life had been sinking into an abyss—Lon Solomon.

Mr. Solomon, many years after his conversion, asked Bob how many people he thinks he’d brought to Christ. Bob told Lon he was the only one he’d known about.

Why is this story so great? Well, for me, there are two scenarios. One, that this man had worked all that time for a single lost soul, who would then feed potentially millions. Or, that there were countless souls affected in which he knew nothing about. If the former is true, then take a look. Lon Solomon is the very effective pastor of an ever-increasing mega-church. His sermons reach thousands, maybe more, every week, with the message of Jesus Christ. And without Bob that messenger may not have ever known it himself. So, in other words, Bob indirectly impacted many lives.

Now, what if the latter is true? I know there were many people, strangers and acquaintances, I recall today, who through their words and the actions to back them up, impacted my faith greatly, though I never had the opportunity to tell them. I believe this too is the case with Bob Eckhart. Though some may have thought him weird, there were others inspired by his dedication in the face of mockery.

So if you labor for Christ and don’t always see its fruits, go to the One you labor for. He will give you rest and send you back into the world to do His will. And having done that, His glory will be revealed whether you see it or not.

The Great and the Small, Part 1—The Button Lady

2011-12-06T11:01:00.000-05:00

After reading the story of Traci Hilton’s mom using her cooking gift for God’s glory, I was inspired. Not to cook, mind you. That would be no inspiration. It made me think of those people around me who bring new life to the drudgery of living. And those small things which can have a great impact.
First, on my list is the “Button Lady.” She is a checker at my local Giant whose uniform used to be adorned in decorative pins and buttons. Thus, the moniker. And though she no longer wears the “buttons,” her inner beauty, thank goodness, has not changed. What makes her so great? Well, I don’t know about you, but grocery shopping is not high on my list of things I love to do. I trudge to the store, after I order my list by isles (which they keep mixing up on me—Argh!), pull out one of those carts (with the defective wheels that only goes left), fill it with food and junk that becomes increasingly unaffordable, and schlep into the line where some curmudgeon, who’s not happy to be in the middle of his or her eight-hour shift, grumbles questions about paper or plastic. Not so with the “Button Lady!” She not only greets me with a cheerful smile, she asks me about my life. Really! And you know what? She remembers what I said the next time I come in. Like she’s interested or somethin’.

Why’s that important? I don’t know, but at a store that has more and more self-checkout lines and opportunities to avoid human contact all together, I find myself drawn to her line. You know how you usually pan the check-out options and calculate the time each patron will take to get through so you can figure which line will go fastest? I don’t do that when “Button Lady” is on the job. I go right to hers. One time the manager opened a new line and offered for me to be first in it. I refused. Really! Just want to chat with the “Button Lady” thank you very much! Why? Because somehow when I leave, I feel more important in the world than I did when I came in. And that’s a good thing! It gives me that little glimpse of how my Creator sees me.

Thank you Button Lady … whose name I now know is really Jen.

The Way To God's Heart Can Be Through His Children's Stomachs--by Traci Hilton

2011-12-01T12:15:00.003-05:00

Wait til you read this story. I LOVE how God uses us uniquely. Don't ever discount your gifts and assume they cannot be used for His Glory.

Traci surprised me with an added bonus at the bottom. Read and find out what that is ... even if it is missing something ;o).

The Way to God's Heart Can Be Through His Children's Stomachs

I bet that when you were growing up your teacher never said, “Dream big and work hard and someday you just might get to be the school kitchen lady!”

And yet that is the dream job of one of the most talented ladies I know, my Mom.

Vicky Rothery is the kitchen lady extraordinaire of Alice Ott Middle School. Do you find yourself doubting that kitchen lady could be God’s plan for her talents? Then imagine yourself at the helm of an institution that feeds 600 haywire Junior Highers breakfast, lunch, and dinner all while adhering to rigorous federal standards. From food ordering to surprise health inspections, to organizing volunteer rotations, the Kitchen Lady does it all. And she does it for Junior High kids.

Junior Highers can be crazy. They attempt everything from coming to school with no shirts under their coats to sneaking food out of the kitchen unseen. Junior Highers are trouble and they are hurting. Every single one of them. Even the happy ones with good stable homes are hurting, because, as we can all remember, that is what hormones do to your brain.

From the first day Vicky (how weird to call my mom that! But it’s weirder to keep writing “my mom.” She’s Vicky to everyone else) hit the kitchen as a dishwasher, she made it her job to see every single shy, scared, hurting kid that passed her way, smile. Now that she’s in charge of the whole kit-and-caboodle loving the kids is one of the most important kitchen rules.

Since school menu’s are prepared by bureaucrats and nutrition information is published at the beginning of the year there is a national Zero Creativity Policy for school food. So if all you ever tasted was the school menu you might never know that Vicky is a great cook.

She’s fond of saying “if you can read you can cook,” meaning you can follow the recipe, but anyone who faces their stove day in and day out knows that cooking is more than just food math. Some people have a real talent for creating spectacular food.

My sister-in-law, was over for her first holiday meal at my parents house. After tasting everything, she put her fork down and said, “this isn’t just food—it’s magic!” It took almost forty years of faithfully preparing family meals to be able to turn food into magic. (That being the case, I have a feeling my talents aren’t at their peak yet.)

Since Vicky isn’t allowed to display her culinary talent in her professional kitchen she has found other ways to use the gift God has given her. And that brings us back to the point of the blog. We all have talents. If we faithfully develop those talents throughout our lives someday they will be a blessing to others.

As you’ve just read, Vicky’s love of the kitchen led her to a job where she could bless Junior High students with her affirmations and smiles.

Her love of creating amazing food led her to the $35 caramel apple pie.

Vicky’s pies are the best. She makes them for pot-lucks. She makes them for functions. She sends them to friends when they are sick. So word has gotten around about her pies. She made a passel of pies for a fundraiser at her church just this year. Vicky’s famous caramel apple pie went for $35.

One pie.

$35.

She made 10 pies for the event. Talk about blessing others!

She also feeds the kids and volunteers in her church’s Vacation Bible School every year. Her school kitchen work has refined her natural knack for planning affordable, healthy, and delicious meals for things like that. Icing on the cake? She comes in under budget.

That knack for planning led to this last story of blessing others with her talent. Every year her church, Mt. Scott Church of God, hosts a retreat for Pastor’s wives. Vicky has volunteered to cater it for the last two years.

After a weekend of deliciousness, one of the women attending the event stopped her and said that she had been looking forward to Vicky’s meals all year! When was the last time you looked forward to retreat food? The ladies who came to be blessed took a love offering for her to show their appreciation for the love and care she put into feeding them.

I recently spoke about talents at a women’s group (wish my mom had catered it!) and I asked the ladies to answer these two questions: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? And in your daily life now, what task gives you the most satisfaction?

God given talent is found where your dreams and abilities meet.

The $35 Caramel Apple Pie Recipe

8 apples doesn't matter what kind peeled and cut up. I have a peeler so it works really fast.

1.5cups sugar

1/4cup corn starch

Cinnamon to taste

About 12 caramels cut up, (just old fashioned Kraft or brocks)

Roll out pie crust dough. Put into pie pan then sprinkle sugar on the bottom, just a light coating. This helps protect the crust from the juices so the crust is really flaky.

Toss apples with dry ingredients and caramels.

Fill the pie with the apple mixture.

Put a couple of table spoons of flour on top of apples and several teaspoons of real butter.

Top the pie with a crust, sprinkle with sugar. Cut decorative air vents on top crust.

and bake the same as any pie.

*Note: As with all famous secret recipes, this seems to be missing a few key parts. I assume she uses the pie crust recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. And “bake the same as any pie?” I’m guessing that means the apple pie recipe from the same book.

Enjoy!

Traci Tyne Hilton is an award winning playwright from Portland, Oregon, and author of the Christian fiction series, The Mitzy Neuhaus Mysteries, available in paperback at Amazon and Barnes and Noble and at all ebook retailers..

Traci earned a degree in History from Portland State University and still lives in the rainiest part of the Pacific Northwest.

She has written grant proposals, blogs, essays on etymology, Bible studies, Sunday School curriculum, novels, short stories, history essays, and plays. She hopes to do many more of the above, God willing and the creek don't rise.

More of Traci's work can be found at http://tracihilton.com

An Empty Vessel

2011-11-29T12:56:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I received an email blessing from my friend, Monika. She told me of the far-reaching impact one of my blog entries had—the one by Staci Stallings on how she used vision training to treat her son’s dyslexia. After this story was published, several moms from my homeschooling group had their struggling reader's vision evaluated and began vision therapy. Monika told me not only of her son’s new successes (which will be published here in January) but of others. And that because of their success, they passed the word to even more mothers of struggling readers. Kinda like the old Breck commercial: "And they told two friends, and so on and so on ..."

How awesome is that?

Monika praised me for the blog and I was grateful to be part of the chain of events that led to these families finding help. But after I emailed Staci, the author who had written this article, I realized something extraordinary. I got to truly be an empty vessel of the Lord.

You see, having not even written the article that brought clarity to many, I only provided the space and invited the audience. It was Staci’s experience that enlightened us. And wow! I got to sit back and watch it unfold.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to engage in false humility, praising everyone but myself. I’m trying to point to the One who brought it all together. He connected me to Staci. He gave me the homeschooling audience and He inspired me to create this blog. And let's not forget, He allowed the message to be read by Monika in order to spread the word further. All I did was empty myself to allow Him to fill me for my task. And there is nothing more wonderful in the history of creation than to be used by your Creator and filled with His purposes.

Leave a comment and tell us how God has used Your empty vessel.

He Enters Our Pain

2011-11-22T12:41:00.000-05:00

There is a formula I’ve often taught clients to help them communicate with loved ones in times of need. When someone is telling them about their horrible day, I teach to say, “You feel _______, because …” Of course, you need to fill in the blanks accurately. This “formula” is actually one counselors are trained to use in the beginning stages of therapy. It communicates and confirms the client is being heard and understood, before any problem solving can take place. You’d be surprised how this communication technique, alone, can impact the client to the point they need nothing else. Sometimes a person just wants to be heard. And sometimes they just want confirmation that what they are feeling is normal and they are not crazy.

And in some ways, you have entered into their pain. It’s almost like jumping into the chasm with a person who has fallen in, to keep them company until the ladder comes to get them out.

That’s what Jesus did.

He entered into our chasm, felt the pain, isolation, and ridicule of this world, all before giving us the means to be extracted from it. Even now he sits with us daily as we wait for Jacob’s ladder, and helps us feel safe in the cold, dark hole.

So, as we consider how to help someone in pain and want to be like Jesus, I suggest, before we fall to platitudes and what-to-dos, we step back, listen, understand, communicate that understanding, and sometimes just be there for them. Then we will model the life of our Savior.

Jake The Encourager--by H.L. Wegley

2011-11-18T09:07:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to LBOC. As promised last Friday, today we have a story about a boy, who just happens to have autism, and the special gift his church and school were given when they allowed it to unfold amongst them.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage... (Romans 12:6-8 NIV)

Jake's Gift

Jake was born in far less than ideal circumstances. But from the beginning, he was loved dearly by his mother and grandparents. By the time he was two, it became obvious that Jake was different. Was his hearing impaired? Did he have learning disabilities? What did the future hold for him?

One day the verdict came in ... Jake was autistic. He began to display some annoying behaviors, especially when he got excited. But through his formative years, the love of those closest to him became the one constant in his life that gave him peace and security.

From the time he was a toddler, his grandparents took Jake to church and Sunday school without fail. Through the music at church and his fascination with the Gaither Homecoming videos, it became apparent to everyone that Jake loved music. He can imitate all of the regulars who sing with the Gaithers. While he can't read or write, he remembers everything he sees and hears. He can imitate anyone, but he limits this ability to people he admires. If Jake imitates you, he has paid you the highest compliment he can give.

Jake's grandparents bring him to every family reunion. I noticed he would approach every person present, one at a time, and ask how people were doing. He wants to know that every one is doing well physically, relationally, and spiritually. A typical conversation with Jake goes something like this:

Jake steps close and makes eye contact. "How is Julie? Is she going okay?"

"Julie is doing pretty good, Jake. But she's been sick lately. That's why she's not at the reunion this year."

A look of concern appears in Jake's eyes. "We need to pray for her. Does she love Jesus?"

"Yes, Julie loves Jesus."

"I do too. I love my church. Have you heard our choir? They sing so beautifully ..."

As Jake became a teenager, he was allowed into a special education program at the local high school. It's a large school having a student body of about 2,000. Word about Jake's love of music spread, and the band director allowed him to sit in on band classes. He can’t play an instrument, but he listened to the music, watched the director, and began to blossom.

At school, Jake circulated among the students with his one-on-one encouragement. Over his years at the high school, most of the students came to know him. At the conclusion of his senior year, the student body and faculty assembled for an awards ceremony. Jake prefers one-on-one interaction, so when his name was called to receive the Most Inspirational Student award, no one knew for sure what to expect.

Jake stood when they called his name. He walked the aisle to the front of the assembly, but he didn't go directly to receive his reward. Instead, he positioned himself in front of the band and turned to face the audience. He raised his hands for them to rise. After the entire student body stood, he turned to the band and directed them flawlessly through a rousing rendition of the school fight song. When the song ended and Jake received his reward, the applause was long and loud.

Before a church service, Jake greets everyone, and he knows them by name. He sits in the front row during services. When he is moved by a hymn or praise song, he turns, brings the congregation to their feet, and then turns to direct the praise band and choir. He does it flawlessly. The pastor understands. The people love it. The worship time is never boring with Jake in attendance.

Jake will always have the heart, mind, and innocence of a five or six year old, though he is now in his early twenties. Some hear about his autism and are saddened. They don't know Jake. But when God allowed him to be born with autism, He gave Jake a compensation for his disability, the gift of encouragement. I don't think Jake is even conscious of his gift. It's just who he is.

By the way, do you love Jesus?

H L Wegley

Author Bio

H. L. Wegley published in the scientific community for several years before turning his attention to fiction. If you Google H L Wegley, you will see some of his publications floating around in cyber space. He has a BS in Meteorology from Texas A&M University, an MS in Computer Science from Washington State University and is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, Northwest Christian Writers, and Oregon Christian Writers.

In the military he served as an Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. After transitioning to civilian life, he served as a Research Scientist in Atmospheric Physics at a national lab for many years. After getting an advanced degree in Computer Science, he developed computing systems for Boeing until he retired in 2008.

He published his childhood adventure stories, Colby and Me, in 2009. But his work experience provided an abundance of material for writing romantic-suspense novels and thrillers. He is currently finishing the third book of a romantic-suspense series and is planning the first book in a new series.

He and his wife live in the Seattle area where he writes, leads a Bible-study group, spends time with grand kids, and tries to snorkel in Maui at least once a year.

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?--by Monika Holt

2011-11-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

The following is what my very dear friend, Monika Holt, and I lovingly refer to as “Monika’s Rant.” I must say she rants beautifully. The passage below is an outpouring of her very large heart after she and I had discussed concerns we saw in a large number of churches today. For some reason, many churches seem to have a much smaller percentage of special needs families than the population at large. We asked the question, why is that? I ask you, if your church is deficient in this particular population, what are you going to do about it???

Read and enjoy …

I see it clearly. I see how busy we are. Running from one appointment to another. Aren’t homeschoolers supposed to spend at least a little time at home? The laundry we made last week is still not folded and the dishes are piling up in our sink. The dog threw up again, the phone will not stop ringing and our heads will not stop spinning. Life is busy, too busy; and we can’t stop moving. The whole world “went and got itself in a hurry.”

Now, let’s imagine the life of a mom whose kid is sick. One who, on top of all our choirs, has to take her daughter to two doctor appointments a week. Another, who must carry her paraplegic child into the bathtub. Or one who must watch her precious daughter fall asleep in pain each night. Imagine a mom, whose heart beats wildly in her throat when she sees a boy walk by with a peanut butter cracker in his hand, hoping beyond hope that one cell of that offending food will not enter her child’s system, sending him into anaphylaxic oblivian. Imagine, the mom who always carries an epi-pen in her purse, and checks her little boy’s face for hives every time his cheek flashes. Or the mom who sees all the other kids doing normal things, realizing her child never will. Imagine living in constant anxiety, in the world where danger lurks around each corner. A simple field trip to a museum could cause a seizure, and a special event, like a Cookie Exchange, can end up in anaphylaxis, even death. Now let’s imagine having to make a phone call, or send an email every time we want to go somewhere, just to verify that it is safe for your baby to be there. Would we have the energy to do it, on top of everything else that is on our plate? Or would we be much more likely to withdraw from participation, into the safety of our homes, where things are predictable? How isolating it must feel to move through ones tired days, friendless.

Why are we not seeing more children with special needs around us? Why are churches and church groups not filled with them? After all, didn’t Jesus say, “Come to me all you who are weary?” Given this, shouldn’t the churches have more, not less than that of the public schools? The reason is, not that they are not plentiful, but because they are hiding. Hiding from the world, which sometimes does not welcome them. Hiding from people who are too inconvenienced by their presence. We do not see all of them because their parents are tired of constantly striving and explaining. So they quit in disappointment.

How incredibly devastating it is for the rest of us “normal” folks to be separated from these families of kids with special needs. It is in the hectic homes of tired parents that real perseverance is born. It is there that we find true peace and communion with the Lord. Beyond each painful trial there is joy overflowing. Beneath each bitter tear there is God’s perfect mercy. And under the heavy folds of deepest depression, born in monotone days without sunshine, are refreshing springs of His everlasting love. It is a great privilege for us to share in the lives of those who have kids with special needs. There, we truly encounter God’s love, which if only we lend a hand, perfectly overflows to our lives. Sometimes unaware of our ignorance we miss out on reaping the benefits and the blessings of honor, of being witnesses to the purity of this merit. How I wait to serve them one day in heaven; because when all is said and done, the least will inherit the kingdom of God.

Now, do the difficult thing and honestly ask yourself a question, is it easier just to look away? Is it easier to just walk by and preach empty platitudes; that these parents should be diligent to look out for their own? But where is the Body of Christ in that??? Why should we wait to get to heaven, to serve those in need? Our precious Jesus washed the feet of his disciples; He led us by being a perfect servant first. He humbled Himself to the point of the cross, not only so that our tomorrows would be in paradise, but also so that our todays would be filled with His Spirit. Hence, What Would Jesus Do? Often I find myself too busy to lift up my eyes and see the needs of others around me. If I stop to help a stranger on the street, my plan for the day will crumble into pieces. In it, I am Unfaithful! I forget that the maker of this Universe, the One who crafted my soul is able to stretch my hours and organize my days. As long as I am busy doing my Father’s work, he will replenish me, because His burdens are light and His yoke is easy. The work I do for my Maker reaps rewards beyond human understanding; for the more I do for His kingdom and for His glory, the more He fills me and strengthens my spirit. I should lift up my eyes and sift through my hours searching for tasks, which only He can assign to my destiny. Combing for ways I can be used, to humbly serve his children the way He serves me.

We forget that our life is the greatest treasure hunt in the history of the universe. We should dig deeply beneath our fleshly surfaces. We should look patiently beyond our material realm, and search passionately under the moods which sway us, hungry to discover the treasures, which await us from our loving Abba.

We know utopia is not promised to us on this side of heaven. Physical pain will always continue leaving us with countless emotional wounds to nurse. However, by extending ourselves for the sake of others, a piece of paradise could enter in to our hearts and brighten our very existence. Why not relieve the mom whose autistic child screams when she sings at home, so she in turn could bless her church with angelic tones of her soprano? Why not surprise the tired parents of a paraplegic child with a babysitting offer, so they could go out for a date, maybe the first one in ten years? Why not, pray with the sick, the hurt and the weary, right there on the spot? Why not let the Spirit flow and take the risk of being laughed at, rejected and ridiculed, for a chance to bless others and be blessed in return? Don’t miss out on the gifts of those who are tragically stuck in their homes. Become not only a passive witness of their Spiritual growth, but a catalyst to the revealing of their hidden strengths.

The hardest lessons that the Lord teaches us are the ones, which bring pain into our lives. Like a flood they sweep through our days altering the paths of each decision. Aches, unanticipated and unwelcomed, like wild fire test our character and build our strength. We like our cozy homes, where tomorrows are planned and we get to complain how busy we are, giving excuses for why we cannot pour more out of our souls for the sake of our sisters and brothers. In it we forgo on the true fellowship with the real irons of this earth, which could truly sharpen our hearts.

Thanks for reading. Next Friday, LBOC will be featuring a guest blog on how one autistic boy’s gifts were given full-reign at his church and school. One example of what we are missing when we don’t reach out to all.

Judging Someone Else's Servant

2011-11-07T09:33:00.002-05:00

Romans 14:4

Who are we to judge someone else’s servant? That’s what Paul asks us in his letter to the Romans. And yet, we do this all the time.

Why?

Does it somehow elevate us as Christians to note that we have not engaged in that sin we find so detestable? Even though the countless little ones are drenching us like rain—as in judging someone else?

What’s worse is when we judge others on those things which are not even sin. We just assume they will lead to it, or maybe come from it.

This reminded me of what happened when I began to write my current work-in-progress (WIP). I was told my character was hard to relate to because she’d made the poor decision of taking a position as a Resident Director in an all-male university dormitory. This position would require her to live, as the only woman, among five-hundred college guys. My first reaction to this was, of course, self-deprecating self-evaluation. After all, I’d taken that job several years ago. Was it really that sinful? Am I really that much of an idiot? Sorry, but I get prone to these thoughts at certain times of the month.

But then I thought, even if this was a horrible, sinful act, which I no longer claim, I would wish those who are strong in faith would still find some way to love, and yes, even relate, to me. Imagine Jesus among the prostitutes and tax collectors. Would He have mused on what made them different from Him?

Then, I thought of Joan of Arc. In fact, she is now mentioned in this manuscript as her calling parallels my main character in one way—having lived among men. She was called by God to do something which, at that time, was not only distasteful to many, it was part of the testimony against her that led to her being burned at the stake. And yet, she did it in order to be true to her Creator.

Am I comparing my own circumstances to that of Joan of Arc? Eek! I can’t even claim the righteousness of Kirsten, the main character of my WIP. In fact, that was the lowest, weakest moment of my faith journey. And yet, God shown His light in my life even when I wasn’t looking for it. (That’s a whole different story). I don’t know if I was actually “called” to work in the all-male dorm, I just know that God used that experience to grow me in ways I needed. And perhaps He wanted me to tell the story of what it was like for a Christian, living in a very PC environment, where temptation saturates the individual, and there are few opportunities to find faith support.

Maybe!

So I ask, as did Paul, “Who are we to judge someone else’s servant?” We do not know what the Master has asked of him. We could look at the woman who poured perfume on Jesus and blame her, as did Judas, for wasting the value of the item. And yet, Jesus praised her for treating Him with distinct honor. Or, we could esteem Jonah for resisting to socialize with such detestable sinners as the Ninevites. And yet, this was in direct opposition to what God commanded him to do.

So who is the better servant? We can answer this question only because God’s Word tells us unmistakably. But in your own life, I caution you, don’t presume to be the all-knowing ear of God’s judgment.

Death of a Character

2011-11-04T15:21:00.000-04:00

In my last blog post about how being a writer is like being a Creator, Vanessa asked, “… what happens if you kill a character, judgment or remorse?” (See comments section of “Writer as Creator”). This is a serious question and reminds us of the question many have for God. Why does he allow death in the lives of His loved ones? I cannot in any way presume to know the reasoning of God when He, in His sovereignty, allows death. I can only guess, or maybe only say what I’m thinking when I allow it in my character’s lives.

In my current work-in-progress (WIP) my heroine’s mother dies when the character is only fourteen years old. This sets up a chain of events in her life that, let’s just say, weren’t the best years of it. I grieve with the main character as she negotiates the loss of her mother, but I also know the end of the story. She traverses a long, arduous land, but after many years, she is able to move past this trauma, clinging to her God and Savior, which is a good place to be. Though she still grieves the many smaller losses of not having her mother in her life, she is able to move on, stronger than she was before.

I do NOT, however, grieve for the mother. Being a believer, I know she is with the Lord. She no longer knows suffering of any kind. And even if she is aware “up there” that her child is struggling, she will be sure that God’s goodness will prevail.

There are other characters who also die in this manuscript. The two main characters wonder about one, and how his life could have been different. I wrote this so the reader would consider the impact he or she could have on the life of another troubled soul. But in the end, I believe God KNOWS each person to the core and will therefore, act justly toward him or her when allowing His own judgment. I, on the other hand, don’t even want to judge my own characters, even though I have created them and know their hearts. I want to see each individual as having potential to really know Christ, and wonder always, do I have a role to play in that knowledge.

Death carves great holes into the lives of God’s children. One can never take that lightly—even in fiction. But God is bigger even than that hole. He can fill it, though the landscape may look a little different when He does.

Writer As Creator

2011-11-01T10:48:00.003-04:00

One of the amazing things about being a writer is how it gives one a glimpse of what it is like to be God. No, I do not have the power to alter realities … but I do have the power to alter “unrealities.” And oh what an exciting prospect. I can make new worlds and tweek them to be just what I want them to be. I can control the weather, making it rain when the crops need water, and clear when the picnic needs to run its course. But one thing I still have no control over is … the human character.

Of course, I could create nice little robotic characters who do what I say and treat everyone nice, including me. But that’s like when your husband says he loves you right after you tell him you want him to. Like kissin’ your sister. Though, I’m not going to say I know what God was thinking when He gave us Free Will, I can understand how He might just want us to choose Him on our own, and not just because He told us to.

So, I end up with these characters who, even though I want them to do one thing, I scratch my head and say, “He’d never do that.” It just doesn’t fit with who he is. But what if that thing I want him to do would really help? I might just have to prod him in some way. Give him some sort of life-changing event that will make him want to do that one thing … even if it hurts.

So I do it. Sometimes I cringe as my character traverses this difficult land, and I have even shed a tear as I read through the scenario, but I know it’s necessary. My character needs it to grow. So I let it happen.

I suspect God does the same thing.

Prepared in Advance

2011-10-25T00:23:00.000-04:00

Last week I guest blogged on another author's site about how God prepared me in advance to be a mom to my particular child. Come see.

http://elainestock.blogspot.com/2011/10/connie-almony-dog-with-skin-problems.html

God is truly good.

Connie's ACFW Conference Experience

2011-09-30T11:41:00.000-04:00

Because I am still recovering from my ACFW Conference experience, I am just too overwhelmed to post to this website :o(. Woe is me. Instead, I decided to just provide a link of my Conference experience on my group blog. If you are so inclined, take a peak.

http://infinitecharacters.com/2011/09/28/connies-acfw-experience/

Happy reading!!!

Let Him Who Boasts, Boast in the Lord

2011-09-22T23:08:00.000-04:00

Has it ever occurred to you when God wrote His big story (or His-story) book, the Bible, He wasn't much for stereotypes? In fact, it seems He often purposely went against the grain. The younger, garden-tending son gets the blessing and has a nation named after him, while the older, more virile son walks off into oblivion. The man "slow of speech and tongue" is the spokesman for the Jews to Pharoah. The man a head above the others was the lesser king, but the one smaller in stature was great. And he fought a giant while still a boy.
Let's not forget, either, that the King of Kings, Lord of Lords began His life in a stable, His first bed a feeding trough.

Why would God, as He created these His-stories, use such paradox? To remind us of the Truths stated in 1 Corinthians 1:27-31. He chose the foolish to shame the wise, the weak to shame the strong, so we would not boast in ourselves, but in the God who made us.

So remember this the next time you are tempted to look down on someone with the lesser profession or a lower level of education and experience. Hold your tongue about the person struggling with a learning disability or one born in a slum. God has a way of turning tables on us all. Make sure you align yourself with those He will use.

The Gifts We Have--Part 3

2011-09-16T10:02:00.003-04:00

Today, is the final installment of Staci Stalling's journey with her son's dyslexia. It is in this account where she shares the therapy which made all the difference for him. It is also a reminder to all of us why God tells us Judgement is His. Only He knows all the facts. Staci saw, through her son, a glimpse of her son's challenge that hadn't been revealed to her earlier.

The Gifts We Have...

Part 3

In January of my son's second grade year, God spoke to me in three unmistakable messages--one from my mom, one from a "random" flyer sent home from school, and one from a note on my table. All pointed me to a local doctor who specializes in Vision Therapy. I had never heard of it, and at first I was skeptical. We were already covered up with homework, and with two other kids, I didn't have time to take on something else. But I know God, and when He wants me to do something, He will send three messages. So I went to that first meeting and then signed up for their free screening.

The first free screening turned up some anomalies in my son's vision, so they sent us to the eye doctor to see if he needed glasses. He did not. Back at VT for the extended, three-hour testing, we found (and I finally got to see) more anomalies. Like the fact that my son couldn't follow a ball with his eyes while answering simple questions like how to spell his name. His eyes would literally start shaking so violently, I could see it from across the room.

After each test, he would sit back and rub his eyes as they turned red and watered. I had seen him do that thousands of times. I always thought it was just him. Never would I have guessed it was because his eyes were struggling so hard to work. Other tests turned up other issues--like his near-to-far focus time. He could focus near, and he could focus far (think, look down at your paper and then up at the board, and then back down at your paper to copy something from the board). Each refocus would take progressively longer. So the first shift in focus might take 5 seconds, the second 10, the third 15, the fourth 20...

Suddenly, those words written across the tops of so many papers, "This was written on the board" And "He copied this from the board" (with a word circled that was spelled wrong) came into sharp focus for me! How long was it taking him to try to copy something one letter at a time from the board? You try it. Pick a word. Look up and count to five. Now look down and count to 10 and write the first letter. Now look up and count to 15, now look down, count to 20 and write the second letter. How much was he missing as he diligently tried to get this done?

NO WONDER!

We had a lot of "no wonder" moments. No wonder he kept "being distracted." When he was reading, it would go like this: "The boy took the... Mom, guess what Mrs. Jager said today." "We'll talk about that later. Read." He puts his gaze back on the book "The boy went to the barn to... Guess what Emmy did on the playground." Talk about FRUSTRATING! But now, I understood. His eyes were literally working SO hard, they had to have a break. It was like his whole system was screaming, "OVERLOAD! OVERLOAD! Overheating, must take a break!"

In fact, that's exactly what the "spells" in first grade had been. His system got so overloaded that it had to shut down for a few seconds or even a minute to avoid complete meltdown. The spells weren't causing the reading trouble, the reading trouble was causing the spells. And it all went right back to his eyes which were not working the way they were supposed to be.

Picture this. You are going to get into shape. So you go to the gym and go over to the fifty pound weights. Now you haven't worked out in forever, but these are the weights you "should" be able to lift. So you do--or at least you try. How likely are you to succeed at that? How likely are you to hurt yourself? How likely are you to want to do it again and again and again? Would you if you thought everyone was looking at you and judging you if you couldn't lift them? Or might you find other excuses to get out of doing it so everyone wouldn't know you couldn't? What tactics would you employ to give yourself a "break" while you were trying to lift what you couldn't?

That's exactly what was happening with my son (and I'm guessing countless others). He was trying to "lift that 50 pounds" because everyone expected him to. But the truth was, his eyes simply were not strong enough to do so.

This eye-strength connection also explains why these problems tend to be genetic. My two siblings, I know only now, struggled with this same problem (and barely made it through school without full-blown dyslexia themselves). At least four of my husband's siblings also struggled with this. So much so that I remember the stories of his mom spending hours each night reading each of them their homework. At the time, being a reader myself, I thought that was horrible. They should have read it on their own. Now I understand. They simply couldn't, and she had no recourse or resources to do much of anything about it.

So, bottom line is, my son's eye muscles were extremely weak. His eyes did not converge like they are supposed to. They would shake when he was trying to read something--especially something with very small print. They would "jump" back and forth across a line of type so that he didn't read the last word, or he would skip words, or leave words out, or repeat words. Near-to-far focus was also a problem as was making accurate visual maps of things. He could not look at a picture and then turn the page and draw what he had seen. Once it was gone, it was gone.

In spelling, this meant he had no visual image of the words. He couldn't "see" them in his mind. That's why, when we tried to spell in the van in the mornings, he would refuse to spell the words. He couldn't see them, and he couldn't write them down, so he couldn't spell them. (Dumb me thought he was being obstinate! Hello, 50-pound weight!) It was the same with the words he read. Suddenly, the fact that he was trying to memorize the same words three times--once to read them, once to write them, and once to spell them, as if they were three separate words, made sense. So did the fact that to that point, he could read words he couldn't spell, but he could also spell words he couldn't read. That never made sense to me. Now it was starting to.

I have to say as much as his eye therapy helped him, it helped me equally. I finally understood he wasn't being lazy. He wasn't trying to be distracted. He wasn't trying to test my patience. There were real, physical challenges he was experiencing, and we needed to work on them and fix them as much as possible for him to be able to do this. So, we started with the 1-pound weights with the new eye exercises and started working our way up to what he "should be able to do."

And the results were nearly instantaneous. He went from mid-80's in spelling to mid-to-high 90's and even a couple of tests over 100 due to bonus words. Tests that would have been disasters, in the 65-magnitude before, were now low 90's. In the van, he could spell the words accurately and fast. He went from struggling through 18 easy pages of reading a night to 55-average easy pages of reading a night (in 20 minutes). He was finally starting to READ instead of stumble around.

We continued our intensive at-home reading and added in the home therapy, which are basically little exercises for the eyes that take about 10 minutes a day to accomplish. Eye therapy has just become a way of life around here. In fact, my older daughter (16), who had incredible reading challenges of her own in fourth grade, has now begun eye therapy as well.

She has one eye that doesn't turn in like it's supposed to. For a long time she read by moving her head, and she had horrible headaches all the time. Glasses helped once the eye doctor agreed to give her starter glasses (and before we knew about eye therapy). But the eye therapy is turning up issues we didn't even know were problems--other than she had great difficulty doing simple things like catching a ball or transferring things from one hand to the other. Now we know... it was her eyes that were the problem all the time!

Toward the end of school with my son, we went back and started the Hooked on Phonics program again. He went through all six levels (two he had never been able to do) in about six weeks. His final six week Language Arts grade was a 95. Even more importantly, I see the confidence in reading he's gaining. We can now sit down and read for nearly an hour with only a few distractions. He can focus on what he's reading so that he gets the jokes and thinks the stories are funny. He's finally enjoying them.

He's learning to "chop" long words, and we're tackling those last few letter combinations he's having trouble with. Finally it's not ALL of them!

Best of all, his wonderful little personality is back. He's happy. He makes up stories and plays for us again. He's creative and excited about life. His new big thing for the summer is the bunny trap he's set up in the backyard to try to catch an unsuspecting rabbit. I thank vision therapy and God for lighting our way through this unbelievable darkness. As a parent, I can't tell you how lonely I felt so many nights as I tried to figure out what was going on, praying that somehow we would find something that would help.

So to parents out there who are struggling with their dyslexic son or daughter, please know, there is hope. And to all of you who have this challenge in your life, know that there are answers. It's not "just you." You are not "stupid." In fact, you have many, many gifts wired into you as well as this challenge. Please know that you have my respect for getting this far and not giving up. Know also that God has a plan for you, and He's right there with you. He will lead you to your answers if you will take His hand and trust Him to show you.

The gifts we have, we are given to share. I believe that. As a parent of a son who is on the cusp of being a "former-dyslexic," I want to pass on the gift of knowledge that we have gained about Vision Therapy. It is truly one of the best gifts I have ever received!

To see Parts One and Two of this moving story:

The Gifts We Have

The Gifts We Have--Part 2

Spirit Light Moments -- One moment with God each day

http://spiritlightmoments.com

Facebook Author Page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spirit-Light-Author-Staci-Stallings/266593276699576

Search Staci's Books:

http://stacistallings.wordpress.com/

Spirit Light Books--The Blog
http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com/

Or...

Follow Staci on Twitter @StaciStallings

Come on over for a visit…

You’ll feel better for the experience!

The Gifts We Have--Part 2

2011-09-09T10:14:00.001-04:00

Today, we welcome Staci Stallings again to share more of her story about how she dealt with her son's dyslexia. You might want a tissue as you see the struggle of a little boy who is trying hard, but doesn't have the same tools as the other kids in his class. But with a mother's love ... and determination, they are able to pinpoint problems, and with God's guidance, find solutions.

The Gifts We Have...
Part 2

True to my nature to learn everything I can about a problem I'm facing, I ordered books on dyslexia and devoured them. We got the first part of the Barton Solution program and started work. There was an almost immediate change. For instance, my son had not seen before that words are made of different combinations of letters. To him, every word was unique and had to be learned or memorized as a unit. He would, for example, see bag and translate that to: starts with b, little letter, long letter. Then file it in the little Rolodex of memorized words in his mind.

That worked until we hit beg. When it wasn't bag, he would start guessing, based on what the picture looked like or what the sentence clues were. Until we hit bog... then boy. His "reading" would sound like this. "We went to the bag..." "No, look at that letter. It's an o." "Oh, beg." "No, hon, look it's an o..." "Oh, boy..." It was incredibly frustrating! Talk about falling on God's patience because mine was shot. That's about all I did!

I remember that first night after I figured out it was dyslexia. I was laying in bed with him praying, before putting him to sleep. I said, "So, reading's kind of hard, huh?" He said, "Yeah" in the most defeated voice I'd ever heard. (I had always known if we let this thing get too big of a hold, it would affect what he thought of himself. That night, I knew it already had.) I said, "So the other kids at school, they can read?" He said, "Yeah, they brag a lot." "Brag a lot? What do you mean?" He said, "They say, 'I can read this. I can read that.'" My heart was nearly breaking for how sad he sounded. I said, "And you can't?" He said, "No."

I laid there for a few moments and then I said, "So when you read, do you guess a lot?" He looked at me really puzzled and said, "Mom, that's all reading is, is a lot of guessing."

That was a "take a breath and realize you were doing all you knew to do" moment, but wow. It was the first time I really "got" how much he was struggling! And yet, he hadn't given up. My respect for that little boy, and all who suffer in silence with this, increased exponentially in that moment. I had read with him for over 50 hours at that point, and I had no idea he was literally trying to guess at nearly every word!

After the first few Barton lessons, he finally grasped the concept that each letter made a sound and you put them altogether to make a word. What a breakthrough! One night in bed, we were reading comic strips. He had to find three words that he knew. He found the number 3. I said, "3 is not a word." He said, "Th r ee. Yes, it is!" I was so happy, I could have cried!

So we bounced along, working through the Barton System until we got back into school for second grade. The homework amount was unbelievable, and we had to ditch most of our reading work just to get the homework done each night. Thankfully, he wasn't having trouble with math (except word problems), but spelling was a mountain almost too high to climb that first semester. After a LOT of work, we got the first six weeks report card home. He'd gotten an 83 in Language Arts. He was in tutoring for reading. We'd taken him out of Spanish because he just couldn't handle that too, and his learning was sporadic at best. Each Friday of the spelling tests was a gauntlet, it might go good, and it might be a disaster. You just could never tell because he was still guessing at so much.

Then came the turn-around that would change everything...

***

Check out Part 3 next Friday as Staci tells us about the therapy that ushered in the breakthroughs her son so desperately needed.

Spirit Light Moments -- One moment with God each day

http://spiritlightmoments.com

Facebook Author Page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spirit-Light-Author-Staci-Stallings/266593276699576

Search Staci's Books:

http://stacistallings.wordpress.com/

Spirit Light Books--The Blog
http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com/

Or...

Follow Staci on Twitter @StaciStallings

Come on over for a visit…

You’ll feel better for the experience!

The Gifts We Have

2011-09-02T09:09:00.002-04:00

Today, I have the privilege of welcoming Staci Stallings to LBOC again. Just recently, I saw an interview she gave about her upcoming book, entitled Coming Undone. In the interview she mentioned writing a new story inspired by her experiences dealing with her son's dyslexia. She has graciously accepted the invitation to tell us a little more about this experience from a mother's point of view. I love her story, because it is about a mom who, though needing to address her son's challenges, still sees him in terms of his gifts. He is God's creation and made especially for the specific task God has laid out for him. All of these experiences are the training to do this task.

I will be posting this story in three parts, over the next few Fridays. Part one is the first discovery.

The Gifts We Have...
Part 1

Every child comes prewired with certain gifts and challenges. For some, personality is a gift; for others it is a challenge. For some sports, academics, or music is a gift. For others, one or more of these is a challenge.

And so it was with my youngest son. Growing up he had a vivacious, people-attracting personality. He was just fun to be around (and I'm not saying that because I'm his mom). He was drawing his own fully-thought-out stories by the time he was four. He would bring them to me to write the words, and look out if I didn't get the dictation right. For days afterward, he would stop when I got to something I hadn't written the exact way he had said it, and tell me what it should have been.

He was also, to my thinking, a good reader. We would lie in bed at night, and he would "read" to me. At least I thought he was reading, but then again, back then I thought a lot of things that didn't turn out to be reality.

The first indication we had that something was amiss was during his first kindergarten review. The teacher said that he couldn't do his m's. He would make them w's about half the time, and he couldn't remember what sound they made. Me, the ever-finder-or-maker-of-a-solution went home and started working with him on the letter m. To my surprise, it took over a week for him to finally "get" m. Now I thought that was strange at the time, but as a mom with experience, I chalked it up to one of those quirks all kids have.

By first grade, however, my son's school experience turned decidedly darker and much more frightening. Spelling was the loudest rumble of the coming storm. When he would practice spelling, he would copy one letter at a time no matter how many times I tried to show him to copy the "whole thing." Studying spelling became a nightly ordeal. Even simple words seemed beyond his comprehension, and I couldn't understand that at all. Meltdowns were frequent as were times of outright refusal to even try. My normally happy-go-lucky kid devolved into anger and tears more than once, and I was at a loss for what else to try.

He was great with words verbally. He was telling me that spiders were "hideous" and the meal was "delicious," yet spelling "girl" proved an almost insurmountable obstacle. We studied "girl" with four blocks--g i r and l--literally for 20 minutes straight. It was a mess. There was no rhyme or reason to what letter he put where. When he finally was getting more hits than misses, we moved on to bird, but when we went back to girl in 10 minutes, it was like he had never seen the word!

I remember getting into bed that night and saying to my husband, "Something's wrong." But no one could tell us what that something was.

We struggled. He struggled. I struggled. The teacher was sympathetic. She said that a lot of kids have trouble spelling and reading in the first grade, and his personality and how he dealt with other kids was great, so not to worry. But I was worried--especially when just before Christmas he started having little black-out spells in class. (Check worried. I was near panic. By that point, God and only God was keeping me together.) The doctors wanted to do tests on him, but when we got to the hospital, my son refused to do the testing. So we left, praying for a different answer.

From that time forward about six months, we tried everything. Spelling would improve and then fall off a cliff again. I realized around that time just how much trouble he was having reading. We got Hooked on Phonics starting at Kinder year. He couldn't do it. Sometimes he would say "cat" for "cat," but he might also say "can't" or vice versa. Each new lesson was like a battleground.

I'm apparently rather slow because it took four months of reviewing and reviewing and reviewing the lessons for me to realize that he still wasn't reading anything. He was literally memorizing every single page! That's why I had thought he could "read" before--he was memorizing everything!

The day I "figured out" it was dyslexia, we were trying to read forward to a new lesson in Hooked on Phonics. I had heard of dyslexic children "moving" while they read, but I had never seen it until that moment. He was up. He was down. He'd lean on me. He'd lay on the floor. He'd sit on the chair... It was then that I finally faced the fact. This had to be dyslexia. Nothing else made sense.

So I went online praying for some guidance as to what to do next. That's when I firmly believe God stepped in with our first answer. It was a program from the website Bright Solutions for Dyslexia by Susan Barton. The first door opened for us with her video about the symptoms of dyslexia. It was 3 hours and 19 minutes long. I thought, "I'll watch for awhile." Yeah, 3 hours and 19 minutes later, I was still sitting there, taking notes as fast as I could write, knowing that finally we had found some answers!

... Stay tuned, next week as Staci describes finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

Spirit Light Moments -- One moment with God each day

http://spiritlightmoments.com

Facebook Author Page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spirit-Light-Author-Staci-Stallings/266593276699576

Search Staci's Books:

http://stacistallings.wordpress.com/

Spirit Light Books--The Blog
http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com/

Or...

Follow Staci on Twitter @StaciStallings

Come on over for a visit…

You’ll feel better for the experience!

The Reason For Crazy Times? – by Elaine Stock

2011-08-19T11:58:00.000-04:00

Our guest blogger today is Elaine Stock. She's sharing an important reminder of God's mysterious ways. Sometimes we have to walk through trying times, but God is always there ... and we are better for those times ... even if we can't figure out how ;o). Trust Him, and you will always make it through.

The Reason For Crazy Times? by Elaine Stock

We’ve all had them. Some days are full of people and situations that make you ponder why you ever took that job or said certain words that were twisted by others and aimed back at you, as if you were the center dot on a target. Or why you just stood on that one line in the store when that customer ahead of you acted up and spewed an assortment of less than stellar adjectives from his mouth. I was having one of those days at work not too long ago. The long drive home didn’t help to relieve any stress. But God has this fascinating time-theme going: He always puts things before you for a reason. So, I took it as no coincidence that day when I stumbled across a scripture passage quoted in a friend’s blog:

As iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Is it just me or does it seem to anyone else that God might have placed you next to people that if you had a choice you definitely would have opted to remain miles . . . countries . . .or even centuries apart from?

Back in elementary school my 2^nd grade teacher assigned me to sit next to Stewart. No one else wanted to sit next to him because Stewart ate flies. Really. He would swat the poor insect that was simply enjoying buzzing around being an annoying pest, then Stewart would wrap the fly in a piece of tissue, roll it into a ball, and yes—hold your stomachs—would proceed to swallow the fly-wrapped burial cloth. Okay, Mrs. Lansing—was it really necessary for me to sit next to little Stewart? Or, was God showing me an early life lesson that many “different” people exist in the world and for a myriad of reasons do disturbing things without a rhyme or reason? And, that I could go on with my life, perhaps even flourishing?

Then there was James in high school who had a penchant for calling me dog-face and tried his best to get his cronies to go along with him. James’ friends caved at first but than quit while James continued on in his mission work to give me a complex. Not one to retaliate or linger indefinitely in hurt, I begged my parents to take me to a dermatologist who helped clear my adolescent acne. I also got my hair styled in a way that nicely framed my face. James made me wonder about God’s purpose then. To strive to improve my circumstances or was it to trust Him when it comes to those who—for whatever reason—seek to spring havoc in my life? Interesting because the meaning of dogface is: a soldier, an infantryman. Was it that God didn’t necessarily want me to be insulted as much as He wanted James to experience that, instead of receiving flack back from me, he received peace, the proverbial other cheek to slap?

What about my co-worker from many years ago, Margaret, who had decided that no matter what I did, my endeavors were wrong and I was truly the worst person ever put on the face of the world? She gave new meaning to the words ridicule, belittling, and negativity. At first I was hurt by her words, as well as amazed, because others had praised my job performance. But I looked around, and inward, and found ways to try harder to improve. Know what? I did. I called upon God and with His grace I excelled in my work. I still don’t understand why, or if, He necessarily wants me to experience mean, spiteful people and trying times, but in seeking Him out, and asking for His help and for His mercy on the Margarets I’ve met through the years, I keep learning that I can improve myself and that He, like a father disciplining his children, will take care of those Margarets.

I’ve experienced a lot of iron sharpening. Since tools become dull without use, I imagine there will be more sharpening ahead to come. I don’t know why it has to come in stressful, awkward, or less-than-desirable situations or associations, but I’m trusting He has His reasons.

Have you had your iron sharpened lately?

Born and raised in Brooklyn, and then enjoying the more rural areas of upstate New York, Elaine Stock considers herself blessed to catch glimpses of all walks of life.

What she never expected was that a college major in psychology and sociology would walk her through the see-saw industries of food service and the weight-loss business; co-ownership with her husband in piano restoration; and ten years in community leadership, which includes her local Zoning Board of Appeals. She and her husband make their home in the 1860s Rutland Railroad depot they restored. All great fodder for creating fiction.

Cutting her writing teeth as a former member of Romance Writers of America, Elaine presented workshops, attended several conferences, and placed in a few writing contests. She has studied the craft of contemporary and literary fiction with Michael Neff, editor at the New School of New York. Now a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, she dedicates her writing to God, writing stories of how God’s love shines even in the darkest of families. The July 2010 issue of Christian Fiction Online Magazine featured her short story IN HIS OWN TIME. 2011 brought two major blessings: placing as a semi-finalist in the Genesis Contest and starting a blog, Everyone’s Story (http://elainestock.blogspot.com). She is represented by Reclaim Management. Find her also on at www.twitter.com/ElaineStock

Liebster Blog Award

2011-08-17T09:46:00.002-04:00

Hello loyal followers. Just wanted to share some news. I was tagged for a Liebster Blog Award last week. I want to thank my good friend and fellow blogger, Carrie Pagels, for awarding this to me. See her blog at Overcoming Through Time.

The Liebster award is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers in order to give opportunity for the readers to find new and wonderful sites.

The rules are as follows:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.
2. Give the Liebster Blog Award to five bloggers and let them know in a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. Have blogging fun!

Now I get to share the love. The following are my wonderful critique partners who have spent hours and hours of time polishing my manuscript and making me a better writer. They deserve lots of thanks for the time and love they put into helping me on a regular basis.

Lori Cecil
http://www.aiming4heaven.blogspot.com/

Gail Pallotta
http://www.gailpallotta.blogspot.com/

June Foster
http://www.junefoster.blogspot.com/

Vanessa Riley
http://www.christianregency.com/

Mildred Colvin
http://www.mildredcolvin.blogspot.com/

Spread the Word.

Will You Be Part of God's Rumor Mill?

2011-08-15T11:56:00.000-04:00

When I first saw the title of the book, Rumors of God by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson, I thought it would be about God’s work in the world around us. Stories of miracles in our daily lives. But that’s not this book at all. It’s about rumors of God—God’s wonders as spread by His people. That’s you and me folks. Kind of how the Body of Christ works. And good rumors to listen to.

So how are these rumors spread? According to Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson, it’s not through what we say, but what we do. Acting on the faith we so fervently talk about. This book is about coming to life and displaying your faith to the world.

Rumors of God challenges us to be radical in acting as Christ would act. That doesn’t just mean follow all the right rules and restrain from all the right sins. But to also reach out to what the apostle Paul would call the weaker members of the Body, whether due to poverty or spiritual depravity, and showing them the agape love that Christ showed us. There are many wonderful real-life examples of people doing just that in this book. Inspiring!

This is not a new message. I have read a number of books with one similar. However, it is still an important message and is underutilized still. So what should the reader do to extract it from underutilization and get the most from this book? One answer would be to read it in a small group or Bible Study setting. Use the questions and process the message in the company of those who will encourage you to act on it. Questions that challenge you to rate your spiritual passion and how you differ as a believer from those who do not believe. And questions that encourage you to listen to God’s call on your life. That is what will take this book from a good message to one that is life-changing.

Check it out for yourself:

http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595553630&title=Rumors_of_God

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781595553638

I received this book for free from Thomas-Nelson as part of their Booksneeze efforts in return for an honest review.

What's Keeping You From Your Special Assignment?

2011-08-12T08:31:00.000-04:00

Please welcome Staci Stallings as a guest blogger on LBOC today. Along with her talent for writing inspirational stories, she has a heart to help people use their God-given gifts for His Glory and some important insights into the traps Satan implements to stop us from using them. So, the question is ...

What's Keeping You From Your Special Assignment? by Staci Stallings

     I love reading The Message Bible. I don’t know if that means my brain doesn’t wrap around the words in “regular” Bibles or what, but I can read The Message and come away in two minutes with more inspiration and uplift than two hours with a normal Bible.

     Oh, don’t get me wrong. I love certain translations of certain verses, and some I even have memorized that way. But the Message puts it in terms I just “get” without any mental gymnastics as to what it’s saying.
For example, the Apostle Paul begins many of his letters with a variation on this phrase, “I, Paul, sent on a special assignment to give the Message of Jesus to the world…”

     I love that! Don’t you?

     “Sent on special assignment.”

     What would it be like to truly believe that you were in that place of feeling like God had sent YOU on a special assignment? How would your life be different? Would you treat it with more diligence, more vigilance? What if you proclaimed to someone that you had been sent to them on special assignment from God?

     How would your spouse (for example) react to that proclamation? Your kids? Your co-workers? Your friends? Would you have the guts to tell them that? Or do you even believe it?

     I believe every Christian is exactly like Paul. We are all sent here on special assignments from God to bring Christ into our world. Through His Holy Spirit, God empowered each of us to use our gifts and talents to further the Kingdom.

     But too many of us shun our gifts, hide our talents, and drown ourselves in busyness–believing there is no way that we’re special like Paul. What do we have to say? What do we have to give? Nothing, we believe, and so we follow that up by giving and doing nothing. We hear another in spiritual struggle and quietly step away because we don’t know what to do, we don’t know what to say. And in that moment, God, Who could have spoken through you, loses a channel of His love, a means of speaking His Love and Mercy and Grace into this hurting person’s life.

     So why do we run? Why don’t we step into the special assignments Jesus sends us on?

1) Disbelief and fear. Topping the list have to be these two. We are afraid what others might think of us. We are afraid we will say the wrong thing and make things worse. We are afraid we will say something, and it won’t turn out well. So we say and do nothing at all.

2) No time. We have all fallen hard into the trap of busyness. We are so busy, we can’t take the phone call from someone who needs to talk something through. We can’t sit with our kids and listen to their struggles. We have no time for friends or family.

3) No resources. I think some of us fall into the trap of thinking that money or things will solve the problems of the heart, and since we don’t have the resources to help, we choose not to help at all. But one of the things I have learned from one of my writing groups on line is how very important and sacred just listening and praying for someone are. Countless times members have come online asking for prayers for everything from a spouse being unemployed to some simple something that’s been lost. No prayer request is too big. None is too small. If it’s important to you, it’s important to the group. No physical resources trade hands, but spiritually we are there for one another.

4) What will they think? Oh, how many times did this one stop me from following through on a special assignment. I was in the moment. I knew what God was telling me to say, but my courage left when the thought came, “I can’t say that! What will they think of me?” Satan loves to use that one because it tears both people down simultaneously. I finally found a way over that hurdle. I would simply say, “Okay, I’m weird, but…” That way I got my fear that they would think I was nuts on the table. I was honest about it, and that put Satan in his place real quick.

     So what special assignment from God have you been sent on? Believe me, it’s not random. It is one of the assignments you were sent here for. If you think you can’t, have the faith of a mustard seed and ask God to help you. He will. After all, He’s the One Who knew enough to send you!

Books In Print, Kindle, & FREE on Spirit Light Works:

http://stacistallings.wordpress.com/

Spirit Light Books--The Blog
http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com/

And…

Staci’s website
http://www.stacistallings.com

Come on over for a visit…

You’ll feel better for the experience!

Good Jesus Cardio

2011-08-08T16:19:00.000-04:00

We get up early every morning so we can exercise before we start our day. A five-mile run will do the trick. Get the blood pumping and the synapses firing. Well … maybe. But a good cup o’ coffee works just fine for me.

Now, I know there are those of you who love your cardio. You’re that person who could run a marathon. Maybe not a sprint, but if it’s got length and requires endurance, it’s yours. However, today, I want to talk about another kind of endurance. We’ll just call it good Jesus cardio.

This week I heard a great sermon at my sister’s church. The pastor, who stated he had no particular talent, praised God that he was at least given perseverance. He said he may not be able to do anything well, but he would complete the job no matter how long it took. He also added that the road to failure is littered with talented people who couldn’t hack it. And though I must disagree with the pastor on his assessment of his own skills—I always enjoy his down-to-earth, though poignant sermons—I loved what he said about perseverance. Perseverance is the heart of the Body of Christ. It’s that part we need to exercise so we can run the marathon of life … and it is a marathon. So good spiritual cardio work is imperative to running, what the Apostle Paul called “The Race.”

The story of Joseph in Genesis is one of the best examples of perseverance in the Good Book. Joseph spent years being mocked by his brothers, more years as a slave and then even more in jail. Every time, he worked diligently and prospered, yet something always seemed to ruin his efforts. And yet, he maintained a strong faith in God and His purposes. God used all of those experiences to make Joseph the man he became and to place this Hebrew in a position of power in Egypt. Only an act of our Creator could do such a thing.

This is the kind of endurance we need through trial. We need to trust that God is still there even when life seems to block Him from view. Second Peter, verse nine tells us that if we are missing this quality (among others), we are nearsighted and blind, and have forgotten that we are cleansed from our past sins.

I’m sure you know believers who have a lot of heart. Those who are gifted with an unusual amount of spiritual perseverance. If you do know them, watch and learn, because this is definitely a gift you’d like to have rub off on you.

No One Wants A Prosthesis

2011-08-05T09:04:00.002-04:00

Please welcome Jennifer Slattery, our guest blogger for the day. Also a member of the writer's group ACFW, she has inspired me on many occasions with her reminders to continually draw nearer to God and use our gifts for His Glory. That's why I am so excited to have her guest blog with me today.

No One Wants a Prosthesis--by Jennifer Slattery

This summer our family spent a week in El Salvador. While there, we worshiped with another church, served at an orphanage, and helped facilitate nightly crusades. In each of these events, I was struck with how different the culture was from ours, and I’m not talking about music or food choices. The biggest difference? The El Salvadorans took the idea of a spiritual family very seriously. When they said, “She is a sister in Christ,” they meant it. You could see their deep love for one another in their eyes. You could hear it in their tone. But most importantly you could see it in their actions. If you belonged to Jesus, you were family--plain and simple.

That’s not true here in the states. We have learned to be independent and to focus on ourselves. We train our children to do the same. More often than not, we see to it that life revolves around them–their social schedule, their sports schedule, whatever. Oh, perhaps we’ll ask them to give up an hour out of their seventy-two hour week (not counting sleeping time) to help with an outreach event, but what does that teach? Honestly, it might help exacerbate the problem by reinforcing the idea that service is done on a time-schedule. When it fits in. Friends are convenient--for our pleasure.

This temporary friendship mentality has trickled into the church. How often do we drop gospel tracts on someone’s door, never to see them again? Do we really think those people will somehow appear for worship because of a slip of paper? Or when a new couple comes to church, we’ll offer our friendship and invite them to dinner…until they become established. Then we move on to someone else.
That’s not friendship and that’s not a Body. That’s a temporary prosthesis.
And here’s the deal. By conforming to our westernized, individualized culture, we’re losing out on one of the biggest draws of the church. Our love for one another is meant to draw others to us, which in turn is meant to draw non-believers to Christ. I believe they’ll come for the relationship first, and will be exposed and drawn to Jesus in the process.

So here’s the challenge: How do you view your brothers and sisters in Christ? According to the Bible, they are your family. More than that, they are part of a Living Body. If you struggle viewing them in this regard–in truly loving them as Christ loves the church, ask God to help you find ways to get out of your comfort zone, ways to connect.

     Second, focus on long-term. No one likes to be a project. When you reach out to that new couple or leave a gospel tract on a doorstep, ask yourself, “Am I ready to be here for them for the long haul or am I just trying to ‘get them in’?”
     Because people can tell the difference. One type of friendship draws them and creates a place of safety where they can learn about Christ. The other type of friendship results in increased distrust.
     I’m speaking to myself here. I’ve experienced many “temporary friendships” in the church, and honestly, it’s left me a little gun-shy and distrustful. But I have to remember it’s not about me. Yeah, chances are those people I reach out to are going to hurt me. Chances are they’ll ditch a year or two down the road, but the Bible tells me “as far as it depends on me….” meaning, it’s not my concern how others respond to my love or friendship. My concern is living out my faith with full surrender, letting God’s love flow through me moment-by-moment.

This mentality also applies to how we do missions. In the meantime, spend a moment in prayer and ask God to show you faulty thinking in regard to the body (not just your church body, but all believers world-wide). Then be diligent about cooperating with God. When you catch individualistic thinking creeping in, take your thoughts captive and reroute them.

Jennifer Slattery is a novelist, publicist, and freelance writer living in the Midwest with her husband of sixteen years and their thirteen year old daughter. She works for Tiffany Colter, the Writing Career Coach, as an assistant publicist, is the marketing manager for the literary website, Clash of the Titles and writes for Christ to the World Ministries, the Christian Pulse and Samie Sisters. She’s also written for numerous other publications and websites and has placed in numerous writing contests. You can find out more about her and her writing at her website: Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud (http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com)

Writers, want to add juice to your book proposals? Need help building a novel-sustaining platform? Want to turn your novel from good to great without going broke? Jennifer can help. She’ll create a marketing plan uniquely designed for you that targets your readers. Don’t have the time to implement the plan? That’s okay. She’ll do it for you, setting up guest blog slots and interview opportunities, writing press releases and relevant articles, and more. She’d also love to review your work, highlighting your strengths and helping you zero in on and strengthen your weaknesses. Contact her at Jenniferaslattery(at)gmail(dot)com to find out more.

Signs of God

2011-08-01T09:49:00.001-04:00

I once told a Christian Counselor colleague of mine he should see the movie Signs. After all, it’s a story of a man battling a lack of faith. My colleague came back a few days later and said, “What are you talking about? Signs was about an alien attack!”

Well, maybe that’s the writer in me, always looking for the underlying story. Or maybe my view of the premise had more to do with what had been occurring in my life the week my husband and I decided to rent this movie.

We picked it up on a Sunday night. A final means of entertainment for the weekend. But we started the movie late and were unable to finish it that evening. So we watched the scenes of the family, having recently experienced the loss of their wife and mother, engage in grief-riddled, and in some cases, bazaar behaviors. Interesting, but no aliens … yet. We planned to finish the movie the next night.

Then Monday came. My husband went off to work and I took my three and a half year old son to a follow-up neurology visit with a doctor who had, in the past, assured me my son was healthy, though he sometimes “beat to a different drummer.” Yeah, he and the rest of the family. However, my son still didn’t speak, and this delay was beginning to exceed the path of others in our immediate and extended relations, who had overcome similar delays.

This was the day the neurologist changed his tune.

He examined my sweet, little boy, sat me down and heaved a sigh. “Your son will never exceed fifty percent of normal development.”

My heart hit the floor. My son was only half of normal? I looked at the child whose smile could light up a room. And I could tell stories of how his gentle, sweet, thoughtfulness had wordlessly lit up troubled hearts. But he would only be half?

As hard as it was to take those words, it was a million times harder to repeat them to my husband. The man who counted on me to care for his son while he went off to the daily grind. A man who was the strength of the family … and yet he crumpled in pain, and grieved like I’d never seen him do before. By the end of the night neither of us could muster enough energy to speak, let alone finish watching a piece of entertainment about aliens. So we just dragged our bodies to bed and prayed for the merciful blanket of sleep.

The next morning, my husband schlepped off to work, a new burden on his shoulders he had no idea how to master, and I sat like a lump on the couch not bothering even to get dressed. I couldn’t move from my space where I sat, practically fetal. So I decided to watch the rest of the movie Signs. What else could I do? I had no plans to clean. Who cared? Maybe it would distract me a little from the thing that saturated my thoughts.

In popped the movie and on went the video player. I scanned through the scenes to find where I left off and drifted into numb oblivion as the screen displayed the characters. The story, as I saw it, of a man struggling with his faith after a terrible tragedy. I could relate. But what astounded me as I watched the remaining action unfold, was how all the bazaar behaviors and occurrences were used by the all-knowing God to prepare them for a battle against evil. The little girl’s obsession with water. The boy’s need to obtain information. The uncle who was the strike-out king of the minor leagues. And yes, even the death of a loved one.

In the end, the father holds his limp son in his arms and praises his Creator for the child’s asthma. I sobbed until my chest ached. I was reminded again (this wasn’t the first or last time), that God had a plan, and my son’s autism would play a part in it. I may not like it now. And sometimes I truly rail against it. But I trust in the One who created him. God’s power is made perfect in our weaknesses.

Disclaimer:

Whenever I write or talk about my son and his giftedness in heart, I feel I need to caution readers who do not experience the effects of autism on a daily basis. Yes, I can see my son as a gift from God. His autism has made him quiet and even serene. His particular gifting is in how he seems to read the emotions of others in a room better than the average person. Others struggling with this disorder have a very opposite experience. Their affected child may speak and understand, read and write, but are emotionally distant, and may engage in violent behavior. If you know someone struggling with the effects of this disorder in their homes, please do not press on them how they should see autism as a gift from God. Though I truly think God can reveal Himself through their struggles and their child is also a gift, this kind of intrusion can only leave the afflicted feeling alone and misunderstood. Pray for them … and in any way you can, help to bring them relief!

P.J. Sugar and You

2011-07-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

Just recently, I finished reading Susan May Warren’s fiction series about P.J. Sugar, starting with Nothing But Trouble. It’s a three-book series featuring a character with a not-so-stellar past who’s trying to change her ways and honor God with her new life choices.

The first book begins with rejection from her aspiring-pastor boyfriend and a call from family to come back home, where her reputation precedes her like a broken neon sign. So here she is trying to fit into the mold of what she thinks God wants of her (pastor’s wife), but God seems to have other plans. Can she really be a good Christian with her kind of past, or will she always be Nothing But Trouble?

God, being the God of miracles, can make even P.J. Sugar into a good Christian woman. Better yet, He designed her just as she is, because He has plans for her. In fact, its P.J. Sugar’s knack for finding trouble that makes her good at what she does, in the end.

This is one of those things you just gotta like about God: The paradox. It’s not just P.J. Sugar God uses in this way. It’s you and me. Often, our greatest gifts are also our greatest challenges … and vice versa. We just have to know how to turn them around and use them for the purpose in which He gave them.

I’ve known individuals who struggled with severe depression in their own lives who were the ones who could spot a single person’s pain in a crowded room. I’ve witnessed those individuals tend and minister to the suffering again and again. That sensitivity, when turned only on self, leads to pain. When used for God, it’s a gift.

We’ve heard many accounts of individuals with ADD or dyslexia who were great inventors, writers, artists and leaders. All because they had the knack of looking at the world from a new angle. God gave them this ability to accomplish His plan.

They are gifts … but they come at great expense. This is often what we call a deficit or a disability, and too often what we focus on when we relate to those who have them. But God sees us for who He made us to be and for what purpose He has in store.

So how do we go from troubled or disabled to gifted? As always, first draw nearer to the One who made you. That way we can better hear His still, small voice when He speaks to us. Listen well and prepare to do His Will, not yours. He may take His time, as He molds and hones that gift, as He’s been doing with me. But when you see His glory working through your empty vessel, you will only be able to utter a gasping “Wow!”

Knowledge and Wisdom

2011-06-21T15:28:00.002-04:00

Knowledge is when you think you know. Wisdom is when you know you don’t … Lean on the One who knows it all.

You remember those days when you thought you knew it all? I think I hit that stage around my early twenties … I think (it’s been a while now). I read a lot of non-fiction and pondered the meaning of life and was taken by the idea that everything is relative, someone’s opinion and there really wasn’t one answer to any question. That was my way of reconciling the fact that none of what I read agreed.

But then came the reality that no matter what all of our opinions are, or whether or not they are the same, there are real truths out there. We don’t have to agree on how the earth was created to know that it was created in a very specific, sequential way. It occurred how it occurred no matter how we think it happened. That is a Big-T Truth.

This takes me to my saying above about Knowledge and Wisdom. We can seek to know all the available facts about a subject, but chances are, some will be missing. That’s where the Holy Spirit plays a deep and powerful role. Relying on the Wisdom of our God, rather than our limited information, is the wisest action we can ever take. But one needs to realize first that he or she is limited in order to do so. We can’t be filled with the Holy Spirit until we first empty ourselves of our own arrogance.

See what the Bible says. Isaiah 29:14b. 1Corinthians 1:27

To Whom Much is Given ...

2011-06-16T10:41:00.001-04:00

To whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48)
     I try to remember this verse every time I enter my not-so-well-kept townhome … especially when I’m coming from my sister’s beautiful house on the water. Okay, at least not much is expected there.
     This really dawned on me the day I visited another homeschooling mom some years ago, and sat in the new addition to her very lovely home. Obviously her husband’s work allows her to not have to be employed “outside the home” (though she works very hard homeschooling her four children) and additionally affords a large abode. Not a common occurrence in the Baltimore-Washington area. I walked in, and true to my sinful nature, felt a twinge of envy. But the still, small voice, which resonates forcefully from the Holy Spirit, spoke to me in those moments. I knew this woman opened her house on a regular basis, both for women’s Bible Study as well as youth activities for her church, living the verse above.
     God blessed her with these gifts and she uses them for His Glory. I would not have. Oh, don’t think me selfish. My gifting is NOT hospitality. Being a … not-so-tidy person, my home is just not that hospitable. Might just turn off the nice Christian folk if I did invite them in. So God knew what he was doing when he gave me my digs. And I thank Him for that. That’s not to say I wouldn’t open my home if necessary … and was called to do so. Just sayin’ I get why He didn’t bless me in this way.
     So my plan is to partner with one of these Nice-Home people (my sister with the house on the water) to do the work He DID call me to—teaching. She is ready and willing to open her home for His Work, but not prepared to instruct. I need to fulfill the expectation He has placed on me. And I don’t have to clean my house to do it either. How blessed can you get?!!!
     So ask yourself, where has God blessed you … and are you using it for Him?

Joints and Ligaments

2011-06-09T14:11:00.000-04:00

Ephesians 4:11-16 is one of a few verses which inspired this website. It speaks of how God equips us each differently to work together as a whole. Today, I’d like to focus on what ties it all together: ligaments.
Remember the old song, The head bone’s connected to the … ? Sure ya do. This is how children learn their body parts, parts so crucial in moving around and working, but no mention of the part that binds them. Poor ligaments. No respect!
But check out what the Bible says about joints and ligaments. Colossians 2:19 tells us joints and ligaments join us to the Head (Christ) allowing us to be nourished and knit together as a Body and growing us with the increase that is from God. Ephesians goes on to explain that this connection is what makes us effective in sharing the work. You ever hear the saying, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts?” That’s because of ligaments.
Why am I blathering on and on about soft tissue? It’s because of the ligaments in my life. The people who, when I need help, if they aren’t the ones to give it to me, they’re the ones to point me to who can. They’re resource people, information disseminators, and team organizers. They often put together groups of people, then wonder whether or not they have a function in it. Well, yeah!!! That is their function, thank goodness. Imagine our bodies without joints or ligaments. A pile of bones and organs, wrapped in skin. A mound of flesh on the floor. Gross! That’s what the Body of Christ would look like without Its ligaments. But certainly not what our Father in heaven designed.
So I just wanted to give a shout out to the ligaments in my life. Thank you. And a special thanks to the lady who inspired me to write this particular blog on this particular day. Carrie Fancett Pagels. The ligament of our ACFW Midatlantic Writer’s group ;o).

This Years ACFW Writer's Conference

2011-06-01T14:06:00.001-04:00

     It’s been amazing to see God work in my life this past year as I delve into a new journey of writing. When I ventured to take the first step, I did what I always do to acquire info—I Googled. I can’t remember the actual words I typed into the little box under the colorful search-engine name, but I will never forget the result: American Christian Fiction Writers (http://www.acfw.com/). And if there really are organizations living the Body of Christ, this is one of them.
     ACFW is an organization dedicated to promoting Christian Fiction through the skill of its authors, educating them in the market, and serving as an advocate in the traditional publishing industry. Actually, that’s kinda their Mission Statement. Its membership enjoys the privilege of involvement in a regular writer’s email loop (with real, published Christian authors), online courses, critique groups, awards, and of course, the annual Conference. Lots of people using their gifts to help each other out. And because they are using these varied gifts to further God’s Kingdom, it truly works as a Body of Christ.
     This year, their annual conference will be held in St. Louis, Missouri from September 22 to September 25, and I am actually going! Woohoo! I am thrilled beyond words … even with all my wonderful ACFW writer’s training.
     This conference will be a wonderful opportunity for anyone stepping into the realm of Christian Fiction authorship. First off, you get lots of great training, from the Early Bird session on “The Moral Premise,” by Stanley Williams, PhD., to in depth continuing education sessions on topics such as “The Hero’s Path.” I have signed up for two sessions with one of my favorite authors, Jenny B. Jones! Coo-ell! And I just found out, I will be hosting one of them. Double cool!
     Additionally, the ACFW Conference (http://www.acfw.com/conference) offers meetings with mentors, agents and editors as part of the registration fee and a writer can sign up for a paid critique of his or her current work-in-progress (WIP). And if that wasn’t enough, there’s more. An attendee not only has the opportunity to hob-nob with real-life, published Christian authors, agents and editors during sessions and meals, this conference includes several opportunities for worship! How many other professional organizations give you that? Praise God!
     So if you have found that your gifting is leaning toward writing, but you may need other members of the Body of Christ to lend a hand (or foot … or whatever), take a look at this great organization and consider going to the conference. If you do, look me up. I’ll be the one wearing the … oh well … not really sure yet. But my name, Connie Almony (that’s alimony without the “i”), will be on my name tag. Hope to see you there.

How Many Talents Do You Get? (Matthew 25:14-30)

2011-05-05T16:24:00.000-04:00

The Parable of the Talents, as it is often called, is a story Jesus told of a master who entrusted each of his servants with a weight of currency, measured in talents. The one given five, used the currency to make five more. The servant given two made two more. And the servant given one, buried it (to keep it safe) and gave it back just as it was received. The first two servants were rewarded for their work. The last was stripped of the property and thrown into darkness where there’d be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Ouch! To think, he was the scaredy-cat, too!
And yet, who do I relate to the most. Ugh! Dare I say it? The one behind door number three. The guy who buried the talent so he wouldn’t lose it, not realizing that by using it, he could acquire more. He just wanted to keep it for himself and was not concerned with advancing the earnings of the master who’d given it to him.
Let’s look at the word talent for a sec. What does it mean in this passage, and what should it mean to us. The word in the Bible means a particular measurement used for metals of currency like silver and gold. The amount would change based on the current law, but one source suggested it was approximately what a man could carry. The word ‘talent’ as we use to describe our special gifts or abilities today, seems to come from the same root.
So what does this passage say to us? Is it telling us to go dump all our savings into the stock market expecting to double it? I somehow doubt that. It’s just too coincidental that the word talent is used here at all. Yes, it is used elsewhere, clearly indicating a measurement of currency, but just like when other verses talk about bearing fruit we know it’s not about gardening, there is a bigger meaning here, too. God wants us to use our talents!
It’s also important to note that these talents are first given by God, then used for God and lastly are added to from God’s Abundant Bounty. These are His property and you have been entrusted with it. This is not meant to burden you with a commission, because although it may be a commission to use the talent you’ve been given, it will not, in the end, be a burden … especially when you see how He will reward you with more talent. That’s what the passage says: use the talent for Him and He will give you more. It is also important to note that He wants us to step out of our comfort zone and take some risks to do so. That is where servant number three went wrong. He was afraid. We need to not be afraid and to know that God gave these to us so we would use them for Him. Then we will understand what it means to “come and share your Master’s happiness" (Matt 25:23b)

Planet Christianity

2011-04-18T11:15:00.011-04:00

What planet am I from anyway? Not really sure, but sometimes I feel I am bouncing between two very different ones, wondering what the weather will be like and if I should carry an umbrella or wear shorts.
I grew up in a devoutly Catholic home, praying the rosary, going to church every Sunday and attending a Catholic school for several years of my life. I was considered religious by many of my friends … but there were many inconsistencies in my life.

For all that I had learned about how to live as a good Christian/Catholic, I sometimes felt alone in my pursuits to live by God's standards. In fact, I felt more pressure to sin from the environment at my Catholic elementary/middle school than I did in my public high school. So whenever I resisted that temptation, which may not have been as often as it should have, I felt very self satisfied.

Eventually I went off to college and then grad school where I was indoctrinated into this thing called tolerance, which of course tolerated everything except a faith in Jesus as a Savior. All those years of supposedly behaving well, relative to some around me, now seemed like efforts in futility and ignorance. It makes me want to cry now to think how easily I began to shed my beliefs. Oh Peter, how I relate!

At the same time, I never had the opportunity to walk on Planet Christianity. I’d never known what it was like to really “hang” with people who really had a passionate zeal for the Lord as I did back then. I felt like a foreigner in a strange land. Don’t get me wrong, I hung out with decent, normal people. But I always felt if I shared my desire to know God with them, they might have thought I was weird. So I kept quiet about it. Some may chastise me for not becoming more of a disciple for Jesus by sharing my faith. But how could I do that when I didn’t know anything about it myself, having never, at that point, been encouraged to read the Bible, let alone study it.

Then one day, in my twenties, someone invited me to Planet Christianity. I call it this because that’s exactly what it was, a new planet. I mean, I’d heard of it and seen portrayals of it on T.V., but this planet usually tends to get bad press. When I got there I felt like I was finally coming home, there were people like me there. And yet, it was something like what a missionary kid might feel coming back to America after having grown up in Africa. Yes, there was a sameness, but I’d spent a long time out of my home culture and it impacted who I was and how I look at the world. So now, like a missionary kid (a.k.a. a third culture kid), I sometimes feel like I don’t fit on either planet.

You may ask why I call them planets. It’s because sometimes each of these worlds is so distinct and to some degree unaware of the other. Recently, I saw a CNN report featuring a well-known Christian musical group where the announcer was flabbergasted that live performances attracted so many fans when, as he put it, their music had never even played on the radio. I wanted to scream, “Just cause you don’t listen to Christian radio doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.” He was clueless. And that’s the least of the issues those outside this planet are clueless about. Like the fact that there are actually lots of people who believe the Bible is the Word of God and seek to live their lives according to it.

But then, on the other side, many people who have grown up in small, conservative towns or in Good Christian homes don’t understand how people who didn’t have this hedge of protection make the sinful choices they do. I can tell you … it’s easy. I grew up in a good family who had high standards for my behavior, but outside my home was a world of relative good and bad that made it easy to disregard what my mom and dad taught me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Mary Magdelene. But sometimes it seems I identify with her more than I do the people of Planet Christianity—my home.

Back when I was a Sociology major, and I held the belief that every child was born the same, tabula rasa, blank slate. And that each person was only the summation of what their parents and society wrote on those slates, I often wondered, “Why would God put us in all these different circumstances that could lead us to either succeed or fail. However, I no longer believe we were all born the same. Some children are born with autism, some not. Some have life threatening allergies and some debilitating diseases. So why would God throw even more stuff into the mix to mess with our lives? Because He’s going to use those experiences.

I used to say God took me “window shopping” allowing me to have a glimpse of a human experience He wanted me to touch. As I said, I was considered (relatively) a good girl, though I didn’t always seek to live according to the Bible. But God put me in many places where I saw people struggling with some serious sin. And for some reason there were many people who felt the need to tell me their struggles, secrets they didn’t share with others. They needed someone to understand, to be with them where they were and gently lift them to where they should be. Unfortunately, at that time I didn’t have the means with which to do that—God’s Word. I do now!

Third Day has a line in the song This is Who I Am, that goes, “Take me as I am, but please don’t leave me that way.” That’s my Christian battle cry. For all those people who feel they, too, are floating between two planets or are already on Planet Christianity and not feeling like they’ve meshed with the culture, and for all those who want something more, but are afraid they just won’t fit in, let’s take each other as we are … but not leave each other that way. God has bigger plans in store for us.

Do-ers and Be-ers

2011-03-30T13:19:00.003-04:00

If you know me personally, you will have heard me mention my sister who has in the last few years become a New Creation in Christ. And when someone describes what it looks like to be “on fire for the Lord,” you can just insert her name. I just LOVE being around her so I can be lit by the flame.

Since becoming a New Creation, she’s signed up and volunteered for more things than I have in the number of years I would have considered myself a New Creation. She is a “Do-er.” I, on the other hand, am a “Be-er.”

What is a do-er and a be-er (hyphens needed so you don’t think I’m a Budweiser)? A do-er is action-oriented, where a be-er is contemplative. A do-er wants to make things happen. A be-er wants to go over the pros and cons to make sure it’s done right. And when it comes to exercise, my sister takes Tae-Bo, and I much prefer Yoga. Get the picture.

So which is better? Ha ha! That was a trick question. The answer is neither.

In our culture we tend to favor do-ers. They get things done. I love these people! But what of the other? Well, the answer to this question can be found in … you guessed it, the Bible. In Luke 10:38-42 we are told that when Jesus came to the house of Mary and Martha, and Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet rather than help Martha prepare the meal, Mary had chosen what was best. Mary was the be-er in this situation. She wanted to “be with” her Lord when she had the opportunity. In fact, isn’t that what God wants of us? To be in relationship with Him.

Listening to my sister talk, excitedly, about all the things she is doing, I grew concerned that she would burn herself out. So I sent her an email with the verses on Mary and Martha in the hope she’d get the message. She wanted to know which one I thought she was. Oh boy! Later, she told me God must really be laying this message on her heart because her pastor devoted a sermon to it recently, and when she listened to the recording of the sermon, it got stuck in the CD changer in her car, available at any moment for her to listen to again and again … as she drove off to complete one task or another.

So can you take the “Mary Thing” a little too far? If you ever visited my home you would be inclined to believe—Yes! I joke that my kitchen floor crunches when you walk on it (this is where all you do-ers cringe!) When I told my mother about the conversation I’d had with my sister on this topic, she laughed in such a way as to tell me she wished I had a little more Martha in me. Oh yeah? Well me too!

But before I expound on Martha’s gifts, let me just clarify. If you ever have the choice between doing the dishes and being with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Christ-Thing should always win. And though sometimes being with family who needs you is another form of being with Christ, sometimes Christ is not the other choice at all. For instance, maybe I should (finally) sweep my kitchen floor rather than read that Romance novel (even if it is a Christian one). What was that, honey? Oh, my husband just shouted, “Amen!” (This is where I stifle the urge to say “Do it yourself!”). Yes, and maybe I should sign up to help the homeless rather than watch one of the “Housewives of …” Reality shows.

James 2:14-17 tells us faith without deeds is dead. We just need to make sure our deeds are not done without consulting God and inviting Him into the process of sharing our good works. Otherwise these deeds will glorify us and not the God we meant them to.

So my question is, was Jesus a Be-er or a Do-er? You should know how to answer this by now. He was both! After all, He is complete. If you read of His life, you will see He spent long hours in solitude with His Father. You will also see He spent much time teaching and healing. And though Jesus is our example, we should also recognize how God has gifted us and has left us weak. This allows us to see where we need to challenge ourselves, but also who to align ourselves with. If you are a be-er, find a do-er who will inspire you and implement the ideas you’ve brought to the table. If you are a do-er, find a be-er who will help you design and evaluate your plans while bringing God into them.

Both of these things are essential. Be-ers without do-ers get nothing done. They have lots of ideas, know how they will work, all the pros and cons, but never put them into action. Do-ers without be-ers get lots of things done, but to no purpose. They end up exhausted, having checked off their entire list, and not yet achieved the ultimate goal.

But together, they are part of the Body of Christ. As I said before, Christ is complete. We are each parts of His Body and can only work best when we work together and appreciate His other parts.

My Writer's Body

2011-03-21T11:26:00.001-04:00

As I begin this journey as a regular blogger, I have been asking my friends to check it out. One friend just reminded me of a Body that is working in my life right now--my writing critique partners. Some of you may know I am writing a novel. To take on such a task it's a good idea to join a critique group. As I looked into doing this, I prayed a lot! And boy was God generous! Not only did He drop me into two critique groups, but He created a Writer's Body within them.

First Corinthians 12:4-11 tells us we are all given different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit; different kinds of service, but the same Lord. These are to work for the common good. And that's what my "Writer's Body" does. What an amazing group. Not just because they all are so skilled as writers, but because God put them together in such a way.

For those of you who don't know what a critique group is, it's a group of writers who will look at your work and tell you how you can improve it. You send it out to them after you've poured out your heart and soul on paper and then it comes back looking as though it met a dragon in battle :o). But just as God allows us to go through the Valley of Shadow and Death to stretch and grow us ... so do my critique partners spar with my Work-In-Progress in order to make it better. And that they most surely do!

My "Writer's Body," as I think I will now call them, is fully equipped with arms, legs, a torso, eyes, ears and all the rest. In writer's terms that would mean the following: Someone who can spot my telling (when it needs to be showing), my overuse of words, my cliches and my long-winded diatribes that make no sense. Other members will give me examples of how to describe something more fluidly, use commas appropriately and to tighten up my language. Oh there is so much more. And my critiquers do this. I send out my WIP and each sends it back with their own set of skills having polished out the smudges. And even though I am sometimes weary at the newly created work on the chapter I thought was done, I know down to the pit of my being God has been very, very good to me! I am truly blessed by this group and my writing has shown their hard work on my behalf.

Thank you, Lord!

His Power is Made Perfect in Weakness

2011-03-19T06:00:00.027-04:00

His power is made perfect in weakness. I don't know whether to say "Oh yeah!" "Amen!" or just sigh deeply at the idea. I just know that it gives me great comfort, 'cause on my worst day He is very powerful! I love that! In fact, a counselor friend and I have often talked about how some of our best counseling sessions were when we were sick. The Holy Spirit moved right into our empty vessels and did His Work, while we just sat there and watched. An awesome sight!!!

I could list off many figures in Biblical history whose lives embodied this concept (and I will eventually--the Bible is rife with flawed characters who are used by God), but today let's just look at the idea of God's power in our weaknesses. We know He uses our gifts, but how does He use weaknesses. Well, for one, they keep us focused on Him. If we are reminded of our strengths alone, we might be tempted to become boastful. "Look what I did." We take all the glory and worse yet, we come to rely on ourselves alone for all that God is. Eventually that leads to separation from Him.

I have been amazed in watching the lives of several leaders of large or mega-churches. I often worry some of these men may become "too big for their britches" as their congregation grows. And it has happened! However, in some cases, God has given them what the apostle Paul would call a "thorn." This has come in the form of a particular acknowledged fear, a handicap of self or child, or a serious, chronic illness. In these cases these "thorns" have kept them humbly on their knees, relying on the Creator of the Universe for their every need ... and their lives, ministries and congregations are better for it. Should we then call them blessings?

Paul, in 2Corinthians 12:1-10, begins by speaking of his visions and revelations from the Lord. This is a man who had, in his early life, relied heavily on his study of scripture and the law. But when Jesus first appeared to him, he was blinded. And though this blinding was temporary, many scholars believe the thorn he spoke of in his writings was a continual degeneration of his sight. Why would God allow this to happen to the man who is most known for spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles? I believe God wanted to take away Paul's temptation to rely on his own study of the law and focus on his new relationship with the Lord. His physical sight was replaced by visions and revelations that did not appear on paper, but came from God Himself. Now I ask you, which is more powerful?! And would Paul have done as much without it? Would he have known his Creator as well?

So when you are down and feeling useless, remember you are an empty vessel of the Lord. And with Him, anything is possible. Without Him, you are just empty. So take some time today, open your Bible and fill your tank! His power is made perfect in weakness.

Body Parts

2011-03-18T08:58:00.003-04:00

A couple of years ago I volunteered to lead a devotion for my homeschool group. Being a person who learns best with visuals I brought in paper representations of body parts and handed them out to a number of people in the audience. Those who received these were then asked to gather in groups in the way we usually choose churches, finding others like themselves. So, of course, the arms made one church, the legs another, and so on.

When all the "churches" were formed I pointed out each, noting their strenths and weaknesses. For instance, the "Leg Church" was really going places ... but they couldn't do much when they got there. In fact, they couldn't even see enough to know what needed to be done. So I asked the "body parts" to form churches as Christ would. My homeschooling ladies are smart cookies so they made full bodies with Christ as the head. Each body had two arms and two legs, a torso, eyes, ears, etc., just as a body should.

So, too, should the Body of Christ. And yet, we still focus on finding churches and groups where everyone is "like us," and we don't always appreciate why God made some of us different. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be around people who understand your world, your gifts and your challenges. There is a comfort in that. At the same time, sometimes we are called to be drawn out of our comfort zone and work in tandem with other, different, members of the Body. Not just to work with, but to help and understand the differences of the other members and what their purpose is.

First Corinthians 12:21-27 specifically calls us to reach out to the weaker members of the Body and treat them with special honor. It also tells us these parts are indispensable. There should be no division. If one suffers, every part suffers. If one is honored, every part rejoices with it.

So I ask you to look at the world around you and view the other members of the Body. I want you to look at that person you have a tendency to not understand or maybe even think as (dare I say it) deficient (as if the rest of us aren't in some way :o)). See them through the spectacles of their Creator. He gave them gifts. They may be different from yours, but they are most definitely there. Maybe you can even be the one to help that person find them. Now wouldn't that be cool?!

Lord of All Creation

2011-03-15T09:42:00.002-04:00

Lord of all creation. I love that title. Our God is the Lord of all creation! Not just the earth, moon and stars, but of the insects, amebas and dirt. He is also the Creator of what we call human beings. That's us!
So if He is our creator, and He is infallible, why are we so flawed? Honestly, I don't think I am learn-ed enough to expound on that topic with great accuracy, but I hope to speak to how He uses these flaws to His Glory!
In Ephesians 4:12-14, Paul tells us He gave each of us specific tasks to prepare us for works of service so the body of Christ may be built up. We are to use these gifts to reach unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God and become mature. In other words our maturity, as a "body", comes from each of us accomplishing our different tasks in a unified mechanism to accomplish His goals. Every cog in that mechanism is vital. You are vital!
God doesn't make mistakes. He made you. He has a plan and a purpose for you in the Body of Christ, but the only way to find out what that is is to ask Him. And only when you do, will you know the fulfillment of seeing your gifts really shine!
So why are we flawed? Think of those flaws like holes in a puzzle piece where the peg of another piece fits. We are meant to live in communion with the rest of the Body. If we were self-sufficient we wouldn't do that . I need you and you need me, so we join to form a Body. One member's strength may be to help the other build from a weakness. Or it could be to fill the gap of that weakness all together.
So what does that mean to a Body of believers? It means we need to appreciate and understand both our gifts and weaknesses as well as those of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Appreciate who you are in Him, but also appreciate who others are as well. They were created in His image and fashioned for His work. See them how God sees them and you will no longer linger on their flaws.
Read 1Corinthians 12:21-27. More on this in my next blog.