Remember to Live and Love … Before It’s Too Late

If you can’t see the imbed, click here.

This song always makes me cry!

Listen and remember …

The days we are given are gifts from above

Get out and do what you were meant to do

Live and Love!

Thank you, Superchick!!!

Other posts you might like:

God on the Line

March of the Minions

Let Him Steal Your Show

God on the Line

Did you ever have a time in your life when you put God on hold to get other things done? I don’t mean momentarily, like you forgot about him during the day. I mean, more like you no longer thought you needed Him, so you left Him as an afterthought. Maybe you hung up on Him altogether.

What happened when you picked up His line again? Was He still there?

Well, let me tell you, not only is He still there, but while He was waiting for you, He held the phone to His ear with his shoulder and continued to work on your behalf!

Years ago I thought I knew too much to concern myself with things of God. I had pushed my childlike faith aside for things of research. I contemplated grand ideas about the world and on occasion considered how a god might fit into it … somewhere.

This god was a small god in my mind. But even though I considered Him small, He still did big things in my life. For example, I can see many ways He’d been preparing me to be the mother of a special needs child. He led me to a story about a mute boy, which would become a favorite years before my son was born. This story taught me how to appreciate my son as nothing else could. God gave me a dog who had several chronic medical issues which required many of the same types of therapies I now use with my son. And He put me in a job with wonderful Christians at just the time I would require a faith before the coming storm.

He was on the line the whole time.

Still, it wasn’t just what he did for me, but how He used me to accomplish His Will even during my weakest (or non-existent) faith moments. There’s nothing like the feel of being an empty vessel of the Lord, even if you don’t know you’re being used at the time.

As a graduate student, I ran and lived in an all-male dorm while working on my counseling degree. This was a tenuous position and my new, all-male, staff let me know they were a little leery. Never before had a woman lived in the all-male dorms at this university. I’d been selected from the applicants who’d actually applied for the resident director position in the all-female hall.

At the first meeting I could sense my staff worried I’d paint the halls pink and hang lacey curtains in the lounges. They asked me pointed questions about my plans and showed their resistance to too much change—particularly since I’d come in mid-year.

It was my goal to develop a sense of authority, yet be sensitive (yes, I used that girly word) to their needs.

Then, my senior resident assistant informed me of a long-standing, streaking (yes, that means naked guys running) tradition the whole community had grown accustomed to and wondered what I’d planned to do about it. It was clear he expected me to do nothing, especially since that had been the protocol for the past several decades.

So here I am, The Woman in the building. I feared taking this tradition away would put me at odds with my staff before I even got started, so I did what the RA wanted. I sat on my hands.

You could say that wasn’t very Christian of me, since streaking in public is against the law and I should have trusted God to have my back while I did the right thing. However, that wasn’t even a consideration for me at the time.

You could say I was a coward for not doing the right thing and sticking to my guns. My only answer to that would be …

Yup!

But there is one thing you could not say about me. You could not say God had forsaken me, because even though I’d neglected Him, He still used me as an empty vessel.

I muddled through that semester, the lone, twenty-something, woman living with hundreds of hard-partying, college-age (and hormonal) guys. To say the atmosphere was sexually charged would be a vast understatement. My building had the highest rate of Victoria Secret catalogues sent to it. The guys had to buy “lacy under-things” on a regular basis so they could continue to receive it.

Hmmmm.

While running this building, I endured being hit on in the hallways by droopy-towel-wearing men, I had to protect myself from attempts to get my white shirts wet, and shield myself from what felt like a constant x-ray body scan. On occasion, however, I planned some really cool programs, developed great relationships with guys who needed advice about women, and even got a little respect.

Though I ended up loving that job, for a number of reasons I decided not to continue the next year. Before I knew this would be the case, I worked to select my next-year’s staff. Among the candidates was a stern, thickly built, young man who wore an expression on his face that said, “Don’t mess with me.” He struck me as a man of character and I knew I wanted him working the hall known for the wildest parties. In fact, he’d already lived there. This was also the place my streakers lived.

For some reason, my boss did not like him, but I suspect it was more that she had other candidates in mind for those positions and saw him as a threat to her placing them. We went back and forth much on this issue, but I was not the one in the highest position of authority. I had to fight for this guy, but something told me I must. I did not make it a point to listen to the Holy Spirit regularly (if at all) back then, but I now believe that’s who I heard.

In the end, he got the job.

I later discovered this young man made his first order of business to end the decades-long streaking tradition. When I heard about it from one of my former staff I couldn’t help but smile. I didn’t realize then who was really responsible for this (God), but it felt good to have played a small role in it just the same (even unwittingly). This news also inspired me to be more courageous with my convictions as this young man had been. I’m sure he did not garner favor with his hall mates having taken away their “fun.”

I’ve always carried a certain respect for this guy. So much so that he inspired the character, nick-named Preacher, in my manuscript entitled One Among Men. Though Preacher is not the main character of this story, it was his parallel’s courage that caused me to write about the challenges a new Christian faces in the highly secular environment of a major state university—especially one who is a mid-twenties female living with hundreds of hard-partying, college guys—Sigh!

I love how God used this man’s courage as an example to me, even at a time I did not fully appreciate it. I hope I can do the same for others one day.

Who inspired you when you weren’t looking to be inspired?

Other posts you might like:

Where Did You First Meet God in the Bible?

What Brought You to Christ?

A No-Matter-What Kind of Joy

3rdDay Rocker—Making A Ministry From A Passion

If you’ve ever searched for a Third Day song on Youtube you may have come across the name “3rdDayRocker.” I know I have. I always wondered about this guy who gave me so many hours of great Third Day video viewing pleasure before I ever had a chance to see the band live.

Then I became a Third Day Gomer … and got to e-meet, not only him (Dean Radloff), but his wonderful wife, Dodie—the people who turned their passion for great music into a ministry for Christ. I know many who’ve been blessed by Christian music in times of trouble. Dean and Dodie Radloff have made it a point to expand the reach of this art form. So glad they did.

Now, let me introduce them to you …

Connie: Dean and Dodie, tell us about this ministry to bring Christian music to the masses?

Dean: God gifted me with videography skills; a passion for video recording and a very steady hand to obtain high quality concert videos. Dodie and I love attending Christian concerts. I usually video record several songs at each concert we attend, and post them on YouTube. My 3rdDayRocker YouTube channel has blessed countless people with the ability to view a large variety of Christian artists performing live.

Connie: Oh, yes!

How long have you done this, and what prompted you to start?

Dean: I've been video recording at concerts since 2004, albeit with low grade pocket cameras. I began using better quality cameras in 2008. Videos make a great, memorable keepsake of concerts. I felt God was prompting me to share my work with the world, so I decided to open a YouTube account and started posting my videos in January 2009.

Connie: Thank you, Jesus!

Did it start out as a ministry? What happened?

Dean: Originally, the whole video recording hobby was just that; a hobby and a personal keepsake. When I felt God prompting me to start sharing via YouTube, I guess you could say it then developed into a ministry of sorts. A wide variety of positive comments on my videos is a testimony that God is reaching people through them. God's love, joy, peace, healing, and overall blessings received through the Christian artists' music have been conveyed through numerous comments and messages on my YouTube channel.

Connie: Can you describe how it's evolved over the years?

Dean: As anticipated, viewership was fairly small at first. As more and more videos from more and more Christian artists were added, viewership and the number of subscribers grew rapidly. My channel currently has 3,200+ subscribers and has over 3.6 million views. I refuse to monetize my channel (allowing pop-up ads). It blesses me to know others are blessed by great Christian music too. That is very rewarding.

Connie: Wow! I love that!

Dodie: It really blesses us when we are at a concert, out of town, and someone comes up to Dean and says "Are you 3rddayrocker?" It happens at almost every show we go to, and it just reinforces in our hearts that what Dean does is valuable. 

Connie: Yes it is!

Connie: Do you have future plans for your ministry?

I simply plan to keep doing what God has gifted me to do; video record and share with the masses via YouTube and facebook.

Connie: Thank you.

How many concerts do you think you've gone to over the years?

Dean: Way too many to count or even estimate accurately. I became an avid concertgoer as a teenager. Probably at least 500 so far. Since May 2011, Dodie and I have been to 20 Third Day concerts, with 4 more scheduled for this year, and 41 non-Third Day concerts. No wonder we're semi-broke at times. For us, I guess you'd say it's not just a pastime, it's a lifestyle. ;)

Connie: Yep! I remind my husband of the expense of his golf whenever he questions the cost of my concert-going.

Ahem, back to you …

Do you know how many videos you have uploaded?

Dean: So far, 1,200+. The great majority of them are videos I personally recorded at concerts.

Connie: What goes into the process?

Dean: The process of uploading to YouTube? Depends upon the source material and video quality. The larger the video file, the longer it takes time-wise for each upload. As previously stated, the majority are concert videos I recorded. Some are album tracks (songs), some from TV broadcasts, a few from radio interviews. Some videos require some editing prior to uploading, so they take a bit longer to complete. Dodie and I store the original files on hard drives, so they can be viewed and enjoyed on our 55 inch HDTV and Surround Sound system. I've also burned videos to DVD, to share them with others.

Connie: Oh, cool!!!

Do you have a favorite story about a concert you've attended or a video you've shared (or both)?

Dean: A few favorite moments come to mind. Once, we burned 90+ DVDs of a large Gomer gathering and Third Day concert, to share the memorable event with several of our Gomer friends. (For those who don't know what a Gomer is …

Connie: Ahem, they should if they’ve read much of this blog …

… we are a community of ultra-fanatical Third Day fans.) Aside from having a large library of concert and music videos as personal keepsakes, our favorite part is simply sharing and blessing countless people everywhere. Neither of us have musical talent, but we do have the pleasure of sharing live Christian music with the world. We know God touches people in a variety of ways through the great Christian artists we promote via YouTube.

A favorite concert moment was a time when Third Day lead singer Mac Powell grabbed my camera and got some video from the stage.

If you can’t view the video imbed, check out this link.

Dodie: The most meaningful moments we have are the Third Day shows that we get to attend with some of our closest friends from other states. Dean's job blesses us with free flight benefits, so we get to spend quite a bit of time with some friends we dearly love, who live several hundred miles away. One of the most memorable experiences I can think of, though, was a Third Day show that we attended in Detroit, right after we got married, and Mac Powell dedicated a song to Dean and me during the show. That was very exciting, and very unexpected. 

Connie: Awwwww! I soooo love that! I don’t have that video on here, but I have one close to it. This one was recorded only a few days ago.

Thank you, Dean and Dodie, for visiting LBOC today. You guys are like Gomer royalty ;o).

Visit the 3rdDayRocker YouTube channel here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/3rdDayRocker

Other posts you might like:

March of the Minions

When It Rains, He’s There

Where Did You First Meet God in the Bible?

BE a Minion!

If you read this blog often, you’ll have noticed I changed the look a bit. I also changed the tagline. Where it once read, “Get out of your seat and LIVE your part,” it now says, “Motivating minions for the MIGHTY.”

There are three questions that come from this change:
1) Why in the world would I call God’s people minions? (see “What’s A Minion?”)
2) Why in the world do I feel the need to motivate them? And …
3) Why did the Needtobreathe song, Difference Maker, keep coming to mind after I did?

I think it has something to do with addictions ;o).

You see, sometimes, when we sinful human creatures first become born again, or we come from a particularly powerful sermon, or we read a blog about all we CAN do FOR Christ, it’s like a drug. There were times in my own life where I called on the Lord for guidance and help, and I received it in such force it was intoxicating.

God is just that amazing.

So what does the human do when they come down from that high? They rush out and seek more of the very thing that made them drunk. But God is not a drug, and He will not heel at your beck and call.

When I first became a Christian Counselor I found it very effective to pray on my knees before every counseling session. I humbled myself before the Lord and invited Him into the session to do the work. But, just as the Israelites so often did with the things God gave them, that prayer became a tool for my counseling rather than an opportunity to honor Him. The power of it waned because I saw it as mine and not His. I was trying to be A difference maker rather than allowing myself to be His empty vessel.

I so often hear young people or new Christians say “I want to make a difference,” as they ride the zeal of their burgeoning faith. I’ve also seen many become burned out as their “big” plans to save the lost meet with great disappointment. They ask, “Why wasn’t God faithful to me when I was faithful to Him?” The question I have is, “Were your big plans God’s or yours?”

I hear others talk about how they believe God is calling them to do something great like so-and-so did. But if they looked at so-and-so, they might notice he or she did not set out to do something great, only something for the Lord.

That’s what I am hoping for you, my reader.

How does one truly become an empty vessel of the Lord? Or, as I now like to call it “a minion for the mighty?”

Hmmm, for me it’s really not about being one, but about noticing when I drift into my own self-importance and then turning the rudder so I can right my course. I’m sorry to say, my self always gets in the way.

How do I move the rudder back? By keeping my eye on who “I Am” is. For me, that comes with Bible study and prayer. Not a study that memorizes empty facts, but coming to know The Story of the One who loves me deeply and I want to love back. Not a prayer that asks, “God, can you do this for me,” but time spent in the presence of my Father, telling Him about my day, asking if He has any thoughts on it, and maybe even praising Him a little.

Stuff like that.

My final thought is to suggest you put away the idea that you must do something big. Remember, the bigness doesn’t come from what you’ve done, but from what HE makes of what you’ve done. In fact, I sometimes think our goal of bigness stalls us from getting started in the first place. Think of the boy with the loaves of bread and two fish. He didn’t bring them to feed thousands, but when given to Jesus, they did.

You can be that boy.

You can be a minion.

This is the place where I often list other posts from this blog that you might like. Today, I would love for you to read another story from another site, about a real Minion for the Mighty and know your empty vessel can be used for great things and you might not even know it’s happening. Take a look! You won’t be sorry. Worldwide Impact of a Humble Street Preacher Lives on Today

A Summer Concert

 

It's August. The Back-to-School commercials and sales are starting (which means my daughter is panicking about her last days of summer), and I am out of town ... AGAIN. So rather than drum up some words that may or may not inspire you, I thought I'd pass along this video. Hope you enjoy Andrew Ripp, Savior.

 

 

Posts you might like:

When It Rains, He's There

Will You Soar on Wings Like Eagles Or Be Runnin' Against The Wind

I Need A Miracle

Is My Faith a Religion or a Relationship?

Last week I mused on the war of words in the Christian Community—how some churches are trying to separate themselves from others by changing the lingo. The members are substituting Religion with Relationship, and Christian with Christ Follower. Though, in that blog I said this doesn’t appeal to me, don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with the new terms at all. I just feel we need to focus on how to live rather than how to say we live. THAT’S what tells people more about us than anything that comes from our mouths.

I know, I should talk. Here I am at my computer, using more words myself. Let’s all hope and pray they actually translate into action as well.

Anyway, this new lingo change prompts me to ask the question, is my faith a religion? I keep hearing from preachers, teachers and writers that it shouldn’t be. It should be a relationship. To answer this question I dusted off my old, hard cover Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, and looked up the definition of religion. Here are some of its meanings:

1) The service and worship of God or the supernatural.

2) Commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance.

There was one separate definition that had “scrupulous conformity” in it, which certainly would not be how I view my faith at all. In fact I think God wants us all somewhat different, as in different parts of the Body of Christ. Scrupulous conformity only describes what some have turned their religions into. However, the other two definitions mentioned above could include a part of what my faith is. But only a part.

Now let’s look at the definitions of relationship:

1) The state of being related or interrelated.

2) The relation connecting or binding participants in a relationship.

3) A state of affairs existing between those having relations or dealings.

The worst thing you can say about the original definition of the word religion is that it is vague. It does not tell you about the greatness of God poured out on His children through both His wisdom and His mercy. It does not tell of the sacrifice made in His Son so that we would know eternal life in His Glory. It could be used for any religion from any culture with any belief, even to worship a tree.

It is incomplete.

But so is the term relationship. It could speak of Cinderella’s ugly step-sisters. It could speak of an abusive husband or a swindling business partner. It is not wholly good.

Does that mean I don’t think we should substitute religion with relationship? Actually, to me both are acceptable—though incomplete—words.

Yet, I must say, I LOOOVVVVE the word relationship. In fact, I liken it more to a romance, but that’s just me :o). I love to think of my God as my friend, my love, my protector. All those things I want the hero of a good love story to be.

But He’s more. He’s my Father, my Creator, my all-in-all, my King. He is worthy of my worship and devotion and I want to commit my life to doing His will (even if I mess up at it a lot).

So to answer the question in the title of this blog—Is my faith a religion or a relationship?

It’s BOTH  <shrug>  for me anyway :o).

~~~~

Other posts you might like:

You Are Holy

Christ: The Perfect Romance

Surrender

Let Him Steal Your Show

If you can’t see the imbed below, click here for Toby Mac’s Steal My Show.

We are all given gifts by God. It’s an awesome thing.

I once knew a highly intelligent woman who, whenever anyone reminded her of her intelligence would raise a brow and proclaim with a haughty, wicked voice, “I can use my power for good or for evil.” She was joking, of course, but what she said was true.

However, God didn’t give us these gifts for evil. He didn’t even give them to be used for ourselves, though I think the correct usage of them does benefit in us in the end. He gave us these gifts to serve and honor Him.

Have you ever had an empty-vessel moment? One of those times where, whether you asked Him to or not, God came in and took over your work and turned it into something extraordinary? Something that couldn’t have been you because you’d been going in a completely different direction?

If you haven’t, I pray that for you today. It’s astounding when it happens, even when it’s for small things. It’s like witnessing a miracle in your own body.

So, with that in mind, my recommendation for you today is to ask God to “steal your show.” Go ahead. Give it a try. You won’t be sorry.

Other posts you might like:

An Empty Vessel

How Many Talents Do You Get?

When A Christian Music Artist Loses His Voice

When It Rains He’s There

 

If you can’t see the imbed above, click here for a video of Third Day’s When The Rain Comes.

Last week I wrote about God’s Amazing Kleenex and how He’s there for you in times of trouble. Today, I’m thinking about the soaking rain outside my window and the storms that eradicated towns in Oklahoma.

Rain is falling. People are hurting.

He is there.

He didn’t promise to keep us from all pain. But He did promise to be there through it.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me(Psalm 23:4)

Yes, He is there. In the rain and the rubble, He is there. I pray for those standing amidst that rubble today. People who have lost loved ones and just about everything they own. People who are asking questions of their Creator and wondering why. I don’t have the answers to their questions, but I know …

He does! Seek Him!

So now that I’ve shown you a video with the very wonderful lyrics written by Mark Lee of Third Day. To lighten things up, I want to show you another video of what happens when your band has written soooo many wonderful songs with sooooo many great lyrics, and you are called to sing one you haven’t in a while …

 

Other posts you might like:

Let Me See Redemption Win

Be His Witness By Demonstrating With-ness

Jesus Wept

Let Me See Redemption Win

If you can’t see the video imbed below, click the link to Tenth Avenue North’s Worn.

I am soul-weary!

It’s been a spiritually tiring week. We watched evil in the form of the bombing of innocent people at the Boston Marathon. We heard about someone sending ricin to our elected officials. We saw a fertilizer plant blow up, harming an entire community. But that’s not the worst of it.

There were things that wearied my soul even more.

I’ve heard Christians use these events as a means of passing judgment against one particular sin, as though their own, regular sin didn’t matter as much. I’ve seen others reply to these accusations with more angry language. I’ve seen mocking of the church not just by those who don’t understand it, but those who claim to believe. I’ve seen the attack against hypocrisy become lunch for those looking for more of which to accuse us. Having been the recipient of such mocking judgments as a youth—where people made assumptions about me because they thought I was religious--it grieves me to see my brothers and sisters in Christ adding to it.

And yet, there was good.

At present, we know of two perpetrators in the bombings in Boston. Compare that to the numbers of first responders, fellow racers and residents of the city who ran into danger, picked up the injured, gave blood, and offered homes. This is positive math, folks. Let’s not forget it.

Yes, there are those who use the Bible for hate. Hitler had a book of verses—taken out of context—to feed his agenda to take over the world and annihilate the Jews. But anyone who’s read the real book knows--in context--it is about the love of a God for His people so great, He’d come into the depths of their sin and take the punishment rightfully theirs. I’ve known so many who have been extraordinary examples of that love.

Let’s talk about them!

Yes, there is hypocrisy and self-righteousness. It’s ugly and hurtful. But if any one of us looked in the mirror hard enough, we might see it at its worst.

Stop blaming, mocking and accusing. Let’s remove the plank that stings the most! The one in our own eyes. Sometimes, when we do this, we see enough to find the goodness in those we’d accuse.

Yes! You read that right. The ones we’d accuse!!!

They are human. They are sinners, just like me, rife with flaws and insecurities. And still, they can be used by God for His Glory—like Paul in the New Testament when he finally saw the light. Let’s look for that Glory! It’s wonderful, astounding, extraordinary.

It’s there!

Find it. Revel in it. Tell me about it! I want to know. Don’t only complain about what’s wrong in the church. There is so much out there that’s good.

Let me see Redemption win!!!

Other posts you might like:

Pondering a Hierarchy of Sin

What Are You Worth to God?

The Great and the Small—God!

You Are Holy

If you can’t see the imbed above, click on this link to hear Lamb of God by Tenth Avenue North.

Enter video caption here

There’s nothing like being with a body of believers, throwing my hands to the heavens and praising my Creator. However, sometimes a child of God needs to speak to Him alone, in holy reverence. That’s what this song reminds me to do.

When I was young, I went to churches that taught written-out prayers to speak to God. We were expected to memorize these and say them over and over again in our alone time with Him. Some of them are beautiful blueprints of how one should address a holy God. But now and again I felt the need to throw in a little discourse of my own with the Big Guy. He is my Father, after all.

But was that right?

Later, I met Christians who told me Our God was an approachable God, and His Son, Jesus was “God with us.” We could have conversations with Him like a friend throughout the day, not only on bended knee with closed lids. I loved this idea, because now I could pray in my car on long commutes—not convenient while kneeling, and kinda dangerous with your eyes shut.

So, I ventured into this new relationship with God, relishing the Oneness I felt in all my travels. I wasn’t required to kneel. So I didn’t.

Hmmm.

I’m in a different place these days.

You see, those who taught me of a relatable God also taught me about the God of the Bible. They said I could know Him better by reading His Word. So I did. What did I find out? He is good, He is holy, He is worthy. He is beyond anything I could imagine Him to be. And He loves me.

I found that when the great ones in the Bible were faced with just an angel of the Lord, they were moved to the point of falling on their faces in this presence. The disciples trembled when Jesus quieted the wind and the waves, knowing Him to be more powerful than the storm. And yet, I resist to bow to this God who I treat as a friend.

No more!

He is holy. He is worthy. He is the Lamb of God. He created me, He provides for me and He even died for me. He deserves my reverence. He deserves my love.

He deserves my all.

I still don’t pray on my knees—lids shading my eyes from all other distractions—because I’m required to. I now do these things because I want to. I am in awe and my spirit aches to reverence Him. I am blessed to spend this time with my Creator every day.

Thank you Lord!

P.S. You’ll be relieved to know that though I spend my mornings in bodily reverence, my “conversations” in the car are still with opened eyes and feet to the pedals.

Other posts you might like:

Be His Witness By Demonstrating With-ness

Is God Teaching Me Patience Or Praise?

To Parallel My Life with My Savior

Will You Soar on Wings Like Eagles Or Be Runnin’ Against the Wind?

If you can’t view the video imbed below, try this link of Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind.”

Bob Seger was right!

I once had this idea of success. It included money, a nice house, an influential career and lots of friends who adored me. I was taught that if I worked hard I could achieve anything. So I worked hard.

I look back now, and realize how directionless that hard work was. I sought careers that weren’t right for me and made friends with people who mocked my faith. I succumbed to others’ ideas of right and wrong. No matter how far ahead I traveled, somehow I never felt the satisfaction of having gotten there. I started off wanting to honor God with my life, but I never actually asked Him what He wanted me to do with it. I ran ahead and expected God to keep up.

I once had a dream that could have been a video for this song. My job at the time required I visit a few locations throughout the day. In the dream, instead of taking my car to one of them, I walked. There was such a head wind I couldn’t move against it. I’d lift my leg only for it to come down at or behind the place it started. I lifted the other with the same result. I remember a feeling of uselessness at the effort. Not powerlessness, like the wind was too strong, but a real uselessness, like I was doing something wrong.

I wonder if the guy in the song felt that way. He sought joy in the things of this world: women, fame and career. But in the end he never seemed to get where he wanted to go. Maybe he needed to ask someone for directions. Maybe someone with a map.

Years after having that dream I finally submitted my life to God. Yes, I wanted to honor Him before, but now, I decided to follow His direction and not my own. He told me to turn around and walk the other way. So I did—swallowing some pride as I went.

And now I feel the wind in my sails taking me to a better place. His place. And though my slightly bent rudder may need regular correction and I must continually consult the map (the Bible), I thank God I’m no longer runnin’ against the wind.

Isaiah 40:30-31:

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

Other posts you might like:

I’m Not Able on My Own

Is God Teaching Me Patience Or Praise?

Do You Ever Feel Your Offering to God Is Too Small?

I Need a Miracle

Check out this great video about the inspiration to one of Third Day’s newest releases:

This is why I write!!!

No, I don’t imagine someone driving in the woods and pulling out my fiction novel for one last read before they end it all, only to be saved by my words. But I have already been blessed to have heard how something I had on my blog—that I didn’t even write—was used by Him to better someone’s life. Nothing more empowering than knowing you’ve been used as an empty vessel … even though the power was all His, through the writing of someone else.

I don’t know if my work will ever touch even a fraction of the lives Third Day’s has, but none of that matters, because even one life can have far-rippling impact. See the story of the one man who reached one man, whose ministry today spans continents and whose church serves families with special needs like no other.

You, too, can have this impact! So don’t delay. Don’t worry about largeness of ministry or numbers of people, but healing of hearts and filling of souls. Who knows, you may be the subject of a story like this one: “I was really down one day, feeling there was no meaning in the world until this person approached me and …”

You fill in the rest—with your life!!!

The following is a list of posts from the Gomer Testimonies, a series about Third Day fans (aka. Gomers) whose faith was impacted by the music of Third Day. It really happens!

Cathy Payton’s Gomer Testimony

Greg Holt—A Gomer Testimony

Robyn C’s Journey to God

Rachel Rutledge—A Gomer Testimony

Christ: The Perfect Romance

For the song that inspired this devotion, click  this link. Jars of Clay--Love Song for a Savior
 

I’ve always loved those movies where the hero and heroine didn’t understand each other in the beginning, but as their knowledge grew, so did their love. Even better, are the ones where the hero loved the girl, who didn’t return his love, yet he steadfastly cared for her (sometimes unbeknownst to her) through all her misfortunes and inadequacies, until she finally realized the depth of her own love.

That’s the story of Christ’s love for us. He loved us when we didn’t even know who He was. He loved us when we treated Him as “just a friend.” He loved us when we were angry because He let us fall or told us a truth we didn’t want to hear.

And though we too often treat Him like the neighbor with the good toys, hoping He lets us play at our own leisure—in other words, using Him—He still loves us.

Agape.

Full, complete, whole love.

My prayer is that our lives end as one of those great romances, where we see and understand the depth of the love from our Savior, the ultimate the sacrifice, and know not only His passion for us, but we become keenly aware of our own for Him.

Song of Songs 2: 10 “My lover spoke and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me.’”
 
Related Posts:
Can You Hate the Sin and Love the Sinner?
Relax, Let Go—And Let Him Carry You
Amazing Grace, Do We Take It for Granted?

Can God Heal Autism?

This Devotion was inspired by Hillsong’s Healer. Click the link to see it on Youtube. 
  
My son has autism. What does that mean? It means he has a cluster of developmental delays that make him less functional in society without someone’s help.

 It started out as a language delay. We didn’t panic at first because this type of delay ran on both sides of our family. Those members who’d suffered it were currently either financially well off or verbally advanced, so we waited for my son to do the same. His physical delays were less apparent. They ebbed and flowed with each test. Sometimes on target, sometimes behind. His social-skills remained above age level.

 We’d hoped the language would fill in one day as it had for others we’d known. But it didn’t. So, I looked into therapies and treatments and supplements to make him well. And I prayed. No, this is not one of those stories where I came to God as a last resort. We were together on this one from the beginning. He kept me calm through the storms, though some of the storms were of my own making.

 But what does one pray for as the mother of an autistic boy? The right assistance? The right therapy to fix him? Or out-and-out healing? Which prayer demonstrates the appropriate level of faith (you know, moving mountains and all that) and which prayer embodies humility, understanding the sovereignty of God’s will (His grace being sufficient)?

I still don’t have the answer to that question so I pray them all. God is BIG! Did you know that? He’s huge. And powerful! So I didn’t think it a bad thing to pray my son be healed. But it seems others did. When I asked them to pray for healing, they’d look at me with pity in their eyes as though they believed my faith hinged on the discontinuation of his diagnosis. It made me sad. Sad they thought so little of me and worse they thought so little of God.

I had an acquaintance whose non-verbal eleven-year-old began to speak after 6 weeks of treatment with a research doctor. I met her the week I’d been fasting and praying for answers. But what made her story amazing is that she also had a team of people covering her son in prayer every day of that treatment. We now go to this same doctor and have gotten great benefit from the treatment, just not like hers. I could never find a group of people willing to pray big things. They worried more about me than they did my son. Sigh!

Don’t get me wrong. I am not of the name-it and claim-it church. God doesn’t always give us exactly what we want, when we want it. Though Paul healed many, he writes of those who remained sick. He, himself, carried a thorn that was a reminder of God’s beautiful Grace. All, but one, apostle was martyred for Christ. Sometimes bad things happen and God shows His greatness in spite of, or even because of, those things. God has blessed me in so many ways through the gentle gift of my beautiful boy. This young man shows love and concern like no other without uttering a word. Truly living his gift rather than just speaking it. He’s grown my daughter in enormous ways that she’d never have known had she had a “normal” brother. He brings me peace with just a gentle touch of his fingers. I am blessed.

One of the words my son can say is “pray.” And he knows when to say it. He is the one to remind me to seek my Creator in time of need. He’s recently begun to say it often throughout the day. So I do. I pray for his healing. Not because I think God WILL heal my son, but because I KNOW He CAN. It is my testament of faith in His power. And still, I know He is not only omnipotent, but omniscient. He knows what is best for me and my son’s ministry for His Glory. He has a better plan than I can even imagine, and it just may include autism.

I submit to that plan.

 He is Good! 

Mark 9:14-29

Oh, and if you are so inclined, feel free to pray for my son. I won’t mind :o)!!! Let me know and I will return the favor—Comment below.

 

Other posts you might like:

Jake The Encourager—by H.L. Wegley
Signs of God
Eleven Days Past Autism Awareness Month

To Parallel My Life with My Savior

If you can’t see the video imbed below, click the link to hear Needtobreathe’s Garden.

I was flying so-many thousand feet above land, on my way home from the Dallas ACFW Writer’s Conference, heart in my throat, praying something bad wouldn’t happen to the plane and I wouldn’t end up like a bug on a windshield in a cornfield somewhere. Up until last year’s conference I hadn’t flown in nearly twenty years and those little bumps of turbulence always seem like the pilot doesn’t have control of the plane, and being a control freak, that is not a good thing to me.
Am I afraid to fly? Um, well, kinda. It’s crazy, because when I was a little girl, my father would take me up in his Cessna, giving control of the yoke and rudder pedals to me, so I could soar toward the horizon and marvel at the patchwork of terra-firma below. I loved it and planned to get my license as soon as I came of age.
But somewhere along the way, I let fear take over. Fear I didn’t have when the yoke was in my own hands—I had control. I know it’s stupid to prefer myself in control (at no more than twelve years old) than to give it over to a pilot who is well trained, but that’s how my sometimes anxious mind works. So as I flew from Dallas to Baltimore, an even more anxious man beside me, the lyrics to this song came to mind.
Thank You, Jesus!
The song begins with Jesus’ words “Won’t you take this cup from me?” It reminds us of the agony Jesus felt with the knowledge he’d soon give over His body to the torture of those who despised Him. Talk about lack of control … and for someone who has the ultimate power to possess it. This terrified Him to the point He sweat actual blood. And still, he continued on, submitting to the will of His Father in heaven. Why? So that we would be washed of sin and saved for eternity.
The song goes on. Not as Jesus, but as a singer and songwriter who wants to live as Jesus did, in the way the Father has marked out for him. It reminds us that we all have a cross to bear and a life to give. Each path will be different, but if we follow the will of the Father, lives will be saved.
When I look at what Jesus suffered, my own fears seem inconsequential. He gave so much. My small fear of flying can be overcome, in order that I walk the path He set before me. It’s the least I can do for the One who gave me life. So I carry on. I guess I’ll fly again.
What fears do you need to overcome for Him?
Other posts you might like:
How the ACFW Conference Sparked a Fertile Imagination—Just Not Mine
Sacrifice—No Greater Love, by Rachel Poole
But God, What if … ?

I’m Not Able On My Own

If you can’t see the video imbed of Needtobreathe’s Able below, try this link.

Years ago Time Magazine had a cover with a woman, dressed in a business suit, juggling several things while carrying a baby in her arms and holding a briefcase. The title article of that issue was about how women of our generation could do it all. The ultimate woman. It was meant to empower those of us who aspired to raise a family but didn’t want to lose our identities in the seemingly meaningless drivel (and drool) of caring for children. I remember the jolt of energy that ran through me as I viewed that image. I could do it! I could have it all!

Oh, how times have changed me.

Now, I just want to know, what is “all” anyway? A great career (in which I’d have to excel), a big house (I’d have to maintain), a wonderful husband (I’d never see) and perfect children (whom I’d raise in my spare time—ha!)? And the other question: Would “all” really make me happy? I mean, isn’t that the whole reason we want “all” in the first place?

Now, when I think about that image from the Time magazine cover, I immediately experience a weight pouring into my cells like molten lead running through my veins. It’s wearying to me to even contemplate.

Why?

Because … I’m not able.

Not only can I not do all of these things by myself, but the running after them is much like what Solomon called “a chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). I no longer want to follow empty promises, but God’s hope and future (Isaiah 29:11). I want to be filled with His dreams and dive into His plans.

But before I develop a new picture of me, holding a large, gilded-edged Bible in one hand, and a cross strapped on my back, I need to realize … I’m still not able. I need His help to guide me, to strengthen me and to release my cross from its bindings. In short, I need Him.

But before we sigh despondently at the idea of being so needy, let’s look at its joys. Needing Him allows me to be in His presence, to gain His help, to know His love. Had I done it all on my own, I’d have none of these. A far cry from the lady balancing the baby and the briefcase. More like a woman resting in the Son.

What does “all” look like to you?

Related posts:

Rise Up

Christian Music Ministry

Why I Want to Be Broken

Relax, Let Go—And Let Him Carry

If you can’t see the video below of the Needtobreathe song Something Beautiful, try this link.

I love the water analogy in this song. I see a man dipping his toe into the waves and wondering, “Should I dive in? Will it be too cold? Too deep? Will I drown?”

OR

“Will it refresh me, cleanse me, and lift me up?”

Remember when you were a kid and someone taught you how to float on your back in a pool? I not only remember learning this, but teaching it to my children.

If they relaxed, they’d float, but when they tensed, they dropped. The trick was getting them to trust the water (or at least me) enough to allow it to carry them so they wouldn’t sink.

Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ, knew this all too well (Matthew 14: 22-33). When watching his teacher walk on the lake, he begged to join Him. But once out there and focusing on the “realities” of this world he no longer trusted that which held him up … and so his ankles dipped below the tide, the water threatening to overtake him.

Faith in God is like that water. Sometimes you just need to let Him carry you. And just like the peace of drifting above the water, waves lulling you into a joyous rest, you might just experience …

Something Beautiful.

Other posts you might like:

What Have You Got to Lose?

Surrender

His Power is Made Perfect in My Weakness

What Will Judgment Day Look Like?

If you can’t see the video imbed, use this link.

What do you think it will look like to go before the Lord on judgment day? What do you think you will feel knowing you have fallen short of the glory of God facing absolute purity in the person of your Creator?

Well let me give you a couple pictures of what it could look like.

In Joshua 5:14 Joshua spies a man standing over him with a drawn sword. Joshua, being courageous, does not flinch, but asks the man if he is for or against them. But watch this! The man says he is the commander of the army of the Lord and Joshua falls on his face in reverence. When faced with a potential physical threat, he is confident. But when faced with an angel of the Lord he is humbled to such depths he could find no lower position. I imagine when we come into the presence of our God and see His face for the first time we will feel the need to do the same.

Another picture.

I am reminded of the end of the film Schindler’s List. In this movie, Schindler uses his wealth to purchase Jewish “workers” for his arms factory in order to save the workers from annihilation in a Nazi gas chamber. We see him adding more and more names to his list, depleting his wealth to the point he begins to sell off his possessions to save lives.

In the final scene, when presented with a ring willingly made by his “workers” from an extracted gold filling as a token of their appreciation, he falls to the ground, pulls at the remainder of his possessions and laments he did not give the last of these in order to save more people. What seemed important to him before now was meaningless against the life it might have preserved.

So, too, when faced with the Awe of our Loving Father in heaven and His Goodness, will be our sin. The little white lies told to further our convenience will be a sneer to our Creator that we did not trust Him enough to secure even the simplest of things. The hoarding of our possessions will be the taking from those who needed them more.

We will be given new perspective.

Oh can you imagine the list of things rolling out on the floor and continuing to roll as our imperfections, great and small, unfolds before our Creator? Can you imagine the stain seeping through you as you behold the Perfect One who died so you could live?

And yet, Jesus tells us to trust in Him and we will be washed clean. That simple.

Trust Him—Washed clean!

Washed clean because He took our place. He bore our punishment, so we could live in splendor for eternity. It doesn’t seem right, and yet it just IS.

Other posts you might like:

Broken By War, Saved By Grace

For God So Loved the World …

Judging Someone Else’s Servant

He’ll Come, By Rachel Poole

LBOC Welcomes Rachel Poole back for a devotional today. It’s inspired by the Hillsong title, You’ll Come. 

Just as the earth thirsts for the rain as does our spirit. Sunday, April 22, 2012 the rain finally came. After a long wait, saturation has come to drench the state of Maryland and the surrounding areas.

Upon waiting on the rain I’m reminded of the times I’ve spent in my own drought. Feelings of affliction in my heart, the days of damage seemingly behind me, yet there were times when I’d still be feeling the effects of it. Craving a message, a lesson, a way to go, a way out or just some way, I recall the yearning from my spirit.

There would be days I thought “it’s just one thing after another, Lord” or “how am I supposed to overcome this one” or even “this has to be a joke, I can’t do this.” Usually these thoughts would come after a long stretch of either contentious moments or obvious frustration. When in a drought, our spirit becomes weak and our hearts need filling. That is when we look up to realize it’s our decision what or Whom we will surrender to. Is it our thoughts, our situation, or our problems that are worth our surrendering? From where does our fulfilling wisdom and deliverance come?

We must spend time with God not just seeking His hand but His face. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God says, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” God desires for us to seek His face and turn away from that which holds us back from Him so He can give us what we need.

 Our land is thirsty, our hearts are thirsty and our souls need to be satisfied. What God offers us is an everlasting flow of grace, freedom, and love beyond our comprehension. Just as the rain has fallen on this day may we be reminded of the promise that He will return to us and fulfill our hearts.

When in drought, don’t doubt! Thank God we don’t have to remain in drought. He gives us His freeing rain when our hearts and souls are in need. We don’t have to wait on the weather man to predict the next downpour. In Christ we know it’s available anytime. Pray, Seek His face and He will come!

Other posts you might like:

Tunnel

Sacrifice—No Greater Love

Good Jesus Cardio  

Rachel Poole is a hair stylist at Cut Loose in Edgewater, MD. She lives in Harwood with her wonderful husband Deryck and their adorable German Shepherd Gemma. She is passionate about writing and reaching people for Jesus. Her inspiration comes from life struggles and God inspired moments. God put it on her heart as a young girl to write and as she matures in her writing her hope is to one day reach her goal of becoming a published author. www.cutlooseinc.com

Amazing Grace, Do We Take it for Granted?

The following is a music devotional inspired by the hymn Amazing Grace. This song was picked by our last guest, author MaryLu Tyndall. Very fitting considering her latest novel, Veil of Pearls, deals with the topic of slavery.

Click the link or the imbed below to hear this hymn.

Sometimes I think we take Grace for granted, especially if we’ve been Christians all our lives. Maybe we’ve been insulated from the great temptations of this world because our parents prepared us before they let us loose. We sing the words from the hymn “… saved a wretch like me,” not really owning our wretchedness nor understanding the price that was paid to restore us from it. In fact, when I’d first learned this song, the words I was taught were, “… saved and set me free.” Interesting that someone would change them so as not to be a wretch at all.

John Newton, the author of the hymn Amazing Grace, didn’t take grace for granted. He gave the last portion of his life to the service of His Creator having finally fully accepted this awe-inspiring gift.

The following are the words engraved on his tombstone:

“John Newton, clerk, once infidel and libertine, servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had so long labored to destroy.”

You see, John was a slave trader. One who grew rich on the exchange of human flesh. Not only did he know the stench of sin, he knew the stench of live bodies transported in large numbers in small cells, without means of any form of hygiene or waste disposal, for the period of weeks. Then, these humans were shuffled up onto platforms in chains to be bought and sold like cattle, only to endure agonizing physical labor and brutal treatment.

Imagine, coming to your Savior with that on your resume.

For him, as He grew to know his sovereign and the fierce power of God, he also knew God’s Grace. The Grace that taught his heart to fear was the same that relieved the fear it taught. A burden lifted as none could be, but through Jesus Christ. A precious, precious gift, which should not be taken lightly.

Still, we do.

Whether slave trader or garden-variety sinner, we all fall short of the glory of God because we trust Him not--In the big things as well as the small. In fact, those who tout the “smaller” sins should not boast, because they cannot say they’d resist all those things that the “greater” sinners have done having not faced the same life, nor the same temptations. Only God knows. Only He can be the judge.

John Newton lived a long and fruitful life after his conversion, and grew completely blind. However, his words suggest the opposite, for it was not this world he longed to behold, but one before the Lord, singing praises to God. Though his physical body went from sighted to blind, in spirit, he claimed, “Was blind but now I see.” We should all be so blessed!

Posts you might like:

God Loves Broken People, by Sheila Walsh—A Review

Broken by War, Saved by Grace

For God So Loved the World

What does this Grace mean to you?

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught me heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
 
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.