Conformed or Transformed?

Wow! How time flies! It must be the Christmas season! I have been processing some things in my personal life and it has been hard to write. I am so glad that God isn't finished with me yet. He keeps working and changing me and drawing me to himself. And when I fall down, he picks me up. When He reveals something in my life, He is faithful to walk through it with me....and He loves me so much. His love is one that stays. Never walks away. Never changes. His love is one that comes down in the trench with you and helps you out of it instead of standing up above and telling you how to get out. His love is amazing! So today I just am thankful for a love that was willing to come to this earth as a baby. Helpless and dependent on others so he could be the One to save the helpless and independent. I celebrate His love today.

In my Spiritual Formation class with Mark Wilson , I was given these questions and they were very revealing in my own life. I would encourage you to use them in your own devotional time. They are from John Wesley's Holy Club and Loyola, the found of the Society of Jesus. Here is one set of nearly two dozen questions which John Wesley gave to members of his discipleship groups more than 200 years ago. The questions may have their origin in the spiritual accountability group started by Wesley when he was a student at Oxford -- a group that detractors called "The Holy Club." 1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite? 2. Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence? 3. Can I be trusted? 4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits? 5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying? 6. Did the Bible live in me today? 7. Do I give the Bible t

December 1-9 there will be a Billy Graham special about the life of Ruth Bell Graham. There are special powerpoint slides, E-banners and also a 90-second promo. video for advertising in your church or with your friends to watch. Here is the link that gives all the dates and times as well as misc. info: billygraham.org/tv

A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to "Dad." With the worst premonition he opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter. Dear Dad: It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you. I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice. But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercings, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am. But it's not only the passion...Dad she's pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children. Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyon

My niece called and asked me about two months ago to see if I would sponsor her for her Girls on the Run. I said, "Of course I will, sweetie! What do I have to do?" ha ha! That's the wrong order of response, for sure! It should have been: "What do I have to do?" FIRST, because to be a sponsor/mentor/running buddy you had to run a 5k. It ended up being almost 4 miles. And, to top it all off.....it was just before the parade, so there were people everywhere. I was certainly not in good enough shape to run, but I did it anyhow and it was really fun. Olivia ran in it as well. I will have pictures when I get them from my Mom over Thanksgiving. The point of the run was to boost elementary girl's confidence to be able to stand up against domestic and sexual violence if it presents itself. It was supposed to be a run for fun! They had fun and everyone finished the run...what an accomplishment for them! There were about 75 girls who ran with their ment

I have heard quite often lately the term "Worship Wars" and I have been very disturbed in my spirit about it. The one thing that we should be unified about is worship and yet it can be a war....anything BUT unity or worship. I talked with the teens on Sunday morning about worship and how would they feel if we only did children's music on Sunday mornings, how would they feel about that? They all said they would hate that. We went from there to discuss that is how the older people feel about our rock and roll music. We are all at different places in our life and what it all boils down to is likes and dislikes. I like purple and you like red....WHO CARES?! Neither one of them is right or wrong....just different. It's what you DO with your preference that matters! Whether is children's music, hymns, rock and roll, country or somewhere out there, what matters is this: Is Jesus lifted high? Is He the one you are worshipping or is it your style preference? Wo

I can't believe you are 14!!!! Wow! You have been such a joy to our family. You make me laugh. You love Jesus! You are an awesome big brother to Olivia. You amaze me with the way you pick up and learn how to fix things so easily. You are an awesome teenager! I love you so much, Andrew! Have a fantastical birthday today!

I have been reading the Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis slowly over the past few months. There is so much rich material in there that I can't possibly take it all in by reading it through in a few days like I would like to. So, periodically I have been sharing a few thoughts from the book here. On how to aquire peace and on the desire to improve: "Resist one sin for a year!" Simple. We tend to look at all the things we need to do better in and then end up not doing well in any of the areas. If we became truely disciplined in ONE area of our life that needs attention, in a few years, we would cover some of the hardest things we deal with and be victorious. This idea reminds me of dieting. When I go on a diet, I tend to say "Ok, I am going to eat right, drink my water, exercise every day, and get good sleep" Yeah right! And day two of the diet, I am overwhelmed and discouraged because I can't change all those habits overnight. But....what if

I forgot to post before I left that I would be gone for a week of classes last week. Sorry about that. It was the last required FLAME that I have to go to, but I will most definitely be back for ReKindle, as the time spent there is so valuable to ministry. It was an amazing week. I took Philosphy/Ethics and left there with one presiding thought.....KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND WHY....otherwise you will make decisions based on the situation rather than what is truely Biblical. It seemed that every question we faced brought up another opposing, sometimes just as good as the last. Frustrating, yes, but helping us own our faith. For those of you who know me...this kind of stuff makes me nuts, but I recognize the value in it, so I persevere through it! And then I was off to Spiritual Formation. It might better be called Revival 101. What an amazing time with the Lord. We were able to take some "time outs" to search our hearts and pray. When we were together in prayer, God&#

We are doing a sermon series based on the movie "Facing the Giants" and today I preached on Complete Surrender. We ended the sermon with my first communion service that I have performed. I felt so unworthy to be serving. What an awesome privilege I have been given. Here are some of the notes from my sermon: What does it mean to love God more than anything else? The first time “love” is used in the Bible is when Genesis speaks of Abraham’s love for his son Isaac. Isaac was Abraham and Sarah’s only child, born to them when they were past child-bearing age. God promised to Abraham that Isaac would continue the legacy and ancestry of Abraham for future generations. Did Abraham love Isaac more than God? God was going to test Abraham’s commitment to Him by asking Abraham to do the unthinkable. Let’s read about it in Genesis 22...... Genesis 22:1-18 1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said

Give us a greater hunger, Lord, Thank we have ever known. Help us to wait in one accord Until Your power is shown. Keep us, Your children, on our knees Beseeching You with mighty pleas Till floods of blessing like the seas Sweep over all Your own. Give us a sense of urgency That will not be denied. Give such desire your work to see Till ease we cast aside. Give us soul-hunger and soul-thirst Till hearts with longing almost burst, Till we could wish ourselves accursed (Rom.9:3) If souls but reach Your side! Lord, now begin Your mighty work; Make bare Your holy arm. O God, forbid that we should shirk Or to this age conform! Reveal Your Spirit's mighty power; Oh, come upon Your Church this hour! By Your own working, Lord, empower Till Satan's forts we storm. Help each of us to do our part; O Lord, may we not fail. Give clearest guidance to each heart Till highest mounts we scale. Use us however You may choose; We would no burden, Lord, refuse; But get us, Lord, where You can use A

'Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.

I read the blog of Bob Franquiz , a church planter of Calvary Fellowship in Miami, Florida . He reads a lot of books and here is how he gets it done: 1. I like to read - if you hate reading, there's no cure that I know of. I used to not like reading, but I was so hungry to learn, I got over it and dove into books. 2. Bring a book everywhere with you - People have tons of time that get wasted (waiting for someone, late appointment, etc...). If you bring a book, use the time to get into it. 3. Give yourself "reading time" every day - I read for 30 minutes every day. Just like I schedule exercise into my daily routine, I schedule reading in as well. If it's not scheduled, it probably won't happen. 4. Read while you're watching TV - Believe it or not, Monday Night Football can be watched with a book in hand. I rarely watch a sporting event without a book in hand. Your brain can handle both activities. 5. Set goals - I try to read 2-3 chapters a day in the books

This song means a lot to me with all that our family seems to be encountering right now. Listen here.

I love you so much, Brian! We have grown so much these past 18 years we have known each other. You are a great Husband and Father. You care so much for your family. Thank you for your love for me. I look forward to many more years with you!

Yesterday was a great day to be in the house of the Lord! There's some "junk" going on, but as I told my Senior Pastor, that means something good is going on here. So, let's keep pressin' on. We covet your prayers for us as we try to handle these situations. I preached on "Attempting the Impossible" based on Matthew 14, where Jesus fed the 5000 and where Jesus and Peter walked on water. It was a good message for me, as there are situations in my life that seem impossible and without God, I can't make it. The thing that God spoke to my heart most was this: We need to keep our eyes on the Savior and not the situations. It's easy for me to get frustrated with the situations of life, but my job is to have a good relationship with God and seek His heart for what I am to be doing....and then keep my eyes focused on the Savior and let the situations fall to the side. Jesus told Peter to come out on to the lake in Matthew 14 and His focus was tot

We need revival when.... ... when we do not love God as we once did. ... when earthly interests and occupations are more important to us than eternal ones. ...when we would rather watch TV and read secular books and magazines than read the Bible. ... when our Christianity is joyless and passionless. ... when we know truth in our heads that we are not practicing in our lives. ... when we make little effort to witness to the lost. ...when we have time for sports, recreation, and entertainment, but not for Bible study or prayer. . . . when we do not tremble at the power of God. On the other hand, the characteristics that take place when revival comes are... ... a deepened spiritual hunger ... intense fervent prayer that is enjoyable not dreadful ... repentance ... reckless abandonment and surrender to God ... a fresh fullness of the Holy Spirit ... spontaneous evangelism and soul winning ... restored relationships ... a spirit of thanksgiving and joy ... increased hunger for God's Wor

O MOST kind, most loving Lord, Whom I now desire to receive with devotion, You know the weakness and the necessity which I suffer, in what great evils and vices I am involved, how often I am depressed, tempted, defiled, and troubled. To You I come for help, to You I pray for comfort and relief. I speak to Him Who knows all things, to Whom my whole inner life is manifest, and Who alone can perfectly comfort and help me. You know what good things I am most in need of and how poor I am in virtue. Behold I stand before You, poor and naked, asking Your grace and imploring Your mercy. Feed Your hungry beggar. Inflame my coldness with the fire of Your love. Enlighten my blindness with the brightness of Your presence. Turn all earthly things to bitterness for me, all grievance and adversity to patience, all lowly creation to contempt and oblivion. Raise my heart to You in heaven and suffer me not to wander on earth. From this moment to all eternity do You alone grow sweet to me, for You alone

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt "Citizenship in a Republic,"Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

"If you want to learn anything worthwhile, seek rather to be unknown and to be thought of as nothing." - Thomas A Kempis This is the true concept of humbleness. I want to serve and do things for God, but I need to do it for the Lord…serving Him only and if nobody else ever knows or acknowledges it, the fact that God knows is enough and satisfying to me. But, to do nothing, because I can’t be known while doing it is sin. It’s hard not to want recognition for our work, yet our soul motivation should be out of a love for God …nothing more….nothing less.

Have you seen the movie "Facing the Giants"? I am becoming very familiar with it, as Pastor Roger and I are doing a sermon series based on the movie. I will be preaching two of the sermons in the series. The two sermons I will be preaching are titled "Never Give Up!" and "Complete Surrender", and boy oh boy, I feel like I am being tested in these areas!!! My husband is trying to sell a big CNC Router. Yesterday a crew flew in from New Jersey to look at it and test it out. They were here all day and it looked as if tey were going to buy it. (This machine cost more than my first house and we really need to sell it) As they were finalizing things, they tried one last cut with the machine. Long story short, the machine ran out of fuel, which caused the air compressor to quit, which caused a malfunction in te air hydrolics and the whole head of te machine came crashing down, causing about $15,000. worth of damage. UGH!!!!! In the Facing the Giants movie, if you

Olivia decided one day this last week that it was TIME! It was the day to get her ears pierced. Last year her cousin got her ears pierced, and wanted her to go with her, but Olivia was too scared. So, I don't know what changed her mind and gave her the courage she needed, but SHE DID IT! It wasn't easy, as you see from the picture, but she was very brave and they look great!

Yesterday we held church at the park. There are some advantages to being a small church. We had service and then a picnic. We had a really good time. Again, five of the people from H.O.M.E. came and got involved in some healthy fun. It was great to have them. We had fun with water balloons, treasure hunts, volleyball, and races. Here are a few pictures of the day: The young children doing a treasure hunt. My daughter, Olivia and Rebecca with their water balloons. They are going to go find someone that "wants" to get wet. The great ski race! One funny story of the day.....I was doing the games and at the end of all the water balloon games, I let everyone just take balloons and "do what they wanted with them." I asked Pastor Roger if i could use his phone (he he he) He gave me his phone. Then I said ok kids...."hit the Pastor". Yep...you got it....they went after Pastor Roger, but then they realized if the game was to hit the Pastor....that meant the

What a great day! It started out so rocky that I knew that Satan was busy at work trying to thwart the good that was about to happen. I offer to take any of the men and women in our transition/shelter to church every Sunday. Anyone who wants to go, I will pick up that morning. I had a gentlemen who just got out of prison and said that he would not ever go to church. He has been a member of the white supremacy group before he went to prison and he wanted nothing to do with church. I told him that I offer it up to everyone and there's no pressure, but if he wanted to go, he was welcome. As we were driving down the road, he said "Hey, about that church thing, I think I'll go, if it's still ok." I was grinning from ear to ear on the inside. I didn't know if he would change his mind before Sunday came, but this morning...he was ready to go. And I found it funny that he came with the Korean man that we have in our house. So, backing up a bit....Brian was g

I promised I would share what changes have been taking place for the Ziegler family. It has been one of the most interesting and yet challenging months of my life. Here's what's been happening in our world. 1. I took a position at Woodside Wesleyan as the Assistant Pastor. I am very excited about the future and dreams for the church. The people have been very loving and have embraced us with open arms. Woodside is in Lake Ann, Michigan, which is a suburb of Traverse City. It has a population around 300. I am excited to be a part of this new community. The nice thing is....we didn't have to move to take this position....it is actually closer to our house than our old church. This church will mean "doing church" differently, as it is in the country and a small church around 60 people. We have some incredible dreams and I look forward to partnering with them to make them happen. Funny thing is.....it fits with where God has called me to be from the very beginning o

My friend, Mark Wilson has been collecting Wesleyan blogs. Thanks for keeping up with all of us, Mark! Check out these great blogs! Mark O. Wilson, Revitalize Your Church Lawrence W. Wilson Tim Guptill, G'update Paul Kind, Vagabonding John & Danielle Freed, Rod Pickett, Kingdom Come Jim Garlow Josh Garlow, In Stereo John Drury, Drulogian Keith Drury Jerry Brecheisen Ken Schenck, Schenck Thoughts David Drury Eric Wagenmaker, Random, Contemplative Chad McCallum, Compass Church Dale Argot, Virginia Transplant Joe & Randi Gormong Eric Hambrock, The Front Porch Jim Watkins Nate Kingsbury Joel Gorveatte, Get to the Point Amanda Drury, Amanda's Spot Bill Lawson, Kidd's Place A. J. Thomas, The Jonny Smith Regime Rod Densteadt, Brothers of Willow Kevin Wright, Wright off the Bat Shannon D'Agostino, Our Simple Adventures David Rutler, Savior Stretching David Sheffield, One Rock Crying Out Wisconsin Spiritual Formation: Davis, Mavis and Brown Joy Ziegler, Conformed or Tra

by Ted Heatherington Today we talked. I said, "I'm confused." You asked about my devotions. I said, "I get angry." You quoted a verse. I said, "I hurt." You said "Believe." I said, "I'm depressed." You said, "Rejoice." You said I could call. I said I would try. You said you would pray. I suppressed my doubts. You said things would get better. I wondered, When? As we parted, you waved with a smile. Today we talked. neither of us listened. And though we talked, there was silence. Nobody said, "I care." Today we talked. I said, "I'm confused." You asked, "About what?" I said, "I get angry." You asked, "When?" I said, "I hurt." You asked, "Why?" I said, "I'm depressed." You said, "I care." You said you would call. I said, "Please do!" You said you would pray. I knew you would. You said things will get better. I tried

I received this great list today in an email. Good thoughts for life! Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want. When you say, "I love you ", mean it. When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye. Be engaged at least six months before you get married. Believe in love at first sight. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling. Don't judge people by their relatives. Talk slowly but think quickly. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?" Remember that great love and great achievements

Our family will be spending the next week at the Free Methodist Family Camp. We have been camping every year with them for the last 15 years. It's great to go back "home" and catch back up with old friends. We, as a family, are looking forward to the break from the hustle and bustle of life and have some much needed "fill up time". So, no blogging this next week. Look forward to sharing what God does in our hearts when we get back. It's always a Spirit-filled week.

This is an incredible song about what God is and does for us....and what our response should be..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE1_l6bGBoI

It has been an extremely difficult month, hence the reason for the lack of posting here. I have been working two jobs and spent very little time on the computer. It has been a month of hard work and lots of thinking, discussions, praying and seeking God's heart. We have finally made some decisions and it will mean change for our family. As much as we know this is the direction we are to take and have such a peace about these decisions, the transitions and goodbyes are difficult. I will be posting more about what it will look like in future posts. For now, I am working for Homeless Outreach Ministry Exchange, which houses the homeless and transition house clients. It is very demanding, but rewarding. My job includes doing the books, working one on one with the women and a little work at the 4 men's houses that we have. We are a faith-based ministry, so I am allowed to talk freely about my faith and share it with them. I am very thankful for these opportunities to present hope in

Last week as I threw myself an elaborate pity party over the constant barrage of struggles this life brings, the Lord reminded me of one program in particular on the men who desire to become Navy SEALS. The physical and mental stresses these men are required to undergo was beyond my comprehension. The first five weeks of the training prepares them for the sixth week, better known as "Hell Week." During this week, trainees participate in five and one half days of continuous training, with a maximum of four hours of sleep. "Sugar cookie drills," a combination of surf torture and whistle drills leave the trainees with sand over every inch of their bodies in preparation for the four-mile run up and down the beach (don’t tell those expensive day spas that charge a fortune for a full body polish that rolling in the sand and surf does the same thing). One training exercise really caught my attention “Old Misery.” Exhausted, wet, and hungry teams of men hoist “Old Misery” (

Psalm 73:25-26, 28 says "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made te Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." Today I am reminded of the great treasure I have in relationship with God. It IS good to be near God. He is my guide, my protector, my friend and the love of my life! When I have no strength left, he is my strength. When I am at the end of my rope, He is there. He never fails me. I can trust Him always. He is ALL I need. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord!

We have been gone and I forgot to post that there would be no posts....sorry to my faithful readers! But, good news is....I'm back home! Our family went to visit a good friend of mine from the FLAME classes I attend. It's always fun to visit other churches and see how they do ministry and have some time just to sit and talk ministry. Brian and I were able to spend significant time talking (we spent over 18 hours one way in the car!). We need to carve out more time to do that when we are at home. We are seeking what God's good will is. We don't want to settle for something that is just good, but something that is God. We want His good, pleasing and perfect will. It's hard not to make decisions on how we feel. We must go on what we are called to and lead to and follow that in complete trust in the One who is leading us there.

Life is busy and it's so easy to get caught up in all that is happening around you. Continual evaluation is a must. I read a great blog post from Perry Noble concerning this recently. He shares from his heart five important questions that I found very valuable. Read it here .

Galatians 6:10 While we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway. The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds. Think big anyway. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for the underdog anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People really need help, but may attack you if you help them. Help people anyway. Give the world the best you've got and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you've got anyway. -author u

This has been an exciting month for us. I have been working toward ordination in the Wesleyan Church. I have been learning so much in my classes and preached twice this month, my first sermons. Both went very well and I was amazed to see God at work in the hearts of people. What an awesome responsibility and privilege. Last night, as Brian and I sat around our little (Brian built it, so you know it wasn't THAT little) campfire in the back yard, I got a call from our Asst. District Superintendent informing me that he had received my paperwork and I was now a licensed Minister. I now have only a few classes left for ordination. I love God's timing in revealing HIS plan for our lives. He continues to show himself and bring us back to the "roots" of the initial call. I think if He gave us the whole picture all at once, we would freak out, so we get one step at a time, but no matter what the future holds for us, we know God has our best interest in mind and we tru

"A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine." -D.L. Moody

Our hamster died over the weekend. He was a good little "Hammy" as we called him. My seven year old daughter got clean bedding and a box and buried him in the back yard with a cross with his name and date on it. I did my first funeral. We said a prayer and then got some flowers and laid them over the grave. It was sad to watch them say goodbye to their little friend that woke them up every morning. Tonight my son said to me. "Mom, I have regrets. I wish I would have held him more. I wish I would have talked to him more." We talked about the fact that life sometimes gets our eyes off from what's important to us. We need to make sure that every thing we do has been evaluated as to it's importance to us. Andrew is learning a big lesson at a young age. If we died tomorrow would we have regrets? Would we change today? I know I would. So, evaluation is in order. It's where God has been working on me lately.

I am finally home again after another great FLAME class. The classes fill your brain with knowledge that makes your head want to burst, but the networking that takes place, the time alone with God, and of course the food make it all an incredible experience. I mentioned the time alone with God. It's so nice to get away from all the busyness of life and be able to listen. I was walking on the sidewalks early one morning and I kept coming to a dead end. The sidewalks would be going along and then they would just end. There were quite a few like that. It was kinda weird, until God used that picture to speak to my heart: The avenues I have been taking, although good, are leading me to a dead end, unless I am obedient to go off the end into uncharted territory. To walk by faith and not by sight. When God first called me to ministry, this is what He asked of me. I have made every excuse in the book as to why it can't be now, and yet, that's just what it is.....an excuse. In some

In Romans 4:18-21 Abraham and Sarah had lost hope to become the father of many nations, as he had promised. They were old and past child bearing age and saw it as impossible at that point in their life. He didn't see how God would fulfill that promise, but believed in the promise. The key to these verse for me today was in verse 20 that says "but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God." How is it that one can praise God in dire circumstances? How can we have faith when everything around us looks tells us a different story? The answer is in this verse. The more we praise God for who He is, the more our faith increases. You see, the more we praise, the more we realize what a BIG and mighty God we serve. The more we can trust in Him. Praise increases our faith. Praise empowers our faith. So, when I praise God in the worst and impossible situations, I trust even more in the one who knows it all and has my best interest in mind.

I am reading this book Inclusion Making Room for Grace by Eric H.F. Law. I found the following "Respectful Community Guidelines" helpful when approaching a meeting. We don't always all agree on everything, so in trying to respect other's and hear what they are saying...check these out..... R - take RESPONSIBILITY for what you say and feel without blaming others E - engage in EMPATHETIC listening S - be SENSITIVE to differences in communication styles. P - PONDER what you hear and feel before you speak E - EXAMINE your own assumptions and perceptions C - keep CONFIDENTIALITY T - TOLERATE ambiguity because we are not here to debate who or what is right or wrong

James 2:18 You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Here are some good words from Neil Anderson: When my son Karl was just a toddler, I would stand him up on the table and call for him to jump from the table into my arms. Did Karl believe I would catch him? Yes. How did I know he believed? Because he jumped. Suppose he wouldn't jump. "Do you believe I will catch you, Karl?" I might coax, and he may nod yes. But if he never jumps, does he really believe I will catch him? No. Faith is active, not passive. Faith takes a stand. Faith makes a move. Faith speaks up. There are a lot of Christians who claim to have great faith in God but are spiritually lethargic and don't do anything. Faith without action is not faith; it's dead, meaningless (James 2:17, 18)! If it isn't expressed, it isn't faith. In order to believe God and His Word, we must do what He says. If you don't do what He sa

There is a great post about criticism and hurts on Perry Noble's site. We need to stay focused on playing our game for an audience of One. Only what God says counts! It's so easy to get our eyes off the good things and focused on the one bad thing. If 10 people say good things and one person says a bad thing, that is where we, by nature, focus. If 10 people say bad things and God says "Good job, I'm pleased!" then that's all we need. Today I play for an audience of One. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdX-77UhwgU

Tonight Andrew helped me babysit for my sister and brother-in-law. They have 3 children under the age of 3, so I thought he would be a big help. Let me just say.....He was amazing! Thanks, Andrew! He has grown up and is a very responsible and helpful babysitter. When we got the kids all to bed, Andrew decided to take his scooter down the big hill on the side of the house. It's blacktop, but ends about 30 ft. before you would hit the lake. I had to crack up as I watched him fly down the hill and then use his SHOES to slow him down before he hit the grass. He came within about a foot of the lake. He melted the heels of his shoes and ground them down. I felt the shoes and they were hot. It was such a great idea, he went down about 5 more times. Tomorrow we go buy more shoes!!!

As we look at what happened at Virginia Tech this week, we don't have answers, no matter how much we analyze and pick it all apart. This song came to mind as I wrestle with things in my own life and watch others and their struggles....when answers aren't enough....Praise God! there is Jesus! Listen here: http://cdbaby.com/mp3lofi/randymayfield3-01.m3u You have faced the mountains of desperation You have climbed, you have fought, you have won But this valley that lies coldly before you Casts a shadow you cannot overcome And just when you thought you had it all together You knew every verse to get you through But this time the sorrow broke more than just your heart And reciting all those verses just won't do When answers aren't enough, there is Jesus He is more than just an answer to your prayer And your heart will find a safe and peaceful refuge When answers aren't enough, He is there Instead of asking why did it happen Think of where it can lead you from here And a

Jamie Arpin-Ricci writes about becoming missional and this quote is something we wholeheartedly need to think about and embrace. "Hospitality is, perhaps, one of the most significant and powerful aspects of being missional that has been lost to most of the Western church. While I am not arguing that "house churches" are the only or best way of doing community, I will say that in order to have true loving relationships and community, we must live our lives together, demanding that our homes be open to each other more than brief events or meetings. So much of the New Testament cannot be understood fully until we recognize the degree to which the early church embraced this communal hospitality, not only to each other, but also to the outsider."

Are you just going along in life with no regard for what God has for you? Do you just take life as it comes? Check out this video....something to think about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt5Ws13Yy9Q

I am reading the book Ministering Cross-Culturally by Lingenfelter and Mayers. It is really a good book about seeing how our Western culture differs from most other cultures. They contrast 12 different areas that can cause tension on the mission field. The one that really hit home for me was the contrast of goals. Are you task-oriented or people-oriented? I found, much to my surprise, that I am a task-oriented person, even though I am very much a people lover. Most of Western culture is task-oriented. So, here's what got to me.....There was a man who wanted to have some of his friends come over and help him do a task. Only a few showed up and so they sat on the porch and talked until more men showed up. Not enough men showed up to work, so they just sat talking and called it a day later that afternoon and decided that they would try it again next week. Now, I would have been frustrated by this. Frustrated that the few that were there didn't at least start on the task. Frustrat

This morning I got up and read 1 Samuel 17, which is the story of David and Goliath. It's fun to read those ever so familiar stories again. It's been a while since I've actually read the story and not heard it Veggie Tales style. Here's a YouTube depiction of the story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQDAp1SGRTU So what I take away from David this morning: 1. He was obedient to his Father to go serve his brothers and did not question him, but went. (vs. 20) 2. He considered himself a servant. (vs. 32,34) 3. He was faithful with a little, so he was prepared for much (Note: to me...killing a bear and a lion with his hands wasn't little) (vs. 34-36) 4. He took no confidence for himself. His courage was strong and His trust was completely in the Lord. His faith now had feet to them. (vs. 37) 5. When David knew what God had called him to do, he didn't hesitate. He moved quickly. (vs. 48) I want these things for my life. May I always be an obedient servant who is fai

HUH??? I opened my email to find the subject line "Moody Pastor's Conference". Well, well, well! Do Pastor's get moody, so much that we need to go to a conference if we are? Upon opening the email, it was a conference at Moody Bible Institute entitled "Pastor's Conference". "Relax. Refresh. Recharge." So, I guess if you are moody, you can go. And if your not...you can still go! ha ha ha!

On Friday night, I attended a Sader Dinner at my Mom's church. They had a converted Jew lead us in the dinner. It was so neat to hear him explain and then partake in the parts of it all. The plate to the left is a traditional Sader Dinner plate. He did a good job of telling us what they would say and do for each part, but then also added "the rest of the story" for Christians. We have a blessed hope!

We went "home" this last weekend to visit family and our old church. It was great to see all our friends again (notice I didn't say OLD friends...for those of you reading this who would slap me for that! ha ha). They have gotten rid of the pew benches and put some really comfortable chairs and changed the stage setting. It looks really great! It's amazing to just "pick up where you left off" in some ways. I am so thankful for the real relationships there. But there was a small distraction just before Easter. The service started normally, and they took the offering early in the service. When they went to put the money in the safe......uh.....it was GONE! Being April Fools Day, the teller thought it was a joke. Come to find out, an intruder not only stole that heavy safe, but also one of the pastor's laptop computer and the church's digital camera. What'll be interesting is when that intruder finally gets that heavy safe open, they are go

Isaiah 40:29-31 says "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Psalm 16:11 says "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." I am so thankful that my emotions are not truth. Only God's Word is truth and doesn't change. When I am weary, God has all the strength I need to make it. When I am confused, God has the map and is there to gui

Today I told my daughter she could go to the neighbor's house for an hour to play. I said "You need to come home at 5:15, ok?" She replied "Please can I stay until 5:16?" I said "of course, that would be fine!" I laughed as she went away completely pleased with herself, in changing my mind. Amazing what one minute can do for a little girl!