Category Archives: Christian growth

Burnt Offerings

Burnt Offerings

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You know, I was baking these cookies the other day and the thought came to me, “I like to think most people who have been to my house would say I am a great hostess and amazing cook.” 10864242_10154897423100487_1329287083_o

But, that would just be the people who come over for special occasions. You see, I love to entertain; and when I say entertain, I mean ENTERTAIN!! I mean, it is not uncommon for me to have really large groups come into our home.

Each year we try to have a Christmas Open House where we invite the whole community! And, I know one Memorial Day weekend we had over 150 people come through our home, with three different parties, consecutively.
I was figuring up this year and I am pretty confident that I have entertained at almost 300 people in our house in the last 17 months; not all at one time, but typically large crowds.

This entertainment thing has been passed down to my kids. When my son was single and in college, it was not uncommon for him to organize parties and events with his friends. He and his wife continue on today, entertaining friends and family in their home all the time. My daughter also has the bug and, since she was a young child, has always organized and planned events and parties with her friends.

Besides entertaining, I like to think I am a pretty good cook! I mean, how can you entertain if you don’t have good food? Maybe you have seen the sign that says “Many have eaten here, few have died.” I have promised my family on more then one occasion, that one day I am going to get one of those signs!

From this picture of my cookies, however, you might not think that saying was true! In fact, if you asked my family, they would probably give me a 5-out-of-10 rating on my cooking abilities. Why??? Because they have seen all my mistakes – like in the picture! They know that, at my house, the smoke detectors are often used more like a timer than for their actual purpose! You see, I do a lot of practicing on my family to get it right. Unlike the guests who are over to our house for special events and see the perfected, finished product, my family sees the real me! They KNOW me.
Isn’t that just like God? The rest of the world sees the facade we put on the outside of us, but God – He knows the depths of our hearts, He knows the pain we feel. He knows the intent of our heart to do good, when others only see it as bad. He sees the tears when we have cried ourselves to sleep.

When all the rest of the world looks at us from the outside and thinks our lives our perfect, He knows who we really are.
And like my cooking, this life of following Christ takes some practice. We will make some mistakes along the way and we might set off the smoke detectors once in a while. But, like my family, God still loves us, in our downs as well as ups; even through our burnt meals and grease fires!
I could have stopped anywhere along the way of life and said “No! I am not cooking anymore; I am no good, and I can’t do it!” But I kept on, I never gave up. And, that is the same way God expects us to live life with Him: to keep on, to never give up! And if we burn the cookies, we simply throw that batch away and make a new one. We DON’T QUIT!

If I had quit, I never would have had the confidence to do the things I have been privileged to do. With no formal education for it, I have been an event planner for an Assisted Living Facility where we had community-wide events with over 500 in attendance. In one city we lived in, the mayor asked me to chair an annual city-wide festival where the average attendance was 5,000 people.

See, if I had given up after the first breakfast I made Jeffrey, where he claims you could repair the driveway with the grits I made, I would never have had the opportunities I have had.

That is the same way with our walk with God! My son Chad, who is profoundly dyslexic, told me the other day, when he was going through a battle, “Mom, it isn’t how many times you fall down, it is how many times you get back up again.”

Wow! What wisdom!! And, it is truth. We can choose to stay down, or we can (as the song says) choose to get back up again!

What will you choose today? Because, like the love of entertaining that I have passed on to my children, we can pass on a love for God and the determination to continue on in the faith no matter what may come at us!!

So I ask the question again, “What will you do?”
As for me and my house, WE will serve the Lord!! Through burnt offerings and all!!

Zombies and the Walking Dead- I bet you know more Zombies than you think

Zombies and the Walking Dead- I bet you know more Zombies than you think

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There is trend now that has resurrected itself (no pun intended)  It is Zombies and the Walking Dead, they seem to be the cool thing to some right now! I am not personally into that type of thing so I googled it and here is what gotquestions.org said about them 

“Zombies are imagined creatures that can be described as fully dead corpses which have been “reanimated”; that is, they act as though they are alive while continuing the natural process of decay.”  ” Romero’s zombies are mindless, flesh-eating monsters that stumble about, intent on fulfilling a craving for human brains.”  “However, the walking dead is not merely a 20th-century idea. Practitioners of Voodoo in Haiti and Africa have long believed that sorcerers are responsible for reanimating and controlling corpses.”

Yeah, so now you see why I am not that into it! 🙂 

But with all the commotion about it, especially this time of year, it got me thinking…….. and the truth is I see a lot of Zombies and Walking Dead people every day.  Because if the above definition is true and they are “Fully dead corpses that walk around mindlessly, acting as they are alive while continuing the natural process of decay”  Then we all are a little Zombie like, at least until we have a relationship with Christ. You see there is a story in the bible about Zombie, OK, they don’t call her a Zombie but she was a person dead inside decaying away until she met a man who could give her life. It is found in John 4. You see there is this Zombie (Ok! a woman) and she is at this well to draw water for her family that day, when she meets a man. This man tells her everything she has done and obviously can see the hurt and pain her life choices have brought her. This Man wants to give her life, because He can see she is dyeing inside so here is what He says. 

“Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty……….” John 4:13-15 ESV

Remember the second half of that definition “flesh-eating monsters that stumble about, intent on fulfilling a craving for human brains.”Isn’t that just like us before we know Christ, we stumble about intent on fulfilling our cravings for whatever the first thing that comes into our mind?” 

All the while we are never satisfied because the only thing that really will satisfy us is the living water of eternal life that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

So I don’t know how many Zombies you know, or maybe you are one yourself, but the truth is there is a different choice, a choice to have a spring of living water from the giver of life, welling up inside you. I am pretty sure you can ask anyone, but the last thing you call a spring of water is dead. No, it is usually a bubbly brook that brings life to everything around it. 

Let me ask you a question,  Do you have that life today? Are you a living example of the creator of the universe, the giver of eternal life? Or do you feel like you are dyeing inside just stumbling around in this thing called life doing whatever the first thing is that comes to your mind and it seems like it doesn’t matter what you do, nothing ever satisfies you? 

There’s another part of the bible where Jesus tells a woman “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;— John 11: 25

If you want to live and I mean really live, the truth is you have to die, die to yourself, die to your ways, your ideas and give you life,ideas, thoughts and plans to God. Because it is only when you die to yourself, you can truly live for the King of Kings. 

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. Romans 8:10

I hope today that if you are living the life of a Zombie, you will no longer be the living dead, but you will drink of the living water of Christ and become a well of life. 

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, I know you are the giver of life, and no matter what I have done you love me. I know your desire for me is to live and live life to the fullest!  Come into my life today, let me live in you. So I will never thirst again. 

Reasons your daughter should not move out of the house!!!

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I am a firm believer in helping others in this walk of life. I believe we are all on this journey together and as I walk my path of faith, I need to look back and hold out my hand to encourage someone who may be behind me. In the same way, I believe there are others further along on this journey who reach back to me and pull (and, let’s face it, sometimes they DRAG) me along!

Because of that I am compelled today to write about this whole empty-nest thing that my husband and I are experiencing. Granted, we still have our 17-year-old (gulp – can’t believe he is that old!) son at home. But, for this week we have been empty-nesters. You see, our son has been at camp for two weeks and during that time we moved our daughter back to Kansas City to attend college. So, for the past week we have been practicing empty-nesting.

I have to say, it is quite different than what I expected. My overall view of it is that, while I have gained an almost-perfectly-clean house for the first time in 29 years, it is WAY too quiet! I have to honestly say, as much as I ranted and raved about keeping the house clean when the kids were at home. I would give it all up to hear them laughing in the other room or break out in song while driving down the road.

There have been some specific disadvantages to our daughter’s absence, that I didn’t feel the effect of when our oldest son moved out over 10 years ago. (Yes, there is 10 years difference between our first 2 children) While lamenting to my husband over the fact that our daughter was leaving, he responded to me, “What am I, chopped liver? I will still be here.” To which I replied, “Are you going to go shopping with me, paint my nails, and dye my hair for me?” To which he promptly retorted, “Nope, not me!”

There have been some other disadvantages of her leaving as well:
1. She took HER clothes out of MY closet!  How rude! I thought possession was 9/10 of the law!
2. She took the good fingernail polish with her! The fact that it was HER fingernail polish to begin with is beside the point!  Couldn’t she have left me a parting gift? (Smile!) 
3. She is/was my right hand in almost everything I did. And now that she is an adult, I can say with full confidence, we are “BFF’s – BEST FRIENDS FOREVER! Therefore, I miss her terribly!

Amy's Empty Closet

Amy’s closet looks awful empty

Yet, with all the changes – and  my selfish reasons for missing my daughter – I am so thankful to hear the joy in her voice when she calls; to know the excitement she feels when returning to the comfort of what she calls home. I draw peace from the fact that she has a huge support system with our church family back in KC and I am confident that, as much as I love her, there is a Heavenly Father who loves her more than I do, and He is watching over her.

Oh, I know the next few years will hold many changes for me and for our family but there is one thing that will remain the same: the steadfast love of God. He is faithful, and He will never leave us. I know that I can call on Him whenever I have a problem and He will always be there.

And in those times when I feel alone and afraid, unsure of what the future holds, I rest in the confidence that I know who holds the future! When I have that desire to be in control and try to figure it all out on my own, it is in those times I must learn to sit back and lean on the everlasting arms of Jesus because He is my rock, my fortress, and the only one on whom I can depend

A friend posted these words on Facebook this week and they are absolutely true. “I know that God always supplies our every need according to his riches in glory. I’m starting to understand that walking with God is just one leap of faith after another. I don’t think it ever gets easier, I just think we learn to trust God more.”

 ” I’m starting to understand that walking with God is just one leap of faith after another. I don’t think it ever gets easier, I just think we learn to trust God more.”                                                                                                                                                   January Lare                                                                                                                    

”Isn’t that the very basis of our foundation in Christ – “Trust”? We have to trust or there is no foundation for our faith walk. And that is what this life is, whether you are a new mom, empty-nesting mom, or unsure if you will ever be a mom. It all comes down to trust. If we have truly surrendered our heart to Him, it is just one trusting leap of faith after another.

My daughter states there is one phrase that has helped her keep it together through this time of transition for her and it is this: “If your dreams do not scare you, then they are not big enough”

 ” If your dreams do not scare you then they are not big enough ” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

I hope today, that whatever dream God has put in your heart, it is so big it scares you to death! Because, I know there is a God who is right there beside you, ready to hold your hand and walk with you.  He cares for you and wants to see you succeed in everything you do.  Sometimes it can get scary, getting to the place where He wants us to be, but we can rest on the fact that He is working “all things for our good !”……..

Won’t you trust Him today?

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NASB

 

 

Lost, But Now I am Found

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Although Amy has lived for 13 of her 19 years of life in the Kansas City area, it now appears that, unless it had something to do with going shopping, she hasn’t paid much attention to where we were going in the car! She can’t really tell you how she got to a place; she just recognizes that she is there – unless you are in the mall. She knows where everything is in the mall, and can give you directions to any store in there!

Never was this so apparent as when she headed out for a job interview. Her father and I had warned her not to take the highway because this trip would be during rush hour. Well, she was determined to do what she normally does: just put the address to wherever she is going in her GPS and take off! And, sure enough, on this particular day, there was a bad accident that had the highway backed up. Because she had an appointment to get to, she decided to get off the highway and take the side streets to get there. When she did, somehow she got turned around and headed back in the opposite direction. Because her GPS continued to try to direct her back to the highway, Amy called me in a panic. So, as her father and I are looking on the computer trying to find where she is to give her directions to get her headed back the right way, she is saying, “I am never driving again, I am done! I can’t do this.” Amy was ready to give up before she even completed the task.

Amy was ready to give up before she even completed the task.

 

 

This got me thinking…. Isn’t that a lot like us and our walk with God? We can be following the directions He has given us, and for some reason get confused about the direction we are going and become lost! Even though it is sometimes only for a few minutes, we can get frustrated and afraid on this new path we are on and are ready to throw our hands up in the air and say, “Forget this! I can’t do it!” and go back to the safe place where we are comfortable. But God is wanting to take all of us to a new level with Him and that doesn’t mean we are going to be comfortable. In fact, most of the time, He stretches us to the most UN-comfortable place we think we can be in at the time, and although everything within us may be screaming, “Go Back! Go Back!” God is calling us to “Go Forward!” He says, “Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” Gods Word – Matthew 11:28

God wants us to come to Him with our problems our worries, our concerns, and trust Him to work it all out. Amy’s father and I finally directed her onto the right path and the whole process only took about 5 minutes. But how many times do we wander for hours, days, weeks, because we are unwilling to ask for help as soon as we realize we are lost. We become afraid because we don’t know where we are. We fail to call on the One with the aerial view of the situation. Her father and I could see a bigger picture on the computer map then Amy could while in the middle of her crisis.

If only we could all just learn to turn to God as soon as we realize we are off the path we should be taking! Like Jeff and I looking on the computer’s aerial view, God can see what is ahead and will guide and direct us to the place He wants us to be. As I told Amy, “Don’t focus on how you got turned around! It is easy to do and we all have done it! Just focus on the fact that you figured it out quickly and you now know where you are going.” So many times we can get too caught up in perfectionism in every step we take in life, instead of enjoying the process.  We forget God isn’t looking for someone perfect. He is looking for someone who will walk with Him through this life

 

We forget God isn’t looking for someone perfect. He is looking for someone who will walk with Him through this life

 

Today, I hope this challenges you to ask yourself, “Where am I in this process of life? Am I taking the next steps to go on to a higher level of trusting God?” If He is asking you to do something that you have never done before, let me encourage you to do take that step of faith. Dip your big toe in the sea that lies before you and watch God part it! If you will only take the first step, He will see you through!!

 

I Was Just Thinking…..

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976437_10152857233020487_67834993_o           I remember when my oldest son was only about 2 or 3 yrs old, I had one of those moments where it hit me he was just growing up to fast. So, as I held him lovingly in my arms I told him (as any good mother would.) ” Lee mommy wants you to stop growing up, you are getting to big” As he squirmed out of my arms to get back to playing with his toys he complied and said “OK Mommy” I went back to what I was doing satisfied that at least for a a second I time had stood still. It was only a few minutes later he came to me with the most serious face and said “Mommy can I please grow up, can I please???” I consented and gave my approval, as if either of us could stop him.

That memory has repeated it’s self in my mind several times over the last few months as our family prepares to face some major milestones in our lives. Our oldest is getting married, and our daughter is graduating high school, and my baby is turning 16 and learning to drive. All in the matter or of about 60 days.

Oh! how I have wished I could stop them from growing up!! I don’t know why, I am thrilled at my son’s choice for his new wife, I love my daughter and the woman she has become, and Chad is an amazing young man that is going to do great things for God and is probably a better driver than either of the other two. I, the woman who’s mantra as been ” I didn’t raise them to keep them!” has been a ball of emotion. (just keep the tissue coming) LOL!!

In all of this I have been thinking, I wonder what God thinks about his children growing up? Not physically I mean, but spiritually. I have a feeling His reaction is quite different from mine. I believe He is jumping for joy has His children grow spiritually. I think He shouts and cheers like a parent in the stands at a sporting event when their child makes a point for the team. I think His chest swells with pride when we show kindness to a stranger or chooses to give of themselves and finances to others. I am confident that He counts the time as precious when we take the time to spend with Him in His word.

I guess the bigger questions is how are we growing? You know, when a person first finds Christ I have heard them called a baby Christians. But to often I have seen them stay right there and never grow. Unlike, my children as Christians it IS up to us if we grow or not spiritually. Depending on what we do, growing as a Christian is as simple as developing any relationship, it is with time. Whether you are stuck as Baby Christian, Adolescent Christian, or maybe you’re in your rebellious teenage years as a Christian. We should never stop growing in Christ.

We need to stay relevant to those around us and with a passion that compares to nothing else, we need to follow after God.

Because the reality is, there is a cheering section watching over us from heaven waiting for us to make the next point for the team. We have a heavenly father that can’t wait to spend time with us and brags about us, Because He is so crazy in love with us. Like us as earthly parents His chest swells with pride, when He sees us do what He has called us to do. He loves us so much that His heart breaks when we ignore Him, or feels we can do this thing called life, without him.

So today I want to encourage you, be His child, Make one for the team! Make your heavenly Father proud today. Because He can’t wait for you to grow up and the beautiful thing is, we never get old in Christ, we never get to a point we have reached it. We are always growing in Him if we choose and in that He is very pleased!

Get A Life!

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John 10:10 (KJV) says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

John 10:9-11 (NIV) puts it this way:

9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

God wants us to have life to the full, or as the KJV says, have it more abundantly.

The question is, “What do you consider to be abundance?”

For some it may mean a lot of money and material things. For others it may mean good health.  But the real question is, “What does God mean by abundance?”

The scripture in context is talking about a shepherd in the literal sense. If you study shepherds you know that at night when they are ready to rest for the evening they will usually back their sheep up against a wall or cliff in the corner of some mountain somewhere and then they will build a fire in front of the sheep and will sit there during the night guarding their sheep from any predictor.  Therefore the shepherd makes himself the gate of entry to his sheep.

Jesus is our gatekeeper and whenever we feel like our backs are against a wall and the world is closing in, we don’t have to fear because our God (the gatekeeper) is with us. He is watching over us and, just like the shepherd does for the sheep, he supplies all our needs.

Who is your shepherd today? In what are you putting your trusting? I believe God promises not the abundance of riches or things, but the abundance of His care and provision to supply all our needs. He is our provider and our protector; the gatekeeper of our life, if we allow Him to be. … Are you allowing Him, today?

Mission Possible –

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detective-156465_640I have a new favorite TV Show, called Covert Affairs. It is on the USA Channel and the story line is of a young woman, probably in her 20’s, who pretends to work at a museum while she is really a CIA agent. She goes on great adventures, pretending to be someone else in each episode, all while on the ultimate mission of working for her country to get specific information that will save the world.

I couldn’t help but think – isn’t that really what we Christians are supposed to be doing? The Bible says this isn’t really our home, we are just passing through. It also tells us to fix our eyes on things that are above, and not to hold so tightly to things of this world.

I have to confess there are some days when I walk out of my office heading home and think, my M.O. today was to be an Assisted Living Director, but my REAL mission was to tell someone about Jesus and show His love.
I want to encourage all of you to not forget that YOU are on a Covert Mission!  A Mission for Christ!  So, whatever your M.O. is, whether you are a retired General Manager’s wife or a working secretary, an empty-nester or a mom with 10 kids – the real truth is you are a child of God, this is not your home, you are just passing through, and your mission (if you choose to accept it) is to show Jesus’ love to all the world and win as many souls as you can to Him.
Will you accept your mission today?
Let’s Pray,
God,
 Help me to be more like you. Let your light in me shine before all men, so all will see you in me. I know my life is only for you and whether I am changing diapers or commanding a board room, it is your desire to live through me. Give me eyes to see when I need to speak and your words to say as I walk your path for my life.
I give you all the praise in Jesus Name Amen!
Some scriptures to think on this week:
Mark 16:15(NIV)
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. . . “
Proverbs 4:25
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.
Galatians 2:20 (NLT)
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Something Old, Something New

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My husband has been cleaning out his garage this past month. Yes, I said “month!” My husband and I have been “re-purposers” from before re-purposing was cool. We just love taking something that no one else wants anymore and making something of purpose out of it.

Take antique furniture for example. Those who love these old items don’t mind the scrapes, scratches, bumps, and missing pieces. We see past all that to the beauty and wealth of history in them; imagining the wisdom they have gained from all they have experienced. We see the potential of what the item can become with just a little tender loving care.

I think God looks at all of us like that. He loves us just the way we are, with all our imperfections, and yet sees the wealth inside of us and what we have yet to give, no matter what the past has held.

Jeremiah 30–33:26 contains promises of restoration, and of the new covenant.

Jeremiah 31:3-4 says, “The Lord appeared to us in the past saying, ’I have loved you with an everlasting love: I have drawn you with unfailing kindness, I will build you up again . . .’”

Verses 31-34 continue, “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”

Chapter 32 portrays the certainty of restoration through Jeremiah’s purchase of a field, even as Israel was about to be taken away from the land into captivity.

I am so thankful our God has been in the re-purposing/restoration business since the beginning of time. My prayer is that we will love, like Jesus loves; we will see, like Jesus sees; and we will help, like Jesus helps. Let’s all try to be a little more like Jesus today then we were yesterday