The Inspection

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Alesa Miller • Posted in Christian growth • Tagged Alesa Lewis Miller, behind the parsonage walls, Connecting everyday life to Christ, depression, disappointment, discouragement, fear, Friends, loneliness, perfectionism, Romans 8:28, Thanksgiving, The Inspection, trust God, unconditional love • Leave a comment

Do you have any traditions in your home? Oh! I mean, more than just what you do at Christmas, or Thanksgiving? I mean the subtle things that happen and you may not even realize it. These things come from who you are deep inside and often from your habits and the standard of which you were raised.

We have one of those at our house, it is now in the 3rd generation in our family. ,You see, my father-in-law Trammel Miller was an amazing contractor and his standards were so high all that worked for him called him the “piano man”, because if you tune pianos you have to be a perfectionist and that is exactly what Trammel was.

Thus, when he came to our home, after Jeff and I were first married, if there was something that was not maintained to Trammels standard, he would give Jeff that, “I am disappointed with you son” Look. The look may be followed by a few intriguing questions of exactly why it wasn’t this taken care of up to the “Trammel Miller Standard” .

The funny thing is, there was no handbook that told my husband that this inspection would come, no official notice was sent ahead of time, verbal or otherwise. My husband just knew, if his dad was coming over to visit, he would rush around, getting those last minute honey do list items I had for him done. Sometimes he would go back over and check what he had done, to assure it met the expectation of Trammel Miller.

And even funnier thing today, is that Lee Miller now does the same thing his father did, all those years ago when we were first married. Trammel is now celebrating his anniversary of being in heaven 4 years this month, and we all know he is running the construction crew of angels, who are building our mansions in heaven, because that is just Trammel Miller, and God needed Trammel up there because of his perfectionism.

See when we now call our son to let him know we will be visiting, his family in Tulsa, it isn’t uncommon to hear Lee tell his dad. “Well, I’ve got to go so, I can get done before you get here to make sure I pass inspection when you come. ” We often laugh about it as a family but the premise is the same.

You see there as been a standard set that my sons automatically knows their father expects of them and that got me thinking, isn’t that just like our Heavenly Father?

There is a standard that has been set by our Heavenly Father who will soon be coming to visit, and if we don’t meet that inspection, we are not gonna pass, and we won’t make it to heaven.

The difference is, we have been given a handbook with every detail we need to know of what He expects and it is called the bible. We have even been given a family to help us understand what He expects and that is called the church. God has even sent a helper called the Holy Spirit to help us while we are here on earth to help us choose to do the right thing.

So the bottom line is, we have no excuse for not following the directions, God has laid out for us. Everyone of us can pass the inspection that is coming, but it is up to us.

My boys could not care, what their father thinks when he comes to visit. They could ignore standards they have been raised with and choose to walk away from. But they realize their father loves them and wants the best for them. They know, their dad would give his life for them and only expects these things, because he wants the best for them and believes in them and loves them. Because of their fathers age, he has more knowledge and wisdom then they do and can often tell how things are going to turn out, because he has had the same problems, been in the same situations, and doesn’t want his kids to go through what he has been through.

The same is with our Heavenly Father. God loves you and He wants the best for you. He has given us all the tools we need. The question is, are you using them? Will you pass the inspection with your Heavenly Father when He comes? Take the tools He has given us and use them. Don’t hesitate to ask your Heavenly Father for help. After all, that is what a good good Father does!

When You Feel Like You Don’t Belong!

Posted on March 9, 2019 by Alesa Miller • Posted in encouragement, fear • Tagged Alesa Lewis Miller, behind the parsonage walls, Connecting everyday life to Christ, connecting everyday life with Christ, depression, disappointment, discouragement, fear, God, grace of Jesus, loneliness, perfectionism, trust God, unconditional love, When you feel like you don't belong! • Leave a comment

I got to attend a church conference this last weekend with Jeff. It included Assembly of God ministers and their congregations from all over the south central and western part of our state. Several of these Pastors were people my husband and I have known from the 30 yrs we will celebrate being in Kansas this coming October. Although I was born here in Kansas, I attended 9 different schools in 5 different states in the 12 yrs of my education. Jeff was born and raised in the same town in Alabama, in fact he lived on the same street all his life, and I met him when my father was pastoring his home church. Then after marriage, Jeff and I lived in Alabama and Georgia before moving to Kansas.

Needless to say , that much moving around doesn’t give a girl much security. I still battle anxiety going to these types of meetings of our peers. You would think after all my experience in meeting new people, it wouldn’t bother me anymore, but it does. Our teacher at this particular event was a former pastor and district leader of our denomination. He was a co-worker in the ministry that in the past years we had spent a lot of time with. Actually, Jeff and I were just barely wet behind the ears in our own ministry, when this man was a leader, so of course we looked up to him and appreciated the time he took with us.

As I sat around that room this weekend. I looked around and saw many of those pastors and their wives that were in the district when we first came to Kansas. Those were the people that Jeff and I have looked up to for so many years thinking “Maybe one day we will be as awesome as they are”, “Maybe one day, we will be able to help others, like they have helped us”. Looking in the mirror now, there is a few more wrinkles in all of our faces.

When we looked around that room, it wasn’t just our old friends that were there, but there was a whole new crew of younger, newer pastors in that room. And if you look closer, many of the pastors we looked up to are now gone. The funny thing is, these new pastor are starting to look at Jeff and I , like we looked at our old friends, when we first came to the Kansas District Council of the Assemblies of God all those years ago.

I have to say, it was quite a weird and yet awesome experience I had this weekend. It was weird to me because maybe for the first time, I felt like I belonged, I felt like I was in “The Club”, the club of a group of people who could sit around and talk about memories they have, of the fun days they spent together at church camps and ministry events, and the times we have prayed for each other. There is a bond between us that is like no other I have ever had, except when we lived in the Kansas City area for 13 years. In both cases, we had experienced things with our friends that built a bond between us, that you don’t get by going to 9 schools in 5 different states in 12 years, and I have to admit it felt good. If felt good to belong to a group again.

You know, all this got me thinking….. It is a proven fact that we all have a need for security and significance. We all desire to be loved unconditionally. We want our lives to have purpose of something greater than ourselves. Of course we who are followers of Christ know that He is the only one that will be able to fill that need. But we also have to know that there is a group of people in this world that will never care about hearing what we have to say, if we don’t make them feel like they belong. If we don’t invest time into their lives and love them by making regular deposits in their relationship banks.

For to long, the church has made people feel that you have to believe like we do before you can feel like you belong to the church. Why is it that we separate ourselves as Christ followers from the very people God told us to “Go into all the world and share the gospel” ? (Mark 16:15)

I think if we could learn to love the people around us with the love of God, like we have been called to do, there would not be a church pew in the County that would be empty on Sunday mornings.

I can’t tell you the people I have talked to that say the reason they don’t go to church is because they don’t feel welcome. They say things like “They ignore me when they see me in public or “They wouldn’t even speak to me in church”.

How can we, as the church, even call ourselves the church, if we fail to do the most important thing Jesus said we were to do and that is to. “‘…Love your neighbor as yourself ” Matt 22:39 Christ called this part the most important commandment.

So how about we change all that. First off, if you attend a church this week, make sure you welcome everyone in the building and be friendly to those outside the four walls, despite their past. We never know what just a smile and a handshake can mean to someone.

Then, Secondly, if you don’t go to church on a regular basis, and you have been made to feel like you don’t belong in a church, how about you rise above that feeling and follow what the bible says “Love your neighbor as yourself” There aren’t too many people I know that can’t forgive themselves of something as simple as not saying “Hi” or shaking hands with someone, then get up and go to church this week.

Let’s all make an extra effort to make those around us feel like they belong. In a small community like this, it is easy to let past hurts and offenses keep us from being kind and friendly to others. But if we are going to follow what God tell us to do, we need to love those around us, as we love ourselves. (Matt 22:37) So how about this week, we do just that. Let’s make people feel like they belong, even if they don’t believe or live the way we do.

After all, Paul told us in Romans 5:8 “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. If we are really gonna be like Christ, let’s die to our old ways and those old feelings of being better than someone else, and let’s show everyone we know, the same love, compassion, and forgiveness that has been given to us. Because I firmly believe, “Those who can’t forgive, have forgotten what they have been forgiven of” So lets make sure people know they belong here no matter how long they have lived here, or what we may or may not know about them. Let’s be Jesus’ hands and feet this week.

Clean Dirt

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Alesa Miller • Posted in Christian growth, encouragement • Tagged Alesa Lewis Miller, behind the parsonage walls, change, Clean Dirt, Connecting everyday life to Christ, disappointment, discouragement, faith, loneliness, trust God, unconditional love • Leave a comment

I don’t know about your house, but it has never mattered what home I have lived in or what brand of dishwasher is in that house. On occasion, someone in my family has pulled something out of that dishwasher that, had just been ran, that still had some piece of food left on it, to which my family member will say something to this effect “The dishes are still dirty” and I will reply “ It is clean dirt, it has been washed” We will usually laugh and then wash the item by hand.

You know that little scenario got me thinking. How many of us think like that in our own life. We think the little bit of dirt in our life, is “clean dirt”, after all we are good people. We don’t mean harm to anyone and are just doing the best we can. We justify what we see in our lives often times, all the while condemning what we see in others.

But the truth is, what we think about ourselves or others really doesn’t matter, it is what God thinks that really matters. In fact, His word is the ultimate authority. The question is how well do you know God’s word? God’s word is His son’s dying wishes for our life. Just think about it, the creator of the Universe left you a letter, with directions He wants you to follow.

Oh! I know some people say “I have tried to read the bible, but I just don’t understand it” to which I would reply “That is why we have churches and bible studies” It is important that each of us read those true stories in the bible. Those are lesson we can learn through others lives that have lived before us. We also see Jesus as He walked this earth and can learn from His stories as well.

One thing we all need to remember, past the 10 commandments, there is 1 commandment we all must follow, in fact Jesus said it was more important than any other, and that is found in Luke 10:27 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”

You know if you love someone with all your heart, and I mean REALLY love, then you want to please them, but there is no way to please God if we don’t know what His word says. So how about this week you do 2 things, take just 5 minutes and start reading the Psalms and Proverbs each day in the bible, then throughout your day, show that love Jesus talked about in Luke to those around you.

Because if we don’t do these things, then can we really say we have surrendered our life to Him? It’s really like saying you’re clean dirt when you don’t. We all know that doesn’t make any sense in anyone’s book, and the fact is, we can’t wash ourselves on our own or by what we do. God’s love is unconditional and His grace is free ,but it is only when we receive that unconditional love that we realize how much He loves us, and in turn wants to give that love back to Him, by living a life for Him and sharing that love with others. So let’s stop trying to hand wash our lives in our own ways and follow what the Jesus says.

10, 2 and 4 Baby

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Alesa Miller • Posted in Uncategorized • Tagged 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ESV, 10 2 and 4 baby, 10%, 2 and 4 baby, Alesa Lewis Miller, anxiety, behind the parsonage walls, change, children, Christ, comfort, Connecting everyday life to Christ, depression, disappointment, discouragement, faith, fear, loneliness, perfectionism, trust God, unconditional love • Leave a comment

I have always been a night owl and hated going to bed. I think it is because I was afraid I would miss something. I remember my mom used to call me her 10, 2 and 4 baby because I would wake up at 10pm, 2am and 4am. I think I finally wore my parents down because, by the time I got to be a teenager my father made me a deal and told me that as long as I got up the first time he called me in the morning. I could stay up as long as I wanted at night. So as soon as I would hear my dad call my name in the morning I would jump up out of the bed as quickly as possible calling back to him “ I am up! I am up!” just so he would know that I was up, and I wouldn’t have to go to bed early the next night.

I will never forget one night, as a teenager, my parents let me have one of my friends spend the night. About 2am we decided we were hungry so we started cooking. Of, course my parents had long been in the bed but I didn’t think they would mind. So, my friend and I looked in the refrigerator and discussed what were were going to have and we debated about eggs, but went with something else. I don’t remember what we decided, but whatever it was must’ve started smelling good, because my dad showed up from the other end of the house, in the kitchen half asleep and as he opened the door to the hallway that separated the kitchen/family room from the rest of the house, he hollered out at us “ I am gonna break you from sucking eggs” and with that my friend and I looked at each other and said “ I thought we decided not to have eggs?” as we burst into laughter my dad turned around and went back to bed. I still believe to this day he must of been talking and walking in his sleep.

Of course, it was a weekend, so I didn’t have to get up early the next day. But that didn’t stop me from making sure when my dad did call, I was right out of the bed as soon as I heard his voice the next Monday when it was time to go back to school.

All that got me thinking, Do you have your ear tuned in listening for your Heavenly Father’s voice? Are you looking for His return and ready to go as soon as He calls? The bible tells us that Jesus will return one day to take us to heaven, but He will only be taking those who are looking and living for Him. The bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ESV

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

I don’t know about you, but I want to always be ready to go when the Lord returns. I want to be listening for His voice. Just like I was listening for my father’s voice when I woke up every in the mornings. I wanted to be ready and not late because I knew if I missed it, there would be a consequence to pay. Just as there will be if we miss Jesus return.

But how do we make sure we won’t miss HIs return? Well, Romans 3:23 tells us that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”It is as simple as A,B,C Admit that you are a sinner, (Romans 10:9-10) Believe in Jesus Christ and Commit your life to Him. start, going to a bible believing church, start making Him a part of your everyday life, by talking to Him in prayer and letting Him talk to you through His word.

It is only when we know, Christ then we will know His voice. We can’t hear Him if we don’t know His voice. I knew my daddy’s voice and I listened for it. We need to listen for our Heavenly Father’s voice so not only when He calls us to heaven, but every day He talks to us too and has a plan for our life and that plan is more than give your life to Him and go to Heaven.

There is something He has planned for us everyday. He wants us to be a part of our everyday life and has a mission for us here on earth before He comes back. For some it is to love others that can’t be loved, for some it is to give more to help others, for others, it is to make a difference in someone else’s life. We won’t know what He has in store for us until we get to know Him and we can’t get to know Him until we surrender our lives to Him and choose to follow after Him.

See, I knew my daddy I spent time with my daddy, and I did everything I could to please my daddy. So, the question is, do we do the same for our Heavenly Father, If you haven’t I highly suggest that you do because you don’t want to miss His voice when He calls you to come to heaven. I think you want your answer to Christ to be the same as mine to my dad “ I am up! I am up!”

” I Need to Go to the Bathroom, Get a Drink of Water and Blow my Nose!”

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Alesa Miller • Posted in Christian growth, encouragement • Tagged ! Thessalonians 4:16-1, Alabama Football, Alesa Lewis Miller, Alesa Miller, anxiety, behind the parsonage walls, change, Connecting everyday life to Christ, depression, disappointment, discouragement, fear, God, loneliness, Luke 17:26-30, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 24:36, Matthew 25:13. Luke 12:40, protector, Romans 8:28, suicide, trust God, unconditional love • Leave a comment

Every family has their routines, anytime you have a family larger than 2 people, and you are planning on going together to an event somewhere, if someone asked anyone in that family, they could probably tell you which one, is going to be ready early, which family member is going to be late, and which one will be heading the group and getting everyone out the door.

When my children were at home, I have been known to begin a countdown about 30 minutes out. Now, of course I would have given the family plenty of warning well in advance before that , sometimes even days, but when it comes down to about an hour out, I would start mentioning to my kids what they need to start doing to be ready, and about 30 minutes before we need to leave, my voice gets a little louder as I start walking around checking on where everyone is and how much longer it will be before they will be ready.

Then about 10-15 minutes out, I am going to start hollering out as I walk down the hall. “10 minutes, 10 minutes we are leaving in 10 Minutes” which is the sign to my children and husband they better be getting their last minute things on and start heading for the car, then “5 minutes, 5 minutes we are leaving in 5 minutes” at this point my family knows they better be finding their shoes and start getting in the car, because if there is one thing I can’t stand, it is being late. I think it is disrespectful to the people who planned the event where ever we are going and personally, I believe in the old adage, “If you are 5 minutes early you are on time, and if you are on time you are late”, even if that means I arrive somewhere and sit in the car for 5 or 10 minutes before going in. That doesn’t bother me, in fact I kind of like the opportunity to not be rushed and just take a deep breath before going in somewhere, instead of rushing in somewhere all disheveled .

My whole anxiety about being late probably stems from my mother. No, not that she ever cared about being on time, it didn’t matter how much notice we would give my mom about what time we were leaving. It never failed, when the time came for us to walk out the door, She would say ”Okay, wait just a minute, I need to go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, and blow my nose.” I lived at home for 18 years before I moved out, and cared for her another 23 or so years before she died and it never failed the story was still the same every time except as she grew older, it took longer for her to go to the bathroom, get a drink of water and blow her nose, the older she got the later we were. That is why I started telling her we needed to be where ever we were going 30 minutes before we actually had to leave, because I knew if I didn’t we would of been even later than we were. In fact momma was known for being late so often, that my father used to say we are going to bring her casket in 30 minutes late, just to keep up her tradition when she dies. (we didn’t by the way but it was tempting)

You know this got me thinking, my mom is a lot like a lot of people today. They have been warned that Jesus is coming back, they have been told that they need to live their life for Him so they will be ready to go, but they procrastinate and don’t do it, just like my mom procrastinated getting ready to go somewhere. They are all busy just doing what they want to do, when they want to do it. Not concerning themselves, with anything but what they want. They can even see the warning signs that the bible tells us about, similar to me hollering out to the children and giving them the 5 and 10 minute warning, they ignore all the signs of the crazy weather, the brother hating brother, the world being more and more like Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:26-30) , and all the issues happening in Israel.

All these are signs that Jesus is coming back again, to get His children, just like He said he would in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ESV “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” He also warned us “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:13) Now I am not naming any dates or times because I know the bible says “ No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.: (Matthew 24:36) But doesn’t that verse alone tell us that we need to be ready because it could be any moment and He tells us in Luke “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40)

My mom always had an excuse why she was late, she always justified her reason, but when we stand before God excuses won’t matter He has given us ample notice. With many opportunities to get it right. It is time we stop making excuses.God isn’t looking for perfect people to come to Him, He is looking for people who are watching and waiting for His return.

Many times people think they need to clean up their act before they come to Him. But God told us in His word. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

God wants us with all our baggage disheveled mess we are in. He calls us daily to come to Him. The question is, will we come? Because the 5 minute warning call is about to come and unlike I did for my mother, God hasn’t given us an extra 30 minute cushion. Once He calls come to get us, that is it. There is no one let in late to heaven. We may get by down here with going to places in our own time frame, but we have no control of when Jesus will return to take His children home.

So won’t you get ready today? To make sure you are ready, all you need to do, is as simple as A, B, C, Admit that you are a sinner, Believe in Jesus Christ and Commit your life to Him. start, going to a bible believing church, start making Him a part of your everyday life, by talking to Him in prayer and letting Him talk to you through His word.

That is what that scripture is talking about, If we will come to Him, and follow Him as 2 oxen in a Yoke, one more experienced than the other,we will learn from Him and we’ll find rest for our souls, And we won’t miss the most important event of our life, Heaven!

Mimi & Poppy Camp!

Posted on July 28, 2018 by Alesa Miller • Posted in Uncategorized • Tagged Alesa Lewis Miller, behind the parsonage walls, Connecting everyday life to Christ, Jeremiah 29:11 • Leave a comment

Well this past weekend was a special one. We had all three of our grands visiting us for a little less than 72 hours. We called it Mimi & Poppy Camp and we had all kinds of scheduled activities for them. It all started off the moment we picked them up with Road Trip Bingo, and each time they won, Mimi gave them a prize, then there was the sing-a-longs on the way to our house too. We sung to the top of our lungs some of our favorite songs. When we finally made it back to our house, I had special snacks in the refrigerator in the basement that was just for them. The basement in their playroom. Being the Event Planner that I am, I had the next day filled with field trips, pool time and games, golf cart rides then ending the evening with a movie, and popcorn in our PJ’s and that was followed by some object lessons for the devotions Jeff and I had planned.

During one of our nights object lesson, we had the kids put together a puzzle backwards, looking at the gray side, not the picture side. Jeff explained that, is like our life sometimes, each thing that happens to us in life, is like a piece of a puzzle and God is putting each piece together because He as the perfect plan for us and although sometimes we can’t understand it and we can’t see what He is trying to do. We have to trust Him even when we don’t understand what is going on. Jeff had one of them read Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plan to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for a hope and a future.” We can trust God even when we can’t see what is going on because He has a plan and it is for your good.

I think the highlight of the weekend for me though, was when we met their parents back in Wichita and instead of being excited to go home, they said “Quick Mimi!!, Take us back to your house, we don’t want to go home!!” Of course they were happy to see their parents too. But I have to say, my heart was so happy when they begged to stay with me. I felt I must had succeeded in making them feel special enough to want to come back. As, I sat reflecting on the weekend. I remembered my own Grandma. She always made me feel so special.

I remember when she took me into her kitchen one day, and showed me where in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator, at the back she had hidden the cans of root beer she had bought just for me. She told me “Now, This is our little secret, we won’t tell your cousins about this, this is just for you” She made me feel so special that day, it was like I was her most favorite person in the whole world. My grandma was a woman would loved the Lord and certainly showed me that love.

All this got me thinking, what if we made every person we came in contact with feel as special as my grandma made me feel and hopefully I made my grands feel. You know one of the other things we talked about with our grands was that we were made in God’s image. We had the kids take modeling clay and create and image of themselves out of it. We talked about how they look like their parents.. We read in Genesis that God created us, how because we’re made in God’s image and we are suppose to act like Him and when people see us, they should see Jesus in us. .

We talked about how God sent His only son to die on the cross for us so that we could have life eternally and live with Him in heaven one day. I don’t know about you but someone dying for me, seems like a pretty special act. There is in fact no greater gift to give, than for someone to lay down their life for us. I know if someone died for me I would be forever grateful and anytime they would ask me anything I would do my best to accommodate them anyway I could.

We’ll it’s like that with Christ isn’t it? He gave His life for us, and out of pure gratification we need to follow what He asks us to do and one of those things is to reflect Him. In His time here on earth He showed unconditional love to all no matter their social status or how familiar He was with them.

I have to admit. I struggle with this I am often socially awkward in new situations with people I don’t know, and although I appear to be an outgoing person, sometimes in those situations. I can also appear aloof and maybe even snobbish when I don’t mean to be. I am striving to really be the type of person that everyone feels welcomed and loved by. I not only want my grandchildren to feel special when they walk away from me but everyone I come in contact with.

I believe we see Jesus doing this throughout His time here on earth and God calls us to do the same. But things like this don’t happen without an intentional commitment to make it happen. It is so easy to slip back into the our old habits if we aren’t intentional everyday.

Oh! And apparently, I was not the only one grandma loved, and wanted to make feel special. As my cousins and I sat around the funeral home, after our grandma passed away. All of the sudden one of my cousins speaks up and says. “Well, I know Grandma loved me more because she hid my favorite candy in the bread box for me” and another spoke up and you guessed it, Grandma had hidden something special for them too, She led everyone of her grandchildren, to all to believe we were the ones she loved the most.

So, how about we all be like my Grandma Northcutt this week. Let’s make sure everyone we come in contact with feels like they are the most important person in the world to you! Let’s reflect God’s Love. Whether it be the person you meet on the street or the coworker you see everyday. Smile, shake their hand, or give them an encouraging word or complement. Let the love of Jesus and all the gratitude you feel towards Him be reflected in all that we do!

I Wish I had Her Life……..

Posted on July 18, 2018 by Alesa Miller • Posted in Uncategorized • Tagged Alesa Lewis Miller, behind the parsonage walls, Connecting everyday life to Christ • Leave a comment

Well for the first time, it happened to me I have heard other people talk about doing it, but the other day it happened to me…. I was scrolling through facebook and saw a friend of mine and thought, “ I wish I had her life!” and as soon as I thought it, it was as if the Lord said to me. You don’t know the tears she has cried.

Have you ever just looked at someone else’s life, and thought…. “I want their life! They never seem to have any problems, their world is perfect” Well, first off what you need to remember is, Their life is not without worries, or chaos, they cry at night when they go to bed or worry about their family just like you do. Why? BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS and it doesn’t matter how big your problems are, when it is your problem it is HUGE to you.

Often times, we look at someone else’s life and think, “The grass is greener over there”, and if we only knew what their water bill cost to get it that way, we might reconsider our “Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” philosophy.

But why is it that some people never act like they have any problems while others lives seem to be consumed with them? Well, I think some people have learned the secret.
They have just chosen NOT to post their struggles and complaints all over the inter web and or be Negative Nancy when you see them on the street. Perhaps they choose to take their concerns to God as we all need to do.

Satan wants us to be so focus on ourselves that we can’t see the issues of everyone else around us. See that way, we can’t follow what God’s word says to do, but I can assure you. There is someone out their that has a problem bigger than yours.

I’ll never forget their was a season in my life where I felt very alone, Okay, there have been many of those seasons. But this particular season there was one particular person whose job responsibility in my mind, should of been to check on me, and she didn’t.

I can remember thinking, why isn’t she reaching out to me? Why isn’t she calling and checking on me? I remember thinking maybe I should call her and then I rejected that idea in my head because it wasn’t my job to check on her, it was her job to check on me! At least that is what I justified in my head and why I begin to allow myself to be offended. Which was then snowballed by the fact that I was alone. I soon became so self absorbed I was only focused on myself and my problems.

Then about 3 or so years later, I heard that she had been personally dealing with some similar situations I had been almost at the very same time. It was at that point that it hit me! I was so focused on myself I had not even considered she might have been going through something herself, and if I had reached out to her as I had thought about, perhaps we could of helped each other. In fact maybe her struggle was greater than mine. I will never forget how horrible I felt.

I will never again get offended when someone doesn’t call me over an extended period of time and just assume they are being rude or mad at me. No! Now my first thought is, I wonder if they are going through something? I think “ I better check on them!”

Through the grace of God I had made it through that season of life and that little lesson has kept me from drawing into myself so much.

See I had allowed Satan to use my struggles to distract me from reaching out to someone else. I had been so focused on myself I wasn’t even looking at someone else or thinking of anyone else.

All too often we fall into our own pit of self pity and discouragement. Often in a hole we dig ourselves because we refuse to look up from ourselves and look at others.

It has been said by doctors and psychologist that the best thing a person who is depressed or in emotional need can do,is reach out and help someone else. But all to often we get sucked down into a self-center pit that quickly spirals out of control.

In times like this, we need to remember what 1 Thess 5:11 says, Therefore encourage one another and build each other up….. In this passage Paul is giving us final instructions for the days before the Lord’s return. He tells us to not forget to hold on to faith, hope and love because that is our salvation from our troubles. Paul, urges us to encourage one another in faith, hope and love. He warns us that, some are going to be in darkness, or deceived and he tells us not to be sucked into that path but hold fast to what we know and to encourage one another in that!

So this week, as you go about your day be sure to look outside yourself. Don’t be deceived and sucked into the idea it is all about you. If we look hard enough there is always someone who has problems bigger than you do. Find someone who needs an encouraging word. Be someone else’s miracle, while you are still looking for your own. God’s word clearly calls us to encourage one another because when realize the only real hope we have is in our faith and trust in the Lord. We won’t be seeking consolement from everyone else, because we will be too focused being the hands and feet of the one who has given so much for us, Jesus Christ.

Stop Scrolling and Start Living! Satellite TV & Wasting Time!

Posted on June 30, 2018 by Alesa Miller • Posted in dying/living, encouragement • Tagged 1 Cor 10:13, Alesa Lewis Miller, behind the parsonage walls, Connecting everyday life to Christ, Deut 30:19, James 4:17 • 1 Comment

Because of where my family lives, we have to have satellite TV, if we want any reception at all. There is no option for cable, or even an antenna, it is satellite or nothing and since I would go stark raving mad if all I did was sit around listening to my own thoughts in my head everyday. We pay for satellite. Oh! We could do some of the options on the internet that are out there but I like to watch current shows, I am don’t like to watch pre-recorded shows unless I am the one recording them. (Remember my story on I don’t like Re-runs?)

So the satellite network we subscribe to, allows for 4 different profiles. Because although we pay for a couple hundred channels. We actually only watch a fraction of them. And me being the good mother that I am, and perhaps the only one that cares in my family. I have been gracious enough to go into our satellite account and create different profiles.

I have a profile for just the movie channels we watch, Hallmark is my favorite by the way. I have a profile for sports for my husband and his western shows he so dearly loves, I have a profile for the nature and hunting channels that my son likes to watch. Then, there are the channels that I love, those are the ones that have anything to do with cooking, & decorating.

I do this because in our package we pay for there is multiple channels that are spanish speaking, and although I our love our mexican brothers and sisters, I can’t speak their language so it does me no good to watch those channels. Then, there is the hockey channels and baseball channels, which no one in our family watches. Oh! And we can’t forget those shopping channels that I am not for sure anyone should watch.

So you can see why this is such a good deed that I have done. Now my family doesn’t have to scroll over all those channels we will never watch when searching for something to watch. I have eliminated all of these things my family doesnt need. I do this out of the kindness of my heart, because when we are scrolling through the guide, who wants to have to scroll through things they aren’t even interested in or relevant to them. When we have to do that, it take as much time to find something to watch, as it does to watch it. I mean who wants to have to dig through junk to get to what they are looking for? It is such a waste of time.

But for some reason occasionally, I find the TV put back on, the “All Subscribed Channels” profile. Which is a huge frustration to me. See, I don’t see why anyone would want to look through all those channels that they aren’t even interested in, to search for something that is worthy of their time, when they have been clearly given optimal choices in the profiles section.

But in the same breath I don’t know why people look everywhere for peace and contentment when they have been given that gift by Christ already. Looking for that, is like my family scrolling through the all the channels on our satellite, having to pass through all the junk that we have no interest in, could care less about and in most cases have no business watching. It is such a waste of time.

People everyday are looking for that unconditional love in everything but where it comes from. They look for it in multiple sexual partners, in over drinking, overeating, drugs, they look into black magic and sometimes even in their work. We gossip about our neighbors to make us feel better about ourselves or strive in ourselves to be perfect only to be disappointed when we can’t meet that unachievable standard. We often do anything but what God has told us to do.

The bible says, in Deut 30:19 …….I set before life and death, blessing and cursings, now choose life…….. It is that simple, just like I have set before my family good choices on our satellite profiles and I have weeded through the junk that isn’t relevant to them. So has God set before us choices everyday. Sure there is always going to be the good and the bad, the right and the wrong for us to choose from but God’s word also promises that in 1 Cor 10:13…….God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure…. .

I wonder if God gets as frustrated with us as I do with my family. I have laid out the best plan. Given them good choices and laid it before them. But they don’t always choose to follow my plan. Just like we don’t always follow God’s.

Now my family isn’t going to die and go to hell because they choose to waste all that time finding what they are looking for, but we will die and go to hell, if we don’t choose God and even if we finally decide to choose Him we often take so long to make that choice. We lose so much opportunity to tell others about this unconditional love that Christ gives us. The sooner we submit our will to His. The sooner we choose to make the right choice. We can share this amazing love with others and we all know someone who needs to know they are loved by the creator of the universe and He has a great plan for their life?

The bible tells us that he that knows to do good and doesn’t do it to him it is sin. James 4:17

So the bottom line is which choice will we make? Will we waste time like some of my family chooses to do. See, the only difference is, taking forever to find a TV show to watch isn’t as detrimental to our life as taking forever to follow Jesus.

The choice is yours and the right choice is always following Jesus.

So find a church home, get in a small group to learn more about God’s word. Pull out your bible, computer or phone and download sites like You Version or Bible gateway. Read God’s word and learn it! Make the right choices today and skip the junk! It is time to stop wasting time and do what we know is right to do!

A Way that Seems Right!

Posted on June 29, 2018 by Alesa Miller • Posted in responsible living, Wedding/Bride • Tagged Alesa Lewis Miller, Barbie, Barbie Dolls, Barbie houseboat, Barbie Pool, Barbie Townhouse, behind the parsonage walls, Connecting everyday life to Christ, Fornication, Ken, Living together before marriage, Matt 15:19, Premarital Sex, Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 14:7, Statistics of divorce when you live together first • Leave a comment

When I was a little girl one of the my favorite things to do was play with my Barbie Dolls. In fact, I remember having the whole basement set up as my very own Barbie town. Being raised as an only child, my parents pretty much allocated the whole basement for me to play in.

One corner was a semi finished room that I had chairs facing a desk with a chalkboard hanging on the wall behind the desk. That was my school room. I went in there and pretended to be a teacher with my imaginary class full of students.

But my favorite thing to do was play in my Barbie town. It included a Barbie townhouse, Barbie boat house, along with a Barbie pool and that isn’t even counting the end tables and coffee tables I turned into houses for my dolls..

Along with store bought furniture in my barbies home, the majority of furniture was homemade by my mom out of egg cartons, cotton stuffing and material. Just about anything we could think of we would use for their house, the lid off a hairspray can became an end table or footstool. We were always creating something for my barbies homes. I had several barbie families that lived in the little town I created.

But even at the young age I was, there was one thing that was certain, my Barbie and Ken dolls never lived together until they were married, and to be married, my dad being the minister that he was, had to perform the ceremony. Because I was taught at a young age, that living together before you are married goes against what God word says. So I even made my daddy married our full blooded dachshund dog before I would let him breed with another dog. I took it that seriously. But at eight years old what do you expect!

All this got me thinking? Will my grands and their children have the same morals and values? In the society we live into today, where it is almost common place to live together before you are married I am worried they will not take what God’s word says seriously. Oh! I don’t mean that they need to have their dogs and dolls married. But by my parents instilling in me at such a young age of right from wrong. It was my choice to blanket that decision in every area of my life.

What worries me, is just how much instilling of right from wrong is the next generation getting in this country? My parents sat down with me at taught me God’s word. They didn’t condemn others when they made mistakes but used it as a learning opportunity for me to teach me what God’s word said and realizing that word was the ultimate authority in our life choices.

Proverbs 14:12 says “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” We seem to think that God wants to just keep us from having fun or doing what we want. But the bottom line is that God wants to keep us from hurt and pain.

We justify our idea of living together before we are married because we say that, it is a better way. We use it as an insurance policy to assure we won’t get divorced later. Which is an understandable concern in this country where there is a 50 percent divorce rate. That theory might have some relevance if the statics agreed, but the truth is statistics say:

Those who DID NOT live together before marriage

83% were still together after 10 yrs and 68% were still together after 20yrs.

Those who DID live together before marriage:

Only 71% were still together after 10yrs and 51% were still together after 20yrs.

So you have a 17% less chance of staying together after 20 yrs if you live together first compared to someone that doesn’t.

Only 1 in 5 couples who live together make it past 7yrs. And now they have a lifetime of memories with someone else.

So I have to wonder why would people do it? Are we so blinded to the facts or is it just that we refuse to die to our own wills and desires until the appropriate time? I had a conversation with a young man not to long ago who asked me to tell him where God says in His word that premarital sex is wrong. To which I informed him the word fornication is premarital sex in the bible and yet this man refused to accept it because he wanted to see the actual word “premarital” in the bible?

How can any of us even begin to live a life, let alone for Christ if we have to have everything our own way. I mean in this life there are things as adults and even children that we have to do, when we don’t want to, and it seemed this young man wanted it his way or he refused to believe.

I don’t believe our country has a sex traffic issue, gun issue, a bullying issue, a racist issue, or crime issues, our country has a heart issue.

Matthew 15:19 says “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.

See even as a little girl I was taught early on that I couldn’t get everything I wanted, I was taught I had to wait for even the little things. Oh! I may of had a Barbie town, but this girl got only 2 pairs of dress shoes a year as a little girl. A white pair for summer and a black pair for winter. It created in me a discipled to wait, even the creating our own doll furniture taught me to deny myself.

In the society today I don’t see a whole lot of anyone giving up their wills to what God’s word says is right. Most live by the statement “If it feels good do it!”

But remember what Proverbs 14:12 says “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death”

God is warning us here, not to rely on ourselves but listen to Him, learn His word, hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against it. Attend a church where you can be taught to understand it. See, God is the only one that has already seen what is ahead for us and He so desperately wants to guide us from harm. He gives us a choice so the question is what will you choose today? The way that leads to death? (Oh! It may not be a physical death but it is the death of many hopes and dreams) Or will you choose God’s way? Because trust me, the choice is yours and it is never too late to turn around and start over again.

The Best is Yet to Come

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Alesa Miller • Posted in encouragement • Tagged behind the parsonage walls, Connecting everyday life to Christ, Ecclesiastics 31:1-8, Jer29:11, john 29:11 • Leave a comment

On June 9th 2013 my world was turning upside down, my oldest son was getting married, while at the same time we were preparing to move from our home of 14yrs, the only real home I had ever known, our daughter was graduating high school, our youngest was learning to drive, that along with about 10 other major life events, were happening in our lives, all at once. So to say the least, I was a tad bit overwhelmed.

I think one of the things I remember most about Lee’s wedding was trying to find places to slip away and cry before anyone saw me. Maybe, it was the fact that my momma, who adored Lee was unable to come, knowing she would want to be there more than anything and realizing she wasn’t going to be around much longer was almost more than this girl could stand. Coupled with trying to access my new duties as a mother-in-law. Let’s just say I was pretty heartbroken and uncertain of so much..

But fast forward 5 years to the day and guess what this girl was doing? She was hanging out with her first grandson and namesake to her husband. If you don’t think that was special then you obviously don’t have grandchildren. It is the first time our little man has gotten to spend the night at Mimi and Poppy’s all by himself. His parents were celebrating their anniversary and his siblings was hanging out with other family members. So we had him all to ourselves and since this guy lives four and a half hours away we relish every minute we get with him. So, needless to say, I wasn’t feeling heartbroken or miserable anymore.

I was feeling blessed at the hope of the future as I looked into the eyes of that little fellow. My heart leaped with joy when he at 2 yrs old, mumbled out as best he could “ I love Mimi” when his Poppy asked him to say “I love Poppy”. I was reminded that God does answer prayer as we watched him play and catch bubbles in the air as we blew them.

All this got me thinking? Doesn’t things like that happen, a lot to most of us? I mean how many times do we feel lost or hopeless only to have in a few weeks, months, or maybe even years later, our feelings and emotions are completely the opposite. Sometimes about the same thing.

God reminds us that our feelings are fleeting and that for everything there is a season. In Ecclesiastes 31 verses 1-8 it tells us.

“To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.”

I think in short that means don’t give up hope. Because we also know the bible says that in this world we will have trouble. (John 16:33) and it says, that God has a plan for our life and that plan is for good and not to harm. (Jeremiah 29:11)

So when we get overwhelmed with this life, when we feel like everything we hold dear is falling apart. When nothing we planned is going our way. How about we remember this? God said, It will be okay! Oh, not exactly in those words but I think that is what He means. So trust Him, don’t give up, tie a knot at the end of the rope and hold on cause, the best is really yet to come!

Behind the Parsonage Walls (Connecting Everyday Life to Christ)

By Alesa Lewis Miller

Tag Archives: Connecting everyday life to Christ