When the World Would Have Us Shaking in Our Boots

Have you heard the news?

The world would have us shaking in our boots, and I’m not big on cliches, but this one truly fits.

I know you don’t need details, because you’ve heard it all too. There’s no sugar-coating evil.

There are times when it hits us head-on. As a bank employee for almost thirty years, I’ve been through two bank robberies.

In the first robbery, I was the teller who emptied the drawer and apologized to the robber when I didn’t have the large bills his note requested.

During the second one, I sat in the lobby at a desk behind glass, watching the event unfold, surreal, as men with guns stormed the innocent.

We’ve been through trauma, we’ve seen evil first-hand. But evil isn’t new. It’s been around a good long while.

In John 7:7 Jesus said this to His brothers:

The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.

The world we live in hates the truth. When we walk in truth, share the truth, stand up for the truth, we’re going to face some haters too.

But we need not fear and we need not cower, because after Jesus said that, Jesus said this:

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

And we can say this:

So we may boldly say:

“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”  Hebrews 13:6

And this:

The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me? Psalm 118:6

So let’s put on our boots, because we need not shake in them. We can walk confidently as children of God, and boldly say the Lord is my helper, I will not fear.

And instead of shaking in our boots when the world goes crazy, let’s kick up our heels and dance with Jesus, because He has overcome the world.

Don’t worry if you don’t know the steps, He’ll take the lead, because He is The Way.

Choosing a Circle of Friends?

Choices.

We make them every day, even when we don’t realize we are choosing.

Growing up, I hovered between circles of friends. It may sound amazing, being friends with everyone, but instead it proved challenging.

The challenge? These circles didn’t interlock like the Olympics symbol.

No, these circles were spread apart like the wheels on the bus. They went round and round in and of themselves, but their molecular structure kept them apart. Can you relate?

What I didn’t realize, was when I chose to hang with one circle, I was choosing not to hang with the others. I didn’t see it that way, but they did.

We tend to label groups and the people in them, don’t we?

Most labels are based on behaviors, or status, or intelligence. So in essence, we judge.

We need to peel off the labels, and cleanly.

Not like when we peel off price-tags on a gift, where remnants of the sticky part still remains.

And what about those inside the circle? They’ve made that choice. They are solid in their circle. Unlike those of us who tend to hover on the outside.

I didn’t want to choose, but by not choosing, I was choosing. I hope that makes some kind of sense, and by now you may be nodding your head. You hovered too.

Either that, or you’re scratching your head, but stay with me.

It’s similar when it comes to walking by faith. We can’t serve two masters, either we’re all in it with God, or we’re not. We can’t have one foot in the circle of truth, and the other in the circle of the world.

Because we are to be in the world, but not of it.

But we’ve done that, haven’t we? To feel a part of a circle, to feel accepted we dip a toe back into the circle of the  world.

But things are not always what they seem. We may think the world means toxic places and toxic people. We may think it means toxic behaviors like addictions, promiscuity,  gossip….

We may not realize, when we choose doubt, worry, fear of the future,  greed, pride…

we’ve stepped back into a worldly perspective.

We may not realize,

that when we choose all of that, we’re not choosing all of Him.

So there’s a choice to be made. Do we choose Jesus? Do we choose joy, and peace, and freedom?

He tells us, doesn’t He?

Not to fear.

Not to doubt.

Not to worry.

Oh we of little faith, let’s choose God.

And it’s okay to feel like an apple in a roomful of oranges.

We will at times, not because we don’t belong, but because we are called to be set-apart and holy. Those aren’t labels or vehicles to allow us to judge, those are the goals we pray everyone will break free of circles and run towards.

The choices we make today can impact our future, in both small ways and eternal ways.

It’s not always easy to choose right, and it’s not always easy to choose wise, and we need the Holy Spirit to be that compass of reason within us.

Let’s pray for strength to make God-honoring choices.

Then we can smile at the future, because He promises us one.

Filled with hope.

And besides,

strength and dignity look much better on us then that dress in the window at Macy’s.

We shouldn’t be striving to push into circles, we should be striving to widen the circle of the family of God.

It’s by no accident the earth is round.

Let’s choose to smile at the future, shall we?

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Do you know Jesus? If you’d like to know Him personally, confess what’s heavy and ask Him into your heart today. To find out more about who Jesus is, open the Bible and check out the book of John. Don’t have a Bible handy? Go to http://www.biblegateway.com and find the Word of truth and resources to help you dig deeper and walk deeper with Jesus.

See the Meet Jesus page on this blog,  and make that life-changing choice of the eternal kind.

~ We are on this joyful journey together. Let’s smile.

Need A Rescue?

Ever feel you’ve wandered into a desert place?

Stranded on a deserted island of desperate circumstances? Sort of in-between, stuck.

I faithfully watched Gilligan’s Island as a kid. Ridiculous at times, yet amusing to see the zany plans the cast would devise in their desperation to be rescued.

The entire show hinged on rescue.

What happens when we need a rescue?

As the theme song goes, the weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed. We can surely feel tossed like salad when the seas of life get rough.

Remember the next verse? If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost.

God is calling us to have fearless courage. But life can be scary, making us feel like wimps in rough waters, nauseated and green. Lost.

Isn’t it true we can become comfortable in our deserts? As long as we’re in the desert, things are familiar. Dipping a toe out of the comfort zone can be more frightening than the desert places themselves.

So again I say, God is calling us to have fearless courage, to gear up and be brave. Our brave can look quite different than someone else’s, so let’s not compare.

If God is for us, who can be against us? Truth be told, it may not feel that way at times, but…

God is for us. He loves us always. It’s His character. It’s His promise.

By the way, God doesn’t send us into battle without the proper equipment. He has given us spiritual, supernatural armor. Not the kind David rejected, bulky and clunky. This armor fits like a glove.

Here’s the proof of truth:

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”   Ephesians 6:10-18

God instructs us to stand. Let’s stand together. Let’s quench fiery darts and wield our Swords and raise our Shields. Where’s your sword of the Spirit? I hope it’s standing open, but if not, it’s time to dust it off. Don’t worry, it’s still as sharp as ever.

Love Dorothy’s ruby slippers, but clicking those heals together will get us nowhere. Hands lifted in praise and prayer? Exceedingly more powerful than we can even fathom.

The Holy Spirit is our guide, our Comforter, our Helper.

Let’s stand in fearless courage and be brave. Nothing is impossible with God.

Let’s gird our waists with truth. And what does Merriam-Webster.com say about the word gird?

  to prepare for action :  muster up one’s resources

Prepare for action and muster up heavenly resources.

Did you know resources include friends to stand with you in prayer? Friends who will stand with you in battle? If you don’t have true friends, pray for them. If you pray for them, they will come.

There are some serious fiery darts flying that need extinguishing.

Let your helmet of Salvation protect your mind from fear. When you are saved, He saves you. Rescued.

Need a rescue?

• When we feel desperate in the desert God will not desert us. The words desert, deserted, and desperate begin with the same sound. How about the sound of this: destiny and design.We were designed by God to fulfill a destiny. He has plans for us, and they’re not zany.
• When we feel nauseated and green, He is the calm to our storm.
• There’s water in the desert to dampen parched lips and quench dry souls. Jesus, Living Water. Drink Him in and we will never thirst.
• Hungry? The Bread of Life is free. Jesus, He is the Bread of Life.
• Those worldly things we like chasing after; wealth, fame, position… They’re a mirage. They don’t fulfill. They can disappear right before our eyes. Seek God, He’s real and He’s not going anywhere. He’s with us:

  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”                                                                                                                Joshua 1:9 NASB

   

Here’s a challenge: Share these passages of scripture to encourage at least one person this week. Your feet may be the ones meant to take them the gospel of peace.

Once you’ve shared the scripture verses, let us know in the comments.

See you on the battlefield.

Love In Christ,

Doris

Do you know Jesus, our Living Water and Bread of Life? He is the Way. Check out the Meet Jesus tab on this website. Surrender your life, and be changed.

How New Are You?

I’m a recreate kind of girl.

I would love to be the creative type;one who envisions the perfect room design,  the perfect outfit, the perfect wall-grouping. But truth be told, I am not.

I may not be creative, but I can do recreate. I may not have a clue what I want a room to look like, but when I see it in a magazine or on Pinterest, I know what to do.

As you may have guessed, styling an outfit isn’t my thing either, and I’ve been known to copy a  well-dressed mannequin. I once gave my friend Jackie money to shop for me. She came back with a bagful of bargains she had dug out of the racks like buried treasure. It was awesome and some girls are great at that, but personally, I’d rather shop at Lowe’s.

Another friend is wonderfully gifted in restoring old furniture, making it look fresh and new. She sands it down, primes it up, and paints it pretty. Kathy creates gorgeous pieces, not brand new, but a new version of the old. Recreated.

So how do we fit in with all this recreating? We buy new outfits, prime our faces, run miles, get braces.

On our own, no matter what we do, we cannot make ourselves new. We can try, but the end result is just a new version the old.

It gets exhausting, doesn’t it? Continually recreating ourselves into who we think we should be?

Great news girls, we can stop recreating and become a brand new creation.

In Christ.

Not a better version of the old, but completely made new.

Sure we may slip up now and again. Our old self tries to get back in the door, but sorry old self, those locks have been changed.

So what does that mean, new?

New life, new like spring, new attitudes and conversations, new eyes to see others,   new habits, new beginnings, new revelations.

Love grows, and gossip goes, compassion thrives, and bitterness dies.

Fruits of the Spirit like joy, peace, kindness, gentleness…  they grow in us and ripen.

This new is not dependent on whether the sun comes up, but is transcendent because the Son came down.

A new creation, not a recreation. It’s a brand new you. A brand new me. And when we’re new on the inside, it will shine on the outside. True story for His glory.

But the best new? A new relationship with Jesus Christ. A new hunger for God, and a new passion for the things of God.

So there is a choice to be made. We can choose to add miles to our old used self, or choose a radical, life-changing new self.

A new creation in Christ, who in turn tells others the Good News about this new.

So how new are you?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.                                                  2 Corinthians 5:17

Do you know Jesus? For more insight on being made new, check out the Meet Jesus page by clicking on the tab above.

Love and rejoicing in Jesus, who makes all things new.

Doris

How New Are You?

*The written version will be posted soon. Please take a listen to the audio version of this post. Leave a comment, and let me know what you think. Blessings!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2KCf6TQ13nCVFRLZFdjS0xyaHV1aXg1UGtobXg2amZhbEtB/view?usp=sharing

The Real T.G.I.F.

Is Friday a good day?

Of course it is. We Americans love our Fridays, don’t we?

Hi five and TGIF all-around, even for those who don’t believe in the G. To some, God is more palatable when He’s a letter. Probably not a coincidence G is the seventh letter of the alphabet, but that’s another post for another day.

Speaking of palatable, who loves TGI Fridays? On their website, you’ll find the founding promise “Bringing people together to socialize and celebrate the freeing and liberating spirit of Friday.” Great concept and great food. I hear their ribs are to die for.

But what about this Friday. It’s not just any Friday, it’s Good Friday.

The real TGIF.

What if on this Good Friday, we stood on this founding promise?

“Bringing people together in community to celebrate the freeing and liberating Spirit of God on Good Friday.”

I’m not in fear of copyright issues, God was here first.

Good Friday. Good News. And never mind the ribs, Jesus thought we were to die for.

If you truly believed Jesus had you on His mind as He hung on that cross, how would it change your life today?

Well He did. Believe it. It’s the Gospel truth.

On this Good Friday, let’s thank God and remember who Jesus was thinking of when He became the ultimate sacrifice. You and me.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.

And the best news of all? He didn’t stay dead.

In the Message, 2 Timothy 1:8, reads this way:

“Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus.”

So on the third day we will say TGFS, Thank God For Sunday.

It is finished.

He is Risen.

A divine plan of mercy and grace fulfilled.

Once. And. For. ALL.

The angel said to the women,

“Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said…”Matthew 28:5-6      

As He came and stood in the midst of the disciples, do you know the first thing the risen Savior, Jesus Christ said to them?

“Peace be with you.” John 20:19b NKJV

And He said to them again in verse 21 “Peace to you!…”

So peace be with you, and peace to you.

Thank God it’s Good Friday, and Praise God Sunday is coming.

Love in the Risen Savior,

Doris

So what does all this mean for you? If you’d like to learn more about placing your faith in Christ, check out the “Meet Jesus” tab on my homepage.

Say Goodbye to the Material Girl

Have you ever glanced up at the next-oil-change-date sticker and gasped? I have. I’m the worst when it comes to remembering to get my oil changed. Don’t judge.

This morning, after gasping at the sticker date, I resolved to visit the local lube establishment this week.

Then I took a good look at the outside of my car. Black exterior dusted with a shade of yellow pollen. I’d have to make time to visit the car wash first. I couldn’t possibly take it to the lube place in this condition. Notice the order of priorities here. Who is this woman?

Of course we want to take care of the outside of our cars, that’s good stewardship. But is the outside more valuable than what’s on the inside? I think not, and I think you’d agree. It’s about balance. I can make sure the outside is shiny clean, but it won’t change what’s lacking on the inside.

How does this relate to our spiritual condition? Do we find ourselves more concerned about our dress, our hair, our outward appearance? I’m not talking health and exercise, I’m talking show.

No matter how well dressed and adorned, when we give more attention to the outward while neglecting the inward, sooner or later we’ll experience the consequences. For our cars, a costly trip to the garage. But what is the cost of neglecting to feed our souls?

Let’s keep our spiritual oil changed daily, staying in the Word, praising, and prayer. When we don’t, we find ourselves running a little rough.

God looks upon the heart. He can see right through that lip gloss.

So how can we become more grounded, trading vanity for humility?

• Personal time with Jesus. He taught us all about humility, not only what it looks like, but what it feels like.
• Study the Word. Read it. Digest it. Allow it to sink in deep.
•  Get Connected in Community – alone time with God is so important, but He wouldn’t want us to miss the value of community either. Find a study group of girlfriends. Grow together and encourage each other. Be real. Come clean.

True friendship is feeling freedom to confess, not feeling pressured to impress.

It’s okay to admit we’ve messed up. When we mess up, let’s fess up. Tinted moisturizer can’t cover internal blemishes. The blood of Christ can.

By the way, I happen to love tinted moisturizer. It’s great for the skin, but doesn’t do much for the spiritual condition.

Let’s not spend oodles on the outside, and short-change the inside. Invest in the internal, the eternal. Wall Street is no match for that choice.

Wouldn’t you rather be a spiritual girl than a material girl anyway?

What steps are you taking to grow spiritually in Christ? I’d love to hear from you.

 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV

Sweet blessings to you In Christ,

Doris

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. http://www.biblegateway.com

Following A Pattern?

Do you sew?

I would love to say that I do, but truth be told, I’ve only made one outfit . Ever.

My first experience with patterns and fabric was in a 4-H sewing club. We called ourselves The Darkroom Darners. Interesting name, isn’t it? I don’t believe darners do their best work in the dark, but when it comes to sewing, being in the dark pretty much sums it up for me.

My first pattern was a simple pant and matching vest. I can remember meticulously pinning the pattern to the fabric, a hideous gray that did nothing for my complexion. Of course, I was all of about twelve years old, and doubt that crossed my mind.

My garment almost complete, the final touch was sewing ruby-red piping onto the vest.  To my horror, the fabric began to unravel. My mom rescued my garment from an otherwise catastrophic end. By doubling up the piping, she was able to stop the unraveling, saving it from becoming a mere pile of threads without form. My pattern had become a wearable garment.

Pattern. What does it mean? According to Merriam-Webster:

something designed or used as a model for making things

a reliable sample of traits, acts, tendencies, or other observable characteristics of a person, group, or institution

How important is it in life to follow a pattern, and what or whose pattern exactly are we following?

Conforming to the pattern of this world can cause our lives to unravel, much like the material of my first ever attempt at fashion. And who wants to turn into a clump of frayed threads without form?

There are several references in the Bible about following a pattern.

God’s instruction to Moses in making the Tabernacle was one of them:

“Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” Exodus 25:9

How about Noah?  I’m sure he was thankful God gave him a pattern for the ark. Imagine how the ark might have turned out without God’s specific instructions of size, shape, depth, width, and construction. Right down to the last cubit.

Beginning to see a pattern here?

God never does anything haphazardly, and He doesn’t want us to either. He always provides a pattern. His Word.

 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Romans 12:2

 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:13

Life without a pattern is like a clump of frayed threads without form. 

 We have a pattern of sound teaching, a pattern established through Jesus who not only shows us the way, but is The Way. He is our pattern.

When we Follow Him, He will bind our unraveling, so we may be a new creation according to His pattern; we are cut from the same cloth, a garment of praise.

Will He Notice Me?

This is my second time participating in Five Minute Friday. So what’s the deal? The deal is, Kate Motaung gives a one-word prompt on her blog, and you take that word and write on it for five minutes straight. No editing, no grammar concerns, no writing rules to follow. Just write. If you’d like to check out other writer contributions, or participate in this fun exercise (yes, I just used the words “fun” and “exercise” in the same sentence), look for the button on the right side-bar and click! Here goes with this week’s prompt: NOTICE…

 

I wanted so much for him to notice me. Seventh grade, and this awkward girl wondered if she could catch the eye of the popular boy, back in town for a visit.

Why would he? What made me think he’d walk past all the other girls?

I’ll never forget that night. I have the entire event documented in a tattered diary; a record  of those years where I seemed too boy-crazy for my own good.

It was as if I had been planted smack in the middle of a fairy tale. He saw me, walked over, and asked me to dance. He chose me. He took notice of me. Me.

That was many years ago, and as exciting as that night may have been in the pages of my little red diary, he wasn’t “the one.”

I met my man six years later, the one I’ve been dancing with ever since.

But it doesn’t end there…

Shortly after I met the one, I met The One and Only.

I will gladly dance with Him for all eternity.

Does He notice you? Yes, His bride.

Jesus will take your hand. He’s asking you to dance.

Keep dancing; never let go. He will lead.

 

 

 

 

 

What Makes Us Angry?

“Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath,” Ephesians 4:26

Are things that tend to make us angry all about us? People cutting in front of us in line, the conspiracy train schedule making us late, grocery store out of the one item you went there for…

Let’s not waste anger on trivial things our spoiled selves take for granted. Let’s not allow anger to cause us to sin. Let’s use our anger to take action.

A friend told me yesterday a popular Mall is a hot-spot for human trafficking. Girls go missing; taken; sold. Have I walked right by, not even aware?

Three out of ten women in the US will voluntarily end a pregnancy before their 45th birthday.  A well-known organization supporting pro-choice has a video on their website. Everyone smiling, the young girl in the waiting room is called. As she walks to the back, her mother grabs a magazine. The patient asks, “what happens during the procedure?” The soft-spoken woman replies, “we empty your uterus…and it only takes 5 minute. Why do you think the ultra-sound screen is turned out of view, or perhaps not even performed at all? Heartbeat = a child in the womb, not a blob of tissue.

I’ve met some of them; women suffering in silence because they were told it was an acceptable choice. Actually, most felt they had no choice, which is so ironic. A choice isn’t a choice if one feels it’s the only choice. Many have turned pain, grief, and anger of misinformation into action, establishing and serving at pregnancy centers and becoming advocates for life; advocates for truth. Forgiven and set free, they are making a difference. Women need to know.

Terrorists, greed, be-headings of children. The starving, the homeless, the neglected. We spend millions of dollars on what makes us feel good. Do we even give, not  because we’re generous, but because it makes us feel good?

Let’s be cheerful do-good givers, not charitable feel-good takers. Let’s be devoted   prayers, not naysayers.

What can one person do? What can we do together?

Christine Caine, co-founder of the A21 Campaign against human trafficking, made this statement in her book Undaunted:

“Remember, we can’t do everything, but we can all do something. Every challenge we seek to overcome will have its own dangers and difficulties. If it did not, it would not be a challenge. Toppling an unjust political system, fighting human trafficking, helping the hungry in your community, reaching lost people with the love of God, visiting those who are in prison (justly or unjustly), providing education for migrant children, bringing fresh water to the thirsty, helping a neighbor in a time of crisis, and thousands of other acts of service all come with their own unique challenges. If you and I are going to make a difference for Jesus in this world, the question is not ‘Will we face challenges?’ The real question is, ‘Will we be ready to face dangers, difficulties, and disappointments and learn to press on with an undaunted spirit?”

So next time we get angry because we broke a nail, or we can’t find the remote, let’s refocus.

Anger in and of itself is not sin, yet it can cause us to sin. Instead of losing it and lashing out, let’s redirect and reach out.

Pray for direction; seek to make a difference in the Name of Jesus. Turn anger into action, and selfishness into service. Family, community, country, world.

It’s hard to grasp the hard truth, in some countries you’d have to knock on thirty-thousand doors before finding someone who has heard the gospel.  Thirty-thousand doors.

We can’t do everything, but we can do something. 

There are opportunities to give and serve in pregnancy centers, food pantries, on mission trips, in shelters, with hot meal programs…

Let’s share our gifts, walk in our calling and spread the joy. It’s time to bloom.

Have you turned anger into action in some way?

Share what God has placed on your heart to do. Do you feel drawn to a cause or mission?

In Him,

Doris