2 Peter 1:2 and 3...

This is a devotion I wrote for the worship team this week. For some reason, I think God wants me to put it here, as well.

2 Peter 1:2-3 (New Living Translation):

2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.


I have come to associate the term “growing in my faith” with “ challenge”. I used to think that I would grow in my faith when I really began studying the Bible. This was a great first step.. followed by a bunch more baby first steps.

I learned that in service I grew a great deal more.. and that actually applying God’s word encouraged real development of my heart. I learned to expect the feeling of being stretched and pulled as I learned about serving God instead of man, and learning that God calls us to joyful service, not “ Oh, Ok I guess I’ll do it”. God changed my attitude from one who looks for reasons or excuses not to serve, to one who said “ Whatever it takes, God.. whatever it takes.” For reasons unknown to myself, but known , I imagine, to my Father, I ended up being “in ministry”. My real growth had begun. And so had my challenges. Yay!

This brings me to why this verse is special to me. I learned recently that even" good southern women" who earnestly love Jesus and want to serve with all their hearts, can run out of manners. I am a person who is usually quick in the “giving grace” department. By nature. It is something I didn't have to try all that hard to do, mostly. This also means it was an area I tended to slack in when I prayed. Why bother asking God for one more thing when it was already sort of easy? ( Now, this makes me laugh at how obnoxious I really can be sometimes! Time to get really REAL here..)


Long story short, God will bring us to the end of ourselves just to teach us how much we need Him. He used some huge challenges, back to back, layered one on top of the other, with no break.. like waves- to bring me to a point where I was out of gas.. and out of grace. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that while I have limits ( OH boy do I have limits) , God does not. When I feel all used up, He is just getting started!! The more I learn, the less I know.. and He likes it that way because it keeps me seeking Him. As I know Him more, however, I learn to ask for what I need. He promises us grace. He promises us everything we need to live a godly life. He promises MORE and MORE grace and peace, usually as we end up having NONE of that on our own power.

I am thankful tonight for a divine God who knows just what we need , how to give it to us, and how to teach us through challenges - how to call on Him. That is how much He loves us.

The opposite game, God-style..

I just finished reading " Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell. If you have not read this book yet.. please please go get it and read it. He is a "deep thinking kinda guy".. and he refuses the idea of a small powerless "boxed up god" that is only a part of our lives when we are doing church stuff- and the way he looks at the things of God will change your perspective for the better. Just get the book and read it!

For some reason, reading his book has set off a cycle of thoughts in my own mind and heart about my God. People ask all the time " why does this happen, or that happen, if God is all that goodness that you talk about".. you know that line of questioning. I never have a good answer for it. I don't understand it myself. I probably never will understand why some things happen here.. especially when bad things happen to babies or children. That doesn't make any sense to me at all.. and I never know what to say when anyone asks me that stuff. Which brings me to thinking of God in terms of opposites, for some reason. I don't know why, it just did. So, what follows are just some random things that have been brewing in my brain for the past few days. My desire is to think on these things and seek answers from His word, and if it spurs you on to something similar, then , that's great ..

1- When I think of and focus on the cross, Christ, and the work He did - when I keep my mind on things "above", why do I feel more grounded and secure ?

2- The more I learn about God, and His ways and His character, the more questions I have and the less I know.

3- When I am weakest, He is strongest.

4- When I come to the end of myself, that is where I seem to always find Him. Why does it have to be like that??


5- The more of "me" there is in something, the less "Him" there is. I have learned to pray " All of You, and none of me" to remind myself that everything IS about Him.

6-Some of the most sorrowful times in my life I look back on with the most joy, because I see how close the situations brought me to Him.

7- The closer I am with Him, and the more I surrender to His will, the free-er I feel.

8- The more I die to myself, the more alive I am in Christ.


This list goes on and on.. but you get the idea.

One of the things that has come to my mind as I sit here typing, is that this list illustrates how God is "ALL THINGS". He came up with the whole thing, the universe, all that is in it, each of us, our minds, how our logic ( as simple as it is) works, the whole thing is His. He is everything, He is both ends ( and all sides) of every spectrum, which is why these things make sense- even when they don't.


I love thinking of God like this.. so many facets and very colorful and all "lit up" .. I love that we serve a non-boring God!

Blessings,
Cheryl

Hi again..

Sorry it's been so long! I was doing so well with this for a while then life got sort of "big" -

I am posting a devotion that I wrote for our worship team. God and I have been in serious discussion about our relationship this week- turns out my focus has not been properly directed even though I have been heavily counseling others to be aware of this very thing. Through some rough patches in ministry and some internal battling- as well as words of truth through a friend that I love and trust yesterday, hopefully we are back on track...

_____________________________________________________

King Solomon, one of the wealthiest men who ever lived, had everything he wanted. Yet he went on a binge, trying to satisfy his appetites with the wrong things. He went after passion. He went after possessions. He went after things of beauty and buildings and land. Here was his conclusion: “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

"Everything else in life is secondary to knowing and loving God—your career, your family, and even your ministry. Those things are all important. But the first and foremost purpose you have in life is to know the God who made you." ( Chris Jarrell)

I have been thinking about the fact that every one of us is created with a void in our hearts that can only be filled with God, and how we spend so much time and energy trying to fill it with other people and things. Relationships, work, material things.. even ministry- sometimes I am guilty of allowing my busyness consume me. My family needs things that can’t be delayed, especially my kids.. so I minister to those needs. There are many people God has placed in my life that need nurturing and caring for, so that takes priority. I "get to" my devotion and quiet time the same way- as if checking things off a to do list… even when I caution others not to do that. At the end of the day… I am left feeling alone, depleted and starved because although I have done the work, taken care of others, ministered , and even read His word that morning and prayed--something is missing. Was I facedown? Did I hunger enough for God to pay any real attention to Him that day?? The question I must ask myself at the end of every day is this: Is my relationship with God stronger this evening for having spent enough time facedown with my Savior, my Creator, the love of my life and the lover of my soul? If I cannot answer this question with a resounding YES, then I need to re-evaluate my priorities.


I began this devotion this morning after my quiet time, knowing that there had been a few things He was laying on my heart without knowing where He was going with them. In the middle of my writing time, I had a visit from a precious friend.. someone who’s insight I value and esteem greatly. During her visit, one of the things she spoke into my life was this truth: "In the end, it’s all about you and Him.. and that’s IT. Nothing else in this world matters as much as that matters."

While I have “known” this, my heart had not been aching enough to LEARN it- until the past couple of months. God has caused that void in my heart to ache so hard, and so far down, that for me to even begin to allow God in, I have had to give up so much control of myself-- and found myself decreased to the point of total surrender and worship- and that I willingly fall to my face before God and beg Him to begin to fill the hole in my heart.. and I understand that longing in my soul can only be met by Him increasing in my life. I must make that time with Him count. I must be on my face before the Lord. Otherwise I am not growing, I am not learning and my heart is sore, depleted and empty before I know it.

That is my prayer for each of us- that we would ache desperately enough to seek Him on our knees, even on our faces – and model that for the people we lead into His presence. I pray that this is what His people see in worship at Lifecoast Church. I pray that we each can find time to allow God to get in there deeply enough so that when we lead others in worship, we lead, then move out of the way so that their time with God can "count"... and eventually that will seep into their lives Monday through Saturday as well. I believe He wants it to count every single day- and He will bring us to our knees repeatedly for this to sink in.

I am so thankful we have a God who loves like that..

Blessings,
Cheryl

A different kind of post..reflections on three year old ballerinas

Good morning.

I am taking a break from normal programming today to talk about something I did yesterday that may have changed me forever.

I volunteered to be a backstage "Helper Mom" for Savannah's dance class, and also help out with the other two preschool age classes. There are 8 of us in something called the "Black Box Theater Room" with these children.

Yesterday was the dress rehearsal. Tonight is the actual recital.

I taught kindergarten for several years, and taught other ages from 4 year olds through 9 year olds for ten years. I have also been teaching my own at home since Watson was 7. He is now 13. There are 7 little girls in this dance class who are participating in the recital. "How bad could it be?? I get three free tickets!" FREE!! I love free !!

Oh. My. Goodness.


Let me ask you a question. Have you ever been sequestered in a room with 25 or so 3, 4 and 5 year old little girls for say, three or four hours? Only having one little girl at home, I like the way she approaches the world. She has a dancer's heart.. and she twirls , hops, flips and dances her way through the main part of her day. This is cute to me, especially after having two boys who did nothing like that. She is also much quieter than the boys were. I really like that about her. I could go on and on about the things I like about my daughter... and yesterday she was one of about 5 who actually behaved. God smiled on me where she was concerned.

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon..

25 little girls in makeup and full costume for the dress rehearsal. Hair in buns, lipstick applied.. anxious Moms backstage who were fussing with this or that on their girls, not wanting to leave them in the care of the capable helper moms- and 8 helper moms , armed and ready to entertain, fix, and care for these little ballerinas. ( I will say this.. they WERE ALL PRECIOUS.)

I am going to spare you the gritty details of what happened next, but I will say this: Nothing has ever stopped my heart like a little girl named Tori did yesterday when she refused to come off the little mini stage in the holding room, in her costume, then announced "Miss Cheryl, Imma FWIP!" and before I could get to her, she FWIPPED off the end of the platform. It was at the end of a long afternoon with Tori.. Tori led the ballerina rebellion during Savannah's class performance and had three other wayward dancers following her lead as she ran circles around the girls who were trying to dance. Tori was the one who announced the need to "GO DO POO" as we were lined up JUST about to go on for the finale..and there was more.. much much more- but the "fwip" was the end of the rope for Miss Cheryl.

Tori's mother did not come to get her until 6 o clock. All the other girls were gone by 5:30.. but bless Tori's heart, she was tired, firsty and "all wored out" and finally sitting and quietly watching a movie when her Mommie got there at 6. I had been with Tori since 3 o clock, and Miss Cheryl was also "all wored out".

After bath time , cuddle time ( I think I forgot to eat last night), Miss Cheryl went to bed at 9 o clock. I feel much better for tonight.. round 2- the recital.

Pray that Tori does not feel like fwipping. Pray also that her potty needs are met before she is lined up to go onstage. Pray for God to give me enough grace to be sweet no matter what happens..

By the way, next year I will be paying for my tickets.
:)

Love to all,
Cheryl

Isn't there a manual for this?

One of the ways God has really been stretching me over the past year is in learning how to "minister"to people. In my early and mid 30's, I was really really focused on my home and my babies - we were not really involved in a church, and my life centered around the 4 other people in my home. There is nothing wrong with this.. my babies were young and we were living in a new place... and my family is a high priority for me anyway. I guess I was ministering to them .. it felt more like just trying to survive some days, though. Always tired, always needing to clean someone or something up, someone always needing food that they could not get for themselves, you all with very little ones know what I mean here. When your babies are tiny, this is what you do- and I did. I was not always gracious, I was sometimes really grumpy because I needed a nap, and most of the time I totally forgot to thank God for these little people who needed me so much. Fast-forward a few years.... and some things changed. My kids are a little bit older and a little more independent.. and God tossed me out of the boat.

I remember right before Lifecoast launched in March of last year, I went through a period of time where I felt sort of useless. I don't have marketing experience, I am not that great with administrative stuff, I was only so-so at talking to people I didn't know that well.. and scared to death to go door to door to invite people to church. I did what I could, prayed and helped plan music and worship, and most of the time I wondered why in the world God was asking me to help do this. During my quiet time with Him one morning He touched my heart , and revealed something to me. The message I got was something like " Just wait til I bring some people in the doors.. then you will understand." What I didn't realize was just how much He would have to stretch and mold me as I learned that "church" is about all of us glorifying God as we learn to reach out to each other in love- and to give grace at every turn. I had been so sequestered in my home with just my family that I had not had to practice much grace. My children were little and very easy to love on.. and my husband is such an easy person to get along with that the one in the house needing the grace from everyone was ME!!

I have learned over the past year that there are some things I love doing , that I didn't know I loved doing.

I love helping other people.. I LOVE learning about their lives, and how they got here and learning everything I can about their journeys. This is something I have always enjoyed, and God is now using that whenever I lead a bible study , or talk to a group of people in His name. I love praying for others.. and with them, but this is something that has taken time for me to feel confident about. I adore worshipping God, and leading others in worship.. and teaching others ways to worship Him in every area of their lives. 5 years ago I had no idea I liked doing that. It was something that *I* enjoyed, but because God wants to use me ( and all of us) to bring glory to His name, He took that and turned it into something that I had NO idea was possible.

My point in this, if there is one.. let God define your place in His kingdom. Just because your life has always been this way, or that way, does not mean it can't or won't be different in a year. God can and will come in with a boatload of grace and lessons and bendy rubber band experiences and turn you into a whole new creation, all for His pleasure and glory. Let your heart be His, and give Him a chance to show off in your world. You will never look back and say " I am sorry I did this". More likely, you will look back and say " Wow.. look at what GOD did!"

Praising and thanking Him this morning ,

Cheryl

Scripture that stands out to me this morning-

Romans 5
Results of Justification:

1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Here is the same section of scripture from The Message:

1-2By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

3-5There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!


These verses give me such a lift in my spirit!

This week has been a troubling one - not for me, necessarily, but I see the enemy poking around , taking jab punches, wearing down an already tired and worn out group of servants - and it eventually does affect my own heart.

I pray, begging God to "call off the dogs". "Can't You see how worn out everyone is?? Can You NOT see how financially strapped they are?? Can You NOT SEE how yanked in a thousand different directions these people are? HOW can YOU do this to them?? They have been SO faithful to You- and I am sorry , God, but .. this makes me feel discouraged. "

I have found myself repeating this alot lately:

God is Sovereign, and this is NOT "all for no good reason."

That really does take alot of the load off if you grab onto it, and begin to believe that God already KNOWS the outcome.. He is calling the shots, and because He is LOVE, and He is GOODNESS, then something that glorifies Him will come out of a troubling situation.

Trials = strengthening, which = increased patience and capacity, which = the ability to give more grace and love to others. This translates into a projection of HOPE into the world, and it also translates into authenticity in our journeys. IF we can get to a point where we are automatically making the choice to praise God in the midst of our troubles, the enemy loses. God gets the victory. We survive the situation and come out stronger on the other side... "out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory!"

What's it gonna be?

Have you ever felt like asking someone that? Maybe, you felt like asking God that. I know, I have. I have also felt Him asking me that , many times.



It usually happens when I am faced with a frustrating situation , and am looking for a way out of it, a way over it, a way around it, or a way to push through it. Situations like this always call for some type of decision to be made, and one thing I am learning is that there are a few things I have to do before I can even start to weigh out my options.


1- Pray.. maybe for the "situation", maybe for the other person, ask God to make sure my motives are aligned with His Word- ask God to keep my heart right and my motives pure.

1a Thank God for what He has already done in my life, and ask Him to help me remember those blessings and victories as I begin to sort through whatever I am faced with.

1b- Ask for His guidance, His will to be done, and for the Holy Spirit to stay close by.

After prayer and meditation, I always feel more peaceful.
I have always been somewhat high-strung.
I always knew I was wired that way, and it was something about myself that always bothered me. I can remember as a young adult praying "Lord, make me a peaceful person." Instead, I was tightly wound, easily offended, quick to anger and feel hurt- and never one to assume the best in any situation. I was a "negative focuser". This caused anxiety and fretfulness, which cancels out any chance of having any peace. I realized later on, that it boiled down to one thing:

Do you trust and believe ME, or don't you?

This was the beginning of a season of buffet choices I began to realize I needed to make.

- Will you be a blessing to others, or be a complainer, and a burden to everyone around you?

- Will you accept MY love for you? Will you be willing to give that love to others in MY name? or do you choose to be unloving?

- Will people feel uplifted after being around you? or will they feel like you sucked the last drop of life they had left in themselves after spending the afternoon with you?

- Will you choose to assume the best in another person? will you make a choice to believe that they are NOT coming at you with anything less than a good motive? I will bless you for this.

- Will you choose not to be offended , even if their motives were not right? Will you choose to look at ME instead, and ask ME to give you grace to handle it well? I will bless you for this.

- Will you choose to look to ME for your identity? Nothing else should matter to you more than Me. I have a plan for your life.. and this is between you , and ME, anyway. I want to be able to say to you " Well done, good and faithful one." Give ME some reasons to say that to you one day.

- Will you make a choice to overlook faults in another, and be forgiving, like I have forgiven you and blessed you in spite of your sin? I will bless you for doing this.


- Will you make the choice, today, to take those two major commandments I gave you and take them to heart? Love ME, and love others. Love them enough to TREAT them like you love them. Go tell them about ME.

So...

What's it gonna be?

:)

My "extra grace required" coffee maker...

My hubby got me this amazing coffee machine for Christmas. It grinds the beans for you, then brews the coffee.. and I have to say that this machine makes the best coffee I have ever tasted. Anywhere. Nothing beats freshly ground coffee early in the morning.

So, this machine makes great coffee.. and it looks cool, it's stainless steel and black.. I really love using it. And this morning, at 7 AM, I went to the kitchen , looked at it, and decided it is a pain in my neck sometimes.

Here is the thing about this coffee maker.. first off, it is LOUD. It will wake your children, the neighbors, the dead, all in the same shot. It also has a ZILLION parts that have to be taken out, cleaned, and put back together "just SO", and if you miss something, forget a top or a lid somewhere, or maybe you are half asleep when you are trying to figure the whole thing out- coffee explodes everywhere. Ground up coffee beans end up on the ceiling, it makes funny noises, it's MESSY. My children are afraid of the coffee machine. Some mornings I just can't bear the hassle of taking it apart, making sure it is clean, making sure the 173 parts are all fitting in there just right.. some mornings, I miss my old coffee maker because.. it is easier to use. Very little grace required.. only 3 steps, and I get "pretty good" coffee.

On one particular morning, I forgot to put a filter in the filter basket. I turned my back to the fridge to get milk for my daughter, and I heard " MOMMY!! THE COFFEE IS RUNNING OUT EVERYWHERE!!"... I sigh, turn around, and quietly shut the thing off ( again) , survey the damage, and then I hear the "still quiet Voice."

"You know..." ( and I sort of know it's lesson time) " You are kind of like that coffee machine at times, Cheryl."

In Philippians 2, Paul gives us an opportunity for some introspection, and reminds us that we are to strive to have the attitude of Christ. To my knowledge, Jesus was never "Extra Grace Required." He WAS Grace. As I read through these passages, it hits me that at times, just like my "wonderful" coffee pot, I can be too much of a pain in the neck to use ( for God, I mean.) It isn't that He doesn't WANT to use me,and it isn't that He isn't able to use me even in my disobedience.. but I think at times I make it too hard. I might , by choice, make myself "unavailable" to God, and maybe He really just wants it done NOW, not when "I" get ready, or all the stars are aligned, and maybe He will just go use a pot that is easier to pour from. Ouch. Time to take inventory, and maybe some personal responsibilty while I am waiting on the coffee....


Lord, help me remember that I need to be available for Your use at all times. My heart's desire is that my flesh never get in the way of You doing Your thing with me, but sometimes I know I make it "too hard." Please forgive me for that, Lord.

Help me to remember always that Your grace is ENOUGH. Help me reflect that to others... and help me remember that if I choose to make myself "extra grace required", or make it too hard - You will use someone else because there is much work to be done!

In Christ's precious and Holy Name I pray,
Amen.

Busy few weeks...

It's the second week of May already... how did that happen??

We participated in the Flagler County Relay for Life this past weekend... and that was awesome!! Lifecoast Church raised almost 3 thousand dollars for Cancer Research.. tons of Lifecoasters came out to meet and serve in the community, and a great time was had by all of us!! We had our followup meeting yesterday, and plans are already underway for a team for NEXT YEAR!!

My oldest son just turned 13, and has a girlfriend. All I will say about this is that we could use prayer! She is the daughter of the family I have blogged about before.. I love them dearly and apparently that has filtered through and my son shares my sentiments. Their oldest daughter is beautiful and sweet and smart.. and has captured the hearts of not only my son and myself, but my daughter Savannah is captivated by her. The first time they met, Savannah *ran* over to her and jumped up in her arms. I keep thinking that is God with His supernatural "family love" thing at work. It doesn't make sense any other way. Through Him, however, it is a perfect fit.

Savannah has her first dance recital coming up, so we are excited about that. She is one of the youngest in her class, but ( figure this out) is one of three girls who actually learned the dance and she is a leader for her class. I have no idea whether or not she will actually DO it on stage... but she knows it and likes the idea of the stage and lights. I signed up to be a "Helper Mom" backstage. Three free tickets are worth the headache I will have after the recital. :)


Caden is... well, he is Caden. Words are beginning to jump out at him from everywhere.. he is reading things without me having to teach him. ( that's God.) He uses words like "architect" and "electrical power" to describe what he is in interested in. Pray with me that God gets hold of Caden soon- this brain energy needs to be focused on Godly things NOW. :)


Happy early Mother's Day to all the Moms reading this.. I pray that God blesses each of us with rest, extra energy and the insight to recognize the Joy He has given us in our families.

Blessings,
Cheryl

It has come to my attention-

That more people are reading this than I thought!

Please, PLEASE use the comment tab under the posts and let me know how you are doing.. I absolutely want to know how you are and what is going on and what God is doing in your lives!!


Love to each of you..

Cheryl

I want my DADDY!!!!!

( This is a repeat post of the email I posted to the Lifecoast Women's Message board for this weekend's service. I am doing this for those of you who do not see that site.)

Love,
Cheryl


________________________________________________________

"Daddy will fix this... he fixes everything."

"I'm Daddy's girl... he will understand."

If this is the mind's eye image that you have of your earthly father, know that I am envious. I spent most of my time avoiding contact with my earthly father while he was alive.. I never really knew him. He was no role model to me, I saw him maybe 3 times a year, ( all my fault), gave him obligatory gifts at Christmas and Father's day- and now that he is no longer alive, this makes me so sad that I cannot even begin to put it into words. I have always felt "lost from my father" in this way. I do not blame him for any of this, I really should have known better, and I should have tried alot harder to have a relationship with him while he was alive.


My step-father was devil incarnate , to me. He personified pretty much anything evil that I have ever seen or heard of- so I spent alot of my years from 2-15 just going "under the radar", so to speak. I realized a couple of years ago that because of the ideas I had about "father" ( for my own life), that my idea of God was realllly messed up. I identified with Pastor Mike's powerful message yesterday more than I can tell you.. because not only do I turn away from the Father sometimes now ( and I SOOOOOO know better), I spent YEARS of my life on the run from His will. I learned alot, but I missed out on so much that my heart grieves. Some of the most painful misery I went through in my 20's , I brought on myself, because I refused to be "found" by my Abba. How sad is this? Running from the one Being who loves you no matter what you do? I just did not realize what I was doing.

I wonder if there are any of you this morning who feel like God has turned His back on you? I know in some of my lowest times , that is where my mind tends to go..."God has forgotten about me, He doesn't care that I am suffering- He probably is glad that I am in this mess."Let me assure you, He is not glad. He loves you with everything He is, and is waiting for US to turn back to HIM and rest in His strength.

Father, help us to remember that Your will is good and perfect for us. Help us remember that You cannot help but be all Goodness and Mercy- and that You want to bless us and help us feel safe and secure. Help us to remember that we must turn back to You- walking away from You and not asking for help from You will not make us happy- it will only make us feel far from our Abba. We need You, God.. we need to be found.In Your Son's precious name I pray,

-Amen.

Quote of the day:

"Misery loves company, but Happy has friends."

- Unknown


XOXO
Cheryl

Reflections on chaos...

...and how God reveals Himself through order when you least expect it!

There is a Psalm, I think it is 118 or around there.. that has been speaking to me today. "This is the day the Lord made, we rejoice and are glad in it."

OK.. I have heard that a thousand times. I think, in the Methodist church , we did that in a repeating way or something, like, probably every service. It is one of the few I actually have in my memory, and how shameful that it was in there and I never took notice of it before. God makes EVERY day, right? Ok, yeah, got it. Give thanks every day for the blessings God has given us. Got it.

Did I get it? Probably not really. Not until God showed me His own way.

Here is how God used that verse to put some order into my Monday...

Mondays at our home are "catch up" days with things like laundry, school work, tidying up and things like that. It has become for me what Saturdays used to be, before outreaches, and travel baseball. The weekends, for us, are more like workdays now. Monday was never my most favorite day anyway, because it used to mean "back to work/school/yuckky." I woke up this morning , however, feeling some pressure because it is nearing time for Watson to have his yearly homeschool evaluation. This time, every year, I feel internal pressure to round up everything we did and put it into some sort of binder or folder so that a "certified teacher" can look at it and tell me if my child has "learned anything" or not this year. ( You can probably tell that this is my least favorite part of homeschooling.)

Anyway... because the past year has been VERY chaotic between kid's things, family stuff, the church and ministry, I have NOT kept up with much paperwork. When you homeschool, this is a BAD IDEA. I already know that. I let it happen anyway.

God gave me an extra measure of energy this morning, however. I got four loads of laundry done.. helped Caden with reading , helped Savannah paint a VERY pretty picture for Daddy to take to work, and suffered through TWO hours of pre-algebra type fractions with Watson, not to mention brushing up on his latin, and his Bible work. ( In between this, taking care of juice needs, potty breaks, breakfast, snacks , cleaning duties , the phone, answering email.. and hugs when I can get them...) and, at some point... I tackled the dreaded "Portfolio". Watson already knows how this tends to make me sort of , well.. angry- every year.. and he quietly took both the younger kids outside. I had already had a couple of outbursts, and ended up assigning him two bookreports to be proofed, edited and turned in before next Friday. Not fair.. I know.

Anyway, I had been feeling frustrated because Watson struggles with school work. He actually doesn't much like it. Math.. we get done through blood, sweat and tears ( mine and his, sometimes Dad's too) - the other subjects, he tolerates. But that is as far as it goes. He CAN do it, but he doesn't ENJOY it much. As I was sighing, putting things together into his folder, I realized...

1) At this time last year he was barely multiplying, and did not understand long division at all. Now, he can add, subtract, divide or multiply fractions, he understands common denominators, he can find the lowest or highest CD, reduce fractions, and manipulate mixed numbers. He has made huge progress... and it is evident in the pile of math system sheets that I looked through today.

2) He is 2 weeks away from getting his certificate of completion in a co-op course in Latin and Roman History. He got a B-plus on the Roman History project he turned in. He had help with it, of course, but still.. he is passing the class and can get High School credit for his work for one year of Foreign Language. Huge , huge accomplishment for a person who is 3 weeks shy of his 13th birthday.

3) He has been studying the Life of Christ, and His 3 year ministry on earth. Watson can tell you exactly what has to happen for someone to be "born again", and he understands the difference between *saying* you are a Christian and *acting* like one. He understands it is a heart matter. He understands terms like sin, mercy, and compassion, and can explain them to you and tell you the things Christ did to model those for us. He understands why Christ came to earth , and why He died on the cross. He really GETS it. He knows what a servant heart is, and why God wants us to have that. He also has learned the differences between Creationism and Evolution theory, and shows Biblical understanding of why Christians believe in the Creation. He is getting pretty good at defending his stand, as well.

4) He is reading on a solid 7th grade reading level. Last year at this time, he was probably somewhere in the 5th grade as far as reading. His comprehension has improved, greatly, as have his writing skills.


So, in the midst of this hectic , chaotic, catching -up Monday, I am looking at his work for the year, and I remember that verse. God gave us this day , there is joy in it, and I am standing here in the kitchen, looking at it in Watson's homeschool portfolio. I am also acutely aware that none of that would have gotten done if not for God's grace in our lives.

So, after the past couple of weeks of trying to remind myself to praise God when things get hard , today I am filled with thanks and a joyful heart that my kids are healthy, their brains work well, our family lacks for nothing, there is love in our home , and God is in the driver's seat, gently restoring order when we humans try to pursue disorder.

He is good, all the time.

Cheryl

Pastor Jeff's sermon today : A living Hell.

Now that I got your attention.. :)

Just a couple of thoughts on Pastor Jeff's teaching from this morning.. Basically, he asked us to decide if our lives reflect Heaven ( do others see Christ in us? Do we exhibit the fruits of the spirit? Are we actually acting " different" in the sense that we have the Holy Spirit living in us, can other people tell that when they are around us?)
OR... do we reflect something else? Something very un-heavenly?

Does the world influence us, or do we take a stand for Jesus, and influence the world on His behalf? Will we gossip, be unkind ,unfriendly and unforgiving?

OR.. will we be merciful, gracious andloving to those people we come in contact with who need to meet ourSavior? ( and each other!!)

It is always about the choice. We are not meant to fit into the mold that the world wants to put us into.. we are consecrated ( set aside for God) from the moment we turn our hearts to Him. That being said, our choice is this: Do I accept that I cannot be like Iused to be? Do I acknowledge that I am not to live bound by the sin of my flesh anymore? Will I step out in my faith, proclaim God's victories in my life, and LIVE IT, so that others see the love of Christ, in me?

Lord, let us each decide to live our lives in such a way that we are pleasing in Your sight. Let us always be most concerned with how YOU see us, as opposed to being worried about whether or not we "fit in" with the world. We don't, Father.. but we look forward to the day when we will rejoice with You in Heaven, and we will fit IN - in the Kingdom of God.

In Christ's precious HOLY name-

Amen.

When things go wrong..

Corinthians 12:9 tells us that no matter what happens , His grace is enough for us. I have read this passage many times, and I thought I knew what it meant. This week, however, I needed this one just to survive each day- and I figured out what it *really* means.

Have you ever been hurt by someone you love and trust? I mean.. deeply, truly hurt by something that they did ? The kind of hurt that sends you reeling into a grieving process? I have lost both my mother and father , and have been to grief workshops and even went to a counselor for a year learning to deal with grief- so I recognize it when it hits.

Grief comes in stages ( they feel more like waves, at times) and the books all say that you have to go through each stage in order to heal. Denial is first ( this isn't happening), then anger ( HOW could this happen??) Depression, and finally acceptance- and at some point after acceptance, if you have gone through the other stages, you start to heal. Skip one of the stages, and buddy, you will be in trouble, because you will not heal, you will only sort of "scab" over and at some point the unresolved issues will raise up and cause problems.

There is no set timetable, everyone has their own, and sometimes even the steps don't go in that order- or you may find yourself "stuck" in one- which means you won't really progress to healing until you are done with that stage.

I don't know why I am writing all of this stuff, it sounds like something out of a text book... what I really wanted to do was point all of this back to Jesus.

When something makes me feel like I have felt the last week or so, I tell Him " This hurts me and I don't know how to handle it." He says " I have grace for you, for that. Let Me handle it for you." I tell Him " I am angry and I cannot possibly forgive this!! Do You see how I have been wronged??" He tells me " It isn't the first nor the last time- look at the scars on My palms. I have given you grace when you hurt Me, haven't I? You must give grace in My name, and be willing to forgive as you have been forgiven."

I tell Him " Lord.. I am so sad that I can't even think. I am worn out from talking , crying and trying to deal with this." He says " My grace is sufficient for you. Come to Me, and I will give you rest." Once I give in, and give it over to Him, then my healing starts. And so it is for all of us, if we will just surrender to Him.

I am making a choice today to focus on His goodness instead of things that hurt or make me angry or sad or feel hopeless. As a child of God, I have that option.

Praising a God Who makes that possible.

Cheryl

Lifecoast Church's 2nd Easter ...

Holy Moly!

Nearly 250 in attendance. Kid's programs filled to near capacity.. packed auditorium.. people all over the building hearing about how much Christ loves them.. some for the first time. Other mature Christians in full throttle celebration mode, praying for anyone who might be drawn to Jesus this morning...

Amazing worship time.... loving fellowship before and after the service.. a Pastor that not only gives the message with impact but lives it to the nth degree, and models it for anyone who knows him...


People serving in all kinds of places... set-up, hospitality and greeting, worship, kid's areas, registration, and some just milling around ready and willing to be Jesus with skin on to anyone who is in need.

I am in praise and thanking mode tonight as I reflect on the events of yesterday. Thank You Father for bringing us to Lifecoast Church. Thank You for everything You have so lovingly and patiently taught me over the last 2 years. Thank You for drawing me close to You, and for never letting go.

I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice...

Cheryl

and then , today..

is Good Friday.

From Luke 23:

33When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."[e] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."
36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
38There was a written notice above him, which read:sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[f]"
43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Jesus' Death 44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.



My 12 year old son asks me " Mom, couldn't Jesus have saved himself?? He is GOD!! He could have struck His tormentors with lightening, gotten Himself down off that cross and fixed everything!" ( This , asked through tears as we discuss the events of this Holy week.)

Jesus *did* fix everything. He knew the Father's plan. He was obedient to the point of death, for the sake of the world. This is a kind of love I will never be able to comprehend- but it is a love that is changing my heart, daily. It is a love that causes me to see people and the world around me in a different way.. and it causes me to desire my life to have eternal value, instead of temporal earthly significance.

Remember Him today. Thank Him for His great love for you. Let Him touch you deeply , let yourself be vulnerable and affected by His suffering. On Sunday, we celebrate :)

With love,
Cheryl

So, today is "Maundy Thursday".

Being from a Methodist background ( ok, so I am from a Baptist/Methodist background - pick one already!) anyway, in my teen years I remember going to church on the Thursday before Easter to Maundy Thursday services.

About the only relevant thing I took away from it in those years was the knowledge that it commemorated the day before Jesus died on the cross. For as long as I can remember, I have felt sort of grieved on Maundy Thursday - and only in the past , I'd say, 6 years or so, have I begun to understand why. As I study more about the suffering Christ endured, and take personally the role that my own sin played in that suffering, yeah, it grieves me. And I cannot even begin to understand the grief it causes my God.

I found something today that explains what the word "maundy" means. It is from the latin "mandatum novum", ( command or mandate) and is referring to " love one another as I have loved you." This is from Jesus, as he served his disciples and washed their feet at the last supper. He showed them by example how to really put others before yourself, serve and truly love . That is just the kind of person He is. Thinking of Jesus in this way makes my heart nearly burst! What a priveledge to be loved by Him, to know Him, and to serve Him.

As I meditate on this particular example of what Jesus did for us, God keeps speaking something to my heart. As I read His word, and thank Him for Who He is .. what in the world do I ever have to complain about? Why in heaven's name would I ever for one second say " I am so tired", or " I am so stressed out", or not be willing to step outside of myself for a minute to love on another child of God, in His name? "Life is hard." Ok, yeah sometimes it is. My complaints compared to the suffering of Christ? Nothing. Really.. truly, nothing significant.

I know that I am not Jesus.. and I realize that He is the One who saves us from ourselves, our selfisheness, our sin, and our own will ( which, incidentally is the very thing that gets us into hot water at times.) However, Christ IS the example that God has given us. God is continually working on our hearts to transform us into the likeness of Christ. He will also pursue us at ANY cost to do this. I have a good friend who reminds me not to let it "cost too much". I understand this, and it spurs me and challenges me to know God more, and to be as obedient to Him as I can. And when I just can't, to hit the floor, and ask for His help. This should be my plan of action in all circumstances anyway. I pray God helps me remember this step before I take any other actions on my own!


Father, I can never thank You enough for what You did for me. I see myself in sin, and know that I am helpless to fix any of it on my own. My pride and selfish heart get in the way of You using me for Your glory, sometimes, and I pray You will forgive me for that. The only thing in this world, Lord, that gives me true joy, is seeking You more, and putting You first. I love my husband, children and my family, but I know I don't love them anywhere near the way You love them. I love my friends and my church, God, but I know that the love I feel for them is nothing compared to the way You love them. Help me remember that, Father. Help me to always remember that You set the example, You set the standard for my life, and anything I do , anything I say, or think, God, please let it be in obedience to You. Let my life bring honor and glory to You, God.. and thank You for loving me even when I fall way short of that.

Thank You for Your sacrifice. By Your stripes and suffering, my sin and shame is forgiven, and put away. I don't deserve that, but You did it out of love for me, and I thank You.


I look forward to Sunday, when I am with my family celebrating Your resurrection, Lord. You are mighty and wonderful, and I praise Your holy name!!

I ask these and all things in the mighty name of Jesus,
Amen.

Easter week thoughts-

I posted this on our women's website today. I am re-posting it here, for those of you who don't check that site.

Love,
Cheryl

_____________________________________

This past week, Pastor Jeff focused on what Christ did for us, and challenged each of us to really try to grasp and understand as much as we can, what his death on the cross really means for us.
I am consumed this week with the idea that my sin alone was enough to send Jesus to the cross. He took on MY sin and shame , and suffered being forsaken by God because of me. I don't know about you, but this thought makes all of this really personal for me. It most definitely gives me pause ,and also creates in my heart a need to re- read those scriptures, seek His presence in my meditation time , and reminds me to thank and praise Him no matter what petty things I am "going through" . None of it can even come close to what He endured on my behalf.

I came across this today, and thought I would share with you, as it touched me. I pray that each of you are profoundly affected by how much Jesus loves you.

"Because of Jesus' suffering, we also have an advocate when we suffer. No matter what we are going through, no matter how tough or terrorizing, one thing is sure: Jesus understands. He has endured far worse, for our sake. When we are tempted to look up out of the dark holes we find ourselves in, to search the heavens and call out to God—we may wonder, "Where is God and why won't he rescue me?" Consider for a moment that Jesus doesn't gaze down at you from some great throne in Heaven. No. He is beneath you, waiting for you to let go and fall back into his arms. Jesus has experienced the limit of suffering and he is able to meet you where you are. "
Praise Him!!

Sorry it's been so long between posts!

Things have been hectic and wonderful this month..

Let's see- we had family in town for a few days.. it wasn't long enough, though. I have been dealing with the "post- visit blues" since they left last week. It feels like the day after Christmas. Do you know what I mean? All the excitement is over, church services and parties done, decorations have to come down.. the end of the fun puts me in a blah mood. Having family here is such a blessing and so hard when they leave!! Plus, they were only here three days, and we all had such a great time together, it just wasn't long enough. Better than nothing though.

On the upside -

That family I told you about.. the ones who had to foreclose on their home? The ones we helped move into the new place.. have assisted financially and the ones I have totally fallen head over heels in love with? THEM?!?? They came to church!! Two weeks in a row.. AND the beautiful wonderful 14 yr old precious daughter came to Youth group last week and LOVED it! She is also wanting to volunteer in Kidz Church , she was GREAT with the little ones, AND their mom wants to come check out Youth group this week.. she might want to help out with that! My heart soars just thinking about how good our God is!

Their little 9 yr old.. cute as pie.. loves Kidz church. She begs to come.. doesn't want to leave.. did I mention I love that family? God has placed the strongest urge in my heart to love them. It has to be supernatural.. God wants a family relationship there, so it is there. I adore spending time with them. I am praying for this to be the most amazing Easter ever, for this sweet family. Pray with me!! God is doing something huge here!!

Something else God is talking to me about the past couple of weeks.. He has actually been speaking to my heart about this topic since last May- it comes up again and again, because apparently I have not nailed the lesson down yet. My Father is so patient with me, praise Him!

So, here I am , reading this book called 'Heart of Worship' by Matt Redman. He is a pretty well known Christian artist and worship leader. Great book, challenging... I am nearly done with it and already wanting to read it again.. and I hit upon one of the devotional extras done by this chick named Daphne Rademaker. She is a Vineyard worship leader in Canada.

"Let God be your defense, and advertiser. I continue to learn over and over that we don't need to make room for ourselves, or strive to become a part of things. We just need to work on our craft, and knock on the door with whatever we have to offer God. "

Then.. this, which hit me in the gut:

"There is a distinct difference between trying to gain favor with people , and doing what God has asked you to do. Always go with what God is telling you to do, not what others think you should or should not be doing."

I like to please people. Everyone. I like to, but as I am getting older, and learning about my God, I know in my heart that I am to be pleasing in HIS sight. Along with these lessons, come things like patience to wait on His timing for things to pan out.. patience with myself.. patience with others. I pray diligently , I rarely skip on my quiet time.. I know I can't. I want to go to Him with things. One of the blessings of the way God created me is the fact that I honestly do have a desire to be obedient. Problem is.. I also need to be able to discern God's voice from disapproval of men. ( Remember that part where I like to please? ) I know that my ministries have specific Godly order to them. God, my marriage, my family, my ministries.. that is the order. I get into trouble when I start feeling like others want to define my order- or when I try to define it myself. Only God can do that. But I do struggle when I hear things from loved ones that seem to contradict what God has already told me. My life the past two years has been abundantly blessed by God because He is faithful. He directs my path, and when I listen to Him , He blesses that. I now spend alot of time praying for Godly reminders of how He blesses me when I am obedient to Him, and Him alone. Not praying really for the blessings, just thanking Him for the reminders.

My desire is to have a pure heart before Him. I pray daily for Him to keep my heart right and my motives pure. On my own, I fail , alot. Thankfully, all I have to do is ask again, and there He is again to bless that. If ever there was an unworthy soul, here I sit. Aware of His grace and mercy.. and thankful to the core that He loves me in spite of my sin, and in spite of my lack of faith in Him, and in spite of the fact that I have to be reminded over and over that I serve HIM. I love that direction comes from God, and not whatever expectations or boundaries anyone else would like to put there.

Last May, God spoke something to my heart that I have used as my daily mantra with this church plant thing. It was just something really simple, that has profoundly affected my life and how I view ministry, whether it be my family, or church/community related. It reminds me that it really isn't about me( Oh, how I need that reminder daily!) and it isn't about where someone else thinks I should or shouldn't be serving.. or how anyone views my role in the church or in this life. He said " Just do the work." I think what He meant by that was .. " Just do what *I* ask, remember to thank Me , and you will do just fine."

I wouldn't want it any other way.

:)

Oh!! I forgot!

This past weekend marked Lifecoast Church's FIRST ANNIVERSARY!!


Our baby church is officially a toddler now.. learning to walk in ministry, in faith, and in His light. We had a large crowd there yesterday, over 200 people in the service, lots of video clips from happenings of the past year, awesome worship ( I have never seen that many folks getting into it and reaching up to the Holy Spirit- and He was REIGNING in there..) Pastor Mike's message was wonderfully challenging .. there was ICE cream involved.. ( after the service, not during the message, heheh) - It was just a most amazing celebration of God's goodness.

Mike's message was part two of Luke 15- the contemptuous boys. He challenged us all not to be like the older son.. angry and bitter and far away from the Father's heart, but to be AFTER His heart. Where is that? Look at where Jesus went. He spent His time seeking out the lost, the fallen, the ignored, the left behind, the sick ... those people that no one else would love. That is where His heart is. As Christ- followers, this is where we go if we want to be about our Father's business.

I pray that God will take me there at every opportunity.. into the places where " the least of these" are. If that is where He is, then I want to go, too. I don't want to stay in a boxed up safety zone if God isn't here. I am chasing my Father's heart.

Blessings,
Cheryl

One church, and a truck-

And Jesus will answer them, "Whatever you neglected to do unto one of these least of these, you neglected to do unto Me!"

Jesus never turned His head from need. He is our example.


A few posts ago, I told you about a couple that I met a while back who were struggling financially to the point of losing their home. Well, the worst has happened.. they are in the middle of foreclosure proceedings, and had to move this past weekend. I don't know about you, but from an earthly standpoint, that looks and feels like one of those "rock bottom" places to me. I know we each deal with our own individual demons, but financial issues have always scared the living daylights out of me, and for God to ask me to work with a family facing something that is terrifying to me, is odd, I think. ( His ways are not our ways..)

I also told you that my friend made the comment to me " You know, sometimes rock bottom is the best place to be, because that is where people find Jesus." I know in my heart that is true, I found Him there myself ( or at least was re-aquainted with Him in such a way that I have not been the same since)- and I have seen it a hundred times. This weekend I think I saw it again.. Jesus showed up to move these folks and minister to them in a most amazing way!

Our church has this unspoken ministry.. The Moving Guys. Sid and I were both astounded a year ago when they came into our home like a SWAT team, packed us up and moved us in less than a day. Did you hear me say I AM NOT PACKED YET??? ( This was my recurring question as my brothers and sisters threw everything we owned into any bag or box and carried it across the street.. )I felt like I was in an indoor tornado. My head was spinning and I felt dizzy.. but my heart was full of love and gratitude for these amazing people. WHO would do that for someone?

Jesus. There He was , with skin on, moving all my stuff.

I was blessed to experience this from the other side , this past weekend. My friends were the ones watching in shock and amazement as these big guys came , loaded up their house of furniture, drove it to the new place and unloaded in less than two hours. I watched Jesus, in the form of these giant hearted men , wrap love all over a family who does not yet know their Father.. but they sure saw Him that day- for the first time. I know she saw Him, because she told me. For the first time.. she thinks there really may be something to the whole "Jesus" deal. Her hubby, who is pretty much agnostic- asked her for the first time in the 15 years she has known him... if she thought they should maybe check out this "Church" thing. There is more to come.. God is NOT done here yet!! Praise Him!

I am overwhelmed, I am humbled beyond words, and I am on my knees thanking my Abba Father today. He is huge. He is love and He is very real... and He is on the "MOVE" in more ways that you can count.


Lord, You are good.
Bring your lost ones home, Father.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Come on back..

OK, so most of us have heard the story about the prodigal son. He went to his father, demanded his inheritance early... his father gave in to his requests, and the son went off " to find himself" and make a place in the world. The "world" basically ate him up, and spit him back out.. he squandered it all and was left sitting in a pig pen full of slop. Defeated, and broken, he goes back to Dad and offers to work his way back into the family and into Dad's good graces.. but none of that is necessary. Dad throws a huge party, a feast, showers him with love, and a robe fit for royalty, completely forgiving his wayward child.

Many things were tossing around in my mind as I listened to Pastor Mike teach yesterday. One, I totally relate to the wayward son. I did exactly that. I turned away from God for a time, made myself a big pile of pig slop to sit in, allowed the world to break me, and eventually came back to my Father. He did just what the father in the story did... accepted and loved me and has blessed me beyond measure. How great is our God?!?!?

The second thing was.. will I be able to do this as a parent? There have been times when my oldest son has been "contemptuous" toward me, and it makes me FURIOUS!! I know that there have been times when the LAST thing I felt like doing was being forgiving, and gracious towards him when he does that. That's the flesh acting out, and that is not the example that Jesus gave us in this teaching parable. We are called to forgive, forgive, forgive.. as we have been forgiven. I pray God gives me the strength to do that as I go through life with my kids.

The last thing God brought to my mind was .. memories of how I had been less than respectful to my own Mother. I went through the middle school years ( and probably some of High School) thinking that she really didn't know much, and that she was old fashioned in her thinking, and because of some things that had happened in our family, I did not have enough respect for her. I did what the prodigal son did. I demanded from her, then went my own way and ended up in a pig pen, needing Jesus. Although thinking about that time fills me with sadness, and makes me sorely miss my Mother.. ( she passed away about 8 years ago- our relationship was great at the time that she died), I am grateful for that time of learning. I am grateful that Jesus welcomed me back with open, loving arms. I am thankful that he restored me , and healed my messed up relationships and gently picked me up and set me back on the track.. the one that lead to His will for my life. It fills me with deep happiness to know that He has forgiven me, and continues to forgive me for the times that I fall into sinful ways. I am so thankful to be a loved child of God!!

Thank You, Lord, for loving us back into a state of grace. Thank You for never running out of " I forgive you's".. we need all we can get from You. Thank you for times of teaching and pruning, when You pull back Your hand and let us experience what life is apart from You. I have had that, and I am not interested. Thank You for showing me that my life only has meaning when YOU are my top priority. I pray that I would never break Your heart again.. but I thank you for breaking mine.


In Christ's precious name,
Amen.

Can others see Christ in me?

Joy Williams sings a song about this. The following are the first verse and chorus:

Is the face that I see in the mirror the one I want others to see?
Do I show in the way that I walk in my life the love that You've given to me?
My heart's desire is to be like You in all that I do, all I am


CHORUS:Do they see Jesus in me?
Do they recognize Your face?
Do I communicate Your love and Your grace?
Do I reflect who You are in the way I choose to be?
Do they see Jesus, Jesus in me?



The words are something to think about. God's word tells us to go proclaim the good news to the world.. but I have asked God how to do this, if "preaching" isn't really my style. It just doesn't come out right- and as a friend of mine asked me the other day " I just never seem to see the fruit of my labor and I don't know why? It must be something I am doing wrong!"

A couple of things came to my mind.. one, being the whole "seed-sower" issue. God told me long ago, maybe in my teens, that this would be my "modus operandi" where He was concerned. Some of us get the gifts of prophecy and teaching or evangelism ( I didn't get much of those) and others of us get gifts like mercy, serving, or shepherding gifts. Apparently that was the line yours truly was in. :) I praise Him for those gifts, and cry out for Him to use them through me to accomplish His works.. but being a seed- sower is hard sometimes. I have seen others get to lead the very people to Christ that God had put in my life for a time of "softening" or something like that. I could go one of two ways with this. I could cop an attitude with God :" HEY!! Those were MINE!" ( probably not wise, since they were never mine, they are HIS) or, I can praise Him that they are now in the family of God and will be in Heaven for all eternity. I choose that. :)

Other times, God might put people in your life for a time of softening, and you grow to love and care for them, then *poof* they leave . Maybe you keep in touch, maybe you don't- but God always knows where they are. In His time, and according to His will, He pursues and answers those prayers. This is probably harder for me to swallow- but my Father admonishes me to go ahead in faith, knowing that HE is always faithful. Amen? :)

Back to my original pondering... as Christians, we are called to preach the gospel, in whatever way we can do that. One of the most powerful ways this can happen is for someone to recognize Christ in us and in our lives and families. How can a person see this? One little word. "Grace."

Much grace was poured upon us at the time of Christ's persecution and death for our sins. For what we have been given, a lifetime and an eternity with God , we are thankful and we praise Him. Out of that thanks , our hearts are transformed through the work of the Holy spirit... the Holy Spirit, when we ask, gives us all we need for others to see Christ in us. We are being made into His likeness.. meek, humble, loving and kind, generous, gracious and selfless servants of the Living God who are called into the world to love the hurting and lost. Take this seriously. If we aren't loving the hurting and lost , who is? The world? Satan may try to lure them, but he certainly isn't loving on them.. and to a hurting person, being lured looks like love sometimes. Temptations and worldly acquistions look alot like acceptance to many people. I believe it doesn't take much for people to see something different in us as Christians, but I believe we must ask God for the ability to BE different. Pledge to be kind today to someone "different" from yourself. Pledge today to choose a smile and soft heart over anger and spite. Pledge today to use words that uplift someone, as opposed to tearing them down ( even if you feel like they "deserve" it. ) A friend of mine said to me once " Every chance you get, take the high road." Another friend says that her Mother in law tells her to "Just do the next right thing." Basically we can look at Christ, and ask God " Lord, make me more like Him." He always took the high road, and He always did the next right thing.

Father, create in me a clean heart. Remind me daily that my first order of business with You is to say Thank You for all the blessings you have showered upon me. God, I pray that you would fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and use me to do Your work here on this earth. I pray You would lure me further and further away from the world and it's temptations, and closer to You and Your plan for me. Lord, I ask that you would help me give others grace. Let there be a smile or a hug from me that is sent to a hurting person, from You. Love others through me, Father. Let them see Jesus in me.

In Your Son's precious name I pray,
Amen.

A harlot came to church today-

Shocking, isn't it?

Actually, our Pastor's wife was a harlot. Not really, but she played one today in church. She will probably not like me saying this, but she was GREAT at it!

Seriously, she portrayed the love and devotion part perfectly. Holly is a unique person that God has woven together with some amazing gifts. Teacher, prophet, friend, actress , creative spirit, wild woman, ( in the best sense of that word, kind of like John the Baptist, it would never shock me to watch Holly eat a locust for Jesus's sake) she is the most interesting person I think I have met in my adult life. Totally sold out for Christ, and constantly challenges the leadership of our church to head that direction, as well. I'm listening, Holly!!

Anyway, about the story she and Mike presented today.. Holy smokes.

Mike played the part of the judgemental pharisee. You have to know, this is NOT his character. I think he was ALL bout the whole " I'm a Jew" thing, he dressed the part and was singing in Hebrew after the service, he truly cherishes being grafted into the family.. but you have never met a more gentle soul than this guy. He wears Jesus like a robe, and it's all over him. When he walks into a room, he brings the Savior in as well.. you can feel it. He is genuine, and truly feels compassion for the flock under his care. Anyway, he did bring the pharisee to life , in spite of how much it probably goes against his grain. He told the story, played the part- we were all sucked into the scene- then out comes Holly, dressed like an old testament harlot. All in pink and purple silk.. talking about this man Jesus, who says He came for all of us.

As the scene went on, her dialogue went from disbelief, to "are you kidding me with that", to "HE LOOKED AT ME!!" - the harlot fell in love ... and was transformed!! Holly herself was brought to tears, crying out to her Savior, and she took an auditorium of about 200 people with her, to the Savior's feet.

I have heard her say many, many times, as I have asked her for advice, when I am working with people who are in need, or distressed - " Just point them to Jesus."

She did that today. I had a headache from crying so hard during the service, then had to lead worship after that?? How?? " Just point them to the Savior.." God did His thing, as He always does.. and sang through me. I love that.

God is on the move at Lifecoast Church. You can feel it when you enter the doors. You can feel it in the various activities during the week. I know something is happening when I am moved to tears doing my bible study homework during the week. He is touching hearts and changing lives and using this new church as His tool to do that. May He increase, and I pray that we would all decrease.. until all you can see of any of us , is Him.

I love my job,
Cheryl

God helps those....

who help themselves...? That's not even in the Bible.

I read something today that says that is even the exact opposite of what is biblical. Basically.. we can't help ourselves. We need Jesus to help us - believing we can stand alone is a lie from the pits of Hell.

Jer 17:5 (NIV) This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD."
Prov 28:26 (NIV) He who trusts in himself is a fool...

God is teaching me something about benevolence, and how His throne of grace fits into that picture. God is a benevolent, giving, loving God.. and those of us He has blessed are called to give back to needy people, and bring Jesus along to introduce them to Him. All the charities, fund-raising and money in the world won't help if the hurt and lost don't know Christ. Can I get a witness, here?

I recently met a woman through ministry who has always been a hard worker, she takes care of her kids, loves and supports her husband, but due to some hard life circumstances, is about to lose her home. Not only that, they have not even been able to set aside money to cover security deposits and the like to get into a rental home. My first reaction is to throw money at the situation, and beg others to do that. God says " Ask me first." I have asked and asked and asked, made calls upon phone calls to people that I know who own, or know people who own rental property who MIGHT be willing to work with them. I have prayed with every group of people I have been with over the past two weeks, for this woman and her family, and spent hours on the computer researching foreclosure prevention, and charitable help for families in this area and have pretty much come up empty. So what is God doing here? This lady is His child. So are her children and her husband.. they just don't yet know their Father. What kind of example am I setting here if I can't help them? Or worse.. what if GOD chooses not to help them this time? Moreover, there are people IN my own church who are in the same boat... but for some reason, THESE people are on my heart. I am begging God to help, bring help from SOMEWHERE - and He speaks to me. " I am on My throne, here." *I* know He is in control.. how do I convey this to someone who doesn't know Him?

I am learning about Godly guidelines, and boundaries. I am learning about His loving control over every single thing that happens here. He knows what my friend is going through. I am praying and asking that no matter what, she sees Him in me- and maybe even comes to accept that He loves her. Rock bottom can be the best place a person can be, if that person finds Jesus there. ( Thanks, Holly, I needed to be reminded of this, today.)

Thank you, God, for being on Your throne. Help me bring my friend to see You.

In His name and covered by His blood,
Amen.

About this whole "faith" thing..

"Therefore let us draw near to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16)

Over the past year or so, I have learned more about God through prayer than I ever imagined. God has transformed me from a timid "hands thrown up in the air since He does what He wants to anyway" kind of person to a " Let's ask Dad!!" kinda girl.

I once confided to a friend that I had figured out that since I didn't really have that much of a relationship with my biological father, and my step-father was sort of a punishing, mean spirited tyrant kind of a man.. I had to admit, that was how I saw God in my mind's eye. Ok.. I knew He was up there, He "loved" me.. but I always thought God was just watching and waiting for me to screw up. And then, if punishment was needed, He was right there doling it out in the way of failures, missed opportunities, and causing nearly everything in my life going "wrong"... my friend listened patiently to my belly-aching, then gently pointed me to Jesus. ( thank you Lord for friends like this!!) A couple of things were "revealed " to me through the words of my friend:

One.. I was a brat.
Two.. God isn't like that.

It took time, study and some experiences with specific prayer to change my heart on this topic. As I learned about God's goodness... His mercy.. and His love for me, I began to ask God to help me see Him the way He wants His children to see Him. I began asking Him to help me forgive some things and people in my past.. He did. I began asking Him to help me believe Him for His promises.. He did. Before I knew what had happened, I realized one day that I had a handle on some kind of new "bigger faith" in the God Who created me! Over time, I began to have glimpses in my heart and mind of a God who wanted "relationship" with me. I began to visualize a God who was pleased that I was asking for His help with things, instead of turning to my own earthly toolboxes. I began to ask Him to show me HIS plan for my involvements, my activities, my family life , my marriage- everything I had my hands in, I began to ask that His hand would be on it too. A plan is slowly taking shape before my very eyes.. in the form of some gifts from God.

me: " God, I am too timid to be a leader."
God: " Ask Me for Godly confidence."
me: " Ok, will you bless me with that? I think I need that to do what You are asking me."
God: " You got it. "

It wasn't overnight... but it seems like it. I know I have a really really long way to go in my journey, and I know it won't be perfect til I see His face. Because of who HE is, however, I am learning, growing and loving the work- even the hard stuff. I ask Him most frequently that no matter what is going on.. that He would increase, and that I would decrease. That seems to meet many of my needs for the time being.. if He is in charge, and if He increases in my life, then I know I have an open heart for listening- and obeying. A faithful, obedient daughter is pleasing to God!!

Praise You, God.. for loving me enough to not let me stay the way I was. Thank you for transforming me daily. Continue growing me closer to you, stronger in You, and help me to always seek You first.

In Your Son's precious name I ask all things,
Amen.

The Bride of Christ-

God's word refers to the Church as Christ's Bride. Yesterday I was finishing up some study on the book of Daniel, chapter five - and in the study, the author makes the following comment:

"You and I want God to able to look on us amidst our over indulged self absorbed culture, then glance to His right and say " She has an extraordinary spirit, doesn't she, Son?" Perhaps Christ will nod His head, and while thinking the thoughts of an anxious bridegroom, lean over and say " And isn't she beautiful?" This comment struck me to the core and made my heart race!! I want that!!

The book of Daniel gives the account of a man who, in the middle of a very "all about me" culture, stood up for His God, and refused to submit to the wiles of the world- even to the point of being tossed into a fiery furnace. He would not bow to the gods of that world. That is "extraordinary spirit". I want that, and I desperately desire Christ to see me that way. God, keep me focused on Your face, Your teachings, and Your plan for my life. I just want to be pleasing to You- that is my heart, God. Help me turn away from the world- and be focused on things eternal.. give me a bigger faith that will help me be strong.


I desire more than anything else for God to look at me one day and say " You tried really hard to do what I asked. I am pleased, you did a good job.".

Thank you, Father, for the opportunities you have given me to do Your work while I am on this earth. Help me to stay in the race.

In your Son's name,
Amen.

Delight thyself in the Lord-

He will give you your heart's desire.

Even if you didn't know your heart desired it.

Delight- feel thrilled, spend time with, consume oneself with deep satsifaction ... in the Lord.

Pursue Him as He pursues ME. Crave, have need for, feel lost without, the Lord.

Years ago, I was consumed with desires. I desired a great job, fun, freedom, cool clothes, a nice place to live- those kinda things. Eventually, I desired a family, I wanted to be a Soccer Mom , to be respected in my community- did I mention fun? I still wanted that.. I desired romance, excitement, a big nice house... it has only been within the past 8 years that I began my search for my true heart's desire.

I am slowly realizing that the one thing I have always sought after, the one thing that can make me feel "significant" in a world full of people who do their level best to make others feel insignificant... the One who gives me purpose and true meaning, Who makes up for everything in my life to this point that has lacked in some way- is Christ. How freeing and totally awe-inspiring to know, trust and believe that although He does not NEED me, He WANTS me.

I am loving this life. Thank you, Jesus...