Strength and Teamwork

Colossians 3:12-14 (The Message)

^{12 -14} So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Today is a day of strength.  We all have battles to endure, sacrifices to make, and some sort of laboring.  Dictionary.com describes strength as:  the quality or state of being strong and  synonyms include:  power, force and might. In our current world situations; strength, power, force or might will be the determining factors in turning things around.

As I begin many of my days I get that cup of coffee and jump start into whatever needs to be done.  My strength seems to dwindle as the morning progresses and I am reminded of the need to power my body with food.  In many cases, we can see within ourselves the need for power from the Holy Spirit when we become more focused on solving our own issues than in releasing our burdens to God.   We think that we have the power to accomplish some things, but ultimately we are weak and powerless without the force, might and power of God.

During this next school year, it will take teamwork to accomplish many things for our children, educators, and community.  Teamwork is defined as:  cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause. In some cases, teachers have retired, lost their positions and others have made efforts to work together to make sacrifices of themselves  for others to insure that children can learn and will learn.

Sometimes taking second place can turn out to be much more rewarding than first place in many cases.  It’s the ability to see that what we once thought was the best possible answer to a problem could ultimately be the “best seat in the house.”  It puts you in a position of power, force and might in some cases to make the first place seat a little easier once you get there or it helps you to learn and make changes for good if and when you reach that first place seat.

Being able to say, “I’ll take second place” in some cases means that you are willing to wear love instead of “claiming the prize.”  In many cases, the prize isn’t worth the battle and love conquers all.   If you are willing to wear the cloak of love, then you have all the strength to win in any battle.   Love also means letting go.  Once you let go, you are free to receive.

My prayer for you today is that you wear the cloak of love.   That you receive more than you’ve ever given because of your ability to let go and that you find strength and power through Christ.

 

Mary’s Baby

Luke 1:38 (NKJV)

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

As I think of Mary and the whole story of Jesus, I think of a young girl who must have had a million questions for God about her future, but she decided that she would just live according to God’s purpose for her life. She had to subject to HIS WILL and not her own. In my T.D. Jakes Woman Thou Art Loosed Bible, he states that Mary didn’t say, “Let it be according to my marital status, my job, or according to what I deserve” but she said, “according to YOUR word.” She knew enough to believe God and to submit to Him.

When the Holy Spirit begins to overshadow your life you will see the power of Jesus do mighty things in your life. All the things that you thought you couldn’t accomplish, all the dreams and aspirations you’ve had locked up for so many years will start taking shape. When a broken person submits to God he does things that only he can do regardless of how you’ve previously fallen. Isn’t it wonderful to be loved by a God who continually loves us and disciplines us as well.

When I look at my own life, I can recount things that were not pleasing to God, but I also remember that he does not remember those things once we have repented. If only we could be the same way in many situations. We carry around old baggage; we keep the fires burning on something that has died many years ago.

A thought that continually comes to mind is the birth of Jesus. What a wonderful reminder of something so awesome and that it was given to me so that I may not go through this world with such burdens, anxieties and shortcomings. How can I not continue to do God’s will when he was so giving of his own son for me? How can I not teach and be willing to go wherever he wants me to go?

My prayer for you this day is that you begin to live your life “according to His will.” May you find that the path may be easier and less complicated if you are willing to surrender to Him. Merry Christmas!

 

PEACE

Luke 12:6-7 (NIV)

6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Peace is defined by dictionary.com as follows: freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; serenity.

In my own life, I strive for peace. In order to do so, I have to continually meditate on the word and I have to make time to be quiet before the Lord. Sometimes when you don’t know the words to say in prayer, just the quiet and opening up of your heart to him is all he needs.

Sometimes you have to find peace or contentment in where you are at the moment. Sometimes a beautiful flower, a sunset, a bird chirping or a newborn babies cry are things that are peaceful. I enjoy going to the Pisgah Covered Bridge and just sitting and listening to the water as it flows down the stream. Many times I sit at night and just look at the stars and watch to see if there might be a glimpse of a shooting star. That can bring peace.

Peace is often just what you do in the midst of chaos. Sometimes we find peace in our friendships and in laughter. I have been blessed with a multitude of friends whom I can call on day or night. Each person brings something different to my life and they bring a different perspective to each new problem or each situation in my life. Sometimes we just laugh.

Peace is sometimes found in the writings of others. Some people don’t like to read, but it brings me peace. I love music, so I listen to CD’s that are uplifting and I can sing along to. I wouldn’t call my singing the best, but hey, do I do it anyway. A friend used to joke with me about seeing me on the highway and she’d say, “You were just singing and didn’t see me.” Honestly, with my lack of focus sometimes, I don’t need to see anyone on the highway, but the singing does make me happy and joyful.

In this stressful world, what we do in order to bring some sort of peace into our lives can make a difference. Being with your family, sharing stories with friends, taking time to listen to the elderly or just being by yourself can bring peace. Some people don’t enjoy being alone, sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. I have a photo on my desktop for my computer and it’s my son on his motorcycle giving me the peace sign. You know, that brings him peace.

My prayer for you today is that you find some peace in your life. Whatever it takes and whatever way you decide to find it, find some PEACE.

Merry Christmas to all and be blessed during this special season of hope and peace!  For unto us was born a Savior who came that we may have peace on earth.

(originally written 8-28-07)

 

Everything Is New

2 Corinthians 5:17

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

Every second, every minute, every hour of every day, God continues to see change in each of our lives. He forgives our sins as long as we repent. The biggest problem is within ourselves. We cannot forget, forgive or move on in certain areas of our own lives.

I started listening to a book on CD yesterday entitled, For One More Day by Mitch Albom, and I proceeded to lie down while listening to it and subsequently fell asleep between section 3 and 7 and awoke to the writer speaking about how the person had decided to kill himself. I thought, “How and why did this character get to this point so quickly or how much time had elapsed while I was sleeping?” I had been asleep for less than an hour, but the character had already made a dreaded decision within 4 sections of the CD. How do we get to that point? How do we make decisions that ultimately affect so many people around us?

As I sit here in the lobby of the hotel, I am grateful for the small space in which I’m writing and a glass of water. I am reminded of the thousands of people who are without sufficient food and water all over our world and even in our own country. Water is defined by Dictionary.com as: a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, H₂O, freezing at 32°F or 0°C and boiling at 212°F or 100°C, that in a more or less impure state constitutes rain, oceans, lakes, rivers, etc.: it contains 11.188 percent hydrogen and 88.812 percent oxygen, by weight. As I started to look up the word, I had my own idea of the definition of water….a liquid refreshment. Have you ever thought of God as “liquid refreshment?”

I guess I’m jumping around a bit in this devotional, but the Lord has somewhat prompted me to write in regards to the changing of a person through water and also his ability to clinch our thirst with water of his word. Several years ago, my son wanted us both to be baptized by immersion. I had already been “sprinkled” as a baby, took confirmation classes as a young adult and felt that I was okay in regards to my commitment to the Lord. Needless to say, my son was adamant that we do this together. He had not been baptized and it was weighing heavy on his young heart. As we prepared for our baptism on a cold January morning, I remembered that this would be a monumental experience for us both. He was so excited and I couldn’t understand his excitement at the time, but shortly thereafter my immersion, I understood all so well the difference in how my life had changed just by “coming up from the water”.

Water plays such a vital role in some many areas of our existence here on Earth. The average person will survive 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. If I am trying to quench my hunger for junk food, many times I will drink water instead. It seems to fill that void and rather quickly, I might say. When I am spiritually distressed, I get out my praise CD’s, my Bible, Christian literature or just something positive that uplifts me. Many times I have sat on my front porch when it’s raining just because I love the smell and the reminder that God makes everything new with water. Have you ever danced in the rain? Oh how much fun it is. Even as children love to jump in the puddles, I like to walk and raise my arms in praise of the wondrous miracle of his love to replenish his creations.

As I refer back to the book on CD, I haven’t been able to re-listen to why the character had decided to take his own life. I know that I will at some point, but I also know that the author of this book has written other stories where the outcome is usually positive. When presented with options in life, we can take the positive road or the negative road. Which will you choose in life?

My prayer for you today is that you find a place of replenishing and take time to feel the water of his love and “jump in a few puddles” with childlike faith.

 

Joy In The Morning

Psalm 30:5

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

As I start to write this morning, I am reminded that joy can come into our lives first thing in the morning. If we get up with a “cranky” attitude, then the rest of our day will result in that same attitude. Coffee is one of my favorite things, and that first cup of coffee in the morning is the jolt that I need to get going. If we incorporate our Bible reading into this time and get up just a few minutes earlier, we would have a much better perspective on how to approach the upcoming day. Like many of us, we get up hurried and that’s how the rest of our day seems to turn out and Satan has a much easier chance of jumping into our lives and adding much more chaos and calamity to our somewhat simple world.

I began to research the above passage in the NIV Study Bible, it first referred me to the verse 2:5, where it says, “anger, wrath; God’s anger is always an expression of his righteousness, 7:11 says, “every day, God’s judgments are not kept in store for some future day, and 4:1 also says, “very often the righteousness of God in the Psalms (and frequently in the OT) refers to the faithfulness in which he acts.” Verse 54:7 also says, “remain lit for a night.” Lit refers to “come in at evening to lodge”, the figure is that of a guest lodging for only one night.

Recently I watched a movie where a core sentence was used many times throughout, “finding our center”. How do we find our center? One of Dictionary.com definitions of center is: a point, place, person, etc. upon which interest emotion, etc., focuses. If you were to center on joy each day and use it as the focus of your day, how much of a difference would it make? A few days ago, I went to the Boy Scouts Store to purchase a new scout uniform for my son. An attendant at the store had the surname, Joy. As she began to help me with my purchase, I noticed a “spark or joy” in her body language as well as her delight to share with me in my area of questioning about why her Mother named her Joy. She said, “I was my Mother’s JOY.” Wow, how she must have felt to know that she was her Mother’s joy and it gave me the “gospel goose bumps” in remembering that we are also God’s joy. What a pleasure it was to meet JOY.

I have also met HOPE. Hope, a black cat, was awaiting adoption at PetSmart. She was a playful, seven year old, positioned in the top cage beside Patches. Hope and Patches both rallied for my affection, my touch and my fingers to play with. She wouldn’t let me see as much of her as Patches, but she would glance with one eye at me as if she were smiling and presenting a glimpse of what could be a sweet experience with her, but was reluctant to let me rub her for an extended time. Her information card read: Very loving, affectionate, and has been waiting for a loving home for a long time. Hope had been waiting a long time…….is that how it is for many of us? Hope has been waiting for a long time and we are now receiving a glimpse of what God has promised us for some time, in his perfect timing?

This morning as I awoke to a marvelous landscape, the mountains of Asheville, NC. I can see how beautifully alive God’s creations are. I can see why Billy Graham loves this area so much. It’s God Country. The air is crisp and clean, the scenery is grand and luxurious. I stare in amazement of the wonders that only God could have created. Each mountain is placed with precision nestled amongst another, just as we are placed in specific places at different times of our lives. God has a perfect plan for everything, if we are faithful in our decision to follow him and leave our lives in his hands.

My prayer for you today is that you look at the wonders of God’s creations and become childlike again to his HOPE and JOY that continue to bless each of us.

 

Empty Hearts

Isaiah 55:10-12 (NIV) 

10 As the rain and the snow
       come down from heaven,
       and do not return to it
       without watering the earth
       and making it bud and flourish,
       so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,  

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
       It will not return to me empty,
       but will accomplish what I desire
       and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 

 12 You will go out in joy
       and be led forth in peace;
       the mountains and hills
       will burst into song before you,
       and all the trees of the field
       will clap their hands.  

Recently while sitting at my desk I gazed upon a heart shaped box with shells on it that a man brought me from Disney World.  He was a simple Hispanic man who took his family on the vacation of a lifetime.  He would share his stories with me about how much his family meant to him and how his children were so blessed to be living in Asheboro and receiving an education, etc.  Sometimes his English was broken, but we had an understanding between us that was from the heart. 

As I pick up the heart box, it rattles a bit.  I wondered what was inside of it and there is nothing inside of it, so whatever is rattling must be inside the lid.  The many shells are multicolored and one shell has a pearl inside it.  There is one large shell in the top corner of the box in which I always like to rub my fingers across just to feel the boundaries.  The funny thing about this box is that it was made in the Phillipines, distributed by a company in St. Augustine, FL, and the price tag was still on it.  No matter the cost it was given from the heart to me. 

As I open the lid of this box, the inside is covered with black felt.  It’s pretty but it made me think about what’s inside of our own hearts. “Are we black on the inside and rattling a bit in the mind?”  1 Peter 3:2-4 (NIV) states: 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

I started to think about my own heart and how many times I had been empty inside and thought only of myself instead of others.  You know you forget at times that you are not the center of the universe but that you are here to do something for God as you have been chosen by him “to do unto others as you would have done unto you.”  Sometimes I find that I’m just not cut out to do everything that I would like to do, but that I have to decide what is the most important things that God wants me to do and then go from there.   

I want my heart to be filled with grace, mercy and joy that only Jesus can supply.  I want to sing songs of praise and to be willing to step out in the New Year to a different life that is nothing like I’ve ever had before.  I want to continue to bless other people and to share God’s blessings with them.  So, whatever is in store for me, I will just be ready for the task ahead and know that God will equip me to do whatever he calls me do.  He will fill my heart with what is necessary to make a difference in the lives of other people.  

My prayer for you today is that you see what’s in your heart. Is it filled with love of mankind or just a love of self?  May you find this New Year full of new beginnings and new adventures. 

 

Out Of The Mouths of Kindergarteners

James 3:3 (NIV)

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 

Kindergarten is defined by Dictionary.com as follows:  A program or class for four-year-old to six-year-old children that serves as an introduction to school.    I am so amazed at the vocabularies of children who are in Kindergarten and how they are receptive to new words and new expressions.  We have been learning some big words in the past few months and I think my favorite thus far is cacophony.   For those of you who are saying, “What is cacophony?”  It is defined as:  a loud harsh or strident noise.

We have some really strange cacophonies in our classroom at times.  There are animal sounds, there are shrieks of laughter or shrills of some sort by boys who are trying to get each others attention, motor noises and then there’s the teacher who is trying to get their attention amongst all these other sounds.  I sometimes have to snicker at the multitude of noises.  As one who can ignore certain sounds and noises, there are some cacophonies that are just too much for me. 

 When I stop and think of what noises might be coming out of my own mouth and how I might be saying something to other people, I have to stop and rethink some of the things I might want to say or direct to another person.  Recently I was speaking to a man who asked me about the fruits of the spirit and I said, “I just want to be able to convey love when I speak.”  That is so hard to do sometimes. 

When you are a writer of devotionals, you want to convey a soft message to people about God’s love.  You also want to help people to be accountable but in a gentle way.  I recently received an email from a fellow church member that said, “God gave you such a talent of expressing your thoughts – you bless so many with your messages.”  I guess I had forgotten that this is a talent given to me by God and that without his intervention, I wouldn’t be able to write and convey what he wants for you to hear.  I have always enjoyed writing, learning and teaching. 

Each day is a new beginning for us.  Each moment is one that we can either share with another or we can keep to ourselves.  I find that listening and sharing in the lives of children keeps me young and keeps me refreshed in wanting to see them grow up to be responsible adults and that they have an awareness of how they treat other people.  Kindergarteners are so full of life and they sometimes think they already know everything, but when you show them something new, their little faces just light up and they want to tell each other and others what they have learned.

One of my favorite things about Kindergarten is what one little boy says to me each day, “Ms. Paula, I want you to hold my hand.”  That’s exactly what Jesus says to each of us.  Take my hand and walk with me and I can show you so many wonderful things.  I am amazed at the things I can learn when I am walking with him and he is holding my hand through many experiences.

My prayer for you today is that you take Jesus by the hand, walk with him and learn all about his marvelous ways.  You might be surprised of the new things he wants to teach you.
  

 

The Beauty of Christmas

 

Romans 15:7 (NIV)

 7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 

Christmas is my favorite holiday.  The joy of the season, the giving of gifts and the birth of Jesus.  To many people, Christmas is about shopping, going to parties and being with friends.  I celebrate the greatest gift of all.  The small baby who became a man who took all our sin on a cross and was willing to sacrifice his life for us to have eternal life.

As I have been cleaning churches during this festive time I see the beauty of the advent candles, the gold, red and green colors that decorate the sanctuaries and the trees that glisten with ornaments and bright stars.  I also see the manager that Jesus was born in and how a meek couple was given a glorious gift on that night that would forever change the world. 

On a recent Joel Osteen broadcast, he stated the following, “Develop what God has given you.  Stay in your gifting.  You are in a class all by yourself, and you’re not like everyone else.”  Gifts of this season may be material, but the gifting that God gives you will last your whole life.  When you find what he has given you in the way of talents and gifts, then you should take those gifts and perfect them to be the very best that you can be for God.

Christmas is also a time of celebration.  Joel Osteen also says, “We should celebrate who God made us to be and that he has equipped us to do what he has called us to do.”  As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we should celebrate ourselves and what we can accomplish in God’s kingdom for him as well.  Jesus stands with his arms open to us and is excited that we are fulfilling the purposes that he needs us to be doing for him.

As you go forward this holiday season, be reminded of the birth of the baby who brought joy to this earth and was sacrificed for our sins and transgressions.   Remember to look at the “star” in you that you may fulfill your own purpose in God’s kingdom because of this precious baby.

My prayer for you today is that you find Christ  this Christmas and that you will be filled with the joy of the season.   

 

When NO ONE Is There To Help You

2 Kings 14:26 (NIV) 26 The LORD had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them. 

When I look at all the children of Israel suffered during their times in the desert, I begin to look at my own life and my own desert times.  In the desert is where you will find things about yourself that need to be changed.   

Just when you think that things can’t get any worse, they do.  And sometimes they come with great appreciation for others.  My niece and I had traveled to Greensboro one Saturday afternoon to spend some quality time together.  On our way there, I made mention that my car tires seemed to be riding a little strangely.  As we pulled into the High Point Mall, yep, there it was….a flat tire. 

Not sure that I could change a tire, we ventured to Sears and spoke with two gentlemen who offered assistance to us if we could get the car to their work bays, on the OTHER SIDE of the mall.  Needless to say, we knew we couldn’t since we didn’t have a way to pump up the tire.  So, one of the men graciously drove around the mall and proceeded to pump up the tire and left.  As we tried to drive around to the OTHER SIDE of the mall, the tire came off the rim.  We were stunned.   

So, we call the mall and a recording saying, “Your Sears store is closed.”  What?  The store is open and fully operational we said, and so we called 911 for assistance since no one else would stop to help us in the dark.  The 911 operator proceeded to tell me, “Policemen don’t change tires, WHAT IS YOUR EMERGENCY?”  That was my emergency and I proceeded to tell her thanks and hung up.  Again my niece practically runs through the mall and begs for assistance again. 

Well, the young man came and he changed the tire and we proceeded to the OTHER SIDE of the mall and bought another tire and had it put on.  The blessing in this story is that I had purchased the other tire at Sears only one year ago and we received a discount for the new one.  We were greeted with such warmth and compassion from two strangers who only wanted us to get home safely and one of the gentlemen’s Grandmother was someone whom I had worked with for several years at KFI.  So, in my desperate plea to God, “to send me an angel”, he sent me two or may I say five actually.

My son, his cousin and his Father were now in route to help us so that they could follow us back home and we could enjoy Krispy Kreme doughnuts with them as a small token of their sacrifice of a “Boys Night Out.”  Sometimes even in the midst of divorce and circumstances, those who knew you best, are still willing to help out when things are not the best in your life.  Even if they did it, because your niece was in the car.  (ha ha) 

As I got home that evening, I was joyful in the rewards that God had given me that day.  Quality time with my niece, seeing my son and his love of Krispy Kreme and also the fact that my niece found what I thought was my “stolen” camera.  The camera was in the ashtray of my car!!!  Can you believe that?!  In the ashtray.  I don’t remember putting it there, but it was there.  We were jubilant in finding the photos I thought were forever gone. 

God is so good to us.  I seem to forget that at times.  In the midst of chaos we find comfort in knowing that he is also looking after us and that is saving things for us and that he is willing to give us back what we thought we had lost.  In that same day I had to purchase another cellphone because my old one was not charging properly.  Thank you Lord, that I had a new one to make the necessary phone calls that evening. 

My prayer for you is remember that God always provides something good in every situation and that if you are wise enough to see his hand in everything in your life, then you will be more thankful of even the desert times.  He is always there when there is NO ONE else to turn to. 

 

Age Old Questions

   

Ecclesiastes 7:10 (NIV)

 10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
       For it is not wise to ask such questions. 

Recently I found myself wondering about certain things and questions that I might want to ask God someday.  Something like:  “Where do the lids to the Tupperware containers disappear?  Where do the socks disappear to in the dryer?  Why does my child ask so many questions I can’t answer?  What does heaven really look like?” 

Dictionary.com defines question in many ways.  Three definitions are: 

1.    a sentence in an interrogative form, addressed to someone in order to get   information in reply.

 

2.	a problem for discussion or under discussion; a matter for investigation.

 

3.	a matter of some uncertainty or difficulty; problem (usually fol. by of): It was simply a question of time.

Sometimes there are no answers for the questions that we ask other people and there are not answers from God in certain situations or circumstances.  The one thing that is relevant is that we are to have faith and believe.  Even though times may look so bleak or uncertain, the answers will come in God’s timing.   

I am glad that I don’t have the power to see the future.  If I did, it would be like opening my Christmas presents before Christmas day.  I like surprises and enjoy happy endings.  Sometimes even in the movies there aren’t happy endings, but there are lessons learned and hearts are stronger.   

Christmas has to be my favorite holiday.  The time spent with family and friends, the joy of the season of Jesus’ birth and not necessarily presents received but the opportunity to bless others.  We have a tradition of playing a game at our family gathering which has become the best part of our time together.  We laugh and joke, steal each others prized possessions (in good fun) and find that the family circle is filled with the spirit of joy and laughter and time together reminiscing of old times as well.   The past couple of Christmas’ my family and I have cooked a meal and taken it to the Room In The Inn shelter for the homeless.   That is such a joy for me personally.   

Christmas happens at my house everyday.  We have a 4-5 ft tree that stays decorated all year.  This past weekend, my Mother and brother came to have dinner and a movie with my son and I, and we had Christmas in October.  It was fun to sit with the lights off and see the lights of the tree and remember our loved ones and spend time together.  You see, every day can be Christmas, as long as you have those around to love and be loved in return. 

The age old question is this, “What did you do with the gift that I gave you? The gift of my son?”   We should remember that every day is an opportunity to show love to others and to share Jesus with others.   

My prayer for you today is that even though you have questions that may not be answered for you today, that you will be able to answer the question that God has for you one day.