Wake Up

October 5, 2015Leave a comment

Lately, in sort of a random way, I’ve been noticing verses in the Bible that mention the term, “Wake Up.”

Isaiah 51:9 “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength.”

I Corinthians 15:34 “Awake to righteousness and do not sin.”

Revelation 3:2 “Wake up! Strengthen what remains.”

Personally, I believe God is telling us as believers that this is the time to wake up from our slumber – to be watchful and alert. As evil continues to thrive in a variety of ways in our culture today, there has never been a more important time for God’s people to wake up and grow stronger and deeper in our relationship with Christ. As believers, it’s easy to push the snooze button, happily resting in our comfy Christianity while a spiritual battle is raging around us.

So how do we wake up? What does it really mean to “awaken and clothe ourselves with strength?” Well, perhaps our first step is found in the phrase itself, “Wake up!” In other words, let’s deliberately wake up earlier, so we can spend time on our knees in prayer. This is where the battle is won!

The recent movie War Room, reminded us that our prayer time is our equipping room for battle. God prepares His army on their knees and adorns them with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). It is in the secret place, that we are reminded of His love, power and mercy. As we devote ourselves to prayer, we become grounded in our faith, and comforted in our pain and strengthened in our inner-being.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a weak and sleepy follower of Christ. I want to be alive, awake, strengthened by God and useful for His Kingdom. Will you join me in becoming more committed to prayer? Let’s wake up earlier (which may mean going to bed earlier) in order to shine His light more brightly in an ever-darkening world.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Isaiah 60:1

Truths from the Truck

September 9, 2015Leave a comment

My daughter is getting married soon and will be living in New York. I knew the day would come when we would need to transport most of her things from Dallas to her new home, but I wasn’t sure exactly how we would do it. Our thrill-seeking, adventurous spirit kicked in, and my daughter and I decided to rent a Penske truck and make this journey into a four-day, mother/daughter road trip (#modaroadtrip2k15).

We plotted out our course through Memphis, Knoxville, Virginia and into the Big Apple, driving through 12 states in 4 days. We had friends and family to stay with along the way, which completely enriched the experience. We also did a little antique shopping here and there and met some quite unique people! My daughter and I agree that it was a road trip to remember.

A few life lessons evolved for me personally along the way, and I’d like to briefly share them with you.

Face your Fears – We planned and prayed and even had a multitude of friends praying for our truck-travels, but I must admit several nights before we left I was stricken with fear. What if the truck breaks down (even though Penske has 24/7 roadside assistance), what if we run into bad weather, what if we have an accident, and how in the world am I going to drive a Penske truck into NYC? Even the best-laid plans leave room for fears to pop in your head! I finally realized that there are simply times when we must step forward and not let fear hold us back. Every decision in life comes with risks. The question is, are you going to let your fears rule you or are you going to step forward knowing that you never travel alone – almighty God will never leave us. Oddly, this year my theme verse is from 2 Timothy 1:7, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.
Joyfully Serve Others –Often we learn the greatest lessons when we are the recipients of someone else’s kind hospitality. We had the privilege of staying with the Bentley’s in Tennessee. Chuck Bentley is the CEO of Crown Financial Ministries (www.crown.org). Chuck and his wife Ann had just returned from several weeks in Asia, and yet welcomed us into their home despite their jet lag. We had a wonderful time visiting about life and ministry and travel. When it came time for us to leave, Chuck noticed that our windshield on the truck was a mess (an abundant collection of dead bugs), and without saying a word he grabbed his windex bottle and a towel and began cleaning. Here is the president of an international organization cleaning my windshield! It was a modern day washing our feet. Ann joined in and started cleaning the inside windows, then she packed us a goody bag and filled up our cooler full of waters. Their joyful servant spirit inspired me to never miss an opportunity to show Christ’s love in a tangible way.
Make Marvelous Memories – Grace and I had hours of time together to laugh, talk, listen and discuss. We experienced gifts from strangers, the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, and the exhaustion of loading and unloading – all built a glorious mosaic of memories. Perhaps one of my fondest memories was sitting with my aunt Margy in Virginia on September 7, the day of my mom’s (Margy’s sister) birthday. Mom passed away over 20 years ago. Since we were there on mom’s birthday, Margy made one of my mom’s favorite breakfast casseroles. I asked her to share some stories about growing up with my mom. We laughed with joy and teared-up with tender emotion. Now that was a memorable morning.

So if I can leave you with a few truck-adventure truths, I would say live deliberately. Don’t let fear hold you back, always look for ways you can help other people, and take time to create sweet memories with your loved ones along the way.

Don’t Let Comparisons Slow You Down

August 23, 2015August 23, 2015Leave a comment

If you have ever watched track and field events, you know that a split second makes all the difference, especially in sprint races. If a competitor in the 100 meter sprint takes even a second to glance at the runners on either side of her – she’s lost the race. In running as well as in life, we must learn to keep our eyes on our own race and not become distracted by comparing ourselves with others. Easier said than done, right? As women, we so quickly begin to compare with the other women around us. Often it happens the moment we walk into a room with other women. Am I as thin as she is? Do I fit in here? Why can’t my hair look as good as hers does? I wish I had her complexion.
It’s a trap each one of us can easily stumble into, and in the process we become dissatisfied with who we are and what God has planned for us. We tend to lose sight of what our purpose is in life. Perhaps that’s why the apostle Paul, with his powerfully purpose-filled life, was able to say, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God is calling me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Just as a sprinter keeps her eye on the goal or the finish line, so we need to keep our eyes fixed on the purpose God has given us and not be distracted by envy, jealousy or comparisons. True maturity is when we can look with joy at how God is blessing others and sincerely be thankful for the way God uses each one of us in a variety ways and in different styles.
There is only one you. God made you with a unique set of gifts and talents and with a distinctive purpose in this world. When we keep our eyes on the fact that God is at work in and through us to accomplish what He put us on this earth to do, we begin to feel a joyful confidence. We can rejoice in our assignment in the big scheme of life. On the other hand, when we start looking at everyone else and begin to compare ourselves with others, we either become prideful or we become jealous. Comparisons tend to zap us of our strength, distract us from our purpose and throw us off course from our goals.
The writer of Hebrews encourages us, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” So here’s a few tips to remember when it comes to comparisons:
• Guard your mind against comparing with others by turning your focus upwards.
• Ask for God’s help and direction as you use your unique gifts and talents.
• Open your eyes to the blessings that God has given you right now.
• Thank Him for His unique plan for your life every day.
• Rejoice in who the Lord is and the work He is doing in your life as well as in others.
• Be happy with others for the good things happening in their lives.

This is an excerpt from my book Positive Life Principles for Women. The e-book is on sale this month for only $2.99 on your favorite e-reader. Click Here for Nook. Click Here for Kindle.

Be Strong!

August 3, 2015Leave a comment

Generally speaking most of us tend to enjoy the easier path in life rather than choosing to go down a rough or difficult road. But when we consider the great men and women who were used by God in the Bible, most of them walked the more challenging path. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Deborah, Esther, Ruth – each stepped forward in faith and courage despite the difficulties and perils they faced.

There are times in each of our lives when we are called, not to take it easy, but rather to be strong and courageous. As we see the moral and spiritual shift in our culture today, we may be facing new and different challenges as followers of Christ. This is the time when our roots must grow deep in our faith in Christ, and we need to grow strong in the knowledge of God’s Word.

It’s time to live lives of purpose and vision. We must speak the truth in love, knowing that no matter how loving we may be, some will misunderstand us and others may persecute us. Trust God to equip you and prepare you to speak wisely, serve lovingly and live courageously. Spend time each day in His Word so that you may know, love and depend on His transforming truth.

Be strong!

We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;

We have hard work to do, and loads to lift.

Shun not the struggle; face it.

It’s God’s gift.

Be strong!

Say not the days are evil – Who’s to blame?

Or fold your hands, as in defeat – O Shame!

Stand up, speak out, and bravely,

In God’s name.

Be strong!

It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong,

How hard the battle goes, the day how long,

Faint not, fight on!

Tomorrow comes the song. By Maltbie D. Babcock

Want to grow deeper in your understanding of God’s Word? Check out Becoming a Woman of the Word.

The Secret to Great Peace

July 27, 2015July 28, 2015Leave a comment

Great peace have those who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble. Psalm 119:165

A great inner peace is something that all of us want to experience, yet it seems that few actually enjoy this beautiful reward in their own personal life. Why is it? Why don’t more of God’s people experience this precious tranquility? Could it be that the secret to great peace is actually found in delighting in the Scriptures? The psalmist reminds us that those who love God’s law have great peace.

Maybe you are familiar with people who pour over the pages of scripture and live with a daily inner peace despite the challenges they may face. Perhaps it is because as they reflect on God’s written word, their minds are reminded of His unfailing love. They are reassured of His power and strength to care for their every need as they find their hope in the Bible. Yet someone who doesn’t invest in getting to know the Bible is not able to live by that same sort of reassurance.

Isaiah wrote:

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. (26:3)

As our minds are focused on Him through the reading of His Word, our faith can’t help but grow and flower into a perfect peace. Jesus spoke about peace when He said,” These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Jesus is the fulfillment of the law, so if we look once again at the first phrase of Psalm 119:165 and insert Jesus’ name, we see it with a fresh joy. “Great peace have those who love Jesus.” Let us love the One who came to give us peace with God and peace within our hearts when the storms of life come our way.

Thank you Lord, for giving us a great peace that only you can give. My friend, will you join me in reading His Word each day and delighting in His love and care for you?

For more about reading God’s Word, check out Becoming a Woman of the Word.