Eyes Wide Open

October 12, 2015Leave a comment

Challenges in our lives often point us to spiritual truths if we are looking for them. Several weeks ago, I had an ulcer on my cornea – ouch! As I drove home from the eye doctor, I asked the Lord, “What do You want me to learn from this challenge?” My thoughts went to the psalmist words, “Open my eyes that I may see the wonderful truths in your instructions.” Throughout Scripture we find references to spiritual eyes which see beyond the physical.

Think about Elisha who prayed for God to open the eyes of his servant, so he could see the mighty army of God encamped around them (2 Kings 6:17). Isaiah wrote that God opens the eyes of the blind (Isaiah 42:7), and I believe that he was referring to both physical and spiritual eyes. Think about Jesus, who healed people from their physical blindness, but He also opened people’s eyes spiritually. He called the Pharisees “blind guides,” yet He opened the willing eyes of the two on the road to Emmaus.

When it comes to challenges in life, Paul reminded us to keep our eyes on the eternal. He wrote:

Our light and momentary afflictions are preparing us for

an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

as we look not to the things that are seen,

but to the things that are unseen.

For the things that are seen are transient,

but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:17,18

Let’s look at life with our spiritual eyes wide open. Spiritual eyes see hope when others see difficulties. Spiritual eyes see an opportunity to trust God, while others are focused on what is wrong in a challenging situation. Spiritual eyes see that God can use our present troubles for something far more eternal. May we step back and view our circumstances in light of eternity, seeing God in the midst of our struggles.

Father, open our eyes to see the beauty beyond the obstacles. Remind us of your presence, even in the darkest valleys. Strengthen us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

***You may enjoy my devotional, Pursuing God in the Quiet Places. It’s on sale for $5. Click Here to order.

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

God Speaks to His People

September 28, 2015Leave a comment

The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your county… to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

God is not a silent god; He is a God who speaks. In the Old Testament God spoke to His people through prophets. Throughout the Old Testament we see that God spoke to His servants like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Isaiah and Jeremiah to name a few. Sometimes He spoke directly to his people and other times through visions. Does God still speak to His people today?

One of the foundational ways He speaks to us is through His written word, the Bible. We learn who God is and how He wants us to live as we read His word. He also speaks through that still small voice, His Spirit within us, gently convicting us to turn from sin and lovingly prompting us to follow His direction. Now we must be careful not to think that every thought we have is from Him. We must test it against scripture. The more we get to know Him through scripture, the more we recognize His voice.

Just as God gave Abraham direction, so He guides and directs our lives. David wrote, “He guides me down the right path bringing honor to His name.’ In the New Testament, James reminds us that if we lack wisdom we should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault. God is always speaking. The question is, “Are we listening?” I want to be a good listener, don’t you?

Father, open our ears to hear and our hearts to understand.

This is an excerpt from Karol’s devotional, Pursuing God in the Quiet Places.

On sale now for $5. Click Here for details.

Making a Difference for Generations to Come

September 15, 2015Leave a comment

What tugs at your heart-strings? For me, my heart hurts deeply for children who are growing up in unstable environments. Domestic violence, emotional distress, poverty or adversity tend to create chaos for these tender and impressionable hearts. Several years ago, I decided to reach into the lives of parents in at-risk communities and offer parenting discussion groups to encourage parents to create positive interaction with their kids.

I called the program ENGAGE Positive Parenting Initiative. ENGAGE stands for Equipping the Next Generation to Advance and Grow through Education, Encouragement and Example (our three core values). We are expanding and growing and now have classes in five locations. My vision for ENGAGE is to expand across the nation using our powerful and unique discussion-style format to reach parents.

As the author of over twenty parenting books, I have designed this program to reach parents where they are at and empower them to rise up to their own responsibility in the home. My desire is for parents to encourage and equip their kids to use their God-given gifts to make a difference in this world. If you share my desire to make a difference in society by strengthening parent’s responsibility in the home, I invite you to join me on this journey. There are three ways to connect:

Join us as a volunteer to lead a parenting class.*
Connect us with community outreaches in your city.*
Donate to help provide materials for parents and expand our reach.

North Texas Giving day is a one-day opportunity to expand your giving. On Thursday, Sept 17 please consider giving to your favorite organizations – and my hope is that ENGAGE will be one of them.

Here’s the link that will be live at 6:00 am to midnight on Thursday Sept 17. Important note: You must put ENGAGE in the notes so that the donation will go to ENGAGE.

link: http://www.northtexasgivingday.org/#npo/provenway-ministries.

To learn more about ENGAGE go to: www.engageparenting.com

*To volunteer or connect us with an organization in your area please contact us at engageparenting@gmail.com

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.