It Only Takes a Spark

October 29, 2017Leave a comment

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Many of us remember when we were teenagers, sitting around the campfire singing, “It only takes a spark, to get a fire going. And soon all those around, can warm up to it’s glowing. That’s how it is with God’s love…”

Just the thought of that song revives fond memories with my church friends at Mt. Lebanon and with my campers when I was a counselor at Pine Cove.

Recently, I read an article on the topic of leadership that made that old familiar camp song pop back into my mind. The author, Sean Lynch, used the word “Sparks” to describe people who exhibit behaviors consistent with a leader. He wrote, “A Spark is a doer, thinker and innovator whose unique approach to creative problem-solving betters the lives of others.”

I believe that each of us, whether we think of ourselves as leaders or not, have the opportunity to influence others. We can be Sparks by using the gifts and talents God has given us to share the hope and love of Christ. We “better the lives of others” by shining His light into their lives.

The question is, do we let His love shine through us through our words and actions, or do we hide it, afraid of what people may think? Or worse yet, do we spend most of our time putting down others? Let’s be bright sparks. Let’s love boldly. Let’s stop criticizing, and let’s start letting His love shine through our words and actions to help build up others and point them to Christ.

May God use each one of us this week to bring His light to dark places.

If you want to explore more on leadership check out Positive Leadership Principles for Women on sale now for $5! Click Here for more info.

Broken Clocks, Broken People

October 16, 2017October 16, 2017Leave a comment

In our house, my husband is the one who does the decorating. I love the fact that he enjoys the hunt of finding just the right items to make our house an inviting environment for us as well as our guests. Curt loves to visit antique stores. I must admit here, before I met Curt I had never stepped foot into an antique store. Now, its become a regular routine.

Antique clocks grabbed my attention when we first started visiting old shops. Unique and beautiful, most of the rare clocks we purchased had long since stopped working. But that didn’t matter – they made lovely accents to the ambiance of our home.

There was one clock that I especially loved because of it’s classical design and features, yet this clock was old and of course, not ticking. I wanted to fix this particular clock because I had a feeling the chimes would add beautiful music to our home. I asked myself, “What do you do with a broken antique clock?” I suppose I could try to fix it myself, but I don’t have any knowledge of the inside workings of an old clock.

I tried to take it to a clock repair shop, but the repairman told me, “I’m pretty sure the only person who can fix this clock is the clock-maker himself.” Hmmm…..Since this was one really old clock, I am pretty sure the clock-maker is no longer available. Currently, the clock sits on our shelf as beautiful and silent decoration.

When it comes to fixing antique clocks, I know I’m out of my league. In my case, the only one who could repair the clock was the one who made it. Isn’t it interesting that when it comes to clocks, I recognize my limitations, but when it comes to people, I often think I can fix them. When will I realize that I can’t fix broken people, but I can lead them to the gentle touch of their Maker?

Consider who you are trying to “fix” right now in your life. It may be one of your kids, or a co-worker or your spouse. Could it be that you are not equipped to fix them? Maybe, instead of doing it yourself, you could consult the Maker and point them in His direction.

When we pray for the broken people in our lives, we begin to have a fresh perspective. And as we use our words to point people to the Lord, we give them hope beyond what we can provide. Let’s begin taking people to the Clock-maker, rather than trying to fix them on our own. God may give us the insight and tools to help them on their journey, but only God can do the greater work in their hearts.

Besides, aren’t we all broken in one way or another? Don’t we all need the Lord to do a work in our lives?

He is Unthwartable

September 18, 2017September 18, 2017Leave a comment

“I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted…”

Job 42:2

When is the last time your plans were thwarted? Given any day and our plans can be redirected, realigned and reworked. But not God’s plans. No purpose of God’s can be thwarted. He is un-thwartable! We cannot mess up His purposes. Job declared God’s un-thwartableness after he had been through some of life’s worst tragedies. He lost his possessions, his children and his health. Surely there was some mistake and God’s purposes for Job got mixed up with someone else’s blueprints – right?

Not according to Job. As he wrestled with understanding why this happened, God made it clear that His plans and purposes are much bigger than what we can see. He is in control of the entire universe. Nothing slips through His fingers. Nothing messes up His plans. He is able to bring redemption from even the worst of situations. His ways are not our ways. No one can take away the purpose He has set out for us.

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

Why does God Allow Tragedy?

September 11, 2017Leave a comment

This week as Americans reflect on what happened 16 years ago during 9 /11, we also face the current challenges of fires in the west and hurricanes in the east. Many questions are floating around social media asking, “If God is God, then why doesn’t he prevent such difficulties and loss?

Such a complex question is not easily answered. In fact, as I read the book of Job in the Bible, it is clear that we cannot understand all of the ways of God. We may not know all the answers to why God allows tragedy, but we can know some of the answers as to who God is and how He works in our lives. We can learn about His attributes as we look to the Bible for guidance, wisdom, comfort and strength.*

One thing I do know, the Bible doesn’t promise us a storm-free life. If God allowed the tragedy of His own Son dying on the cross for the purpose of redeeming His people, then there are reasons beyond our understanding as to why He allows pain and suffering through hurricanes, fires and attacks.

Even as we mourn what happened in 9-11, we see that God brought good out of loss. We know that through our sadness, He strengthened our character and our unity as a nation. We were humbled, yet we grew in courage and perseverance. Now, through our current tragedies, we have the opportunity to grow in compassion and unity as we love and serve one another.

Instead of asking why, let’s turn our question to how. How can we serve and help? How can we pray and give? How can we grow through the challenges we face? May each of us turn our hearts and minds upward at this time, seeking hope, direction and strength from Him.

*This week, on my facebook author page, I plan to examine some of the attributes of God from A.W. Tozer’s book The Knowledge of the Holy. Be sure to follow us, so you won’t miss out.

Texans Helping Texans

August 28, 2017August 29, 2017Leave a comment

hurricane 2

Many of our fellow Texans have been devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Here are a few ways you can help. If you live in the Dallas area, Trusted World is accepting donations for the evacuees. They work in coordination with the Red Cross and FEMA.

Current Needs:

New underwear and socks (all sizes)

Non-Perishable food

Toiletries

Feminine hygiene products

Baby diapers, wipes and formula

Donation Drop Off:

15660 Dallas Parkway, Dallas TX

Directions

Donation Hours:

Tuesday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm

Volunteer hours:

10 am to 8 pm. You can sign up for a 2-hour shift. If the sign-ups are full, go ahead and come when you can!

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Also, Goodwill is accepting donations, when you drop them off, say they are for Harvey victims

You can also donate funds to organizations who are on the front lines. Two disaster relief organizations that I believe are very effective are Samaritans Purse and Texas Baptist Men. Please click on the links to find out what you can do.