His Spirit is always working to fulfill the promises He has spoken and the dreams He has placed inside His children
by Sandra Wester
Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
You can hold the substance inside your hand if you’d like because I’ve put it inside your heart. Everything you dream can be fulfilled through that substance. It is living and creative. Close your eyes and imagine it every time you pray. That substance stays in the supernatural realm until you speak it and move forward with it in your hand. My Spirit is always working to fulfill the promises I have spoken and the dreams I have placed inside my children. Imagine yourself going about your day with the substance called faith inside of you. Every time you need to connect with my power, reach up with my substance in your hands and speak my word. When my Spirit and my word connect, there I will be in all of my power. Always know there is faith inside of you. I put it there. My word makes it come to life and dance before its creator. My faith in action is a beautiful and breathtaking sight to me. It fills me with joy for my creation.
Closets
by Andrea Bankert
Hello. My name is Andrea, and I am a Closet Slob. If there was a support group for Closet Slobs, I would be a star member. Not only do my literal closets look like the Tasmanian Devil was loosed in them, but I am secretly a slob at heart. Growing up, my parents were always trying to get me to clean my room and pick up the stuff I left trailing behind me all over the house. More often than not, my bedroom looked like a tornado hit it. Clothes strewn about, the clean ones mixed with the dirty. Gross, I know, but sometimes the only way to tell the difference was with a quick sniff. One shoe remained in the closet, while the match was buried beneath a pile of books mixed with socks…only to be found when I finally got sick of the mess (or my parents got sick of the mess) and I did a massive cleanup that took the good part of the day. Fast forward to college, where my poor sweet roommate Tammi (whom I love dearly) kept her room neat and organized, where mine was more of a “Where’s Waldo” game when trying to locate my work uniform…let alone the cat. Now, if you’ve ever doubted whether or not God has a sense of humor, there is no way to deny it if you know my husband. He is an admitted neat freak. The wife of one of his college roommates has a distinct memory of one of the first times she went to visit. She and her then boyfriend were sitting on the couch watching a movie when he dropped some popcorn on the floor. Out of nowhere, my husband appears wielding the hose attachment of the vacuum to catch the stray popcorn. Now, that was probably the most extreme manifestation of his neatness, and I have to give it to him – he is a great steward of the things that the Lord has blessed him with. I really appreciate these qualities that his parents have instilled in him – they are invaluable. I have learned A LOT about neatness since we have married, and not only do I enjoy a clean house, I take pride in it. (Of course, now that we have a 9 month old, our house always tends to look like Babies R Us threw up in it! However, although our house is clean a lot of the time, I still have issues keeping my closets neat and organized. I still get to the point where the mess gets way out of hand and I have to do a massive cleanup. This has worked just fine for me until recently. The Lord has been speaking to me lately about my closets and how these can be reflective of my heart. How often do I stuff things in my closet that I don’t want to deal with, convincing myself that I will address them properly sometime later? How often do I junk up the closets of my heart with inappropriate media, unresolved conflicts, unaddressed hurt feelings, and most importantly, unconfessed sin?
Matthew 12:34-35 says “…For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”
OUCH! Just like sometimes the mess of my closet will overflow into my bedroom, the mess inside of the closets of my heart will overflow out of my mouth and into my life and the lives of those around me. That is definitely not part of the legacy that I want to leave for my daughter. It’s not something that I want to model for her either. Now, as far as I know, there is no 12 step program for Closet Slobs, but as I literally clean out all of the junk from every corner of the closets of my house, I pray that the Lord will clean out the hidden corners of my heart. I pray that when I am tempted to throw more junk in my heart and “hide” it, that the Lord would remind me of this and keep me constantly purging these things from my heart.
“Create in me a pure heart, Oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
He Knits
by Christie Mullins
Evolution is such an integral part of our culture and education that sometimes I have to remind myself of why I believe in creation. One way I remind myself is by contemplating fetal circulation! Yes, blood flow through an unborn baby. When I studied fetal circulation in nursing school I was so amazed at God’s design. So here is a little Biology/ Theistic Knitting 101: Blood flows from the right side of the heart to the lungs to pick up oxygen and then back to the left side of the heart where this oxygen rich blood is pumped out to the rest of the body. However, the circulation of a fetus is different. The fetal lungs are collapsed and filled with fluid and, therefore, have no oxygen to be picked up. The oxygen a growing baby needs comes from the mothers’ blood through the umbilical vein. So God designed the baby’s heart with an opening called the foramen ovale that allows the majority of the blood in the right side of the heart (that would normally flow to the lungs) to by-pass the lungs and flow over into the left side of the heart to be pumped out to the body. That is pretty awesome by itself, but even more amazing is how this system is completely reversed the moment a baby is born.
When a baby moves through the birth canal, the lungs are squeezed so much that the fluid that filled them is pushed out through the nose and mouth. As baby emerges from the birth canal air rushes in to replace the lost fluid and her lungs expand for the first time. This change in pressure in the lungs and resulting oxygenation cause blood flow to suddenly change direction and the opening in the heart slams shut! This allows for the normal flow of blood through the lungs to pick up needed oxygen. This is a simple and shallow explanation of a very complex process, but I hope you see the point, which is: What an incredible design! Believing that this precise series of events just fell into place on its’ own over millions of years of evolution is ridiculous and takes a whole lot of faith in nothing. It is far easier and more logical to believe what the Bible says: “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14
The Milky Couch
by Sandi Sanford
We’re getting new furniture, but I’m a little sad about it. For as long as we’ve been married we’ve had two sofas in the living room, unmatched but comfortable. One is like a member of the family. We call it “the milky couch,” because it’s white, originally at least, and our sons curled up on it each morning to drink their sippy cups of milk. The couch is worn, showing signs of age, and wilting under the weight of many memories. I bought it when I moved to Raleigh in 1998. I was single with no kids, and wanted an all-white living room (something I can’t even imagine now!) It was clean, brilliant and perfect in my little home.
On that couch I prayed for many things and received an answer each time. I dreamt of possibilities and the future I hoped to have. When we had 22 inches of snow in the year 2000 I parked myself on that couch for a week, read John Grishom books, and survived on my Y2K emergency stash of canned soup and diet soda. Flash forward a couple of years, I met my husband to be and we watched movies, ate dinner, and talked until midnight on that couch.
When our oldest son, Sam, was born I spent hours nestled in the familiar cushions, feeding him, holding him, and watching mindless sitcoms. I didn’t lose the baby weight as fast as I wanted—I blame the couch!
By the time Elijah came along 2 years later I was feeling sorry for our delightful, but worn milky couch. Its fabric was stained, but artfully covered with a throw and a pillow. It was like a well-loved stuffed animal, missing some of its original glamour, but more charming without it. Sam would climb up there every morning, snuggling into the cushions. Now 2 and 4, Elijah and Sam take turns in the favorite spot, the side with the one remaining pillow and the best view of the TV.
If you told me when I bought the pristine white couch that I would have it this long and see it change from bright white, clean perfection to frumpy, dingy, and sagging I would have been a little dismayed. “You mean I won’t get new furniture until then?” I would have cried. But I wouldn’t undo all the memories and all the wear of it now. Even as I watch it go a part of me will wish it could stay.
Amnesia
by Christa Hogan
Last night I was up at 3:30 am, which isn’t unusual for me since I’m the mom of a four-month-old. The middle of the night is my anxiety time, when I have trouble focusing my mind on the Lord’s promises and instead find myself worrying over things out of my control. Last night in particular, as I fed my little boy my mind wandered over a series of recent events that I felt I hadn’t handled as well as I could have or should have. I began to feel discouraged. Was I truly changed as a Christian? Why do I continue to struggle with things like pride and a quick temper? As quickly as the feeling came however the word “amnesia” popped into my mind. I pondered over that as I settled the baby down to sleep and climbed back into my own bed. The Lord began to bring scriptures to mind.
2 Corinthians 5:17
If anyone is in Christ he is a new creature. The old things have passed away; behold all things are become new.
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Lamentations 3:22-24
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness! The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will hope in Him.
Hallelujah! As the scriptures poured into my spirit I was still having trouble sleeping, but no longer from guilt or anxiety. It was all I could do not to jump out of bed and hop up and down.
Amnesia! God not only doesn’t hold our sins against us, when we repent, he no longer even remembers them.
They are forgotten as if they had never happened and each day is a fresh start. Our hope for change is in Him. He promises that we are becoming new even when we still feel gently used.
But there’s another side to this kind of spiritual amnesia. When God forgives us our sins, we are to forgive others. True freedom comes when we accept God’s forgiveness, forgive ourselves and extend the same forgiveness to those who’ve trespassed against us. It’s 360-degrees of forgiveness. The alternative is living under a burden of shame, guilt, resentment and anger. Today, I choose to accept and extend mercy. I choose amnesia!
Overcome the status/stigma of being a teenage mom and wife
by Jessica Raber
I am an overcomer in many ways. One of the things I have overcome in my life is the status/stigma of being a teenage mom and wife. I married when I was 17, pretty young by today’s standards, I know. I have heard all the comments (most from my family), “You will amount to nothing if you marry him”, “Why would you want to waste your life by getting married now?”, and one of my favorites, “Probably wont even graduate from high school, let alone even think about going to college, what a shame”. It wasn’t easy being a teenage mom and wife. I lost most of my friends (who can blame those parents…who wants to let their teen hang out with the pregnant girl, let alone one who is married!), was disowned by my own father, and my mom had a nervous breakdown. My new husband was really my only support system. Did I regret any of it? Nope, never did and never will. It was God’s will for me to marry my husband, maybe not that young, but I know it was meant to be from one specific event when I was 16.
When I was 16, I remember sitting on my bed listening to the radio (like most teens) thinking about nothing in particular. Out of nowhere, I heard a voice/thought say to me, “You need to get in touch with him and begin a relationship”. I also remember arguing with that voice/thought. “What? Are you kidding me? I haven’t thought about him in over a year. I didn’t really like him then, why would I like him now?” Still, the voice/thought was adamant with me, “You need to be with him or else you will miss out on one of the greatest things in your life”. Seriously, that exact phrase. Again, being a typical teen who rarely went to church, “Where is this coming from? I am only 16, I do not need to start any relationship with anyone!” Again the voice/thought repeated that same phrase. I remember thinking, “I think God is talking to me.” Here I am, sitting on my bed, first in awe that I am communicating with God and also thinking that this is my first time I remember talking with God and He is telling me what?!? I also remember thinking, what is it going to hurt to look Joe up and see what he is doing. If it is something God wants me to do, the least I can do is look him up, but I am not expecting anything to come from this.
It is now 17 years later, I have been married half my life and I am only 34. We went, and are still going, through some major trials together, but we have made it. It took almost a year before my dad would get over his anger and disappointment of me. It was almost four years before he would stop saying, “if this ‘thing’ ever ends, you have a place to come home to”. My mom recovered and accepted my husband. I did graduate from high school (19th out of 140-something, thank you), and I went to college and am now a RN. We also have three beautiful children. My family is surprised our marriage is still going strong, and high school friends that I have gotten back in touch with are amazed that I am still married.
I give all the credit to God. Most teen marriages do not last, but when God has a plan and you follow through with it, only good things can happen. My marriage has overcome many obstacles, I am an overcomer!
Funny, perhaps…
by Genel Webb
I’ve observed something really funny about myself. I grew up sharing a small bedroom, bed, closet, and dresser with my younger sister. So that meant that we each got half of the bedroom, half of the bed, half of the closet and half of the dresser. I had 3 drawers to use on my side of the dresser. One was my junk or miscellaneous drawer, one was for my worn out or “too small to wear unless I have to” drawer and one was my undergarment drawer. So any kind of undergarments that I could possibly wear was in one drawer.
So at 17, as I left home and lived in a dorm, I had a whole group of drawers all to myself. I think that there were six. And guess what, I kept all of my undergarments in one drawer. Later, I married and had plenty of drawer space in our bedroom and the guest bedroom. But guess what, I kept all of my undergarments in one drawer. Over the years, about once a year, I separate the undergarments and use three or four other drawers. Within four or five weeks, they are all stuffed back in the same drawer! I think this is so funny, even as I write this, I’m laughing. I need deliverance in this area of my life.
I’ve actually busted a few drawers. My husband hasn’t really figured out why and neither did I, for a while. Initially, he blamed it on the used and inexpensive furniture. Now, I just don’t mention that it’s broken or busted, since I’ve figured out the reason. Currently, I have empty drawers, and that ONE drawer I can barely open. Sometimes they fall below into the next “almost empty” drawer and guess what, I find myself pushing and forcing them back into that one top drawer. It is so funny.
So since I’ve faced the reality of needing serious help in this area, I’ve asked the Lord to deliver me from this “one drawer” syndrome. I guess the spiritual point of this is that I personally believe that nothing is too trivial to take to God for His divine intervention. I am proud, however, that I have taught our sons to do differently…that is when they finally put their clothes away. My brother always had a bedroom to himself and for a long time, it was my responsibility to fold and put away his clothes. Maybe that is why I have been successful in this area, with our sons. I do believe if I had a daughter, I may have passed this down as a generational habit. This is just so funny to me.
I hope that this silly but true confession makes you chuckle. However, I’m the first to admit that I have a very dry sense of humor. Normally what I find funny, most people don’t and it often takes me a while to get the humor in what many others think is funny. Is there any wisdom in it, you say? Perhaps, in the recognition that laughter is good medicine. So again, I hope that you, at least, find yourself chuckling.
The Three-Minute Rule
by Genel Webb
A few weeks ago, I sat behind a young lady at church. As we said hello at the beginning of the service, she seemed familiar. As the service progressed, her body language even seemed familiar. It seemed familiar because I saw myself in her. Have you ever been in a place or a body of Believers where you just hadn’t quite connected yet and you began to think….I guess I’m just here for the word? Well my heart went out to her because I’d been there before. So I put a plan in place to initiate a conversation with her immediately after the service. Guess what? She left just before everyone was released to go. This was also familiar. I’d done this before too. Many times, I left a service early so that I wouldn’t feel so left out or maybe lonely. It seemed everyone else was always having a friendly fellowship as they left, except me. My thought would always be… church shouldn’t be such a lonely place.
As the young lady left, I thought… well, Lord I guess it wasn’t your plan for me to talk with her today. Wrong. I saw her getting into the car as I was leaving the building. I walked over and asked if she were new here. She said, “not really, but no one has really talked to me, except the pastor.” My reply was, isn’t that something… and people here are really friendly. She agreed, yes everyone is really friendly but no one has really introduced themselves to me. I have so, been where she was…many times. One day, however, the Lord somehow put before me a book called “Breaking the Fear of Intimidation” by John Bevere. The problem wasn’t the other folk…it was me, but that’s not the point of this, although if you grew up like me…as a child and on into adulthood painfully shy, this is truly a book that God can use to deliver you, if you read with an open heart and spirit. But back to my real point, as much as we want people to reach out to us, we have to reach out to them. And I think that when we see someone who is obviously wanting to fellowship or connect, but may not have a boldness or the courage (yet) to do it (and I think as spirit filled Believers, we can discern this), we should so reach out to them. Sometimes, we’re just meant to walk with them until they connect to the person or people that they are meant to connect with and that may not be you or I.
I recently read something that I think can help all of us…even the most shy or timid person can eventually work up to this. It was called the three minute rule. Some of you may have heard of it, but I hadn’t until recently. So I’m eager to share it. Intentionally, take three minutes of your time before and after church and talk to someone that you don’t know and make them feel welcome. This forces us to be active instead of passive in the friendship process. Some church services include this in some form within the service. However, this is a bit different in that we have to initiate this ourselves. It’s a challenge for all of us.
It All Begins With A Single Step
By Susan Lucas
I don’t know about you, but I am ready for summer. I love the beach and the water and the time to “just be.” I have very fond memories of spending time at the beach growing up. I even met my husband there. When I was a teenager, condos hadn’t arrived yet and the Alabama beaches were unspoiled. I think we all took for granted the beauty of God’s creation. It can’t be replicated.
I am also thinking about swimsuits. No matter your size or shape, it’s hard to find that perfect suit. Having a 15 year old daughter, I am sure we will spend countless hours looking for one. Fortunately, she cares what I think. Modesty and style, however, rarely go hand-in-hand.
To that end, I have started walking with Katie. Besides being great exercise, it gives us one-on-one time. There are no distractions, just the two of us, and she talks non-stop and I listen. It has proven to be a very special time; a time to treasure. I get to hear her thoughts on everything from racism to boys and as her mom, I have to admit I and proud of how she thinks. She isn’t swayed by popular opinion but forms her own. There is a lot to be said for being a woman of substance, a woman who is confident enough to be an individual. She is just that.
Don’t you think God longs to walk with us too? He enjoys spending time with His children. He wants to share time with us when we are only focused on Him, no television, no computer, no i-pod; a time to talk as well as listen. Spending time with us brings Him great pleasure, and I am so encouraged by that! I am reminded of a hymn I sang growing up. It goes like this “and He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His child.” How precious that picture is of a Father desiring to have a deep personal relationship with His child. This image is even more precious to me now that both my parents are gone. I want to be like Noah and Enoch, who were so close to God that the Bible remembers them as walking with Him. My desire is to know Him so intimately that His thoughts become my own.
My encouragement to you is to recognize how uniquely we are all made and take care of yourself, both spiritually and physically. Walking happens to be one way the two can go hand-in-hand and our relationship with God as well as with each other can flourish. It can all begin with a single step.
He who walks with the wise grows wise. Proverbs 13:20
Obedience Brings Rewards
By Sharon Boling
When my children were young, the best way to encourage them to do something was to offer a positive reinforcement or a reward. Whether it was cleaning their room, or getting along with each other, or even being quiet and still for a blessed three or four minutes, a reward would almost always be enough incentive to produce the desired behavior. Part of that bargain was obedience. In order to get the reward, they had to do what was required of them.
God’s Word also talks about obedience and rewards. It says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “…if my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” In the New Testament, Jesus himself said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
Recently I went to a women’s conference and I really wanted God to speak to me about some things. I had a whole agenda that I wanted God to address and questions that I wanted him to answer. Well, I can tell you that God definitely spoke to me, but he completely ignored my agenda. Time and again throughout the conference God showed me that if I truly wanted him to move in my life, I needed to totally submit to him. I needed to look in my “closet” to see if there was anything I might be holding back or being stubborn about. (and – surprise, surprise – there was!) There were some things, (however small in my mind) that I knew I should do, but I was making excuses about why I wasn’t doing them.
Like a parent, God is asking his children for obedience. He is also promising a reward. Does that mean you will get everything you ask for just like you want it? Not necessarily. Also like a parent, God knows what is best for us. But when we are obedient to his Word, God promises to hear us and make his home in us. I have found that when all is said and done, that is all I really need. After that, the other things will fall into place and God’s faithfulness will prove itself in ways I could never imagine.
A Woman’s Worth
By Maria Simone
My heart ached for my 6-year old son, as tears streamed down his face because of cruel words from his friends. Oh how I long to protect my children from put-downs and ridicule, but I know all too well that this is something that they will experience at points throughout their life. I experienced much of this myself, especially in middle school, and I allowed it to determine my worth as a person. I walked around much of my life feeling alone and insecure, unimportant and worthless. I tried to gain my identity through performance and the approval of others, but it was always a temporary fix for a much deeper problem. My identity was based on lies, and I needed to replace those lies with God’s Truth.
The first and most important Truth God has revealed to me is that HE LOVES ME. Not with an earthly love that can be lost, but with an unconditional, life-giving, life-saving, forever love. This love sent Him to the cross to die for my sins, so that I could live with Him forever. Psalm 136 repeats the verse “His love endures forever” no less than 26 times, do you think He’s trying to tell us something? God knew it would be hard for us to believe a love so unconditional, so pure, and so selfless, so He made sure to tell us over and over throughout the Bible.
Isaiah 54:10 (NIV) says “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Beth Moore, in the Bible study Breaking Free, states that the word “compassion” in this verse comes from the Hebrew word racham, which means, “to soothe;, to cherish, to love deeply like parents, to be compassionate, be tender…small babies evoke this feeling”. For those of us who are moms, what can compare to the love we felt when we held our little infants in our arms? My children brought out in me a capacity to love and a depth of feeling that I had never before experienced. Can you just imagine how God is looking at you right now, filled with joy and love that you are His daughter?
Zephaniah 3:17 says He sings a song of love over me, and by His grace I have determined to open my ears to hear His song of love, for I know His love is better than life. His love has given me worth that no one can take away, and is not dependent upon my performance or what others think of me. I have also determined, with the Lord’s help, to intentionally teach my children what God thinks of them, and how He loves them unconditionally. I pray for them constantly that their identities will be rooted and grounded in the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. This way, when the harsh words come their way, they will be able to say, “No, that’s a lie, I am who GOD says I am, and He says I’m awesome!”
So come, sit for a while, and enjoy the beautiful song of love Your Father sings over you…..
New Beginning
by Tina Bruno
March!! Let us March on, the March Hare, Beware the Ides of March! These are all the things I think of when I think of this month. But the best thing about March? It’s a time for beginning.
According to the Jewish Calendar, the month of Nissan is the first month of the year, which coordinates with March-April. The Jewish calendar is based on three astronomical phenomena; the rotation of the Earth around its axis (one day); the revolution of the moon around the Earth (one month); and the revolution of the Earth around the sun (one year). Even though our Gregorian calendar has January as the first month of the year, to me this month, March, is the first of the year!
March is also the month in which Passover occurs. It also is the time of Easter, the resurrection of our Savior. How appropriate that the first fruits of our salvation would be in spring! When Jesus rose from the dead, He gave us new life…spring brings new life from the dead ground, our hope is renewed in spring. Let this March be a new beginning for you. Spring is in air!