Once in awhile, I listen to a song that I’ve heard a million times and it moves my heart for the first time. Although this song is probably one that makes most think of a love in their life, I think of THE love of my life, Jesus Christ.
Category: Jesus
Who Is This?
Whenever my mom calls and she gets my voicemail, her message usually goes something like this; “Susie, this is your mother. I’m just calling to check on you. Call me when you get a chance.” This always makes me laugh because her voice is the first voice I ever recognized in my life, how could I think it was someone else? I know her voice. I never ask another person who calls, “Mom? Is that you?” Never. I know her voice.
So how do we know when we hear the voice of God? The answer is simply found in:
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow Me.
Just as I know my mother’s voice those who are part of the flock of the Lord know His voice and another they will not follow. It requires intimacy. It requires relationship. It requires lots of conversations over time. You can be so entwined with the Lord that you begin to see His cue without His ever having to utter a sound. Relationship is what we were created for.
So give Him a call today, just to see how things are going. You’ll find that the more time you spend with him, the more you’ll recognize his voice and you won’t have to wonder, “God is that you?”
The Call Of Love
” According to your faith let it be to you.” ~Matthew 9:29
It’s been a stressful week. We’re moving the RMA store to a bigger location. You may not understand what I mean. I mean a 3X bigger location. Every muscle in my body aches, my back hurts, 12-14 hour days, and yet there is an excitement I can’t contain as my artistic skills are put to the test in the decorating department. Everyone is working so hard.
We have two rescue cats in the store. I went to the local shelter to rescue an adult cat when we found a mouse in the store. I’m scared of mice and not ashamed to admit it. When I got to the shelter, there was only one adult cat. Of course there was a catch because there always is in my life. The adult cat came with a kitten attached, literally! So, Fiona, affectionately known as Mama Kitty, and Anya came to live at the RMA store.
They have lived with us for almost two years now and knowing cats hate change, I had them moved last. They came to the new location yesterday. Mama Kitty meowed some, but Mama Kitty knows what’s up. She looked around, milked some treats out of us, and realized any place is better than the shelter, so she went exploring. When she’d get scared she’d come to me and I’d lift her up and snuggle.
Anya, on the other hand, was freaked out with a capital F. She cried out, she ran from every hand including mine. I put her in a room with her food and litter and thought a little quiet would do her good. Nope an hour later, I could not find her. At first, I thought she was hiding. Then I thought maybe she had made a run for it as the door had been left open. I began to walk around the building paying special attention the bushes. My poor Anya had never been outside. She’s a store cat, it’s all she knows. She has never been away from her mom, except for the time she was spayed.
My friend Vikki said, “I hope she turns up or you won’t be able to relax at all.” She knows me. I could not find Anya. I had to go to the office to wait for the payroll and process it. Where could she be? I left the store at 4 p.m. and returned at 7:30 p.m. Where was Anya? I can’t let her sleep outside. I can’t lose her. I am responsible for her.
“Father, I need your help. I can’t find Anya. She’s scared. It’s not her fault we’re moving. I know you see all and you know where she is. Give me your vision in this moment and help me find her. I know you know where she’s at and I know you know my heart towards her. You care about the birds so I know you care about Anya. Help me Lord, direct me, show me where she is. I trust you. I have faith in you. I know you’ll show me. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.”
I drove around the back of the building in the dark with my brights on. “Show me where she is Lord.” Dogs were barking furiously in the residential area behind the shopping center. “Lord, protect her.” I parked the car and walked into the building. It was dark and the only light was from the parking lot. I was met by Mama Kitty. “Meow, meow, meow!” She’s weaving in and out of my legs with urgency. I said, “I know sweety. Where’s the baby kitty? Where’s Anya? Help me find her sweet girl.” “Meow, meow!” She moves with urgency as she seems to be saying, “Come with me.”
I follow her and she leads me straight to a muffled cry. “meow, meow”, they are both crying now. “Anya, I hear you baby girl, where are you?” “meow, meow”, her response is so muffled. I move a dresser and there she is. I snatch her up as she shivers. “Thank you Jesus!” “It’s okay baby girl. It’s okay.”
Lord, that you leave the 99 to take me by the hand to show me the desire of my heart. That you would use a cat as your call of love, to lead me to the spot. That you would care about me in the midst of famine, wars, heartache, and trouble.
I watched Anya as she would rub on her mother and rub on me, hair standing up on her back, scared but safe. I am reminded that this is what kingdom life is. “Where are we going Lord?” “Just follow me and have faith.” “I don’t know what is required of me in this journey I’m scared.” “Just trust and follow.”
Merry Christmas
It’s Christmas!
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
The tree is decorated.
The presents are wrapped.
The stockings are filled.
The food is planned and ready to go into the oven.
Now it’s time to gather for the most important part of the day. Jesus. I mean that’s why we do this thing right? Because God gave the best he had as ransom for many? Yes, that’s why we celebrate.
May you have abundant joy, plentiful peace, good food, lots of family and friends and above all an awareness that the blessings we’ve been given must be shared!
On behalf of TLC4Women and myself we’re wishing you a Merry Christmas!
It’s A Lie
Most weeks, two or three come in. For the most part, they’re filled out by women. Primarily they’re checked single with children. I’m talking about benevolence forms. These are forms asking the church for assistance.
We have a team of volunteers that works to get these forms processed. I’m not involved with the process itself, but I see how carefully the team works to choose who qualifies for assistance.
Society tells us that men are unnecessary. We can do this parenting thing alone. We don’t need a man. They’re a nice accessory. After all, they only want one thing right? They cheat, they lie, they don’t work hard enough. Yet, could it be that our expectations are so low when choosing whom to father our children, that we choose a man who is ill equipped? That choice leaves us vulnerable. We can blame the down economy but single women with children have always ranked highest amongst those living below the poverty level.
I read these forms with great sadness. Generally speaking the average seems to be three children, two fathers, never married, no one pays child support, and she has never worked or barely worked because someone had to take care of those babies. There is a hardness and a sadness about her story and when I see her, she’s lost the sparkle in her eye. Yet, society tells her she can do it all by herself.
Could it be that God designed sex within the context of marriage to alleviate this pain? Could it be that in his infinite wisdom and compassion he was looking to save us and our children from this struggle, this life of poverty?
It seems judgmental, even to my own eyes, when I read what I have written here today, and yet, life takes some planning. We, as the church, help with what we can, in terms of goods and services, but it’s a band-aid on a more critical wound. We all make mistakes and we all have to live out those consequences. How do we educate the next generation that just because he says, I love you in the backseat of his mom’s car, doesn’t mean that it’s the right time to awaken love? How do we change the lie, and it is a lie, that life will go on as planned? How do we change the story? Even among my Christian friends, they say sex before marriage is unreasonable and unattainable. A nice thought in theory, but not practical in life. We all stand in freakish awe when someone publicly declares that they are going to wait until they get married to have sex. Surely there is something wrong with them, because we are too smart to fall for a lie.
Women suffer, children suffer even more so, yet we plow forward thinking this time it will be different for her. It’s a lie. There is an enemy of your soul who desires to destroy your dream. There is a Dream Giver who is calling you to take more care. Who will you believe and what has to change within you? Within us?
The Sacrifice
In a mad rush to finish my shopping this year I kept getting this feeling I was missing something. I didn’t have the same zeal to buy things this year. I kept stalling. Usually I shop all year through. Gathering gifts I know will be thoughtful. This year I didn’t plan, I didn’t take the time. Then I read this story and my heart resonated with its words.
As I was being asked what I wanted for Christmas I kept saying sincerely, “You know what? I am good. I don’t really need or want anything this year.” The statement was met with stares and protests. This year has been about simplifying. I was getting rid of stuff, not adding. I was donating, not dragging things home.
I pray you touched by this blog as much as I was! Click Here to read.
I Know That You Love Me
Love this song and sometimes a reminder makes you feel better!
Christians Are Canceling Christmas
It’s the oddest thing to me in the whole entire world. There are Christians wanting to cancel church on Christmas because it falls on a Sunday this year. You see, it will interfere with the gift exchange. It will interfere with the Christmas Eve hangover, it will interfere with the Christmas breakfast tradition. Canceling Christmas must be done! It’s inconvenient for MMMMMEEEEEE.
OH WAIT!!
It’s not Christmas we want to cancel. It’s the bride of Christ we want to cancel. We don’t want to gather corporately on a Sunday because of Christmas.
We want the commercial exchange without the holy interaction.
Okay, now it makes total sense! I get it! Push Jesus to the side so we can have our holiday.
Funny thing is that is exactly what the Pharisees did. Jesus came to save the world that was lost, but it was lost on them. They weren’t interested in a Messiah, they were interested in a tradition. Jesus’ timing has never been convenient. Nope, nothing convenient about it, but it was necessary.
Christianity started on the day Jesus arrived on the scene. We have decided to celebrate that moment on December 25. Only this year, it falls on a day we reserve for church service. So church service will have to wait because gifts are more important than the giver.
Maybe I will stand alone but I will be at church on Sunday morning, December 25, 2011 even if it is Christ’s Mass.
1,000 Little Blessings Chapter 3
Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
There is something about being content. Content is a big word. Dictionary.com describes it like this:
adjective
1.satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.
Seems simple enough but so hard to live for some of us. Content? How to be content when there is always one more hill to climb or one more thing to do? And yet, it is exactly where I find myself in my life right now. I don’t need any thing right now. I want to spend time with my family, I want to spend time writing, I want to spend time at my job but I lack nothing right now, not even the fear of the Lord because I have that as well.
Here are my blessings for today:
1. A day off. It’s after 10 am I am in pajamas still reading and writing. What a gift!
2. I had a friend say a song reminded her of me. It was a song about giving of yourself. What a blessing to have a friend who thinks more highly of you than you do. That is pretty cool.
3. I’m feeling so much better after being hit with a cold last week. Thank God that the worst has passed. You never know how much you take breathing for granted until you can’t catch your breath.
4. I cut my hair off. After suffering through a bad perm/color and my hair being dry and frizzy for MONTHS, I finally just conceded and cut it off. It feels soft and healthy now. No worries it will grow back.
5. I’m grateful for praise reports that are coming in with our new bible study! Beth Moore challenged us to get on our face before God and the posture and the prayer are causing a stir! Love God for it!
6. It’s Wednesday at this writing, and tonight Modern Family and Revenge come on. I enjoy both shows. Meanwhile, I am blessed to have laundry to do. It’s odd I know, but the smell of clean clothes and the smell of bleach bring me comfort. Then folded laundry always looks complete somehow. I know it’s strange.
7. Only 10 more days until the sugar fast is OVER. Just in time for a piece of pumpkin cheesecake! Hooray for willpower and Hooray for pumpkin cheesecake.
8. I’m grateful for Oolong tea. It’s hard to find this type of tea but I love it. I found some at a little tea place and bought a box. Drinking a hot cup is just the ticket! Whoever discovered Oolong tea, my hats off to you!
9. Boot season! Yes!
10. I am blessed to have met Jesus. To be blessed with the knowledge and security he brings to my life is unparalleled. Things become less important and matters of the heart become the motivation. I can’t miss saying thanks every day of my life for this relationship.
Thankful
I was sitting with my husband having lunch yesterday when a thought occurred to me that just warmed my heart and made me thankful to God. This past Sunday my son, Anthony, preached the word to the church. He spoke on the relationship we have with God and the obligation we have to each other. The Sunday before son # 2, Charles, preached to the church at youth day. He spoke on humility before God and how we needed to stay pliable before him.
I had simply taken this for granted until the moment God gave me the realization of the blessing he had bestowed on us. Our children pay a high price for what we do, as families in ministry can attest. Ministry is what we do and there aren’t on and off hours for it. Sure, we have great discussions abut the bible and our faith. but we have great arguments about what other kids are allowed to do versus ours. Funny, our kids think we don’t allow certain things because we are a “ministry family”. They don’t understand that we don’t allow certain things because we’re strict parents.
In this moment of clarity the Lord made me realize that despite the guilt I carry, the kids are okay. They know the word of God, they are growing up in the faith that we have taught them and they will, no doubt about it, surpass all that we have done and do even greater still. God has kept his hand firmly on them. God has directed their path even when we felt we were failing at juggling all the balls in the air.
All this to say that the realization was not that the kids were on the platform preaching and that is what made it good. What made it good was their understanding of the word and how it fits in their lives. To see them talk about their struggles and triumphs is what made it good. Somehow we did something right or at least we were carried by abounding grace.
Our daughters haven’t hit the platform (yet). They may or may not but I’m secure in the knowledge that they know God, they love him, and they serve him. That is all I need to feel that life is good!
Pastor Susan 