Sometimes you have to take a step back in the midst of the turmoil in your life and admit that you’ve been looking through a peephole while God has been trying to broaden your view!
Looking Through a Peephole
Category: Ministry
He Keeps His Promises
I can bank on every word of God. What that does for me is, it gives me the trust I need to follow him. It also means I can believe in him, I can count on him.
Many women can’t say that about their man. Yes, sometimes things have to be postponed but the man who keeps his promise can be trusted. If our need to be loved and secure in our man is a fact, and it is, then our man has to be a man of his word.
What is difference between a word and a promise? Absolutely nothing. God is not a God who should lie because every word that proceeds from his mouth is true and comes to pass. Therefore, every word becomes a promise, a vow and a reality. If we are made in his image then the same principle applies. It then limits what we say and how we say it and we are careful not to make promises we know we can’t keep.
A man worthy of your attention is one whose promises are true. It’s hard to tell that in a few months but over time you begin to see a pattern. This is why we never give our hearts too quickly because you can’t make informed decisions without knowledge.
Understand that not every promise can be fulfilled immediately although it would be nice huh? Sometimes that romantic Friday night dinner has to be postponed because of an emergency but it should always be fulfilled as its earliest possible moment and never ignored or put aside. Promises that are consistently postponed for the next best thing or the emergency that happens every Friday night at work is an indication of what you can expect in a long-term relationship. Maybe he isn’t that into you. Maybe he’s into you but he’s into his work more.
What about promises he made to others? Yes, it’s a character issue you need to play close attention to. The man who promised his wife to honor her and love her all the days of his life but is dating you is not a promise keeper. The man who decided he was not happy and left is wife and kids is also not a promise keeper. The man who made the baby with his last girlfriend is not a promise keeper. The man who cancels his visitation with his daughter this weekend, to take you away, is not a promise keeper. The man who can’t keep a job is irresponsible and therefore is not a promise keeper. You get the point. You, mighty woman, are not special or different. He will reap what he’s sown and he will reap it in your field. Not a good bet for me.
But he’s changed! Uh huh and I promise that lie has been told a million times! Wake up and take notice. Be sure that you know who your man is and make sure he has the character to do what he said he was going to do.
What’s The Motive?
I love to worship the Lord. I’m not a big run the aisles kind of girl, I never have done that actually. I don’t dance at the altar most Sunday’s but I have on occasion. I don’t judge those who do, it’s their way. I do see many who have judged those who don’t dance and run and skip and turn circles. They see their act of dance or running or shouting of capturing the attention of God or ushering in His presence.
However, the God I serve is YHWH (Yaweh) He is ever present, all knowing, all seeing, all the time. I don’t have to dance to get his attention, I have it already. In His will or out of it, He knows where I am. So the question rolling around in my mind today is why do we do the things we do? Do we do them out of some expectation we have or do we do them because we think we have earn His glance? Is the motive for our dancing and running the aisle to capture His attention? If it is, then I wonder which god we serve? Do things have to be kooky and spooky to make the Lord arise and take notice? Are we raising a god as the people of Baal did? These thoughts lead me a bigger thought as I think of the worshippers of Baal during the days of Elijah.
When challenged to see who served the one true living God by Elijah the prophet, the people thought they had to get their god’s attention. You can read the story in 1 Kings 18. Today, for the sake of time and space, I bring you a portion of the story.
You see, Elijah challenged them to set up an altar and offering to their god. The God who answered first would be declared the one true living God.
26. So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “O Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
27. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
28. So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed.
29. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
They danced around the altar, they shouted they called upon the name of their god. They simply could not get their god’s attention. Elijah however, well, he simply prayed and let the Lord know his heart and God, and as is the Lord’s way, responded powerfully.
Be careful that your motive for your actions at the altar is not to wake a sleeping god or to feel some goosebump moment. Don’t frown on those who don’t feel the need to respond the way that you do. Above all don’t be fooled by a people who think this is the only way to get the attention of YHWH, it isn’t and never will be. Be certain that you dance out of sheer joy and praise for the One for whom we’ve given our life to. Dance because you’re overwhelmed by His presence and love. God is in the midst of His people always. He declared that whenever two or three are gathered there he is. Do we believe that as truth or do we have to promise Him entertainment to get him to show up? What are the motives that lead our actions? This is a heart check moment!
There Are Four Things
you can’t recover
The stone after it is thrown
The word after it is said
The occasion after the loss
The time after it’s gone
Meditate on this today. It’s short but powerful. What does it all mean? Simply, it means we must weigh the action before the deed. We must have vision beyond the moment. We must anticipate the reaction of our action. We must act wisely. We must act kindly. We must act with love.
The stone after it’s thrown – have your facts together. Jesus said, to the mob that was ready to stone the woman caught in adultery, let he who is without sin cast the first stone. In that story everyone walked away and no one threw the stone. Think carefully before you judge a matter.
The word after it’s said – Words leave an imprint so you must use them carefully. Once they are said they can’t be unsaid. The bible says life and death are in the power of the tongue. You can revive a thing or kill it by your words. The bible also says to let our words be few. Why? Because words need to be carefully considered.
The occasion after the loss – Don’t put off doing what you know you are supposed to do. We all get so busy in life but once the moment is gone it can never be recovered. There is a season for everything the bible says. Don’t live with regret.
The time after it’s gone – Timing is everything. There are moments in time that will never come around again. In battles there are strategic times of attack and retreat. The bible says God chooses the time. Don’t miss that appointed time of favor for your life. Don’t miss the opportunity. Don’t die leaving things undone.
The Heart Of A TLC Woman
TLC4Women are women with a heart for service. They help paint over graffiti. They lead children in Sunday School classes. They mentor young Christian women, and non-Christian women alike. They get calls from others in the community for help, prayer and advice. I am so very proud to serve these women. Recently, I was asked to lead a prayer vigil at a church 30 minutes away. A dozen of them went to support me and to help the women at this church. I know of many women’s groups and ours is unique. I love these women more than anyone knows.
For Pastor’s appreciation they got me a gift that was extravagant! I have to show it to you!
It is beautiful but more than the gift was this poem that was beautifully written by a woman who I am mentoring as a leader in TLC. It blessed me and I wish I had words to express what it meant to me. Some things are beyond words! The poem reads:
TRANSFORMING LIFE CENTER
Pastor Susan, Pastor Susan where do I begin?
I am going to tell the story how ladies hearts began to mend.
In 2006 God put a women’s bible study in your heart
Which is how TLC got its start.
We came together on Moday nights to learn about Him
We came hiding our wounded heart and tried to look proper and prim.
As we began to open up and trust each other more,
God dealt with some past hurts He got right down to the core.
Captivating was our first bible study that helped us climb out of our cocoon
We started the healing process and mighty women of God we would be soon
Other bible studies such as: Kiss The Girls And Made Them Cry, Deal With It, King David
The Patriarchs just to name a few, Bad Girls of The Bible were very important who had a clue?
Soon our open wounds were healing nothing left but a scar,
With lots of prayer, encouragement and the Lord you helped get us this far.
So thany you from a bunch of butterflies who just wanted to say:
We love and appreciate you on this special day.
Love The Women Of TLC
Man! Can you see why I am blessed? I have a great group of women around me who wanted so desperately to be used by God! All they needed was a nudge, well in some cases, I had to tie their ankles to a bungee cord and push them off the cliff but they soared!! Yes, Lord I give you glory because they soared! I am overwhelmed with joy and appreciation to the Lord for these women. They are the new generation of women who love and follow Jesus. I share this with you today not to brag about us and how far we’ve come but I share this with you to say Look At God!
Look At God! He loves you no matter where you are in life. He loves you even the deepest part of you, the part that shames you, the part that makes you feel guilty because you think if someone found out, you’d be thought of in a bad way. He formed you before the foundation of the earth. He counted the hair on your head. He determines your future not based on your past but based on your destiny in Him! His mercy knows no bounds. When God forgives he forgets. He says your sins are as far as the East is to the West. So what have you got to lose? Trust him! Love Him! Believe in Him! Watch Him transform your life! I’ve seen His work first hand and I praise Him for it!
A Family Matter
Every family on planet earth has things that are discussed within the four walls of their home and are not for public display or discussion. They aren’t family secrets they are merely for private use only. These things are considered family matters.
Do you realize that there are things as followers of Christ that we should discuss within the four walls of the church that do not need to be discussed outside those four walls? There are some things that are family matters. As a body of believers we are a family. When you are in a family there are some things that you keep among each other. You don’t want the neighbors to know because they are matters that only a family would have knowledge of.
Jesus walked among the people for three years. In the time of his ministry he preached a kingdom message. He spoke to all who would listen about a kingdom that could be had on earth. In the time of his ministry he also had disciples, those that stuck close to him and traveled with him. Jesus took those disciples aside and taught them deeper things. Things the public was not ready for. He prepared them for a time when he would no longer be with them so that they could carry on his work. They had lengthy discussions about what he was teaching but if you notice they were always done away from the crowd of followers. It was simply a family matter.
We could all take a lesson from this. When we meet people who do not know Jesus our first instinct is to begin talking about everything we know. First off, it isn’t helpful because most people don’t know what we are talking about. For them, it’s like walking into a movie that has already begun. We need to slow down. We need to talk to them about the things Jesus talked about in his time. He talked to the people he came across about kingdom things that would help them. Things like their own pain and illness and issues that they were struggling with and how to overcome them. He recognized that they didn’t understand the principles of God. He had a message to be taught but the people he encountered had real needs now. They needed immediate help and a resolution if they were going to move forward in their lives. Saying things like ‘Jesus loves you’ does nothing for a person if that person doesn’t know him. It simply sounds kooky. Saying something about knowing the pain of a losing a loved one and what got you through that time in your life is more realistic and helpful. Listening to a need without judgment is better than a trite answer. Remember the family matters are for a later time. There are people with immediate needs out there that need to be helped now. They honestly don’t care that Jesus loves them if they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. They only want to know one thing; can you buy some groceries for them? Can you help?
There will be plenty of time to explain the whole history of your family later. For now, just meet them at their need. Be a friend who can help.
Oasis RMA in Progress
Let me take you on a tour of what we did at the store today. We decorated grids in each department. It’s not quite finished but it will be tomorrow.
We separated out departments so that each part of the store has its own area. This is the men’s department.
We began folding t-shirts and sweaters and putting them on shelves
The children’s area got some decorations. Putting up all these little clothes really made me think of my own babies who are now 28 and 23 and how I SOOO would trade it all go back to when they fit into these clothes and I could squeeze them up and kiss their sweet cheeks!
The furniture and appliance section got some arrangement to it
Decorative pillows were added to accent the couches
My favorite part! FASHION! A scarf donated by one, a sweater with the tags on it from my mom’s closet, a pair of pants donated by another and a pair of shoes donated by another and VIOLA! we have a cute outfit!
It’s all coming along! Tomorrow we tackle the housewares! I’m exhausted and going to bed! I’ll post more pictures tomorrow!
New Ministry
Yesterday I told you that I’d fill you in on what’s been taking up my days and nights for weeks now. We are opening a RE-Store. A RE-Store is a new name for a thrift shop. For weeks now, we’ve been gathering items, and now we should have our official grand opening on Saturday.
We modeled our store after the La Porte, Texas store run by an organization called Role Models Of America. This RMA store will be called Oasis RMA and will be the West Coast representation. We are proud that they trusted and allowed us to join forces with them.
We had to first dispel the notion of what a thrift store is with our congregation. As you all know the TLC4Women scripture that we base our ministry on is:
Romans 12:2 2. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
This scripture applied here big time. We had to change our mind about what a thrift store looked liked and felt like. So here is the vision of our new ministry:
We are not a yard sale or a junk store. Our ministry is one of excellence and so the items in the store are items that are in good condition. No stains, no rips, no tears, no “good enough”. We want to offer a good product to our community because, after all, it represents the ministry. Nothing is wasted. Anything that doesn’t go into the store is sent to be recycled. This is important to us because we don’t want to waste resources. God’s commandment of replenishing the earth doesn’t mean making more landfills!
This ministry will help on multiple layers. We have partnered with our county to help clothe people for their job interviews. Sometimes all it takes to land a new job is to have a new outfit to boost your self-esteem. We also offer help getting your resume together and giving mock interviews. We also will have items to help with benevolence. The economy being what it is, we will have access to things that can help. We aren’t even open yet, and a woman who is a week away from giving birth just moved to town. They don’t have furniture and we got a couch donated that we think will be a blessing to her. Being able to help is what we are called to do! Besides it makes me really happy!
The money that the store generates, will help with our food pantry, a youth program that we need and help us with our missions work. Our community has been so helpful! We really live in a good city with good people who have a desire to make it a better place. We could not be more grateful!
So now you know what we’ve been up to. The store will open on Saturday. I’ll be sure to post some pictures and update you as we go. For now, we covet your prayers!
An Article On Church Hoppers
John Reich writes a blog called My World. I read this article on church hoppers this morning and thought it was pretty accurate. I really enjoyed this post and will read some more of his blog soon! Click on the link below and Enjoy!
I Don’t Have To Perform To Earn His Love
God’s love for me is not dependent on any sort of act I do. It isn’t about how much prayer time I have, it’s not about how much I serve him. He just loves me because we are a part of each other. I could be on my best behavior or my worst and he still loves me.
That is not to say that I don’t have to work at doing my part. No, in fact, I work at doing my part not because I have to but because I WANT to. That is a big difference. I pray because I want to talk to him. I obey because I want to please him. He doesn’t take his love away whether I do it or not.
I don’t do laundry for my husband because he expects it or because I win his love by doing it. I already have his love. I do the laundry out of a want in me to do nice things for him. In other words, it’s not a performance. I do it because I want to. I want to go see movies he likes. I want to snuggle up to him while I read my book and he watches the military channel. I want to take time out of my day to call him on the phone just to say hi. I don’t call him because I need to and not because I have to or he’ll be mad if I don’t. Simply I do things for him because I want him to feel appreciated. I want him to feel loved. I want him to feel like he is the luckiest man on earth.
So often as women we begin to see men as fixtures. They aren’t fixtures. We take them for granted and we nag them to death about all the things they fail to do and bypass the things they got right. We need to take a step back and realize they are aren’t slaves to be mistreated they are supposedly our love, our heart’s desire.
Conversely, you do not need to be perfection to earn a man’s love. If a man withholds his love from you because you are not performing to his expectations it’s time to move on because he is not a keeper and definitely not marriage material. If you have to jump through hoops like a trained dolphin then it’s time to go. Love can’t be bought and I see men who want to be with women because of what they can get her to do. I also the reverse, women whose boyfriends sit and stay as they are told. I am old enough, I guess, to still believe that a man should open a door for his woman and treat her to dinner without the expectation of sex afterwards but neither do I believe that a man has to buy us. I don’t think cleaning your boyfriends apartment is appropriate either if it means that’s how you have to keep him.
So, the key here is this. Do things for the people in your life because you love them and you want to do things that make their life easier. Don’t take them for granted, they are not fixtures. They are free people who can choose to leave when they’ve had enough of being ignored or taken for granted or bossed around. Remember you are not a trained monkey. If you are performing to get something it may not be worth it.
Pastor Susan 