Changing Habits

If anyone out there is struggling with addiction or just battling a negative habit, may this encourage you today.

It is from Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson.

Chapter 1:
I walk down the street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I fall in.  I am lost.  I am helpless.  It isn’t my fault.  It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2:
I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I pretend I don’t see it.  I fall in again.  I can’t believe I am in this same place.  But it isn’t my fault.  It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3:
I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I see it is there.  I fall in … it’s a habit … but my eyes are open.  I know where I am. It is my fault.  I get out immediately.

Chapter 4:
I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I walk around it.

Chapter 5:
I walk down a different street.

James 4:7 (NASB95) Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Luke 10:19 (NASB95) Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

Isaiah 54:17 (NASB95) "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD.

John 8:36 (NASB95) 
"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. "

WAW Team Post #9 - Fear

by Tracey McMahan

It’s lunch break at my office, and I never know which direction the conversation might take. A co-worker asks, “So, what are you afraid of?”

“Spiders!” one woman answers. “They give me the creeps.”

“Birds,” adds someone else. “I blame that old movie!”

“Scary movies,” chimes in another. “Not the weird, way-out ones, but the ones that could really happen.”

The conversation shifts before I can share how God’s word has been at work in me on this very subject of fear. So may I share with you, dear friend?

Recently I’ve been looking at fear through the eyes of Psalm 27. Fear can be defined as “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.” Also “something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension.”

Fear can be a good thing. Being afraid of heights is good if it keeps you away from the edge of a cliff. Being afraid of fire keeps a child’s fingers out of the flames. Showing fear or “reverential awe, respect and veneration” toward God is not only good and right but commanded of all true believers:

Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him (Psalm 33:8).

O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want (Psalm 34:9).

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones (Proverbs 3:7-8).

Psalm 27 deals with the futility of fear right out of the box. The LORD, the Sovereign God of the Universe, the mighty and powerful Creator of all things is my light, my salvation, and my defense. He illumines my way. He saves my soul from evil and from death. He defends me against my enemies, protecting me from anyone or anything that threatens me.

God shelters me, conceals me and keeps me safe as I seek His face. So whom shall I fear? Whom shall I dread? If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31). I read those words and fear flees from my heart. Courage and confidence take its place. And I am unafraid… at least until something or someone else comes along and threatens to rock my world; then fear may raise its ugly head once again. But this time I’ll be armed with Psalm 27 like a sword of steel – the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). This time I will recognize that God truly is my help and my salvation, my stronghold and my sanctuary. I can be strong and let my heart take courage because it safely trusts in Him. Isn’t He marvelous?

Have you ever allowed fear to get the better of you? Has it ever stolen inside your thoughts like a thief, threatening to rob you of your peace and joy? Has it wrapped its tentacles of lies around you, seeking to pry your grasp from the Father’s hand of comfort and protection?

And what has your fear looked like?

Maybe like Moses, it’s the fear of inadequacy. But God says, “I will be with you and teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:10-11).

Maybe like Solomon, it’s the fear of evildoers. But God says, “I will be your confidence” (Proverbs 3:26).

Maybe like the disciples, it’s the fear of the unknown. But God says, “Take courage; I am here” (Matthew 14:27).

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” I contend, dear friend, that as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is nothing whatsoever to fear but God Himself,  and we can confidently cry out, “In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid” (Psalm 56:4).

What about you? Is there a passage of scripture that has helped you face and overcome a particular fear in your life? I’d love to hear how the word is working in you today.

Summtertime....And the Living is Easy....

Audra Peterson recently shared some plans her family will be doing over the next few months which sparked the thought in my head to post it and see what some of the rest of you girls are planning to do over the lazy days of summer.

From Audra:

 Some of you know me and my family and some of you do not.  But for those who are interested, let me quickly explain. Recently my step-mom passed away and when we were in FL visiting my dad for her memorial, my dad said he was thinking of buying an RV and going across the country this summer and wanted to take his grandkids. While we were still visiting him, he passed an RV for sale by owner, liked it, and bought it. It was like God's stamp of approval on this adventure. So, myself, Audra, and my four kids are soon to be traveling across the US into Canada and eventually Alaska, in an RV with my dad. My husband, Jeremy, is 100% behind it even though we will be apart for 2-3 mos. He is glad that grandpa will have time to impart wisdom and life experience into our kids. But my dad has graciously offered to fly Jeremy up to Alaska for a week when we get there.

I have set up a blog website so that you can watch our travels as they unfold. This is a nice way to keep in touch and involve those we love in this amazing experience for me and my family. All you do is punch in this address into your browser's address bar (or copy and paste it in): www.peterson-rvtrip.tumblr.com
Make sure you type it just as is or who knows what you will get! Save the site to your favorites and keep an eye on us! We leave around the 9th of May for MI and then to visit fam in WI and on to Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, and then up into Alberta Canada and on to Alaska from there. I will update as often as we have an internet connection (hopefully).

Please keep us in your prayers.  This will be an awesome trip but not without it's sanctifying moments!  Also, my dad is not a born again believer.  We hope to continue to be a light to him and the truth of an authentic, personal relationship with Jesus that can be his as well. Pray for that. Thanks.
The Peterson Family: Audra, Simone, Danielle, Mikayla and Uzziah


So how about you? What are your plans for the summer?  Are you
~ taking a family vacation?
~learning a new skill?
~resolving to organize or reorganize your home?
~hanging out at the baseball fields consuming lots of hotdogs and popcorn?
~or simply looking to soak your feet in the cool Davidson River and devour some great books? 

Do you have a Bible study planned or a goal to memorize some special passages?  Share with us and maybe you can help ignite some inspiration in the rest of us!

Zumba!

Thanks to all who came out and spent a morning sweating it out Zumba style.  It was a blast laughing and dancing and snacking and just being together.  Who knew we had so much Zumba-talent amongst us? 


Enjoy the photos.....

Tracey welcomes ladies and gets them settled in.



Metta opens us in prayer and gets us started



Then Hiro takes over and leads away








Hang on to your hats because once it starts you won't be this still again for a while!





Thanks for making it such a fun morning ladies!!!!

WAW Team Post 8

by Sheila Alewine                           
                                                                               

Our precept class is studying the Gospel of John.  It's an amazing book.  I could write about a lot of different things, but since this is a blog, not a novel, I just wanted to share some thoughts about one of the key words we've discovered in this particular Gospel.

John graciously tells the reader his purpose in writing in chapter 20, verses 30-31:  Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

John carefully chose eight particular miracles (signs) to convince his readers to believe in the name of Jesus.  Although we have only covered the first of these signs so far (water turned to wine), I've been thinking about the importance of recognizing the signs of God's activity in my own life.  I want to live intentionally - aware of God's presence, and taking note of His work in and around my life.  So I've been pondering...is God still performing signs?

"Signs" is from the Greek word sēmeion.  It is a mark or token; that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and is known; it can be an unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature; it also refers to miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by Him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God's.

I like this statement from one of my word study dictionaries:  A sign is a miracle with a spiritual end and purpose, fingermarks of God, valuable not so much for what they are as for what they indicate of the grace and power of the One who does them; a sign by which the divine power in majesty is made known.

In our modern language, a sign is always representative of something else - for example, a stop sign is not the actual law, it only represents and reminds us of the law.  Perhaps in the same way, each time we recognize God's activity in our life, it is a sign ... a sign of our connection to Him, that He is active and moving and sovereign in this world.  Also, anytime we bring glory and attention to Christ, we are "living signs" of the gospel.  Our transformed lives are the "fingermarks" of God, indicative of the grace and power of the One who transformed us.

A few thoughts about recognizing the "signs" of God's activity in my daily life, and what that means.

In order to recognize the "signs" that God is performing in my life, I must understand and grow in knowledge of the character of God.  The more I know who God is, from the study of His Word, the more I will recognize His handiwork.  For example, if my job was a curator in an art museum, I would study the works of the artists I represented, so that when I came across a painting, I would immediately recognize the handiwork.  Each artist would have a certain pattern and way of producing their work that would be consistent and recognizable; but only with the eyes of one who had studied that artist intently would be able to see it.  This also protects me from being "fooled" by false signs - those of the enemy that are designed to lead us astray.  A sign of God's work will always bring glory and honor to Himself - not me, not other gods, not other men.

I should be seeking the Giver of the sign, not the sign itself.  We should not be seeking "signs" from God to satisfy our desire for the supernatural. We do not seek a "show" to entertain or amaze us.  We do not ask for "miracles" to make our life more comfortable.  I'm not saying we don't pray for people to be healed, or for God to do what seems impossible.  But our faith must be firmly rooted in Christ Himself, not whether or not He performs the miracle we are asking of Him.  Jesus told the Pharisees they would not be given any sign, because their attitude in asking was one of unbelief and skepticism.  Seeking God Himself is true faith; seeking a sign for God to "prove Himself" is actually unbelief.

Mark 8:11-13 - The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.  And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."  And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

Matthew 12:38-42 - Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."  But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Ninevah will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Did you catch that?  Jesus "sighed deeply in His spirit" because they wanted Him to perform for them.  They weren't seeking to know Him - they wanted to be amazed and entertained.  And Matthew tells us that when we fail to recognize God when He is right in front of us, when He has already performed the greatest miracle we will ever need in His death and resurrection, that we are in danger of judgment!

My goal should be to live an obedient life as a "living sign" of God to my generation.  The purpose of signs and miracles performed by the apostles in the book of Acts was simply God's affirmation that they spoke the truth - to give credibility that their message was from God.  John wrote his Gospel so that we may believe.  In the same way, as I live a transformed life, bringing attention to God's redeeming work in me and observing and calling attention to His activity and leading in my everyday life, I, too, am a living "sign" to others, testifying of the power of God to save.

Perhaps we don't see many "signs" or "miracles" today (by our definition) because we don't know God well enough to recognize His handiwork, or (I hope not) in our heart of hearts, we are people of unbelief - seeking God's activity and supernatural display of power to make us comfortable and successful, rather than a true heart of faith seeking His glory.  May that never be!

How about it?  What "signs" of God's activity have you recognized in your life?  I'd love to read your comments about the ways you are recognizing the fingermarks of God, and how He is using you to display His glory to others.

Love you ladies!

Sheila

Photo Recap of the Morning James Study

We recently wrapped up our Spring Bible Study on the book of James.  Here are some pictures from the Friday morning Group's last day.



Great job to each of these ladies who memorized either the whole book of James or portions of it!



Way to go Carol, Audra , Carissa, and Shannon!





Then any study that ends around lunch time calls for a celebration



The kind of celebration that includes food and young firemen....



friends and flowers.....



and dessert.



All mixed in with lots of laughter.  Congrats to all you ladies who finished the James Journey.  May it stay with you always!



And a special thank you to all the leaders who faithfully facilitated this study!

WAW Team Post 7

Hi there WAW Team, 

Did ya'll enjoy that last post by Tracey on Good Friday?  Wow that was moving and I was just sorry that I was out of town and unable to post a comment on that day.

This week I wanted to reiterate a good point made by Sheila Alewine in a previous WAW Team posting.

Sheila said, "One thing I am working on and enjoying is learning how to pull out the "structure" in a book (she was referring to the book of Colossians), so that I have a place to "hang" all of the rich fruit I find as I dig deeper. On a practical note, I do this by summarizing each "clump" of verses - where I find natural breaks. Then I go back and try to understand how those "clumps" of verses relate to one another - to see transitions, etc. By doing this, you get a better grasp of the overall meaning the author wants to convey.

If you missed her comment you can find it here: http://theordinaryreflectingtheextraordinary.blogspot.com/2012/03/waw-team-post-5.html  (in the comment section at the bottom of the post)

I found this tip to be very helpful recently as I was studying Chapter 3 of James. The first half of the chapter is all about taming the tongue. I know, I know, its this kind of chapter we can just hardly wait to sink our teeth into right?....Because who won’t find herself squirming a little as she studies a chapter about taming the tongue?!?!

When I first read through James 3:1-12, verse 1 seemed a little out of place with the following 11. Verse 1 says "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly" Then the next 11 verses talk about the tongue.

What’s the connection?

So I decided to divide up these 12 verses in their natural breaks and summarize each cluster. This is what I came up with this:

vs. 1-2  responsibility of teachers
vs. 3-6  influence of the tongue
vs. 7-12 perversity of the tongue

Then when I glanced back over it, it became blatantly clear what the connection was.

What member of their body would a teacher use most to teach? (Not counting a charade's teacher)

Their tongue!

Since the tongue is by far the hardest of our members to tame and even untamable without the help of the Holy Spirit, teachers have a tremendous responsibility to be watchful over what kind of influence they exert with their tongues AND (and this is an "and" that is worth pausing over), "will face a stricter judgement."

Why? Because they are in a place of influence and must guard against ever wielding that influence in any way that would dishonor God. So they must learn to willingly and continuously submit their tongues to God over and over again and not succumb to the many temptations to misuse it.

A tongue can boast, lie and steal God’s glory.

It can devastate, destroy, deceive, and sway multitudes in the wrong direction. A tongue can turn a sister against a sister, a neighbor against a neighbor and even nations against one another.

Like a tiny spark that in turn burns a whole forest down a tongue can issue miles of destruction and the teacher who misuses their influence and their tongue for self-seeking personal revenge, gain, or any other ungodly thing will not slip under the radar of God's watchful eyes.

Sobering, weighty, but not hopeless.

Not for the teacher or even just the ordinary joe who will not be held to the same stricter judgment as a teacher, but still has to keep his tongue in check.

If left to ourselves who could stand? Without Christ, who could stand?

But He gives greater grace. (James 4:6)

Praise Him that He gives greater grace!

The tongue, which cannot be tamed by man, can be tamed by God. Nothing is impossible for Him. So our part, teacher or not, is to submit our tongues to Him, resist the devil and his taunts to misuse our tongues and humble ourselves before the Lord acknowledging that without Him we are hopeless but because of Him we have great hope!

Whew! This Word needs to be at Work in me  24/7.  Anybody else feel that way?


In closing,  if you are having trouble understanding how a passage of Scripture fits together or what the overall meaning is try dividing it up into its natural clumps then summarize what each clump is about then stand back and ask God to show you the connections.

How about you? What has the Word at Work in you been teaching you this week?