Come On Ring Those Bells...

Dwayne, Sherri Summers and Family

Scott, Wendi Adair and Family

Light the Christmas Tree....

      Jesus is the King....Born for you and me!

                
             Merry Christmas Everyone!

Using Christmas Symbols to Share the Meaning of Christmas in Japan

Have you ever found a long lost file or box in your house that took you on a nostalgic journey to the past?

That happened to me recently.  As we unpacked our decorations this year, I came across an old bag stuffed full of Christmas symbols, advent books and carols translated into Japanese. I had gathered all these things to teach a Christmas Class when I lived in Japan 21 years ago.  Flipping through the contents brought back floods of memories.

In the days long before google and instant information it was a treasure trove of information so I guess I chose to hold on to it just in case I forgot it when it came time to teach my own children one day.

I debated whether or not to share it with you.  The meanings behind the Christmas symbols are pretty easy to find these days but I thought this might get our wheels turning about different ways that we could use them to open conversations about Christ.

Take mistle toe, for example.   Did you know that it has a long history associated with healing?  So it is a reminder of the healing power of Christ and the ultimate healing He offers to us through the Cross. 

I recently found another interesting thing mistle toe represents on this Christmas Symbols website.

"MISTLETOE: Mistletoe is an aerial parasite that has no roots of its own. It lives off the tree to which it attaches itself and, without that tree, it would die. Mistletoe is a Christmas symbol of our love which derives from and exists only because God loves us. God, Who is Love, created us in love and caused us to be able to love. Christians are humbled before these words of St. John the Evangelist: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him” (1 Jn. 4:16). Just as mistletoe may not acknowledge the tree which sustains it, so people may not acknowledge that the love of God sustains them. But if mistletoe were taken from the tree and any person removed from God’s love, both would die. (From penitents.org)"

That thought made me also think of John 15:5 and how dependent we are on Christ for anything eternal. (That could open all kinds of good conversations)

Then of course, there is the most familar modern day custom of Mistletoe - which I purposely omitted while living in Japan as a single:)

You'd be surprised at how sharing some of these meanings can open the way to some conversations about Christ and what He offers us.

And the way seems all the more open when its done gently and winsomely.  I have seen some well meaning believers sabotage their message by their means of delivery. We can scream and yell at people to keep 'Christ in Christmas' and give them the evil eye when they start to deviate, but lets face it, if they don’t know Him, why would they care if they kept Him central to the season? Wouldn’t it be more effective to come alongside someone and unveil the treasure we have in Him so they can see His worth with their own eyes?

That is really what inspired me to start a Christmas Class all those years ago in Japan. There were so many people celebrating Christmas without really knowing why. If you are wondering why a predominantly Buddhist country would even bother to celebrate Christmas,  the answer is quite simply that it was a huge money maker. The majority of Japanese didn’t have a clue about the meaning of Christmas, but boy did it bring in the yen.

Sad, because that path leads to such emptiness.

I wanted to do something about it but honestly, the task seemed overwhelming.   I felt so small in the sea of Japanese people and the lie sprouting in my brain was that I had nothing significant to offer.

If it were just me offering empty philosophies that would be true. BUT a person in partnership with the Lord does have something significant to offer, because of Him.  It doesn’t have to be big. He doesn’t need our ‘bigness’; He is big enough.  But His eyes do search for those willing to join Him in what He is already up to. Whether that's in Japan or North Carolina.

For me, one of the small things He invited me to do in Japan was to put together this Christmas class where I shared everything I knew  about the meaning of Christmas and its symbols to anyone who wanted to come and learn.

I started to post it all here but then I realized that it is all available on the internet now.  If you google "Christian meaning of Christmas symbols" you will have enough information at your fingertips to become an expert on the season.  (Where oh where was google back when I was digging up all this stuff the old fashioned way?)

My first group was just a small one,  like this, (first picture below) gathered around my table.  (and side note...boy did the Japanese have some great tables. The underside was heated so everyone stuck their feet under the cloth to warm them up) Then another group that wanted to learn. (middle photo). Then they asked if I would teach it to some of their friends. (bottom photo)

Which of course I was delighted to do. 

It amazed me how open the Japanese were to learning about Christmas.  They would come in  droves to hear about this holiday they were already celebrating but didn't know why.  It was like a wide open door to a normally closed audience. I felt a little like the Apostle Paul at Mars Hill explaining that Christ was the "unknown God" they were already worshipping. 

And they drank it in.

Then I taught it to these sweet young middle school girls. (Top photo) And then the next group (middle photo), and even my littlest students.

(That adorable 6 year old girl was my youngest student. I was thinking today how she is probably in her late 20's and possibly even married with her own family. I wondered if she remembered anything about the Christmas Class and if so, if she is passing it on to her own family)

Only God knows if anything lasting ever came of it and I know I have to be content to leave such things in His hands.  But I can say this,  I had a blast participating with God in this venture and whenever I talk to my own kids about the symbolism behind the Christmas decorations I can't help but see some sweet Japanese faces in the background of my mind.

Finding this Christmas bag has sort of reissued an old challenge in my life to get outside my comfort zone and love on some people who don’t know Him and to share some things about Him and Christmas that maybe they just plain don’t know. Not shout at them, just share.

What has He invited you to particpate with Him in this season? 

Nothing is too small or too insignificant if He has put it in your heart to do.  Who knows what a difference it might make in someone's life. 

(If you are interested in hearing more of the story of what led me to start this Christmas class in Japan I have included an article I wrote about the experience while living there. I was trying to motivate some of my expatriate friends to join me in doing  something)

                        
                     Glitter and Gold

   (Reflections on Christmas in Tokyo Dec. 90)

It was a warm December afternoon and I was walking the crowded streets of Tokyo with my Japanese friend. We were window shopping as our pockets could only afford, and admiring the Christmas decorations

I was amazed at how the Japanese had caught on to this phenomenon of decorating for Christmas, and like most things done in Japan, the decorations were rich. There were large Christmas trees, wreaths, elegant lights strung up and an oversized inflated Santa Claus suspended from the top of a train station. There was even a Christmas tree made of diamonds displayed prominently in a store known for its jewels.

A large poster in a department store window caught my eye. From a distance it looked like a nativity scene. My friend and I squeezed through the crowd for a better look. The picture was of a magnificently decorated cathedral with a spotlight on the front platform. The stage had small figurines that looked like shepherds and wisemen standing on it. I stood staring at the picture, sifting through the colors in search of the substance. In the top corners of the picture were angels making an announcement which was written in Japanese. I wondered what kind of message would be displayed on a picture that resembled a nativity scene. Intrigued, I asked my friend to translate. Squinching her eyes, she searched for the English words to communicate that the angels were announcing the dates for the Grand Finale Christmas Sale.

Disappointed, I stared again at the picture. The bright colors that had initially caught my attention seemed dimmer now. In fact, the picture looked empty, there was no manger, no baby Jesus, just a lot of glitter without any gold. "Where...." I mumbled as I looked for the missing parts. My friend quietly pressed my question, "Where’s what?" she asked. "Is something missing from the picture?"

Christmas in Tokyo is much like this picture. On the outside, rich and elaborate. On the inside, empty. Stop someone on the street and ask the reason for Christmas. The response could be anything from attending elegant Christmas dinner shows to exchanging Christmas cakes.

As I (and later my friend) observed, Jesus, or any evidence of Him, has been thoroughly removed from the picture. The gold of the celebration goes widely undetected. Only the glitter can be seen.

How is it that the glamour of the season has been passed to Japan unaccompanied by the message that on this day a baby was born to redeem the nations?

One cannot blame the Japanese for their portrayal of Christmas. It is quite likely those who have traveled abroad and observed Christmas have brought it back exactly as they saw and experienced it. Empty materialistic Christmas’ abound in the United States. But haven’t they transgressed that way gradually from a once Christ centered Christmas? It seems that in Japan, Christ has been removed from the start. Perhaps this is because the customs are passed by those who intentionally eliminate Jesus from the picture. Or perhaps some of us who know the message have chosen a silent complacency over sharing the treasure we hold.

For a Christian, the season is rich because Christ remains central in the celebration. Thus the decorations, the symbols and even the word "Christ-mas" signify a deeper meaning.

For the overwhelmingly majority of Japan, the depth of Christmas lies in the copiously decorated shopping districts, ritsy dinner shows and diamond Christmas trees. A facade, lacking substance because its significance of the symbols and the Truth they represent is unknown.

As believers in country with 99% non-believers, we have a tremendous opportunity this season to offer something substantial to replace the emptiness, to put Jesus back into the center of the Christmas picture. We have the chance to make plain that which has been hidden, to share our knowledge of the unsearchable riches of Christ. To not do so would be to hoard a treasure that was meant to be given away.

It is a jewel that we have to offer Japan...a jewel far more precious than diamond Christmas Trees. 

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15



Contemplating Christ at Christmas

Christmas. There is much to love about it. And when Christ is the center, the season spills over with wonder and joy as we contemplate his coming to us.

Below is an excerpt that I hope with all my heart you will take the time to read. I didn't find it on my own but came across it through a seminary student who manage to dig it up from the fourth century (329-390). Please don’t let the antiquity of it stop you from uncovering the sparkling jewel you will find if you are willing to blow off the dust. It is not a hard read but if it grips you the way it did me it will cause you to push your desk chair back and worship.

For that reason it is so perfect for this season!

Read and be blessed. Then press the pause button on all the other demands and relish the One it speaks of. Without Him there would be no reason to celebrate.

The Mystery of the Incarnation: A Scriptural Tapestry of Jesus as Man and God by Gregory of Nazianzus

"He was baptized (Matt. 3:13) as man, but he destroyed sins (Matt. 9:6) as God; he himself was not in need of purifying rites, but [he was baptized/he came] that he might sanctify the waters. He was tempted (Matt. 4:1) as man, but he conquered as God; not only this but he even encouraged [us] to be courageous, since he had conquered the world (John 16:33). He was hungry, but he fed thousands (John 6:10); not only this but he is indeed life-giving and heavenly bread (John 6:51). He was thirsty (John 4:7; 19:28), but he shouted, "If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink" (John 7:37); not only this but he also promised that those who believe would gush forth [with water] (John 7:38). He was tired (John 4:6), but for those who are tired and heavy laden he is rest (Matt. 11:28). He was heavy with sleep (Matt. 8:24), but he is light upon the sea; not only this but he even rebukes winds; not only this but he even makes Peter light when he is sinking (Matt. 14:25, 29; Matt. 8:26). He pays tax, but [he does so] from a fish (Matt. 17:24-27); not only this but he is even king of those demanding [the tax]. He hears himself called a Samaritan and demon-possessed (John 8:48), but he saves the one who went down from Jerusalem and fell among robbers (Luke 10:30); not only this but he is even recognized by demons (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34) and drives out demons (Matt. 8:16), and he sinks a legion of spirits (Luke 8:33) and sees the ruler of demons falling like lightning (Luke 10:18). He is stoned, but he is not caught (John 8:59). He prays (Matt. 14:23; 26:36; Heb. 5:7), but he hears [prayers] (Acts 7:59). He weeps (John 11:35), but he causes tears to cease. He asks where Lazarus [is laid] (John 11:34), for he was man, but he raises Lazarus (John 11:43), for he was God. He is sold, and very cheaply, for [it was] for thirty silver coins (Matt. 26:15), but he buys back the world, and [it was] for a great price, for [it was] for his own blood (1 Pet 1:18-19). He was led as a sheep to slaughter (Isa 53:7), but he shepherds Israel, and now, indeed, the whole inhabited world (John 10:11). [He is] silent like a lamb (Isa 53:7; Matt. 26:63), but he is the Word (John 1:1), being proclaimed by a voice of one shouting in the desert (John 1:23). He has been weakened, wounded, but he heals every disease and every infirmity (Isa. 53:5). He is lifted up upon the tree (John 12:32), he is fixed [to it] (Acts 2:23), but he restores by the tree of life (John 6:51); not only this but he saves even a robber crucified with [him] (Luke 23:43); not only this but he darkens everything that is seen (Luke 23:44). He is given cheap wine to drink (Luke 23:36), he is fed bile (Matt. 27:34). Who? The one who changed the water into wine (John 2:1-11), the destroyer of the bitter taste (Heb. 2:9), the [one who is] sweetness and all desire (Song 5:16). He hands over his life, but he has authority to take it again (John 10:18); not only this but the curtain is torn apart (Matt. 27:51); for the things above are exhibited (Cf. Rev. 11:19; 15:5) not only this but rocks are split; not only this but dead are raised beforehand (Matt. 27:51-52). He dies, but he makes alive, and by death he destroys death. He is buried, but he rises. He goes down into Hades (1 Peter 3:18-19), but he brings up souls; not only this but he goes up into heaven; not only this but he will come to judge the living and the dead . . . "

Jesus...have you ever known anyone else so fiercly compelling?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:1; 4-5 ESV.

 (The above selection is Gregory’s Oration 29.20. The English translation of this selection comes from A Patristic Greek Reader (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 2007), 244-246 by Rodney A. Whitacre.)

Thank you Cindy and Denise!

The Autumn Bible Studies have come to and end and I just wanted to take a minute to thank these two ladies for heading them up.

This is Cindy Fikes with her 2 little ones.  Aren't they the cutest things?  I asked Cindy if she would step in and lead the evening study this semester and despite her own busy schedule of home schooling and raising a family she willingly stepped forward.  I loved catching a glimpse of her heart along the way.  Her attitude, desire to serve, and affection for those she served often reminded me of Paul's words to the Philippians...

" It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me.  And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight...."Philippians 1:7,9

And those words from Philippians also perfectly fit Denise too.  She lead the morning study.  The more I know Denise the more I love her.  You can't bump into her without getting a warm hug and a encouraging word.  How blessed we are to have these two gals in our midst along with a plethora of others who serve alongside them.

By the way did you notice the necklace Denise is wearing?

And there it is again on Paula (who also helped  with the morning study). 

Curious? 

Below is a little from Denise about the study and the meaning of the necklace.....

(From Denise)

It has been a week and a half since our last Bible study ended, and I am still praising my Savior for who He is and all He has done. We were all truly Gripped By the Greatness of our God.  We opened our study by asking  that, “He our Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but our eyes will behold our Teacher. (Is 30:20) We learned that His going forth is as certain as the dawn”(Hos 6:3). That “you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all of your heart,… I will be found by you” (Jer 29:13-14)- all this spoken to us by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!

We had a glimpse into the heavenly throne room through Isaiah’s vision in Ch6, “I saw the Lord sitting on the throne, high and lifted up and the train of His robe filled the temple.” And we heard as the angels cry out to one another continually, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory”. Against this back drop of His holiness we saw Isaiah cry “woe is me I am a man of unclean lips” – as we all cry out- Lord save us, we are a sinful people. Next, the angel took a burning coal from the altar and touched Isaiah lips saying, “your iniquity is taken away, your sins are forgiven.”  We saw how God’s holiness demanded that sin be paid for and then how His love compelled Him to pay the price Himself. James MacDonald says, “A true glimpse of God in all His holiness will rock your world to the core, and that holiness is character before it ever is conduct.” 1Peter 1:16 the Lord our God says, “You shall be holy for I AM holy”. A phrase from Beth Moore is, “It matters how we live”.

The last thing I want to share is about His awesomeness. We looked at Deut 10:17 “The Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great the mighty, and the awesome God.” During this week one of the names we studied was El Shaddai, translated God Almighty, the God of the mountains.  In small group Paula Hennie shared when you look at a mountain from a distance it has little impact until you get nearer.  Then, its size is magnificent and the detail so much more clear. In the same way if we only look at our God from a distance we miss His grandeur and all that can be seen and learned, what He so long to show us. How are you looking at Him today??

There was so much more I could share but know when you see the ladies wearing their necklaces with the 3 interlocking “G”s (which we thank Carol Skogen for making), ask them how they have been Gripped by the Greatness of our God!

Worship Him with this closing song.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3YhvAffME4 HE IS

Pretty cool, eh? More studies will be coming early next year so watch here for details and make plans to hop in one.  We'd love to have you there!

Ms. Team: Eleventh (and second to last) Post

Sorry to be a day late on this one girls. I knew Monday was going to be a slam dunk busy day so my brain said to my self "better get this ready Sunday night." But my self ignored my brain (anybody else got that problem?) and sure enough Monday was the impossibly busy day I expected it to be. When my self finally hit the pillow late last night without accomplishing this post, my brain wanted to sing that "I told you so" jingle but self just shut all systems down (ears, brain and all) and went directly to sleep.  Self is sorry.

This week marks the second to last Ms.Team post. Its hard to believe that this journey started almost a full year ago. It's sort of bitter sweet, because I will miss doing this alongside you, but girlfriend, I am completely hooked on memorizing Scripture. So for me the journey continues. I hope it continues for you too. There’s just nothing like the Word of God and the dividends it has paid have been explosive. Far greater than I ever hoped or imagined.  It’s one of those rare good habits that has been formed in me  this year that I want to keep. (because I have lots more in my life that needs the kind of 'fixin' that Scripture Memory elicits)

I do, however, have another group idea in mind for 2012 that I will be sharing with you soon.  I hope  it will have the same effect of spurring us on to know Christ and His Word better and maybe even help develop more good habits in us that we will carry on beyond the year.

Ironically, I learned something interesting about "blogging" from a women’s leadership conference that I attended last month. As it turns out, Monday is the all time worst day for blog traffic. Everyone hits the day running and blogs are visited the least amount on Mondays. So the advice was to not do anything interactive on Mondays. Interesting, huh? Made me wonder what other huge faux pax’s I have committed along the cyber-way.  I’m not necessarily looking for massive traffic but this new adventure that I want to invite you to join me on for the year 2012 will most likely be on a day other than Monday. (Cyber challenged, yes, but not unteachable).

Okay here’s what I got....(one of my personal goals for 2012 that I'm getting a jump on now is to commit a whole book to memory so my verses this time will reflect the beginning of that challenge.)
　
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. James 1:1-8

Looking forward to seeing what you are working on....and know I am cheering you on from this side of cyber-space, hoping you will hear it loud and clear on your side!

Women Helping Women....Look Who I Saw at the Reindeer Run!

Every year The Center For Women hosts a Reindeer Run.  It is a blast and a great way to kick off the Christmas season and help the center as they go about helping many women and babies in need.

The weather was perfect this year and the anticipation was high as we sung "Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer" before the whistle blew and set the racers to running.

The serious runners usually break out of the box first.  If they weren't so lightning fast you might have seen some of our own ambitious runners like Sue Gray and Veresa Myers.

 
But since they eluded my camera at take off here they are at a pace I can frame.  Sue is on the left, Veresa is on the right and Veresa's daughter who also particpated is in the middle.  What you don't see in this photo is their decorated necks with their first and second place metals that they won in their divisions.  Not only did they run to help the Center for Women...they also ran as "Team Compassion" for Compassion International.  Whew!  Go girls!


Metta was one of those girls that was registered for the 3K walk but then decided to make the rest of us 3K walkers look bad by doing the 5K walk instead (in just about the same amount of time.)  Metta has a tender heart for the cause of the Center for Women so it was not a surprise to find her out there.

I know ya'll know Denise.  She was a volunteer and a walker.  She joined me and my 6 year old son on the 3K walk.  We thought we were going to have to drag him along but something inside him snapped when the announcer said "go" and we had to practically run the whole way just to keep up with him.  He was tickled to get a metal (and we were equally tickled to finally be done chasing him).  The Center is always so generous to give all particpants 12 and under metals which makes it such a proud day for all the kids.

And of course the lovely Mrs. Paula Hennie was there volunteering too.  She is a "major league" volunteer for the Center of Women.  For as long as we have been doing this race we know we can always expect to see Paula there spreading lots of cheer as she helps with all the technicalities.  This year one of her jobs was handing out all the metals to the kids and I suwannee she had a swarm of them around her for a very long time!  But she hung in there and patiently got a metal to each one of them.  If ever you want to find a way to help or volunteer at the Center for Women Paula would be a good one to connect with.

There were more racers that you might know , like Erin Drew, Tysha Owens and her son.  They always look like the fast-flying racers that they are  ~(a little intimidating to the rest of us...not counting Sue and Veresa of course.) I regret that I didn't get their pictures. 

And here is my family.  The Reindeer Run (which was the Jingle Bell Jog when we first started) has been a part of our Christmas tradition since we moved here 6 years ago. We look forward to it every year. 

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention all the decorations they swept up too. Guess my title shouldn't be "women helping women" because plenty guys joined the cause as well.

What a fun day.  Come on out and join us next year.  It's always the same day as the twilight festival.  I'd love to post your smiling face here too....that is...if you are "catchable".   And if you are catchable, trust me, despite my "strict training" and my attempt "to run in such a way to get a prize" almost everyone out there is faster than me so you won't have to worry about being last (or the only one "un-decorated")

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Corinthians 9:24-26 (NIV)



Mom to Mom

Thanks for coming to Mom to Mom today ladies and sharing some of your family Christmas traditions!  Thanks also for your insightful comments about parenting struggles and solutions!

And a big thanks goes out to you, Jolena, for leading us through the story of the birth of Christ and why the Virgin birth is such a vital part of the story and the Gospel.

Parenting is not for sissies so keep your focus on Christ and don't give up on the hard days. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  Galatians 6:9

See ya next time!

If you'd like more information about Mom to Mom or if you'd like to be on the email list alerting you to upcoming meetings please contact Jolena Cantrell or Trudy Pierron

Christ vs. Little Debbie (Addictions & Scripture Memory)

(This post is a little longer than normal but it is one that I have felt prompted to post for some time now so I going to just do it before I "overthink it" and chicken out. For a person who gravitates towards the private side it feels a little like opening up a personnal closet in my house and inviting every one to take a look. Scary. But if it could serve to encourage a fellow struggler out there~ I will count it worth it. Sorry for the length)

(Ms Team this is also your posting place for verse #10)

What’s your "go to"?

You know...when life gets tough and messy and painful.

Where do you turn?

This was the central question posed by a Bible Study I did a few years back. More specifically it was worded "Who or what do you feed on?"

In hindsight, I laugh at the irony of the wording because as I began to observe my own life, a disturbing pattern emerged. Something I didn’t want to face. I had been a believer for many years....of course Christ was my "go to" in all things .... or was He?

It’s amazing the truths the Word can surface in your life when you are ready to let it stir things up. As I began to peel back some layers, I saw a very unhealthy pattern.

If someone said something hurtful I’d sedate myself with dark chocolate. If I hurt my own feelings, I found consolation in creamy cappuccinos or chocolate chip cookies. Lonely? Depressed? Despairing? Nothing "Little Debbie" couldn’t help assuage.

Well, at least for a fleeting moment. Then, like all worldly solutions that ‘promise much and deliver nothing’ I’d come crashing back to the problem with the added hitch of having a few extra pounds to contend with on the treadmill.

If you would have told me my "go to" was a food addiction (more specifically a dessert addiction) I would have laughed at you. If you would have called it an idol I would have rolled my eyes and added you to the "over-the-top" list.

But the truth is....it was both. Because when I was hurt, upset, stressed or overly tired, that was the first place I landed instead of at the feet of Christ. If an idol is anything you put before Him, then I was guilty.

I didn’t like to admit that I was taking my hurt to something as helpless as an oatmeal creme pie instead of to the One who could do something about it. But that’s exactly what I was doing.

Okay...now that I could see the problem straight on I’d just eliminate it. Easy. Right? Wrong!

Have you ever tried to suddenly quit something that you’ve been doing for years?

I quickly exhausted my list of ways to change this behavior and in the end found myself to be exactly what I’ve been all along...helpless to help myself.

But thanks be to God as believers we are not left dangling there. "God helps those who help themselves" is not Scriptural.  But God does help the helpless. Check this out.....
　
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7

O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear Psalm 10:17

Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. Isaiah 50:7

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6

While we were still helpless...good news for a heart weary of trying harder and harder. I was ready for Him to step in and do His thing. And if I can be honest here, I was kind of hoping He was going to do something fast in my life ~ like blink an eye and zap away the problem lightening quick. He has been known to act immediately and decisively in some people’s lives....but that’s not how it went for me.

Instead, He gave me one step at a time and asked me to obey it ~ without necessarily knowing the next step. I never have liked that "unsighted following thing" but I knew I had to do it. Sometimes the step didn’t make much sense. Sometimes it didn’t seem to have anything at all to do with what I thought my problem was. But I knew it was His way or no way, so I followed.

I bet you are thinking, how in the world does this connect with Scripture Memory and could you please get to the point!

The thing is, when God began to ask me to consistently memorize His Word I had no idea the dividends it was going to pay and I surely did not see how it connected to this specific issue. But I knew I needed to obey this step so I drew up a plan for memorizing the Word and invited many of you to join me in the journey.

One day this past year, God stopped me in my tracks and quietly called my attention to something that I could hardly believe myself except for the fact that I was utterly in the middle of it.

It had been a hard day. One of those kind that you feel like the enemy is defeating you at every turn. My old self would have come right home looking for "Little Debras" (that’s what my husband calls "Little Debbies"... isn’t that the most annoying thing you’ve ever heard of?) But instead, I walked right past the junk food cabinet and sat down at my desk. I went to my favorite Scripture Memory site (scripturetyper.com) and pulled up the verses that needed review. On a normal day there might be 6 to review but I was behind, so there were 24.  I was relieved to see that many because I had a lot of stuff to sort through and I wanted as many verses talking to me as possible. I started the review and typed in verse after verse after verse. With each one I would stop, offer it up as a prayer and thank God for how He had handpicked that one to speak into my life at that moment. Sometimes it was a word of encouragement, sometimes a word of wisdom, sometimes a challenge to forgive and submit. But always a cup of cold water being poured into my thirsty heart.  So much more satisfying than the creamiest puff you could bake up. And without the unpleasant side effect of an extra ounce to take to the gym.

What He showed me that day was that somewhere along the way, He had changed my behavior from the inside out. No magic wands, just one step obeyed which led to the next bit of instruction, then the next.

He broke an addiction and removed an idol that I was finding impossible to break free from on my own.

If you take nothing else from this post, please hear this.....HE did it.

Sisters if there’s one thing I am positive of, it is that this was ALL Him. I simply didn’t have the will power to do this. I needed a Deliverer and as I fastened my eyes on Him and obeyed His directing He came through for me like I never even imagined He would do. I don’t think it had anything to do with my faith because I wasn’t so sure it could even happen. But somewhere along the way He set me free and I am unspeakably grateful.

If you walked into my house today you would still find plenty of sweets and lots of dark chocolate in my cabinets. We are a dark-chocolate-loving family and love to celebrate with some good desserts. But what I can tell you with all honesty is that desserts are not the thing I "go to" anymore. Christ is.

Now when life deals its blows the first one I want to empty out to is Him. You might find me pounding out my verses on Scripturetyper.com, or curled up somewhere with my Bible, or taking a long walk telling the Lord all about it then waiting on Him to speak back into the situation. 

And He satisfies like nothing or no one else could.       Every time.

When I eat of Him my soul is full.

How about you?

Who or what do you feed on?

 If you are struggling to get some freedom in any particular area of your life maybe one of the steps He wants you to take is memorizing His Word.

The dividends are countless and tailored to your very needs...even before you know what they are.

Its never too late to start.

It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.
Psalm 119:71 (NIV)

Ms. Team (Memorizing Scripture): Eighth Post

Hey There Ms. Team,

If you are on this journey of memorizing God’s Word my guess is there have been days when the enemy of your soul has caused you to question if it was worth the effort and maybe even talked you into giving up. Don’t give in!

Just last week God took me on a personal journey that was another reminder of how much I needed His Word tucked deep in my mind and heart. One of my boys has been struggling physically for some time now and we had some unfavorable results come back with his blood work. The Doctor called over the weekend to share the results and asked us to come back the following week for more tests. He talked over some possibilities but asked me not to worry.

Not to worry? Are you kidding me? My mothering instincts kicked into high gear and instead of "not worrying" my mind took me through every agonizing possibility and then ruthlessly dropped me in the dark of night, wrestling with the worst. My stomach was in a knot and my mind and body ached with the restlessness and exhaustion that worry brings.

By the second night of this I was desperate for relief and sleep. I finally called out to the Lord to take the anxious thoughts away. That is when He began to fill my mind with the verses I had memorized throughout the course of the year. Like credits rolling after a movie one replaced the next and then the next and the next.

Some of them spoke directly into my situation.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee." Isaiah 26:3

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

"The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that." Prov 29:25

Other ones didn’t speak so directly into the moment but they had the same effect of a cleansing fountain washing away the muddy clutter in my mind.

I don’t remember at what point I drifted from the restful place of Scripture into a deep slumber but I remember waking up sustained and so grateful to Him for rescuing me from myself again.

You will never regret the energy, the time, the effort you put into memorizing God’s Word.

Never.

A few nights later my son called me into his room and shared in a few brief sentences a fear that was causing him to lose sleep.

"What do you do when you can’t sleep Mom?"

Tears streamed down my cheeks in the darkness of his room as I knelt by his bed and shared my own fresh experience of allowing fear and worry to imprison and exhaust me. In that moment I spoke to him not as a parent to a child but as a fellow sojourner in a similar struggle.

"You and I are helpless to rescue ourselves from these things Son - but we have a rescuer in Christ. And ‘He will keep you in perfect peace as your mind is stayed on Him because you trust in Him.' Look to Him. Let the verses you have memorized in the past roll through your mind and as they do ask Him to remove your fears as He lulls you to sleep. Take it to Him Son, He won’t fail you."

I left his room sensing the unsparing peace that had been poured out for the both of us. The peace that extinguishes fear.

I am so grateful we have a Rescuer. I am so grateful for His living and active Word and what it does in our lives.

How has it spoken to you recently?

But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. Psalm 3:3-6 (NIV)
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Ms. Team (Memorizing Scripture):Seventh Post

Hey Ms. Team,

This is going to have to be a quick post because there’s a new baby in the house who is totally consuming my attention and wrecking my shoe rack. I knew despite my schemes to avoid it, puppy love was going to catch up with my boys sooner or later and sure enough it did.

Meet Marley or Striker or ? (We haven’t really picked a name yet.)

All I know is I am knee deep in puppy potty training which is all consuming. Who knew? I have already had moments of regret for caving to the boys pleading for a puppy but then she flashes that cute look at us and pounces on top of all 4 boys at once, playfully licking their faces and we are smitten again. For a family who has not had a pet in about 15 years we are scrambling to figure the whole thing out and it is kicking our tails.

So back to my verse.

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. Hebrews 12:11 (NLT)

I am laughing because this verse was definitely speaking to my own circumstances before puppy invaded our lives, but it really kind of applies to the whole training thing we have going on with her.

I love God’s timing and His ways and the things He uses to teach us.

How about you?. What are you working on this week?

Thanks for journeying with me on this Scripture Memory quest! I value you so much and am honored to walk alongside you.

BTW... if you want to borrow a puppy for a day just give me a call.

The Legacy of Christopher Columbus & Ms. Team Posting Day

Posted by Trudy

Happy Columbus Day! 

I can barely say that without hearing the little jingle I learned in grade school and then turned around and taught my own children....

 "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue."

Christopher Columbus is the man we credit with discovering our country.  Even though Vikings probably preceded him, and natives already lived here, he was the first to tell fellow Europeans that this New World existed.

He is a man worth remembering and celebrating.

It takes bravery and courage to set sail in uncharted waters, but what endears me even more to Columbus is his confidence in the Scripture and the way He let the Word of God both console and guide him to this unprecedented journey. All the ‘professional’ opinions and advice from the ‘intellectuals’ of his day warned him against his decision to go, but he chose to do it anyway.

Why?

Hear it in his own words....

"Our Lord opened to my understanding (I could sense His hand upon me) so it became clear to me that it [the voyage] was feasible...All those who heard about my enterprise rejected it with laughter, scoffing at me...Who doubts that this illumination was from the Holy Spirit? I attest that He [the Holy Spirit] with marvelous rays of light, consoled me through the sacred Scriptures...they inflame me with a sense of great urgency...No one should be afraid to take on any enterprise in the name of our Savior if it is right and if the purpose is purely for His holy service...."

Pretty cool, huh? Especially since we know "the rest of the story". But here’s the line that has stayed with me.

"I attest that He consoled me through the sacred Scriptures."

Something about that centuries old testimony breathes new life into my soul today.

It inspires me to want to find that same consolation in the Word...

and invigorates me to let the Scriptures be my guide even when it means going against the grain of the loudest or most voices.

It lures me in and makes me want to cling to the Scripture in the same way Columbus did.

You’ll never waste a minute hiding His Word in your heart.

May it console you today...

and counsel you to do great things for His great name...

in the same way it did Christopher Columbus hundreds of years ago!

Appreciating Our Pastors

The other day one of my boys blurted out something startling as we drove home.

"Mom, when I grow up I’m going to be a Pastor."

"That’s great son! (I beamed.) "I have been praying that you would use your life to serve God in some way. But why a pastor?"

"Oh that’s easy." he quipped. "All they do is stand on a stage and talk a few hours each Sunday and then they get the rest of the week off... who wouldn’t want to be paid for that?"  (His comment shut the "beam" down pretty quick and reminded me I've got a lot of praying left to do.)

I’m no pastor, but I have observed enough to know that the job is not for the weak or the fainthearted and it is certainly much more involved than what meets the eye.  I can only guess at the hours of study, research and prayer that have preceded Sunday morning messages and then there are the late night phone calls from the hospital, births, deaths, weddings, counseling sessions, board meetings, etc.etc.etc.

Though its rewards are immeasurable, it takes a calling and an intense dependence on God to remain steadfast year after year.

October is pastor appreciation month and too many times I let this month slip by without letting our pastors know how very much I value and respect them. So....this month I wanted to facilitate something special - something that would come from all of us, with such force that it would make a real impact in their lives.

What do you say we join together and send wave after wave of notes of gratitude to our pastors all month right here on the blog? God has blessed the BCC team with some amazing leaders who love their jobs and feel called and blessed to minister. But even so, they are not immune to the discouragement, criticism, and just plain ole spiritual warfare that comes to any leader engaged on the front lines. Let's be the antithesis of that and heap lavish love & encouragement on their plates as we share with them how much they are appreciated. It could be just a few lines, or maybe you want to make a "top 3 or top 5 list" of the things you really like about them, or maybe just write a short note of gratitude.

Proverbs 10:21 tells us "The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense."

And 12:25 says " Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."

So there you go my "godly girlfriends".... lets do some encouraging!You can write to just one pastor or you can address all of them together or maybe you'd even want to write something to each one individually on different days during October. Come back as often as you want and leave as many messages as you can. I will make sure they know they are here.I’m gonna leave my messages one at a time so I’m going to start with Todd and work my way down the list throughout the month of October. You leave yours anyway you want to.

Thanks for your help and may God refresh you as you refresh others!
　　
　
　　　
　
　
Dear Pastor Todd,

There is much to like about you but here are my "top 6":

1. You’re a strong leader - not one bent on copying trends but one willing to think outside the box and try new things that might effectively reach others.

2. Your teaching testifies that you have labored long in prayer, study & research to prepare it.

3. But you are not all about just "teaching"...you go the extra mile to show how much you care about us individually (and thats not easy when there are hundreds of us).

4. You lead by example. You don’t challenge us to do things you aren’t willing to do yourself.

5. You have a fun sense of humor (I imagine that is so helpful in your position) :) You do dish out your share but then you can take things as easily as you dish them out.

6. You are a lot smarter than you look.
(See, was I right about #5?)

We love & appreciate you so much!


Our pastors/leaders are:

Todd Alewine -Lead Pastor
Stanley Metcalf-Executive Pastor
Scott Limerick - Worship Pastor
Brent Metcalf - Student Pastor
Brad Snipes- Middle School Pastor
Marty Burgess- College Pastor
Chris Schlender- Children's Pastor
Alan Perry - Missions Pastor
Shannon Compton -- Mission's Assistant
Braxton Tesh - Life Group Pastor

Additional Staff are Tracy Pace, Kim Limerick, Heather Strickler, Siobhan Cress and Sheila Mason so love on these ladies too while you're at it.