(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)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
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)
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)
Monday, October 24, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, October 10, 2011
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!
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!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
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.
"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.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Providence Loud and Clear
by Tracey McMahan
I love to hike, and so last month I was excited to hear about an organized hike to Chimney Rock scheduled for today. I was one of the first people to sign up. I paid my $15 and happily accepted my official t-shirt and complimentary water bottle.
This morning I woke up early and filled my new hip pack with snacks, sunscreen and lip balm. I loaded the car and started it up. As I backed out of the garage, I noticed that my automatic windows weren’t working, and I didn’t have dash lights or headlights. These are not good signs. I drove to the end of the block, made a U-turn and headed back home fearing the worse – a bad alternator.
I remember briefly asking, "Lord, am I not supposed to go on this hike?", but I was determined. I parked the car in the garage, closed the automatic door and unloaded my gear. I ran upstairs and grabbed the keys to my other vehicle.
As I climbed into the other car, I pressed the garage door opener, and then turned the key in the ignition. Nothing. I pumped the gas pedal and cranked the engine. "It’s just cold," I mused, so I tried again. Still nothing. "Lord, what’s going on? Am I not supposed to go on this hike?" But I wasn’t ready to quit. So I waited and tried the car again. And waited and tried again. And again. Finally it started – success!
About this time I smelled exhaust and started to cough. I glanced behind me and discovered that the garage door had failed to open. "This can’t be good," I muttered. I climbed out and quickly opened the other garage door, coughing from all the fumes. At the same time I kept pressing the second garage door opener. The batteries were good, the motor was running, but the door would not engage. "This is ridiculous!" I thought. "Really, Lord? No hike?"
But I had yet another idea. I disconnected the garage door from the opener, and even though the door didn’t appear to be locked, it would not budge. So I finally admitted defeat and accepted the fact that I wasn’t going anywhere. And then I did what any sensible middle-aged woman would do. I sat down on the cold, hard floor and pouted. "Okay, Lord, I give up. I guess I’m not supposed to go on this hike."
By this time it was too late anyway. The hike was about to start and I was still 30 minutes away with a problem car, a broken garage door, a hacking cough, and a defeated spirit.
Has anything like this ever happened to you? You’ve got a plan in mind, something you desire to do, a task you hope to accomplish, and one thing after another seems to get in your way – deterring your best efforts and preventing you from accomplishing your goal. And you wonder, why. Why, through no fault of your own, is nothing working out? Why aren’t things turning out the way you planned? Why does God seem to be saying "No" at every turn?
Because I believe in the providence of God, I believe that everyday things happen with some purpose in mind. If I had set out to make that hike, maybe something dramatic would have happened, like a car accident on the way to the park. Maybe I’d have sprained my ankle on an uneven bend in the trail. Maybe my alternator would have gone out when I was miles away. Or maybe God just wanted me to stay home and write this story so that you would be assured you are not alone amidst the everyday trials and frustrations of life.
All I know for certain is that I was not supposed to go on that hike. And even though I’ll never know the reason why, God knows, and that’s good enough for me. I can rest in His providence. I can trust His plan. And so, my friend, can you.
I love to hike, and so last month I was excited to hear about an organized hike to Chimney Rock scheduled for today. I was one of the first people to sign up. I paid my $15 and happily accepted my official t-shirt and complimentary water bottle.
This morning I woke up early and filled my new hip pack with snacks, sunscreen and lip balm. I loaded the car and started it up. As I backed out of the garage, I noticed that my automatic windows weren’t working, and I didn’t have dash lights or headlights. These are not good signs. I drove to the end of the block, made a U-turn and headed back home fearing the worse – a bad alternator.
I remember briefly asking, "Lord, am I not supposed to go on this hike?", but I was determined. I parked the car in the garage, closed the automatic door and unloaded my gear. I ran upstairs and grabbed the keys to my other vehicle.
As I climbed into the other car, I pressed the garage door opener, and then turned the key in the ignition. Nothing. I pumped the gas pedal and cranked the engine. "It’s just cold," I mused, so I tried again. Still nothing. "Lord, what’s going on? Am I not supposed to go on this hike?" But I wasn’t ready to quit. So I waited and tried the car again. And waited and tried again. And again. Finally it started – success!
About this time I smelled exhaust and started to cough. I glanced behind me and discovered that the garage door had failed to open. "This can’t be good," I muttered. I climbed out and quickly opened the other garage door, coughing from all the fumes. At the same time I kept pressing the second garage door opener. The batteries were good, the motor was running, but the door would not engage. "This is ridiculous!" I thought. "Really, Lord? No hike?"
But I had yet another idea. I disconnected the garage door from the opener, and even though the door didn’t appear to be locked, it would not budge. So I finally admitted defeat and accepted the fact that I wasn’t going anywhere. And then I did what any sensible middle-aged woman would do. I sat down on the cold, hard floor and pouted. "Okay, Lord, I give up. I guess I’m not supposed to go on this hike."
By this time it was too late anyway. The hike was about to start and I was still 30 minutes away with a problem car, a broken garage door, a hacking cough, and a defeated spirit.
Has anything like this ever happened to you? You’ve got a plan in mind, something you desire to do, a task you hope to accomplish, and one thing after another seems to get in your way – deterring your best efforts and preventing you from accomplishing your goal. And you wonder, why. Why, through no fault of your own, is nothing working out? Why aren’t things turning out the way you planned? Why does God seem to be saying "No" at every turn?
Because I believe in the providence of God, I believe that everyday things happen with some purpose in mind. If I had set out to make that hike, maybe something dramatic would have happened, like a car accident on the way to the park. Maybe I’d have sprained my ankle on an uneven bend in the trail. Maybe my alternator would have gone out when I was miles away. Or maybe God just wanted me to stay home and write this story so that you would be assured you are not alone amidst the everyday trials and frustrations of life.
All I know for certain is that I was not supposed to go on that hike. And even though I’ll never know the reason why, God knows, and that’s good enough for me. I can rest in His providence. I can trust His plan. And so, my friend, can you.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Ms. Team (Memorizing Scripture):Sixth Post
Hey Ms. Team,
If it feels like it was just yesterday when we posted last it's because it really was just 6 yesterdays! Only our September posts will be close together like this. Come October we will be back on our normal schedule of 2nd and 4th Mondays.
If you don’t have your verse fully memorized yet go ahead and post what you are working on. Mine is simple and short this time...but something I need to be reminded of often.
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalms 27:14
Looking forward to seeing yours.....
If it feels like it was just yesterday when we posted last it's because it really was just 6 yesterdays! Only our September posts will be close together like this. Come October we will be back on our normal schedule of 2nd and 4th Mondays.
If you don’t have your verse fully memorized yet go ahead and post what you are working on. Mine is simple and short this time...but something I need to be reminded of often.
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalms 27:14
Looking forward to seeing yours.....
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