Collision

 

Sometimes in life there are stretches of time that feel like being hit with one wave after another. The last couple years have been like that for my family. Every member of the Swann family has dealt with health concerns and car troubles of various kinds. We’ve lost a beloved family dog and navigated a confusing job loss. It’s been a lot, and sometimes all I can say to God is “Really?!”

 But God has also brought many good things into our lives through the same period of time. Of course, the most significant thing personally has been my relationship with and recent engagement to Andrew. He has also brought new friends and a new dog into our family. A new job was provided without the need for searching. We have seen great health improvements despite the other health issues. Our family has grown closer as we have navigated all these ups and downs together.

A few weeks ago, we sang “From Everlasting (Psalm 90)” in the morning service, and the lyrics of the second verse hit me deeply: “O God, when joy and tragedy collide / And loss reminds us life is but a sigh / From everlasting, You are God / And all our days are held within Your hands / Your perfect love and favor have no end / We rest within the wisdom of Your plan / Everlasting God.” The collision of joy and tragedy can be such an overwhelming and confusing thing to experience. There can be such a rollercoaster of emotions, and sometimes both happiness and sorrow are coexistent in one moment.

 I love that the Psalms reflect this seeming paradox of life so well. David often begins with crying out to God because of the troubles he is facing but ends with praising God for His faithfulness through it all. I feel this duality deeply, and in some ways I am thankful for it. I am grateful that even though life has thrown some pretty great hurdles into my family’s life recently, God has continued to demonstrate His faithfulness and brought joy in other areas of life. He holds our days in His hand, and His perfect love for us will never end.

 

--Concetta Swann

Some Summer Prayers

 

Sometimes it can be hard to find the exact words to pray. Maybe my mind is distracted. Maybe it’s a day when my heart hurts. Maybe things are really confusing. It’s often in those times that I have to find scripture to pray the words I can’t say on my own.

Here are some examples of ways you can pray through scripture and the promises of God no matter what your summer days may hold.

Father God…

• Philippians 4:8  Please keep my mind on things that are true, noble, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable and excellent. Fill my heart with praise. I want to be consumed with thoughts and truths that bring you glory.

• Deuteronomy 31:8  You go before me. I know you are with me. You promise you will not leave me or forsake me. Though I may feel that from others, I will not fear or be dismayed because of you, Lord.

• Psalm 34:17  Help me with ___________, Father! Please deliver me. I know you hear me and will help me with my trouble.

• 1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble me, so that your name and glory are the purpose for all I do. God I give you this stress and worry: __________________. Thank you for your care. I choose to trust in you beyond anything else I could carry.

• John 16:33  Let your Spirit fill me with your peace that passes understanding. This world does not hold peace, but you do. And I will praise your name forever that you overcome this world. You win.

•  Romans 8:38-39  Thank you that your love never fails, that there is nothing that will ever separate your love from me. I will cling to that promise. If I lose the love of any other, I know that You, my redeemer and sustainer, will always be faithful in love.

• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4  Please comfort me today. Trouble and pain and hurt are weighing me down. You promise not only to comfort me, but also to use your comfort so that I may be a comfort to someone else. Open my eyes to see others who may hurt like I do so that I can offer them only the true comfort that you give.

This is just a smattering of verses you can carry with you where we can see the power of prayer and the power of God’s Word. What verses are you using to communicate with your greatest friend and creator today?

--Sandy Gromacki

Still Storming

         Recently I spent several days with my aunt in South Carolina.  Soon after I left Greenville it began raining.  It was not a strong rain, irritating, but not troubling.  I was headed to my son-in-law's mother's house.  Jan lives just below Atlanta.  Soon after I got to her house we went to run an errand.  By this time the rain had increased to a downpour, making it hard to see.  As we passed a high school we heard a loud scary siren.  I checked my weather app and found we were in the middle of a tornado warning.  A tornado was on the ground just a few miles from us.  We were told to take shelter immediately.  We did not, just kept driving.  We found later that several structures were destroyed.  One father was trapped in the rubble of his house, while his teenage son was thrown three hundred feet.  (That's the length of a football field!)  The son is still in the hospital in critical condition.

    Some storms bring minor damage, a branch still attached to the tree, blocking the stairs from my deck, but doing no damage.  Other storms, like the one in Henry County, destroy buildings and injure people.  I found as I thought about storms, that I had written about storms back in March, so consider this part two.  Why do I feel a need to write about storms again so soon?  Probably because my storms have only intensified since then.  Storms come into all our lives.  Some are minor, some major.  If you are not in the middle of a storm right now, you will be soon

    In the old hymn, "Master, the tempest is raging," one line says, "Carest thou not that we perish?"  Sometimes we feel that we are perishing, even though our storm may not be obvious to others.  In Matthew 8 the disciples were with Jesus in a boat on the Sea of Galilee.  The disciples were fearful, but Jesus was asleep.  When they woke Him, He said, " 'Why are you so fearful, O you of little faith?'  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm."

    I quote John 14:27 often.  "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  I know He will give me peace, but sometimes it is hard for me to claim.  Sometimes I fret; sometimes I feel like crying; sometimes I cannot sleep.   Has He not given us specific steps to claim that peace?  Hallelujah!  He has!

    First, Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You."  Our focus must be on our dear Heavenly Father.

    Second, Psalm 119: 165 says, "Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble."  I must love His word and spend time in it.

    Third, Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  Prayer with thanksgiving.

    I am going to strive to put these three things into practice.  I need peace.  I am not going to tell you which I need to concentrate on.  I will let you decide what you need.  But I leave you with II Thessalonians 3:16, "Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way.  The Lord be with you all."

                                                                                    ~~Faith Himes Lamb

    

Witness

 

I sit on the upper deck of a rented beach house watching the variety of life around me. It’s early morning (well, early for a vacation day), and brown pelicans glide in silent groups just overhead and out over the water. It’s fun to watch them suddenly drop out of formation into the water where I believe they are catching their breakfast. Yesterday we watched dolphins surfacing briefly out there as they also patrolled the ocean for food.

My granddaughter Marley continually collects sea shells that she lines up on the lower balcony railing and loves to show to anyone who gets near. These shells really are marvels bearing evidence of many kinds of ocean life.

Out on the beach, a woman runs by with a golden retriever, folks are setting up blue and yellow umbrellas, and already a few children are playing in the surf with their boogie boards. And here comes a man walking a black standard poodle.

This week, I am reviewing John 1:1-14, and as I whisper the opening words to myself, my eyes fill with tears of emotion. “In the beginning . . .”—before all this activity, before the dogs and the birds, and even the seashells, “was the Word.” Here at the ocean, it’s easier to imagine the formless void that existed before “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”(Genesis 1:2).

The John passage goes on to say of Jesus, “In Him was life”—all this life! All the abundance of life forms we see here and so many more all around the world. The summer months particularly put the variety of life on display for us. Maybe you are watching raspberry vines for ripeness and scanning tomato vines regularly for growth. Maybe you just enjoy the bounty of others’ gardens during the summer, but the evidence is all around us that our Creator is imaginative and wise.

The John passage goes on to say “the life was the light of men”—intended to show the way to God and to give us entry into His presence. For me, it’s easy to believe in God at the beach. The vast ocean is such a mystery, but the witness of the dolphins and pelicans shows us that there is life beneath the water.

And the birds, bugs, and plants in my back yard at home also point me to a God who is wise and wonderful. My hope is that I too can be a witness—maybe not as powerful, but possibly as faithful as the waves that continually crash on the sand here at the edge of the continent.

Leaning

 

On a recent Saturday morning I awakened with the song, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” rolling around in my head. I have no idea why. It stuck there for several hours. The next day during Sunday School, I knew we would be singing that song. I just knew it! What I didn’t know until later was that my husband requested it since he knew it had been on my mind. I thought surely the Holy Spirit was speaking to me as He sometimes does in unusual ways. My curiosity led me to look up the lyrics and the origin of the song. 

In case you have forgotten, the lyrics go like this (don’t rush, take your time):

What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the Everlasting Arms

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the Everlasting Arms

 

Chorus: Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarm

Leaning, leaning, leaning on the Everlasting Arms

 

What have I to dread? What have I to fear? Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Chorus

 

O how sweet to walk in the pilgrim way, leaning…

O how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning…

Chorus

 

According to hymnal.net, this song is based on Deuteronomy 33:27 (ESV),

 “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

Anthony Showalter, a music teacher, received letters from two of his students on the same day. Both of his students shared that they had lost their wives in death. Mr. Showalter’s response to them was short. It was the Scripture verse above, and from this verse he found the inspiration for the first stanza of this song. He sent it to a writer friend, Elisha Hoffman, who wrote the other stanzas.

During some of the darkest hours these students were facing, their teacher had a simple message. Lean on the Everlasting Arms. God is our refuge. The principle was solid many years ago, and it’s solid now.

It’s such a solid principle that even my 6-year-old grandson gets it. He and I were watching a video of the Kentucky tornado that happened recently. It was a bit intense with people whirling around in a car and screaming, so I asked him if it was scaring him. He said no. (Earlier he had told me he was not afraid of something else because God was with him.) I said, “Because God is with you, right?” He said, “Yes, but I guess those people forgot.” Out of the mouth of babes! May I never forget when life whirls me around like crazy! If I do, y’all feel free to remind me!

Now that song will be in my head the rest of the day….and that’s okay.

joyce hague

When Fear Comes

 

When Sherry Poff asked me if I would like to contribute to Cup of Grace, I told her that I was not really a writer. But when I prayed about it, I decided that sharing some of the verses from the Bible that have helped me through my 77 years to trust and live and enjoy my relationship with God might be an encouragement to some of you. So I pray that these verses that I share with you now and then will be hidden in your heart so that the Lord might bring them to mind as the Spirit leads you through all situations.

FEAR: Fear is a very powerful word! It can cause us to feel and do things we should, or it could cause just the opposite reaction in our lives.

I was in Walgreens a while ago when all of a sudden, the lights went out. People just stopped where they were! A woman behind me said out loud, “I’m afraid of the dark; let’s get out of here fast!” A man behind her spoke up right away and said, “Don’t be afraid; God is in charge of my life, and we will all be fine!” Then the lights came back on! We all laughed, but it was great timing. I appreciated tat the man was bold enough in his faith to speak up to others with encouragement.

When I got home, I started thinking about Bible verses that tell us not to be afraid because it is true that God really is in control of our lives. I believe the Bible is the only real truth we have here on earth because it is God’s Word, and so I can trust what it tells me.

I’m going to share a couple of passages that I have memorized, and that I have quoted over and over again when that feeling of fear has come up in so many different situations.

Psalm 91. My fifth grade teacher had a huge impact on my life spiritually. One of the things she had us to was to memorize Psalm 91. She told us a story about one of her friends that illustrated how God could take care of us in “scary” situations. I have never forgotten it! Verse 4 says, “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust.” This friend came home one night and thought she heard a noise in the kitchen. She went in to check and turned the light on and saw a man crouching down on the floor. She was so frightened that all she could shout out was “He shall cover thee with his feathers, He shall cover thee with His feathers, He shall cover thee with his feathers!” Obviously, the man thought she was nuts and jumped back out of the window he had entered. (I am still waiting to use this example! Thank goodness!)

When John and I were engaged, and he was sent by the Army to serve in Vietnam, we chose this psalm to claim. It has been called “The Soldier’s Psalm.” John especially liked verses 14 and 15. “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.” I’m so thankful that John came home from the war to marry me!

Psalm 4:8 “I will both lie down in peace and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

My grandmother, Taddy (Ella Belle Lippincott), quoted this verse to us at night when as children we were afraid of the dark. It had helped her as a child during storms that came. I have quoted this to my own children many times. Hearing the Scripture out loud brings such trust and comfort.

Another time I will share with you some verses that have brought me peace when my fear involved transitions and emotional situations and the worrisome fears that involve our families.  We all are afraid at some time furing our lives, but we can have peace when we sleep and have trust we we are awake because we have the Living God and His word in which to have faith.

--Mary Ramsey

Happy Day, Everyone!

 

Is there a holiday or observance more fraught with emotion than Mothers’ Day? It’s natural to have strong feelings about Mom, whether those feelings are warm and loving, resentful and angry, or filled with contradictions. We all have mothers, just by virtue of being human, and I think it’s safe to say that usually, we love our mothers.

When I think of my own mother, I feel a mixture of emotions: joy for the things I learned from her and the love she always gave me; sorrow that she isn’t still here on Earth to offer more advice and love; and regret for the questions I never asked and the insensitivity I know I showed at times.

I remember long-ago Mothers’ Days when I was a child in the hills of West Virginia. It used to be tradition to wear flowers for Mothers’ Day—red or pink if one’s mother were still living and white if not. Even in that celebratory tradition, there was a touch of sadness for all the white flowers in the room.

And think of the many cards we all made under the guidance of well-meaning teachers. What mom can just throw away her child’s handprint pressed into a piece of clay or a bouquet of flowers printed on paper, no matter how poorly colored? (Maybe you can, and maybe someday I can—but not yet, and my kids are in their forties!)

Scripture is full of examples of mothers—good and bad, but mostly good, I guess. There is, of course, the faith of Jochebed, the perseverance of Naomi, the obedience of Jesus’s mother, Mary, and others. We also have in our personal lives many good examples to follow. If that’s your own mother, you are blessed. If it isn’t, thank God for putting you in a community where you can see faithfulness, perseverance, and obedience lived out in the women around you.

For me, this week has been emotional for more reasons than Mothers' Day. A long-time neighbor pulled out of her driveway early Friday morning to move across the country. While we didn’t spend every day together, she had been next door to me for so long, she felt like part of home. She and I collected one another’s mail when necessary, stood in the road and chatted about gardening and neighborhood doings. I knew where her extra key was, and she could find ours if she needed to. I miss her. Then later on Friday, we had Senior Chapel at GBA—always a time of mixed joy and sadness. It’s the plight of teachers to learn to love young people and then tell them goodbye—over and over. Kind of like a mother.

Of course, I have my own children who love me so well and give me reason to be proud. But I don’t believe it’s possible to think we’ve done everything right, and when children choose things we don’t necessarily approve of, questions and lurking guilt threaten to spoil the mood of the most pleasant times.

Here is my comfort this week: God is bigger than my mistakes. He can work even when I can’t see it. His ways are not my ways, and all his ways are good. He knows what I am going to say before I say it. Nothing takes him by surprise. There is no place I can go—or my friends or students or children can go—to get away from God. (Numbers 23, Isaiah 55, Psalm 139, and others).

So happy day, everyone, whether you are a mom or want to celebrate your mom. Let’s all rest in God’s faithfulness.

--Sherry Poff

Rest

 

There are certain words that can lead to a physical response. I find this true of the word “rest.” It’s likely because I am one of the billions who are desperate for more rest. So when I read it, I feel my muscles relax, my breath slow, my brain calm. It’s something we all desire . . .  more rest.

We are a tired people that live in a hectic society. Finding rest feels counter-cultural. When in fact, God created us to NEED rest. In fact, He talks a lot about it at the beginning of the Bible. I’ve been listening to Exodus and Leviticus while I do the dishes and put away laundry lately. Ironic, I know. And dispersed throughout He calls His people to rest, to sabbath, to do as He did after creating all things.

 Even as I write this, I am day dreaming about taking a nap. I believe that Satan loves to sink us deep into the lie that resting should make us feel guilty, judged, wrong, when in fact resting is OBEDIENCE! I love this *convicting* quote from Elisabeth Elliot: “Rest is a weapon given to us by God. The enemy hates it because he wants us to be stressed out and occupied.” When do I most often take my eyes off God and focus on my own issues? When I’m stressed out and relying on my own strength.

What do we do when we see our toddlers and young children breaking down in tears and arguments and a fiery rage? Send them to bed! We know they need rest. I think about this verse a lot: Psalm 30:5. It says, “For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” There’s a lot we can dig into here, but one of the thoughts and truths I’ve seen lived out in my own life is that those days that are heavy and hard and exhausting sometimes are easily answered by sleep, waking up refreshed and renewed with new mercies. Why? Because God created us this way.

 Our God is a restorative God. That’s another word that gives a sense of relief - restore. He restores from dark to light, from sin to salvation, fear to peace, tiredness to rest. We see His goodness and mercy in all of these.

 We find our dependence upon God in our need for His rest. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

I know, my friend, you are just as tired as I am. Life is tiring, busy, hectic. It takes a lot of the Lord’s strength to stand against that societal busy-ness and find your time of rest. He promises peace and rest that we need. How can you do that today?

--Sandy Gromacki

Open My Eyes

 

“Your physical eyes can be wide open even while the eyes of your heart are sadly blind.”  This statement comes from Paul David Tripp’s daily devotional, “Everyday Gospel”.  I was a day behind in my daily devotions due to a hectic schedule earlier this spring, and this was the devotional I read the Sunday morning that we had a joint service with the Spanish church.

I love and am often amazed at how God will take something I have studied either in my devotions or my lessons for our ladies’ Bible Study and reinforce it with Pastor’s messages.  This particular devotional was reinforced in my mind by Pastor Yensi’s illustration of his mother’s blindness and how she used her sense of touch to help her “see” and “feel” Yensi and his siblings grow.

The more I thought about Pastor Yensi’s illustration, this devotional became so much more meaningful to me.  As Tripp mentioned in his devotional, our most important sight doesn’t come from our physical eyes, it comes from our heart.  You see, through using other senses that God had given her, Pastor Yensi’s mom could “visualize” her children growing because she had use of her sight previously.  It’s a scientific fact that when one loses use of one sense, the other senses take over and help to compensate for that loss.

Nothing can accommodate spiritual blindness!  In Deuteronomy 29:3-4, Moses, as he was preparing the nation of Israel to enter the Promised Land, reminded them of their physical sight and the warned them of spiritual blindness. He said, “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.”

Moses was telling the Israelites that they had seen and experienced with their physical eyes all that God had done for them to bring them to this point, but they had not grasped or understood the true spiritual significance of all that God had done for them with their spiritual eyes—their hearts.  They had seen God’s love and power but were blind in their understanding.

We, too, can see and be blind at the same time. “Apart from an act of divine grace opening your eyes, you can look at wonderful things in creation but not see the glory of the one who has designed those things and set them in place.” (Tripp) We can read the Scripture, listen to messages, and study the Word all we want, but if we don’t seek with our hearts, God’s message, we become spiritually blind.

Living on top of a mountain has really given me a great appreciation for all that God has given us through His Creation. I enjoy the wildlife: deer, opossums, rabbits, birds (different varieties), wild turkeys, fox, bobcats, obnoxious geese, to name a few.  But what I love most is going out on a clear night, turning off all the lights, and looking up at the millions of stars in the sky.  I am reminded of how God told Abraham that he would multiply his seed like the sand in the sea and the stars in the sky. I am so thankful that I have the eyesight to experience that wonder and understand the Sovereignty of God.

Years ago, we would sing the hymn, “Open My Eyes.” May that be our prayer today.

Open my eyes that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.

Open my ears that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear.

Open my mouth and let me bear
Tidings of mercy everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.

Open my mind that I may read
More of Thy love in word and deed;
What shall I fear while yet Thou dost lead?
Only for light from Thee I plead.

Chorus:

Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready, my God, Thy will to see;
Open my eyes, illumine me,
    Spirit Divine!

Bonnie King

Eucatastrophe: A Sudden Joyous Turn

 

Have you ever thought about what that Sabbath day between Jesus’ death and resurrection was like? The disciples had shifted the whole trajectory of their lives because of Jesus—leaving behind their past lives to follow someone they believed could change everything. And now he was dead. What must they have been feeling as they went about observing the Sabbath? Devastated would be an understatement.

 In his song “God Rested” for the Resurrection Letters Prologue, Andrew Peterson captures the feelings that must have been going around:

 “So they laid their hopes away

They buried all their dreams about the kingdom He proclaimed

And they sealed them in the grave

As a holy silence fell on all Jerusalem

But the Pharisees were restless

Pilate had no peace

And Peter's heart was reckless

Mary couldn't sleep”

The disciples didn’t remember that Jesus had already told them he would rise again. At the very least they didn’t believe it was possible. As far they knew, their hope was buried along with his body. But the Pharisees remembered his words. They didn’t believe, but they suspected that Jesus’ followers would try something to deceive the public into believing. The disciples weren’t waiting expectantly by the tomb, but the Pharisees convinced Pilot to station guards there.

“God Rested” ends with the line “and all creation waited,” and the music does not resolve. There is tension there, just as there must have been that Sabbath two thousand years ago. What do you do with your life when the object of your faith is just gone?

And then the greatest event in all of history occurred.

J.R.R. Tolkien coined the term “eucatastrophe” to refer to “the sudden joyous turn” in a great story (“On Fairy Stories”). The eucatastrophe is the event that happens to turn the tide when all hope seems lost. The eucatastrophe of the world is Jesus’ resurrection.

Can you imagine the disciples’ bewildered joy as they began to understand what had happened? Their hopes and dreams were not buried after all. In fact, Jesus was bringing about something even greater than they ever could have imagined!

Near the end of The Return of the King, Sam Gamgee awakes to see Gandalf after believing him dead. “Is everything sad going to come untrue?” he asks. How deeply we long for the answer to this question to be yes! And because of Jesus’ resurrection, it is. Our hope is not buried in the ground. Death has been defeated, and one day, we will be united with Christ, and there will be no more tears or pain.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

 

--Concetta Swann

Flow

 

From the book, “The Powerful Purpose of Introverts” comes the concept of “Flow.” It is when you become so engrossed in an activity that you lose all concept of time. “Flow happens whenever we are absorbed by what we’re doing, using our God-given strengths, and feeling both challenged and capable at the same time.” Marcus Buckingham, researcher says, “It is one of the most important signs that you are living a strong life.”

I love getting lost in my devotional time, hearing God’s voice, and following rabbit trails in an unhurried manner. I also enjoy long days when I’m able to take my time exploring the world of herbs, natural health, or whatever else interests me in a meandering manner. I learn so much, and it refreshes me.

One day my daughter and I went to paint pottery. I really got in the zone that day! We were there for hours and didn’t even realize it. I was shocked once I noticed how long I had been there, and she was late for work!

I recognize that many would find these flow opportunities a luxury due to a demanding work schedule or caring for children or other family members. I too have experienced that. If that’s you, ask God to show you how to work this into your life. It’s important for your mental and spiritual health. (Introverts especially need this selfcare.) There is no shame in accepting help from others so that you can refresh yourself. You cannot pour into others if your pitcher is empty! Maybe you don’t have hours to spare, but even a few minutes can make a difference. Here are some ideas:

My daughter makes her children go to their rooms for an hour each day for quiet time. If they don’t nap, they can read or play quietly. Use this time to refresh yourself instead of doing chores.

Leave a few minutes early for work and read a book (or whatever) in the car. For several years, my car was my prayer closet.

Get up earlier. I know, I know, who wants to give up sleep? I have found that I am not super productive in the evenings anyway because I am too tired, so going to bed earlier just makes sense. Then getting up earlier isn’t so hard.

Limit your time on social media. You might say, “but that IS my flow time.” Maybe. Or the blue light might be disrupting your deep, refreshing sleep. Or social media might keep you agitated and angry. That’s not rejuvenating.

Book a babysitter/ caregiver to make time for flow. It’s okay. No need to feel guilty.

Use a vacation day for flow. Who says you have to go on a trip?

Tack on an extra hour to allow time to sit in a park when you head out to get groceries.

Say no to less important activities. There are many good activities we should decline. Otherwise, we run ourselves ragged with no margin. In my youth, I experienced a lot of piled on guilt if I didn’t participate in everything at church. The Lord has taught me to shrug that off and choose the more important. (Gasp! You can pray about that!)

I wish you great mental, physical, and spiritual health (they are interconnected)! I’d love to hear your ideas for finding time for flow. May the Lord bless you.

joyce hague

Are You Just Talking, or Are You Responding?

            Have you ever been in a conversation with someone, and as you were talking, you had the sense that she wasn’t really listening to you? Then, as soon as you finished speaking, this person immediately started saying something that had nothing to do with what you had just told her?  It probably seemed to you that she was just waiting for you to finish so she could tell her own story. This is not true friendship or good communication, is it?

            This was the analogy I heard author and bible teacher Nancy Guthrie give in a recent podcast I listened to. She was talking about prayer, and how our prayers can be very similar to this listener in the above story. God speaks to us primarily through His Word. We read it in our daily quiet times with the Lord, and we hear it preached and taught and sung. Yet, when we pray, we come with our own lists instead of responding to what God has been saying.

            There is nothing wrong with a prayer list; I often use one myself. But am I also taking the time to respond in prayer to what God has been saying? Or is my prayer very one-sided? How can we do this better and not be like the friend who just wants to speak her own concerns? Here are some thoughts I have. I’d love to hear yours:

-- When I hear the Word preached or taught, I can respond in a prayer to the Lord. What is He saying to me? What do I want to say back to Him? What do I want to praise Him for based on what I just heard? What sin should I repent of? What can I give thanks for? How do these truths speak into what is going on currently in my own life or in the lives of those close to me?

-- When I spend time in the Word and then pull out my prayer list with my items to pray for, I can begin by dialoguing with the Lord about what I just read before I start bringing my requests to Him. What stands out to me? What am I confused about? Where am I challenged to walk differently, convicted of sin, or in awe of God? Furthermore, can my requests somehow tie in with what I just read? For example, “God, you are the same Lord who helped David trust you when his life was sought by King Saul. Help me to trust You today in my much smaller issue of [fill in the blank],” or “Lord, You say in Your Word that You are a fortress and refuge. Please be that refuge for my friend ___ today who is facing ____.”

-- I can let the songs I sing or hear sung become true prayers rather than words I simply think hold great truths. I can let the truths of those songs be avenues of worshipful prayer.

-- God also speaks to us of His glory in the beauty of His creation. As I notice a beautiful sunset, a field of sunflowers, or the night sky, I can respond to the Lord in worship.

            May we be women who bring our needs and the requests of those we love to the Lord, but may we also be women who listen to Him speak and respond appropriately. In doing so, our relationship with the Lord will be strengthened as we grow in our knowledge and love of Him.

--Amy O'Rear

Trusting God Alone

 

With every new year there comes a need to make new resolutions, new plans, create new habits, goals, and the list goes on and on.  We often take our personal plans, ideals, and thoughts for granted and assume that they are good.  The problem we create is that we often forget to include God’s will in those.

Back in January, I started the new year with a new devotional, and I have really been challenged to keep God in the forefront of my day.  Throughout scripture, numerous times we are commanded to “Wait,” “Come,” “Rest,” “Trust,” etc.  We know most of those verses by heart.  In fact, many of us will use some of these verses as our “Life” verses, yet . . . we fail to truly understand the depths of their meaning.

The devotional I am reading this year again helps me read through the Bible in a year.  It is Everyday Gospel, by Paul David Tripp.  I’d just like to share a few of his insights that have really encouraged and challenged me.

• 1.      “We are often tempted to try by human effort to accomplish what only God can do . . . God will not turn from his promises even when we are unwilling to wait . . . his timing is always right . . . rest in the surety of the promises of the Lord.”
• 2.     “So much of our fear, discouragement, anxiety, and worry is the result of underestimating what God is willing and able to do . . . We are limited human beings . . . what appears to be completely impossible is quite possible with our Lord.  His strength, his understanding, his compassion, and his grace are infinite.”
• 3.     “There is nothing that God has promised to do or that we need him to do that he is unable to do.” (my favorite!)
• 4.     “God’s promises are not limited by human weakness or the passage of time.  Don’t give way to fear; God will do what he has promised to do.”
• 5.     “When life seems to make no sense, we are not without hope or help because we are the children of God.”
• 6.     “God’s covenant promises do not mean that our lives will be predictable, comfortable, easy, or trouble free.”
• 7.     “God will interrupt moments in our lives to recapture our hearts, to strengthen our faith, to bless us with his grace, and to instill in us, once again, our identity as his children.”

I could go on and on but wanted to share these encouraging words. Our year is still in the early stages, and we have already seen so much take place that might cause us to question what is happening in our world and with our church.  But we need to be constantly aware that the Creator who redeemed us and has promised us eternity with Him is in control.  We have nothing to fear but have so much to be thankful for.  All the insights above covered portions of the lives of Abraham and Jacob.  Look at the covenant God made with Abraham and carried it on through Jacob and the generations following.  There were moments in their lives when they could have questioned God’s plan and promise, but God revealed His fulfillment at just the right time.

It's been 5 years since we lost our facilities, “but God” is using this delay for His glory.  He has blessed our church in so many ways these past 5 years and although we have probably all wondered “why so long?” we can rest assured that God’s timing will be perfect.

Keep the faith in God’s plan, trust Him, and continue to wait patiently.

 

--Bonnie King

Pura Vida

 

One week ago my husband, Gavin, two other teachers, 15 high school seniors and I were all in Costa Rica. We had the privilege of chaperoning the teenagers’ senior trip. It was a beautiful week: traveling through different areas of the Central American country, going on new adventures, tasting delicious food, making core memories.

          Some of my thoughts throughout the week:

          “This is just a little slice of another place on earth, different from my own home, new creation all around. God is amazing, creative, and values me.”

          “I wish I knew Spanish fluently.”

          “This group of seniors has made this trip so delightful. Minimal complaints, trying new adventures, foods, and activities with excitement, bravery and thankfulness. I am proud of them.”

          “I am grateful to have my world widened, some of the bubble popped.”

          “There is sloth paraphernalia everywhere we go, however we haven’t seen any in the wild. Do they really exist? I have my doubts… But thank you, God, for the opportunity to see toucans, monkeys, iguanas, macaws!”

A few of the memories I am already looking back on are zip-lining, white water rafting, bus-riding through the mountains and countryside, visiting coffee farms, serving children at a river-bed community, a day on a catamaran and secluded tropical beach, swimming, laughing and eating with the other chaperones and seniors. 

In Costa Rica there is a slogan everyone uses: Pura Vida - Pure Life. They say this to one another in conversation. They repeat it to the tourists visiting their country. It’s on bill-boards, signs, commercials. They want to live the pure life - enjoy it to the full, appreciate the beauty, fun and adventure. While rafting down the rapids, our guide encouraged us to raise our oars, high five together and say ‘Pura Vida’ after conquering a big drop or splash.

What I loved about the phrase is how it relates to a ministry in which we were able to see life transformations. Men who were moving from darkness into light. From death into “pure life”. I will remember Pura Vida in the fun adventures, but mostly in the hope found from lives changed.

On Sunday afternoon, we spent time at Finca de Esperanza, Farm of Hope, a men’s rehabilitation farm that focuses on discipleship, farm work and finding purpose. We went to take a tour of the farm that had begun their ministry in Jaco around 6 months ago. We ended our time hearing testimonies from a few of the men.

There were plantain and avocado trees, an outdoor cooking pot over fire, a big garden area, bunk houses, a whole community created. The men labored on the farm, worked toward the goal of 12 months of discipleship classes, built community and studied God’s word.

I wish the testimony and sharing time could have gone on and on. We didn’t know we’d have the opportunity to hear the stories of some of the men, but what a blessing that we did. One of the men showed us some of his beautiful hand painted work while also sharing that the previous week had been a very difficult one for him. He had almost given into that difficulty and left the farm. Later he was one of the 3 that told their stories. He shared incredibly difficult and painful parts of his past, ending up with redemption and found family at the farm. Had he given into the demons of the previous week, we never would have heard the incredible story of his life and been blessed by the transformation we were able to see first-hand.

As we walked through the garden area, one young man’s face lit up as he talked about how the tomato plants grew and the number of expected cucumbers and peppers that would be produced on each plant. He worked hard and grew to love caring for the things that grew, while only a few months before he had entered the farm in zombie form, emotionless and silent.

The most beautiful and heart-wrenching story came from a young man, 26 years old. He had been at the farm for a few months and when the time was opened for any to share, he stood up and told us that was the first time sharing his testimony with a group. The tears he shed, so genuine, as he spoke of the abandonment of his own family and a difficult past that led to a difficult life. But he also spoke of hope and a new family in Christ. To go from such destruction to bravery, life and a future was powerful to see.

Everyone has a story. Everyone has cards dealt, hands offered. Everyone once was dead. These men while still facing difficult days, memories, choices, are now given the opportunity to live alive in Christ. And you could see it only a few months in.

Traveling back in time a few hours to Sunday morning, we visited Horizon Church, of which Finca de Esperanza was a ministry. Two men who had completed the 12 month discipleship program, starting at a sister ministry and ending there in Jaco, were recognized and celebrated. It was so exciting to see the end results for those two men as they entered the beginning of the rest of what God has in store for them.

We sang these words Sunday morning, not knowing we would get to see them in real time later that afternoon:

I just wanna speak the name of Jesus

Over every heart and every mind

‘Cause I know there is peace within Your presence

I speak Jesus

I just wanna speak the name of Jesus

‘Til every dark addiction starts to break

Declaring there is hope and there is freedom

I speak Jesus

 

‘Cause Your name is power

Your name is healing

Your name is life

Break every stronghold

Shine through the shadows

Burn like a fire

 

By Sandy Gromacki

The Storms of Life

I woke Saturday morning to the sounds of thunder, heavy rain, and stiff wind.  I lay there and listened, grateful I was not out in it.  We have had a lot of storm/tornado warnings in the last few days.  I immediately thought of my children, scattered in five different places. 

The ones in Nashville and in Oklahoma have strong tornado watches. The one in Pennsylvania has severe thunderstorms forecast.  Atlanta shows no rain, but strong wind gusts.  New Zealand shows wind gusts of twenty-five to thirty miles per hour.  (That last one concerns me because he lives on a boat.  There are waves to deal with.) 

These physical storms concern me, but even more I pray for safety in emotional and spiritual storms.

Psalm 107 describes what could be any kind of storm.  Let’s begin at verse 24.

         “These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.

For He commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

 

They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths:  their soul is melted because of trouble.

 

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end.

 

Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses.  

 

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. (I love the phrases used in the NIV:  “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.”)

 

Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He bringeth them into their desired haven.” 

Do not believe I am speaking only of my children. I, too, face storms.  I am sometimes tossed in trouble and I stagger to and fro. But when I cry to Him, He stills the storm to a whisper and the waves of the sea are hushed.

Saturday evening is ending with the alarm of the weather radio going off over and over. We have been under a tornado watch for hours.  I am sitting on my nice cozy couch in my basement. And I have been reading about storms. 

Psalm 107 is the perfect chapter for today.  There is one verse that is repeated four times, so we cannot ignore it: “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and or His wonderful works to the children of men!”  I cannot end without praising the Lord.  He is with me in the storms and He calms me. 

In Mark 4 Jesus calms a physical storm.  The disciples are with Jesus in a boat on the Sea of Galilee when a storm comes up suddenly.  The disciples are afraid they will perish.  They wake Jesus who is asleep in the back of the boat.  They say, don’t you care?  He says, Peace be still, and the wind cease and there is a great calm.

What I want to point out is Mark 4:36.  There were other little boats with them--others who were affected by the storm.  Others who experienced the peace, the calmed waves.  There are others who are affected by storms, sometimes even the same storm. May they also experience peace. May we be the example of peace in the midst of the storm.

~~Faith Himes Lamb 

Easter is Coming!

 How do you celebrate Easter? It might seem a bit early to be asking this question, but this past Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent, a period of 40 days (not including Sundays) leading up to Easter. Many denominations observe this period of time, beginning with Ash Wednesday, by fasting, praying, and charitable giving. The 40 days is meant to reflect the time Jesus fasted in the wilderness, and for many, the observance is focused on solemn repentance.

Lent and Ash Wednesday are not Biblically commanded observances, and I have never been apart of a church that observes them (though I have only been a member of 2 churches in my life).But the idea of Lent, particularly the idea of preparation for Easter, intrigues me.

Every year, we spend much time in preparation for Christmas. We decorate elaborately (what else would you call bringing a tree into your house?), listen to special holiday music, purchase and wrap gifts for each other, and count down the days to when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christmas is great, and an important Christian holiday, but I would argue that Easter is the most important holiday in the Christian calendar. It is the day Jesus conquered death itself and ransomed us from sin!

Easter has its traditional methods of celebration. Many dress up for church that morning; there is usually a special meal planned; and an egg hunt is usually scheduled sometime in the preceding couple weeks. But I think Easter deserves more. Christ’s resurrection is the single greatest event in human history. Why wouldn’t we go all out in preparing for and celebrating it?

There are many ways one could prepare for and begin celebrating Easter. You could follow Lenten tradition by choosing to give up something (it doesn’t have to be food!), taking time to pray on a regular walk, or giving your time or finances to a charity. You could choose to do something less traditional and put together an Easter playlist to listen to or decorate with whatever feels most Easter to you. Focusing on the life of Christ and reading through the Gospels is a great lead up to Easter.

The point is to be intentional about preparing your heart to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Don’t let Easter sneak up on you. It doesn’t have to be perfect or look the same as somebody else. But I encourage you to put in a little more time and effort to celebrate the foundation of our faith.

So, how will you celebrate Easter this year?

--Concetta Swann

Who was Basil O'Conner?

 I learned about Basil O'Conner just this morning as I listened to a PBS documentary entitled, “The Polio Crusade.” Basil O’Conner served as a friend and legal advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Roosevelt, as many people know, contracted polio at the age of 39, and he remained paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. Passionate about finding a cure and rehabilitation for polio victims, President Roosevelt founded the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation in 1927 and eventually made Basil O’Conner the President of it. 

Basil O’Conner did not really even have much of a heart for non-profits, but he was loyal to Roosevelt. He wanted to please Roosevelt, but he had received a tough assignment. Back then, charitable organizations were mostly funded by the wealthy and certainly not the government. And guess what? The Great Depression hit America hard, so no one was giving much to charitable organizations. Everyone was struggling financially. 

So, Mr. O’Conner developed an ingenious idea to raise money for Roosevelt’s foundation. Ads that featured celebrities were developed to encourage people to send just one dime to the White House for this project. Even the poorest of the poor could scrounge up just one dime. The campaign was a huge success. O’Conner raised millions of dollars. The dimes (and dollars) just poured into the White House. The project later became known as the March of Dimes. 

(As a side note: Polio was a serious problem, but some of the ads exaggerated the risks of contraction and others were quite dark and fear based.) 

This story reminds me of Jesus’ observation of the widow giving her last mite. She gave out of sacrifice and poverty, and Jesus praised her for it. Most of us would not struggle to give a dime – or even much more. 

Of course, financial needs for charitable organizations still exist today. I work at the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes in Chattanooga, a non-profit. We hope to renovate our entire campus, which will cost approximately 10 million dollars. (We have 2 other campuses in Tennessee that are doing the same.) Our facilities are in terrible shape on so many levels. The President of TBCH is having some conversations with some potential wealthy donors. As he told us about this in our staff meeting this morning, I could not help but think about the March of Dimes and how the small gifts of many made such a difference. (He also plans to visit some of our churches and explain the project to them.) 

Little things make such a difference! Do you feel little today? Well, if you pull together with other little people, just think about what you could accomplish! 

joyce hague

A Fearful Saint

 

A Fearful Saint

I love history. I’m fascinated by stories of the past, and I have spent the last few months reading biographies of those living in the 1700s. One shorter account I read was of William Cowper’s life. Cowper lived in England from 1731 to 1800. His childhood was a difficult one. His mother died when he was six, and his father sent him to a boarding school from ages ten to seventeen. His experience there was not a good one.

Cowper suffered major depressions throughout his life, and around age 32, he moved into an asylum. There he was led to faith through the witness of one of the doctors as well as through Scripture, specifically Romans 3:25 where it says of Christ, “whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.” Cowper said of this experience, “Immediately I received the strength to believe it, and the full beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone upon me. I saw the sufficiency of the atonement He had made, my pardon sealed in His blood, and all the fullness and completeness of His justification... Unless the Almighty arm had been under me, I think I should have died with gratitude and joy.”

While we love happy endings, especially after someone’s salvation testimony, this was not the case for Cowper. Even as a believer, Cowper struggled with severe depression and intense melancholy off and on for the rest of his life. At times, he doubted his salvation and was afraid he was too far gone for God’s mercy and grace. Yet Cowper had a close friend and mentor, John Newton, who invested time in speaking truth to this hurting man. He was Cowper’s pastor for about thirteen years before he moved away to pastor elsewhere. Yet even then he wrote Cowper letters for the next twenty years until Cowper’s death, encouraging him in his faith.

William Cowper wrote poetry, and together with Newton published a hymnbook in which Newton wrote over 200 hymns and Cowper 68. You may know Cowper’s hymn, “There is a fountain filled with blood.” It is interesting that the one who at times wondered if he truly was forgiven wrote here the words, “And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”

Perhaps you, like Cowper, struggle with guilt and lies that bombard you. Perhaps you struggle with intense sadness and depression. Keep clinging to Christ. Keep rehearsing truth. Keep surrounding yourself with sound doctrine and your brothers and sisters in Christ. Keep going to church even when you don’t feel like getting out of bed. On the other hand, perhaps you know a Cowper. May you be like Newton, a loving friend who doesn’t give up on the hurting, even when the struggles persist for years, but who keeps on speaking truth and showing love and care.

I love the following poem by Cowper on the sovereignty of God. May you read it and be encouraged by these words written about 250 years ago by an imperfect, struggling man whom God still used mightily to build up the body.

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

 

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never-failing skill.

He treasures up his bright designs

And works his sovereign will.

 

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take.

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

 

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust him for his grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

 

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

 

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan his work in vain:

God is his own interpreter,

And he will make it plain.

 

(Information on Cowper’s life from The Hidden Smile of God, by John Piper)

 

--Amy O’Rear