CHANGE

CHANGE

Change:  “to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of something different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone”.  That’s the dictionary definition of the word “change.”  Right now at my school we are in the middle of “change.”  We have gone from the quarter system to the semester system, and that change has been and is still hard.  Students are finding the changes difficult, but the teachers have had an incredible challenge.  I am having trouble even remembering when my classes begin and end.  The syllabi had to be changed; the assignment schedule had to be changed; and on and on it goes.

          Actually, change scares me.  I like things to stay the same.  I am not an adventurous cook—I cook the way I always have.  I don’t like change in my home—I decide where the furniture should be and it will be that way for years to come.  I am still coming to terms with computers, though that sounds silly since I teach online classes.  I am afraid of trying new things on the computer, though, afraid that somehow I will mess things up.  Adjusting to change is a challenge for me.

          Life is full of changes, some big, some small.  Actually, though the semester change has been difficult, it is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of life.  The same cannot be said for many of our changes:  marriage, children, job, empty nest, illness.  Some are good changes.  Some are bad.  Some seem bad, but have ultimate good results.

          I tend to yearn for the old ways, the old times.  I put a rosy haze around the past, sometimes masking reality.  But I don’t want to live like that.  I want to embrace the changes.  I want to learn, to grow, to reach forward.  I have a Mary Englebreit plaque that says, “Don’t look back.  You’re not going that way.”  Paul has a better way of saying it,

“One thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3:13-14)  So I’m reaching.

          EMBRACE THE CHANGE!

                                                                   ~~Faith Lamb

"The best part of wakin' up is..."

Did you find yourself finishing the jingle? There's not a whole lot I find good besides a cup of coffee when I have to get up in the morning. In fact, the days I'm most likely to get out of bed with a smile are those days I got the coffee ready the night before and didn't have to wake up to an annoying alarm!
However, there are so many good things in my life that make waking up worth it! At the top of the list, of course, are any items pertaining to my niece, Maggie, or my nephews, Luke, Henry and Chicago. Just thinking about them makes me squeal with delight...out loud!! Waking up to them is even better! When I was home for Easter, I found myself waking up to their precious little faces breathing heavily in mine. Forget that they hadn't brushed their teeth yet, and neither had I...I loved it!
I think this might be the joy God wants us to know when His Word says in Lamentations 3:21-26:

²¹ Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:
²² [Because of] the LORD's faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end.
²³ They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
²⁴ I say: The LORD is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.
²⁵ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,to the person who seeks Him.
²⁶ It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the LORD.

I forgot to mention that the events that drew us home at the same time were not pleasant. We gathered for the funeral of my aunt who had been murdered. God knew that I would need the faces of my nieces and nephews to wake up to in the  mornings (not to mention my mother's coffee)!  In the midst of confusion and sorrow, He gave hope. His mercies came to me in the faces of my favorite little people on Earth!

If it's been hard to find the best part of waking up lately, may I encourage you with something better than coffee...God's mercies! They are new every morning! Drink 'em up!

~Rebecca Phillips

Gift of Influence

We women have the gift of influence in the lives of our friends, co-workers, husbands and children. When we touch lives through the ministry God has called us to, we have the opportunity to influence. This influence can bless or it can curse and it is used with ease and sometimes no forethought.  Let’s look at two very different scenarios in God’s Word where influence played huge roles in the lives of the Jewish people.

Esther was chosen to be queen from among all the women brought before King Ahasuerus.  Mordecai, the uncle who raised her, realized she would have great influence on the king during the time plans were being made to destroy the Jewish people in all of the provinces. He knew she attained royalty for such a time as this. He was correct as scripture states in Esther 8, the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to defend their lives just as Esther had asked. Esther was a blessing to her people because of her influence.

Paul and Barnabas spoke the truth boldly among the Jews and the Gentiles as we see in Acts 13-14. When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord and the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. But the Jews aroused the devout women of prominence and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas. The Jews were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things that were spoken. It stirred up the minds of the people and embittered them against the believers. These Jews were a curse to their people because of their influence.

Romans 12:1-3 says, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

I am humbled by the gift of influence God has given me.  I can bring many instances to mind where I would like a do over on words I have spoken and actions I have taken that misused that gift.  I want to bless and not curse those around me. I want to renew my mind daily by yielding to the Holy Spirit’s direction in my life.  Pray for me and I will pray for you.

Sharpening My Focus

Some of you will remember an old country song in which the speaker tells his girlfriend, "Occasionally, I want to talk about me!" Oscar Wilde noted, "If there is anything in the world more annoying than having people talk about you, it is certainly having no one talk about you."

It's true; for many of us, our favorite topic is ourselves. Even when I pray, I find myself focusing on me---what I hope for, what I need, what I'm worried about. God in his mercy and goodness, gives me many things that I pray for, and I am grateful. But I've been looking recently at a prayer in scripture.

In First Samuel chapter two, we see Hannah's prayer of gratitude when she took little Samuel to the Temple. You might want to read the first ten verses of that chapter. It's all about how God manifests himself in our world. Verse two says, "There is none holy as the LORD because there is none beside thee." The next verse warns people, "Let no arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is the God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed."

I plead guilty to thinking of myself too much, but I am praying for a re-focus. A few years ago, our theme for the school year was the question--also a song---"Will they love Jesus more?" This song has been on my mind today. The idea is to have my life so focused on Jesus that when people leave my presence, they will be thinking not of me, but of my LORD.

Matthew 5:16 encourages us to live in such a way that when people see our good works they will glorify not us, but God. Many of us are getting back to school or back into routines after a summer vacation. This is a good time to sharpen our focus and point people to Jesus.

I'll Adjust My Attitude

I know you won't believe this about me, but I practice VBS songs in my car, full volume, with (most of) the motions. It is the ONLY spare time I have to get the songs memorized...well, mostly memorized...So it makes for some fun moments when people are driving by when I'm "adjusting my attitude."
This year's songs were the kind that get s.t.u.c.k. in your head...even now, they are pounding in my ears.
I bet you already know where I'm going with this.
The lyrics to the chorus are...

 I'll adjust my attitude to gratitude and feel God's love for me.
I'll adjust my attitude to gratitude. It's not so hard to see.
God's given me so much in life. I feel the joy He brings.
I'll adjust my attitude to gratitude. Thank God for everything.

The children learned this summer that gratitude is being thankful for what you've been given even when it's hard. Shew! No problem! I didn't really think I had a problem with this. However, that hypothesis, when tested, was proven to be very incorrect! I could list several events and circumstances occurring over the last couple of weeks that threatened my attitude of gratitude, though in my case it was the lack of things or the things given to others that revealed my true attitude. I did not "feel God's love for me" (though I know it's true-thank you, Kelly O'Rear for that reminder on Sunday) when I did not get an opportunity to do something that I really wanted to do. It was not easy to see that "God's given me so much in life" when I had to stay home while my family went to the beach. I did not "feel the joy He brings" when I lost all of the work I did this summer by accidentally deleting files on my computer-irretrievably.
But here's the truth...God has given me so many wonderful opportunities to use my gifts and talents in a way that pleases Him, makes me happy, and brings home the bacon! I was able to get everything done (again) at work and I think maybe even better the second time around. I got to hang out with some really fun girls at a pool party over the weekend, and get caught up on some much needed sleep.
I've come to realize that the adjustment needed isn't in my circumstances, it's in my attitude toward them.
Paul writes in Philippians 4:11, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." I can see the precious faces of the kids in lime green t-shirts shaking their little "attitude" fingers at me! I'm the one that needs the attitude adjustment!
On my way home after the VBS program, I took out the VBS songs and replaced the CD player with something different, but the switch in my attitude will last much longer.
Thank you, VBS songs for getting stuck in my head!