Giving: Spiritual Gift Series

   Have you ever got a gift for someone and you were so excited to give that gift to them because you knew they would love it? Have you ever felt that way about giving to God? If you have, perhaps you have the next spiritual gift in the Romans 12 list: giving. Some examples of people who had this gift in the Bible were Dorcas, the Macedonia Church, and Boaz.

   When you think of giving what do you usually think about? If you said money then you are probably like most people, myself included. Yes, giving money to the church is one thing we are called to do as Christians. Though, many of us struggle with that, myself included at times. We are called to give tithes which is to be 10% of our income. This is hard for some of us, especially with how the economy is. It's easy to look at our needs and wants, think about how much it all costs, and to say "I don't have enough to give to God." But that's cheating God who was the one who gave you that money in the first place.

   The people who have the gift of giving do it freely, joyfully, and trust God to provide. They don't go up and give their gifts while complaining or grumbling. Instead they see a need and fill it trusting God to do the rest. 

   Giving is also more than just money. If you have the gift of giving you also may give your time and talents to God. Some people are gifted at fixing things so they do work around the church. They volunteer for teaching classes or help with the technology for service. Again, they do it without complaining or expecting a thank you in return. They know that God sees what they do in secret and will reward them. Even if he doesn't, these people trust that God is with them as they give of their time and money. 

   So, do you know anyone with the gift of giving? How can you trust God more and give back to him?

Encouraging: Spiritual Gift Series

   When you feel upset or down, what do you wish people would do for you? If you said, "encourage me" then you also just answered what the next spiritual gift is in Romans 12. People who have this gift offer comfort to others, especially when those people are going through a hard time. Some examples of people who encouraged others in the Bible were Barnabas, Jonathan, Ruth, and Deborah. 

   Encouragement can look different depending on whom you are trying to encourage. Some people just need to be held to be encouraged. Others could use a kind word or just someone being there for them. This can go into the five love languages. I've found that there is typically one common cord of encouragement in almost any situation: God's word.

   True, God's word is offensive to some. Some non-belivers may not like what it says. But I've found if someone is down, and you are not shoving the Bible down their throat, they are more open to hearing God's word if you've already shown you care about them. That doesn't mean you just pull out your Bible and begin reading. It means you can give them the message of the word without necessarily giving them the reference. If this encourages them and they ask where you found that wisdom, you can tell them.

   I cannot count how many times I have either encouraged someone with God's word or someone has encouraged me with it. Sometimes it's nice to have a reminder that we are not alone. Someone out there cares enough about what we are going through to take the time to encourage us. That's all it takes sometimes: a note saying, "I'm thinking about you" can make a huge difference. That's something we all can do, even if we feel we don't have this spiritual gift.

   So, do you know anyone with the gift of encouragement? How can you encourage someone each day?

Teaching: Spiritual Gift Series

   Teaching is the next spiritual gift we find in the Romans 12 passage. Some examples of teachers in the Bible were Paul, Elijah, and Jesus. It is also a gift that is very near and dear to my heart as I went to school to be a teacher. 

   In the context of the passages we find the spiritual gift lists, teaching and preaching are in essence the same. Those who have the teaching spiritual gift learn the word of God. They know it and understand it enough to be able to explain it to others. It seems like it wouldn't be that difficult to do, but teachers need to take the knowledge and explain it in a way that not only do students understand the material, but they also remember it. 

   There's a quote that my parents introduced to me on a magnet they got me which says, "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you." The Bible is more than just facts. Yes, those are in there. But if all we do is memorize the Bible without understanding it or letting it change us we miss getting to know God. While it's true that we will never completely be able to understand all of God, that shouldn't stop us from getting to know him. It shouldn't stop us from wanting to grow in our relationship with him. To do that, we need to know more than just facts. We need to understand the word and apply it to our lives.

   That's where teachers come in. There have been many times I read something in the Bible that I don't quite understand or know why it is in there. That's when I draw on the knowledge of others by either asking someone I know or by looking on the Internet for a website that can explain it better. The people who write those articles, or answer the questions I have, that help me are teachers. They understood the word and explained it to me. 

   This is why the gift of teaching is so important. When we don't have the answers, we have someone we can turn to. Yes, we can always go to God with our questions; but it's also nice to know there are people out there smarter than us, or more experienced, who can explain things we don't understand.

   So, do you know anyone who has the gift of teaching? How can you understand God better?

Serving: Spiritual Gift Series

  Jesus came to serve and not be served. In Romans 12 we find the next spiritual gift which is serving. Some examples of people who served others in the Bible were Ruth, Joseph, Martha, Paul, and Jesus. 

   When you think of the word serve what do you think of? Maybe you think of a waiter serving you food. You could think of Jesus washing feet. You may think about one of the five love languages, which is acts of service. Or you could think of making a great play in a sport and saying, "you got served!"

   That last one was a joke. To serve means to put aside your own needs for the needs of others. If you have ever worked in the food industry, or any job really, I'm sure you have served others at times you may not have felt like doing so. Serving is not always easy to do. Some days are hard and we are tired but we are still called to serve. 

   There are some people to whom service just comes naturally. These are the people who have the spiritual gift of service. While we are all called to serve, these people see a need and fill it before being asked. They don't complain or tell others about what they did to make themselves look good. Most of the time, these people would rather be in the background; at least that's what I've found to be true most of the time. 

   Sure, we all trip up at times and our pride gets in the way (prime example: Martha). But we know in the end whom we are serving others for. When we serve, we are not serving for our own good or the good of others, though those reasons can be perks. When we serve, we are serving God. God sees all our efforts and cares about what we do for others. He especially sees when we do things for those who don't thank us or could not repay us. I mean, just look at what Jesus did. He served us by dying on the cross and we could never repay that!

   So, do you know anyone with the spiritual gift of service? How can you serve others each day?

Prophecy: Spiritual Gift Series

   The first spiritual gift list we find in the Bible is in Romans 12:6-8. In this passage the author talks about how we are all different parts of the body of Christ. Then the author goes into what gifts we all may have. 

   The first gift mentioned is prophecy. Some examples of people in the Bible who had prophecy were Moses, Daniel, Deborah, Miriam, and the other prophets mentioned in the Bible. If someone had the gift of prophecy it meant that God gave them a message that was from him for someone else. Those who prophesize are God's mouthpieces. This is especially true back in the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit was not in all of God's people. Most of the time, if someone wanted to hear from God, they would have to hear from a prophet who had God's Spirit on them. Nowadays we have the Holy Spirit, which can speak to all of us in different ways.

   Does that mean the gift of prophecy is gone or doesn't matter? No! Some of us have the gift of prophecy. Some of us don't. Sometimes God also gives us these gifts for a brief time and for a certain reason. I know I have prophesied once over someone's life. But, other than that, I can't recall doing so. I do know many people at my church who have this gift. Our pastors are two examples. I cannot count how many times they have predicted something was going to happen because they got a message from God. In fact, our one pastor will usually be able to predict what will happen during our church services. Which is odd, in a good way, because each service is different since it is Spirit led.

   When we think about prophecy we usually think of telling the future plans of God. But it is anytime God tells us his will or truth to his people. For example, think of Jonah when he was told to go to Nineveh in the Bible. He was to tell them to turn from their wicked ways. That was it. He wasn't given an ultimatum or told what would happen to those people if they didn't turn from their ways. 

   Prophecy is an important gift because sometimes we need to hear from God through someone else. It is a gift that helps us understand God better and keeps us connected. Whether you have the gift of prophecy or not, you can see that God uses it throughout scripture and today. It helps us hear God, know his will, and know what we are to do. 

   So, do you know anyone with the gift of prophecy? How can you learn more about prophecy today?

Spiritual Gift Series

   Have you ever asked yourself, or have been asked, what gifts do I have? Maybe you are skilled at writing, dancing, cooking, or some other talent. That's great! You know what you are good at. Hopefully you are using that talent for the good of others and the kingdom of God. I mean, God gives us those gifts for a reason. God also gives other gifts too.

   If you've been a Christian long enough you've probably heard about spiritual gifts. They are found in different sections in the Bible. These gifts are given by God specifically so we use them to further God's kingdom. Do you know what these gifts are? Do you know which gifts you have? That's what we will be exploring the next few weeks. 

   The spiritual gift lists are found in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. I encourage you to take a look and see which gifts you may have. Or, you could look online for a spiritual gift quiz to see which gifts you may have. 

The War Going On Around Us

   Have you ever had someone say something or do something then had it happen again later? It's kind of like deja vu but not. Let me give you an example. One time I was playing a game with friends. The organizer of the game said my player felt a presence behind me. That's not so scary in a game because the game isn't real. 

   After the game, I went home and rested. I suddenly got this weird feeling that someone or something was behind me. When I looked, no one was there. I knew my husband was in the other room so I knew it wasn't him. And, even though I looked back and didn't see anyone, I still felt like something was there with me. It was kind of creepy. 

   To boot, I remember I was going through a bit of a hard time and my thoughts were beginning to spiral. That made me think that it could have been a demon behind me. Can we really sense demons? Are demons real? According to the Bible they are; and I believe God's word.

   Demons are Satan's minions. I imagine they don't look like little yellow guys. Demons probably look a bit scary in their real form but they probably have other powers where they can take on the look of other creatures. Their job is to manipulate us and turn us from God. 

   This presence I felt wasn't welcome and I knew it. So I took authority under the name of Jesus and told the demon to leave. I felt peace after that and the thought spiral disappeared. Sure, the problem I was going through was still there but it didn't seem as big of a deal as it did when I first began to think about it.

   If we trust God's word and believe in him, we should believe that what he says is true. His word tells us there are demons out there. His word tells us Satan is prowling like a lion waiting to devour us. We need to begin acting like there is a spiritual war going on around us. We need to lean on God, grow in him, and trust in him. That way, when Satan sends his demons against us, we know exactly how to handle them. We know we need to go to God. 

   So, do you believe there is a spiritual war going on around you? How can you grow in God so that when Satan attacks you are ready?

We Don't Talk About Current Problems

   Have you ever noticed that, as Christians, we are okay with talking about things we have been through that we have overcome? Maybe you were bullied in the past and that impacted your self worth but now you realize that comes from God. Or you could have been someone who used to have an addiction and you realized that you were just focused on masking some trauma in your past that you gave to God and overcame the addiction. Whatever your story is, it's not a bad thing to talk about those things. In fact, sharing your testimony can help others realize they are not alone. It can help them have hope to overcome it as well. 

   But I've noticed, at least for myself, at times we don't like talking about our current struggles. I'm not saying we have to blab our struggles to everyone out there. But if we don't share those struggles with God and other believers we miss out on relationship growth, the chance to be authentic, and we miss out on accountability. I think the reason we don't like talking about fresh problems is because they are like fresh wounds. They hurt, they still bleed, and we may not want to show weakness without feeling hope too. 

   Have you ever felt like that? You are going through a tough time and you just feel like you can't tell anyone. Maybe you don't want to be judged or you don't want to burden anyone. Or, perhaps, you are okay sharing what you've overcome with others but this current struggle is too close to home. You are unsure if you will make it through it. If you've felt that way, you are not alone. I've felt that way too and I've been scared to share what's going on with others because it's not easy to be vulnerable. 

   I'm not saying we have to share everything we are going through with everyone. What I am saying is that it is important to have a few trusted people who can come alongside you and help you. These people will pray for you, listen, and help you stay accountable. God created us to be in a relationship with him and others. We can show others we love them by being real with them and then they may feel more comfortable reciprocating. That's how great growth happens. When people come alongside one another to help each other and when people go to God with their struggles then God really moves.

   So, are you good at being authentic with others? Who is someone you could go to about any current struggles?

We Are Not Chameleons

    I'm sure you've thought about this question, if not now then when you were a child, if you could be any animal what animal would you be? God created many unique creatures during creation. They all have special features and abilities. One such creature is the chameleon. Chameleons have sticky feet, camouflage, can look two places at once, and have really long tongues. Imagine if you had those abilities. Sure, some of them may be strange but think about being able to blend in or being able to climb walls. That could come in handy sometimes, or just be a cool trick to show your friends.

   But, we are not chameleons. Though, I'm afraid some of us are trying to be chameleons whether we realize it or not. Chameleons blend in with their surroundings. They do this as a defense mechanism and to survive (so they can get food). What about you? Have you tried to blend in with the world? We are told in the Bible that the world is sinful. If we follow the ways of the world, we are not following God. God is holy and we are to try to emulate what he calls us to emulate. We are not to blend in with the world, we are to stand out. We are to stand up for Jesus and show others his love. 

   Chameleons also can look at two places at once. This is another great defense mechanism but it is not good for us. I've written blogs about being on the fence. If we are not 100% following Jesus then we are on the fence. If we are looking at the sinful things of this world while claiming to follow Christ, we are on the fence. If you are on the fence, you have made your choice to follow Satan and the world. We must fix our eyes on Jesus. We must do our best to grow in him and follow him.

   Finally, chameleons cling to whatever they are trying to climb. If we cling to things in this world, we are not following the Great Commission. Jesus gave us a commandment to go into the world and make disciples. Everything on this earth is temporary, except the souls of people. If we cling to things that are temporary and do not follow the Great Commission, then we are ignoring a direct command from God. If we didn't have a job to do after we accepted Christ as our personal savior, we could just be taken up to heaven. God created us to be in relationship with others and share the good news of the gospel to others. We get to be a part of his story in that way. That's why we cling to Jesus and show others how to do so as well.

   So are you being a chameleon in any way? How can you grow in each of these areas?

The White Knight

    Many children hear stories of fairy tales and fantasy. Stories with adventure. Stories where there is a hero, a villain, and someone/something that needs rescued. Those stories excite us. They make us wish for adventure in our own lives. 

   One particular story we hear a lot is the story of a knight going to save a princess. This knight faces dangers and will not stop until he rescues the damsel. In the end, the damsel is rescued and the knight and princess live happily ever after.

   These stories are told all in good fun and most even have a moral to them. The problem we run into is we grow up and begin to believe them to be true. I'm specifically talking about the women here. 

   Romance is a big genre in stories, movies, and songs in our culture. Women grow up dreaming of a man to come along and rescue them from their problems. Sure, women still live their lives and aren't sitting and waiting for their prince or in a sleep that needs to be awoken by true loves kiss, but I think we all still secretly are hoping for that one hero to come along and sweep us off our feet (whether we admit it or not).

   I've been there. I remember acting like I didn't want a relationship because I wasn't sure it would ever happen as time went on. I was hoping for a romance. I feel like that's because culture tells us we need certain things to be happy. We need a house, a good job, a car, a spouse, two kids, and a dog. That's the American dream. That's what we are told from a young age that we need and should strive for.

   But, there is another one who comes on a white horse. Revelation 19:11 says "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war." This event happens toward the end of the earth. Jesus comes on a white horse. He is the one who saves. He is the one who loves us unconditionally. He is the one who, in the end, will judge us. He loved us enough to die for us so we could be with him in heaven. Without him, our sin would send us to hell. He is who our eyes should be fixed on. We should be trying to emulate him and live our lives for him on earth. 

   So, are you living your life for yourself or for Christ? Are your eyes fixed on him?

How Strong Are Your Roots?

   One fourth of July my husband and I were at home for the evening. We had heard there were going to be strong storms that night so we stayed in to watch a movie. I began to hear the pat of rain on the window. Then our power went out for a minute and came back on. My husband looked outside and saw the trees bending. We heard later that there were 70 mph winds that night. 

   The next day we went for a walk as a family. There were leaves and branches scattered everywhere. The grave in our parking lot lost the roof. Large trees were snapped in half. But the oddest thing was a huge oak tree had fallen completely over and you could see its roots. 

   Looking at that tree, I was shocked. How could a tree that was so big have roots that wouldn't keep it in the ground. When I got a closer look in the hole and saw that a lot of the ground where it was planted was made of rocks, it made more sense. It also was a good lesson for our Christian walk.

   We are told to be firmly rooted in Christ. This tree was large but the roots were not firm. That would be like a Christian going to church and going through the motions but not having a personal relationship with Christ. They would not be growing in him thus their roots would not be deep and strong.

   There is a parable in the Bible that talks about where seeds are planted. Some seeds are planted in the rocks and they don't take. We must ensure that we are in the good, fertile soil of Christ. We must make sure we are surrounded by other Christians who are helping us grow and not in the rocks of the world. That is how we continue to grow in God and have firm roots.

   So, how firm is your foundation? How can you continue to grow in God each day?

Keep Trying

   My husband enjoys playing soccer in a summer league. He's played on the same team for years now. Usually he is recruited to play defense. That's the position he is best at and the team needs him there the most. This season though, he decided he wanted to play striker. He wanted to have fun and he barely played striker on that team before. He also wanted to score some goals if he could.

   At first, during the season, he played striker and the team struggled to win games. He kept telling the team he wanted to play striker though and they abided by his wish. As the season went on, the team began to struggle more as people on the team wouldn't show up to games. My husband decided to sacrifice his wish and played defense or midfield to help the team. That didn't mean he gave up on his goal. 

   During the last regular game of the season, he went to the game and discovered that four of the players who didn't say they were not coming didn't show up. They began the game with five field players against seven field players. They were playing against the second to last place team and my husband had hoped to score a goal that night but it didn't seem possible because of how few players they had. 

   At halftime they were playing 7 verses 8 with one substitute (it was a co-ed league so they needed to have two girls on the field but only one girl was there). The team kept pushing through in the second half even though it began to rain. My husband found himself in the midfield and he ran down the right side of the field. He made it past one defender, took a shot, the goalie blocked it but didn't catch it, my husband recovered the ball, he went around the goalie, he shot and scored. Just as he scored, the rain stopped. I looked over to the left and saw a rainbow. My husband hadn't given up on his dream even though the odds were stacked against him.

   That's what we need to do in life as well. We must persevere through it all. Hard times will come in our lives. When they do, we have a choice. We can choose to give up or we can push through. We can choose to trust God and work hard. 

   So, are you persevering through trials? How can you rely on God in everything?

Are You Awake?

    If you know me or have read my blog for a while, you know a place I like to go is Camp YoliJwa. It's a Christian camp that I've gone to for most of my life. While there, you do different activities. One of the things you do there is sing songs. There's a song that we sing in the mornings from time to time usually toward the end of the week because that's when everyone is tired. 

   The song goes like this: "I'm alive awake alert enthusiastic. I'm alive awake alert enthusiastic. I'm alive awake alert. I'm alert awake alive. I'm alive awake alert enthusiastic." There are motions with the song and the whole point of it is to wake you up if you are not awake. It is a silly song and usually brings laughter to the group. 

   Sometimes I think this song can relate to our Christian walk. We start to get tired and begin to just go through the motions. We don't feel like doing all the things, working hard, and trying to grow in God because it feels like work and we are tired. That's when Satan gains a foothold in our lives. When we begin to become tired or lackadaisical in our walk the devil comes in to try to break us away from God. 

   This is why we must be "alive awake and alert" in our walk with God. We need to stay strong and grow in him lest Satan step in to break us and our relationship with God. Not only do we need to be alert, we should also be enthusiastic about our walk with God. No other religion has communication with God. Sure, other religions can pray, but they don't hear back from their god. Our God wants a relationship with us. He wants us to talk with him and he listens. He gives us direction too, if we listen. Isn't that something we should be enthusiastic about? The creator of everything wants a relationship with us.

   So are you "alive awake alert enthusiastic" in your walk with God? How can you grow in God today?

Weather and the Good News

    I know we've all done it. We checked the weather for a certain day wondering if our plans would change or be cancelled. Then, on the day of our plans, the weather changes and we blame the weather person for getting it wrong. 

   Well, what if we didn't have weather people or the ability to look at a weather forecast? How would we plan events then? How would we know what to wear? We would have to go outside to figure out what the weather is. We would have to prepare our everyday lives like rain, snow, or sun might happen. Would we still plan events not knowing what the weather will be like? We probably would. 

   New question: what if we didn't have the Bible? I know, that's a big jump but stay with me. The Bible gives us a forecast of events that will happen in the future. It tells us how to live our everyday lives. If we didn't have the Bible, we wouldn't know those things. We wouldn't know what was coming in the future. 

   Even if we didn't have the Bible, I believe God would make the good news of the gospel known. People cannot stop God's plans from happening. Sure, we have free will, but God is the author of everything (look at Jonah, he had free will and chose to disobey God then he got eaten by a fish and changed his mind). God is a good father and he would let us know that one way or another. 

   Thankfully, we do have the Bible. That's one tool we can use to get to know God. It also tells us the forecast of the future and how to deal with problems that come up in our lives. While the weather person may get their forecast wrong, the Bible tells us the truth. We should be grateful to God for the gift of the Bible. We should also be grateful that we don't have to pack a rain jacket, umbrella, snow pants, a winter jacket, sunscreen, etc. everyday because we do have weather people; even if they get the weather wrong sometimes. 

   So, are you grateful for the gift of the Bible? How can you spend time in God's word each day?

Staying Free: Independence Day

   On July 4th each year, America celebrates our independence from Great Britain. All those years ago people decided they didn't want to be under Britain's rule anymore and, because of that, we have freedom today. People celebrate this freedom in different ways. Some people get together with family. Others just stay home and rest. Some decorate their homes. No matter how we celebrate, we have the freedom to choose how we celebrate because of the country we live in.

   Yet, there are some who still live in the bondage of slavery. I'm not talking about other countries. I'm talking about some of us still living in the bondage of sin. While we are free in America, we are not free in our hearts. God wanted better for us and sent His Son to set us free from that bondage. Some of us accept this freedom and keep it, while others turn back to bondage. 

   It's like if we would have fought for our freedom from Britain and then decided, no we don't like our freedom. We would rather Britain come back and tax us. We want to be under someone else's rule. Would America look like it does today if we would have decided that? No, it would have looked very different. God gives us a choice. We can choose to follow our sinful desires and stay in bondage to sin and Satan; or we can choose to get freedom in Christ's sacrifice on the cross and stay free.

   Many people choose the freedom in Christ but they go back to sin. It happens to all of us probably where we sin even after choosing to accept Christ as our Savior. But the problem is some of us choose to continue to walk in that sin without repentance. That's not freedom. That's choosing to go back to bondage. Sin is bondage. God offers freedom.

   How do we get free and stay free then? We grow in God. We learn about him and how to follow him. We read his word so we know how to say, "no" when Satan comes knocking. We choose to follow Jesus' example and do our best to emulate him. That's freedom. Freedom is having the choice. We choose who we follow each day. We choose if we will sin and eventually go to Hell or if we will accept Christ as our Savior, follow him, and stay free from our sins by choosing to continually follow him. 

   So, are you in bondage or free from sin? How can you continue to stay free from sin?

Miracle Child

   About two weeks ago I woke up still pregnant but feeling different. I began to feel some cramps throughout the day but I wasn't sure if it was normal or something to do with my digestion. I continued on with my day. But I did tell my husband that we needed to get certain things done that day because I just had a gut feeling. 

   That night I went to bed later due to a world cup match being on. As I tried to go to sleep, I continued feeling cramps. These continued through the night. I had just downloaded a contraction app that night. Around 3:30 I began timing what was happening and the app said I should go to the hospital. I called my OBGYN and she recommended I come to the hospital as well. I woke my husband up and we left. 

   At the hospital they checked to see where I was at. I had made it to 6 cm before going to the hospital, which was part of my goal. I continued being in active labor for a few more hours. During that time, I had my husband play a playlist I had made for labor. I had purposely chosen Christian music to play because I knew I would need to focus on God during that time. Doctors and nurses would come in and say how they appreciated the music that was playing. It was nice to know that others were inspired by the music too.

   Fast forward to after I finished pushing for thirty minutes and the baby had arrived. He was crying immediately. I said to my husband, "well at least I know he didn't come out blue like I did when I was born." See, I wasn't breathing when I came out so it was a relief to hear him crying. 

   After they had put him on me, and worked on me, one of the doctors came over to me. She said, "based on the music you were listening to, I'm going to assume you believe in miracles." Then she showed us the umbilical cord. There was a knot in it. The doctor said, "there was a knot in your umbilical cord. Your child is a miracle child as he could have had more complications because of this knot but he didn't." 

   I looked at my husband and smiled as much as I could with how tired I was. Since finding out we were pregnant, we had prayed for a few specific things. We prayed the baby would be healthy, that I would be safe during labor, that it wouldn't be too painful, and that we would be home when I went into labor so I wouldn't need to be picked up from work. All of those things were answered. God protected our child from any complications he could have had. He protects us all as well because he cares for all of us. 

   So, are you praying continually for what you want/need within God's will? Are you trusting in God's plan for your life?

Father's Day: Written by My Husband

This post is something I've never done before. It is written by my husband as he just recently became a father.

   I was initially supposed to have this written before I was a father.  But things have changed and our son arrived a week early, just in time for me to have my first Father's day.  

   A Father's job is to provide, protect, support, encourage, discipline, push, fix, lead, teach, and love.  I didn't always know this was the case.  The more my faith grew, the more I understood what a father was.  It's one thing to understand, and another to experience.  

   I look at my newborn son and I am overwhelmed with emotion and a weight of responsibility.  I have been made a steward of this spirit transmuted from my and my wife's flesh.  All I want is for my son to be healthy, happy, and to learn to love the Lord.  Can I do this?  Can I be the bad guy when it's justified?  Can I make the hard choices?  Can I do it all?

   Luckily God has provided earthly examples for me.  And ultimately provided Himself as the perfect example.  God was there for me through it all.  He feverishly pursued me with ferocious and unconditional love.  When I pushed Him away, He was never more than an arms length away.  When I disobeyed, He crushed me and built me back up in the same stroke.  

   He was patience through my stubbornness.  He ran to embrace me when I turned back to Him.  He is never afraid to do for me what is needed.  He only ever continues to mold me into who I was born to be.  He truly knows me.

   If I could just scratch the surface of that, it would be enough for my son.  And ultimately  if I can just be enough of a light to steer him to his true Father, then I will have peace.  

   So happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there who try to carry the world for their families.  If they are too stubborn to let God spot them or carry the burden, at least give them the day off to rest their shoulders.  Let them know how much you respect their work ethic. Let them know that you see them.  And stroke their ego just a bit and tell them that they can do it all, but that doesn't mean they should.  

Hard Work Vs. Hustle

    As we prepare for the new addition to our family a lot has happened. I've had lots of different symptoms. One major one is fatigue. It happened a lot in the first trimester and now it's happening again. Either that, or I'm just working myself too hard.

   What I mean is our last month was very busy. It was filled with events with family and friends, with appointments, and other general times of being busy. There were weeks I felt like I didn't get any rest. To top it off, we are also preparing our home for the baby. I've been working on building items for the baby and figuring out what else we need.

   After a month of all this I was exhausted and becoming overwhelmed. There were times I felt like I was doing it all on my own. At times I felt like no matter how much I got done it was never enough because the list keeps growing. The list still isn't done and I just keep adding things. I became discouraged and emotional because I felt tired and like no matter what I did it wasn't good enough.

   Then, one night after working most of the day, I went to JA to serve at our church. I was quiet on the ride there because I was tired and overwhelmed. My husband asked me if I was okay. I began to tear up as I said, "it's just so much work." Then I pulled myself together and ran the sound system at church for JA. 

   After JA was over, my husband went out with friends. I went to the grocery store. When I got home I put the items away and went to read a book I had just begun. God must have known what I needed because the chapter I read in the book talked about who we are doing things for. It talked about hard work vs hustle. Hustle means you get things done and stay busy. So busy that you wear yourself thin. I felt like that's where I was at. Hard work means you give your best in each thing you do. Remember the verse that says "work as if you were working for the Lord and not man (Colossians 3:23 paraphrased)?" That's what hard work is. 

   I knew this but I had forgotten. I think we have a tendency to do that. We know the answers to the Christian questions but forget or don't apply them the right way to our lives. At that moment, after reading, I felt peace. I was reminded that I wasn't doing any of this work for my husband, me, or even our baby. I was doing all of it for God. He sees the work I do each day and, as long as I do my best, he is proud. Everything that needs to get done for the baby to come will get done. I don't have to hustle. I need to work hard but remember to slow down and rest in his presence each day. That's how we become filled again. We become full by spending time with God. He gives us what we need.

   So are you more of a hustler or a hard worker? How can you spend time with God each day?

Pop That Bubble

   You know what is a really fun sensory toy and experience? Bubble wrap (not the kind you can't pop). It is something you can push on to pop or just push with enough pressure to make the bubble move back and forth. I'm not just saying that because I work with children. I'm saying it can be a great fidget or sensory experience for everyone. 

   When you think of bubble wrap, you may not think of the sensory experience. Perhaps you think more practically. You think of how bubble wrap is used in packaging things to keep them safe. It's true that keeping things safe is the main function of bubble wrap. But what would happen if we all walked around with bubble wrap on? That's a strange picture, right? But I think some of us already do that.

   I'm not talking literally here, otherwise those people would get strange looks. But figuratively some people have their comfort zone/safety area of bubble wrap on. We crave comfort and ease. We take the path of least resistance and do only what we need to do each day. I'm not saying that's a bad thing to do sometimes; but we are also called to do more. We are called to step up to who God has called us to be. We are called to step out of our comfort zones and help others.

   I mean, look at the people in the Bible. How many of them were called to go outside their comfort zones? I'd say most of them were. And, if they wouldn't have gone outside their comfort zones, they wouldn't have made a difference in the kingdom of God. They may not have even been in the Bible! They for sure would not have grown in God and had an amazing testimony for us to look up to.

   While bubble wrap, I mean comfort zones, is nice and safe we need to heed God's call when it comes. When God tells us to build a boat, even though people think we are crazy, we do it. When God calls us to go to the king to save our people, even though the king could kill us, we do it. When God calls us to lay down our lives for others, whether literally or in service, we do it. We do it because God has a plan for each of our lives. He is a good father who cares for us and loves us. He wants us to grow in him. One major way we do that is by trusting him and stepping out of the bubble wrap when he asks us to.

   So, are you in an area of bubble wrap that God is calling you to step out of? How can you share the good news of the Gospel with others today?

Soul Ties and Trauma

    There's a shirt that our church has sold in the past. The shirt says, "Your trauma is not my drama." When I first began going to that church and saw the shirt I thought, "that's a bit harsh." Perhaps you thought that as well. Then I began getting to know why the shirt says that and it makes complete sense.

   In the past, I've talked about caring and yet not caring about people. While here on earth, we have a mission to share the good news of the gospel and love God and love others. We love others by acting like Christ and helping them. Sometimes, in helping people, we become attached to them. These are called soul ties.

   Soul ties are attachments to the things of this world. These can be people, places, or things. Some soul ties are good. Most of the time, the ties I have to my husband, family, and friends are good. They lift me up, we point one another to Christ, and we love one another. But there are times where these ties are not good. If a family member got hurt by someone or a situation and I begin to let that bleed into my life where it impacts my feelings and my day so much that I'm not reflecting Christ, that's not a good soul tie. 

   This is what I mean by trauma and soul ties being connected. Traumas are events or experiences that paralyze us emotionally and can also affect us physically (ex. PTSD). Most of us have probably experienced trauma at some point in our lives. This trauma can be carried with us for a long time. I've had friends and family who have gone through unthinkable things, most of the time it was not their choice. I've seen both sides where some people let that trauma impact their lives to the point that they are not living anymore or they try to numb themselves in some way. There's also been people who overcome these traumas because they trust in God. 

   Let's say I had a friend who had something traumatic happen. They tell me about it and I begin to see it impact their daily living. This impacts how I feel and I begin to feel the same way they do. This is why the shirt says, "your trauma is not my drama." It doesn't mean we don't care. It just means that we are going to cut that negative soul tie and not let your event, horrible as it may be, impact our own lives. We will love you and pray for you, but we cannot let your situation bleed into our lives and emotions lest we take on that trauma as well. When we pray, we will ask God to help you. We will ask that you give whatever happened to him and trust that he's taken it from you. This will help you out of the trauma hole and cut the soul tie with what happened so you can move on with your life. That's what God wants for us. He wants to take our burdens and for us to trust in him.

   So, do you have any trauma or soul ties that need to be dealt with? How can you give those to God today?