"And WE know...."

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Rom. 8:28 (NIV)

This is a verse I memorized in Missionettes as a young girl, and I’ve heard it quoted to other people when trouble seemed to be invading their lives. Sometimes it is said almost as a platitude, and when that happens, the hope and comfort of the verse is lost.

This week a dear friend of mine sent me an S.O.S email. Her ministry life had just imploded. She had just found out that people within her church had been meeting secretly about her and her husband, and were spreading lies about her family to whomever would listen. They made slanderous comments about her character, her motives, her intentions at the church, and demanded her immediate removal. “Will you pray with me?” she asked.

The similarities in our situations were too obvious to miss, and not taken as God’s gentle nudging. She could have written to dozens of other women, but she wrote to me. And I’ve known all along that if I chose to handle my situation the way the Bible says to, that God would somehow use me to help others. I just didn’t think it would be so soon.

God has been showing me that one of the greatest tools of the enemy against us is isolation. I too am often embarrassed to tell people how deep my pit has become. I think I should be able to draw more readily upon the scripture I have read and taught to others. But sometimes I am simply too exhausted.

I was reading Rom. 8:28 again, when a simple pronoun jumped out at me. "For WE know..." Paul doesn't say that he knows, but we know. Sometimes my problems seem so overwhelming that I can’t see out from under it by myself. But then God sends others to walk with me, beside me, and remind me of the power God has given me; not a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:8). I am convinced that the enemy is trying to assault us like never before because he knows his time is short, and he is intimidated by what could happen if we were totally united by the love of God.

I did pray for my friend, and I don’t plan on stopping. I also encouraged and cheered her on by telling her the things I needed to hear myself not so long ago. Gal. 6:2 tells us to carry each other’s burdens, and when we do, we fulfill the law of Christ. But maybe more importantly, it gives glory to God because it proves that He has taken our ashes, and given us beauty in it’s place. And His beauty is to be shared.

In pursuit of zoe,

Free

“Indeed, it’s because God loves us, He sometimes says no.” Lysa TerKeurst

That was the sum of a recent blog by Lysa. Ouch. That one hurts.

Often I am unwilling to see God’s answer no to my desires as being loving on His part. Often I am unable to move beyond my own human reasoning to see a bigger, more holy picture. Often I just plain don’t want to.

As a mom, sometimes I say no to a request because I know my girls aren’t ready or mature enough to participate. Sometimes I say no because I understand that the activity or the others participating aren’t what is best for them. Why then do I question God’s judgment when He does the same with me?

It’s been about ten weeks since my husband and I were asked to resign as leaders from our ministry. Thankfully, there wasn't a moral or ethical failure; just a difference in ministry views and passions. But for the first time in nine years, I wasn't a leader of a Bible study, part of a speaking team, or training leaders for various ministries. I felt lost and abandoned by God.

Yesterday while getting ready for church, I heard the song,"I Am Free" by Jared Anderson. For the first time I realized that I have been whining and wallowing in self-pity instead of seeing this as being freed from the confines that my previous ministry had placed on me. Now, perhaps for the first time in my adult life, I can be exactly who God called and designed me to be--nothing more, nothing less.

Now I have the time to work on my personal character, to study and learn from great leaders God has placed in my path, and relearn the value of humility. And I am learning the value of the discipline of rest. (More on that this week…)

So as painful as this "no" has been, I am thanking Him for it. And I have been asking Him to make sure my character is ready and fully baked for the next step and season of ministry. Because this is just the beginning.

What ‘no’ have you thanked God for lately? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

In pursuit of zoe,

Little Interruptions Turned Into Big Blessings

I try to walk through my neighborhood every week night with my oldest daughter. It’s a way to get fresh air and exercise, but also a way to steal a few moments with my precious girl before she decides she is embarrassed to be with me in public. Well, last night my sweet husband was working feverishly on a project, and I knew that if I left the two younger girls there, they would pester him for attention, so all four of us went walking.

Just in case you are beginning to picture some sweet family scene, allow me to dispel the myth. Walking with all of them is a little like trying to dog walk with a Great Dane, a Lab and a Chichuchua. Everyone wants to walk next to me, and no one wants to walk behind anyone else. So the first half of the walk was consumed with trying to teach them to walk two-by-two and not step on each other. Sigh.

Carly and I normally follow a certain path when we walk, mainly so I don’t have to think about it constantly, and I can I use the time to coax conversation from her. But last night we had used so much of our time learning how to safely walk on the sidewalk, that I decided to cut things short and turn left onto the street that runs along the side of my house. Thankfully, by this time we had found our groove, and were laughing and chatting, waving to our neighbors.

As we neared our block, I noticed one of our neighbors sitting outside at her wrought-iron bistro table, and I waved. But instead of waving back, she spoke to me. But she spoke so softly, that I couldn’t hear her. So I motioned to the girls, and we walked up her driveway. As I neared her, I could see that she was quite distressed. She struggled to stand with the aid of her walker, and said, “I’m locked out.” She went on to say that the hidden key was missing, and the door closed behind her, and she didn’t have a phone. I offered her my cell phone, and she asked me to dial several numbers, to no avail. With each failed attempt to reach someone, she became more and more anxious. It was beginning to get dark, and she had no idea when her granddaughter would be home, and she couldn’t remember anyone else’s phone number. I turned to my girls and told them to walk home, and tell their daddy that I was going to stay with the neighbor until her family returned.

Under much protest, she finally agreed to allow me to sit with her. Over the next hour, she told me about meeting her husband as a Red Cross volunteer during WWII, about moving back to Florida with him, building the house she still lives in, about raising a family. She talked about losing her son this year, and the pain of burying a child, no matter how old. She also told me the history of my own house, and she complimented me on our color choices and the landscaping. As it continued to get dark around us, she asked what my husband and I did for a living. So I told her about the last nine years at the church, about the marketing work we are doing now, and about waiting for God to open another door. She listened intently, nodding as I spoke. She commented on the people she knew who had attended the church over the years, and then changed the subject.

Her family came home shortly after that, upset that she had bothered me, and that we had been sitting outside. As I stood to shake her hand, she said, “My name is Triscka. Now we are truly neighbors. Come back and visit with me again.” After promising I would, I walked home in the dark.

As I read the Gospels, I am again and again struck by the interruptions into Jesus’ schedule. Each healing seemed to occur as an interruption as Jesus was on His way somewhere else, to do something else. As we have been at home more recently, I have asked God to show me the everyday interruptions that are really divine encounters, that in my busyness, I would normally walk right by. The person in the grocery store, the man on the side of the road, the elderly neighbor locked out of her house.

It’s funny; I was telling God over the weekend that I feel like I have no one to minister to, that I have seemingly lost my identity as a leader. Then I met Triscka. Such a simple thing, really. Sit with her until her family returns. Ask her about her story. Let her talk. I didn’t give her the steps to salvation according to the “Roman Road”; I just tried to show her that I cared. And maybe plant a seed to someday share how much the God of the universe cares about her.

All last evening, I felt so close to God. I felt His Presence everywhere, in everything I read, everything I watched. He seemed to just be hovering around me, wrapping His arms around me. And I wonder as I write this, is this where I display my passion for the Savior, in the little interruptions that I’m willing allow Him to use?

Triscka thanked me repeatedly, but I truly am the one who was blessed by our “chance” meeting. So, friends, who has God placed in your overloaded schedule today? Who might He be asking you to reflect His love and mercy to? “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:15-16)

Let me know how your opportunities pan out today……

In pursuit of zoe,

Lysa TerKeurst: Accountability...helpful or detrimental?

Dear SheTribe,

This post is actually from Lysa TerKeurst's blog, and I thought it deserved to be reprinted here. I'd love to here your comments or thoughts.

Accountability…helpful or detrimental?

In the middle of a radio interview about “Made to Crave” recently, the show’s host opened the phone lines for questions. Much to my surprise the first caller was a man. He was using the message of Made to Crave to overcome his struggles with a pornography addiction. He confessed that for years he’d tried to win this battle using an accountability partner.

It sounds good to have a friend who will hold you accountable.

And it can be crucial.

But, it can be detrimental as well.

Whether accountability is positive or negative depends on where the conversations are focused. What we focus on will become bigger and more magnified.

The radio caller confessed when meeting with his accountability partner, he’d make note of all the inappropriate sites his accountability partner confessed during their time together… and made a point to visit there later. Instead of helping his addiction, this accountability relationship was actually fueling his failure.

It wasn’t until they changed their focus from porn to Truth that positive progress started to be made. When he focused on the porn, his thoughts became more and more conformed to his pattern of sin. When he focused on Truth, he became more and more transformed into a pure man of God.

Wow, did this make complete sense to me. My physical struggle is not the same as this man. But, my physical struggle with food can be just as luring and consuming. What might happen if instead of focusing on the scale, the food, and the hardship of sacrifice we turned our dialog to this:

1. Our goal is letting the peace of God rule in us. Are you at peace?

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you,” Isaiah 26:3

2. Our desire is to honor God with our bodies. How did you honor God this week?

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies,” 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20.

3. Our perspective is to fill our soul with an abundance of truth instead of our stomach with an abundance of food. What truths were you filled with this week?
“…and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” John 8:32.

Of course part of accountability is to ask the tough questions about the physical struggles.

But we shouldn’t make this our focus.

If we want to grow closer to God, we have to distance ourselves from the distractions holding us back. And part of the distancing process is focusing and magnifying God more and more…especially in our times of accountability.


Friends,
Do you participate in an accountability relationship. If not, why? Do you believe that God wants us to be involved in accountability, and if so, why do so many Christians ignore this?

In pursuit of zoe,

"Perfect"

After a blood test revealed that I am pre-diabetic, I have been on a weight loss journey for the last two years. It is a matter of trying to be healthy, of trying to find a balance in my post-40 body. It hasn’t been the easiest or most enjoyable time of my life, but I have been successful at losing the unwanted pounds, and I am finally in much better shape.

This week while at the doctor, the nurse took my blood pressure and weight, and then used a machine to check my BMI. Suddenly she jumped up, clapped her hands and exclaimed, “Oh, Judi, you’re perfect! Just perfect!” I was so shocked by her statement that I didn’t even respond at first. I have never heard myself been described as perfect, and had no idea what she was even talking about.

The nurse was referring to my BMI and weight, which for the first time in my adult life, was within the correct parameters; therefore I was deemed as perfect. But oddly enough, I didn’t feel perfect, I didn’t think I looked perfect, and I felt uncomfortable even being called “perfect”.

See, although this present weight loss challenge has only been going on for two years, the quest for beauty has been going on all of my life. It has always been this elusive, somehow unattainable goal. No diet made me feel beautiful; there was always something missing. And I could never explain why.

Earlier this year, while reading the Psalms, I came across a verse that stopped me in my tracks. Ps. 45:11, “The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.” (NIV) Many other translations capitalize the word “King”, referring to God. So the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of the entire universe, is charmed and fascinated by me! He knows the color of my eyes and my hair, He has counted each freckle and birthmark, and He declares me to be beautiful.

The second part of that verse reads that I am to honor Him because He is my Lord. How do I honor God in my pursuit of beauty? First, I recognize that God created me to look just as I am, no matter where I am in my health journey. He thinks I’m beautiful, and it offends Him when I constantly complain or abase what He has created. If He thinks I’m charming and fascinating, can I at least agree that what He has created is worth not criticizing?

Father, thank you for calling me Your masterpiece and letting me know that my life has purpose and meaning. God help me to begin to see myself through Your eyes, eyes of love and grace. Help me to not pursue what the world views as beauty, but what You call beautiful. Thank you for loving me just as I am. Amen.

In pursuit of zoe,

Lent 2011: The Discipleship Challenge

Dear Jesus Girls,

Lent officially began yesterday, and I would like to challenge you to rethink (or consider for the first time) how to make lasting changes in your walk with Christ. I can't think of a better way to pursue zoe over the next six weeks than to follow the Discipleship Challenge suggestions. Will you join me on a quest to know God more intimately this Lent season?

The Discipleship Challenge
Would you like to become closer to God? Would you like to better understand your purpose in life and how you can make a difference? Would you like your faith to grow and become a bigger part of your life? If so, the 40 days of Lent this year are for you!

Growing up the first thing I learned about Lent was it was time when you had to give something. Whether it was chocolate, pop, TV, or something else, the emphasis was always on taking something away. When such sacrifices are done with the right spirit it can be liberating and edifying, but more often than not these Lenten sacrifices ring hallow, and not just because we aren’t very successful at keeping them. I would like to suggest that this year be a year where we focus intentionally on growing in our faith. This year I hope you will join in 40 Days of Discipleship.

Over the 40 days of Lent, I ask you to prayerfully consider taking time to grow your relationship with Christ and take the Discipleship Challenge. I believe that we can grow in our relationship to God by pursuing a path of discipleship; when we work at our faith and our spiritual life we will become closer to Jesus and be blessed. To be a disciple means to be a follower of Jesus, it means connecting to God in serious, disciplined, and intentional ways. When we make the time for God in our life and work at our spiritual lives, God will work and transform us in amazing ways.

Here is how the Discipleship Challenge will work. During the 6 weeks of Lent, intentional time will be given to each Mark of Discipleship. The Marks of Discipleship are areas of our spiritual lives that if we work on will help us grow closer to God. The Marks of Discipleship are: prayer, Bible study, service, generous financial giving, spiritual friendships, and worship. Each week you will focus on a different mark and take time for God in that area.

Week 1 (March 9-March 15) Prayer: Take time each day, at the same time, for at least 10-20 minutes of personal prayer time. Multiple times a day is preferred.

Week 2 (March 16-March 22) Bible Study: Take time each day for 30-45 minutes of focused time for devotional bible study. You can read any scriptures you wish. The goal of devotional reading is not acquiring knowledge but growing in God’s Word.

Week 3 (March 23-March 29) Service: Take time and energy do something each day to serve the needs of someone else. Be creative and try to serve someone else you normally would not connect with.

Week 4 (March 30-April 5) Generous Financial Giving: Each day find some way to give money to someone in need. Whether this giving is to an individual or through an organization doesn’t matter. Give generously and give until you feel it. Consider giving away whatever money you might normally spend on entertainment, dining out, shopping, or any other extraneous spending. (I know this one is tough—the marks of discipleship are supposed to be!)

Week 5 (April 6-April 12) Spiritual Friendships: Take time each day to check in spiritually with a friend. This is not a conversation about how busy you are. This is a conversation about your prayer life, what God is up to, or scripture. Your spiritual friend can be a spouse, small group member, or friend. If you currently do not have someone in your life who is a spiritual friend, consider asking someone.

Week 6 (April 13-April 19) Worship: Take time each day to worship the Lord. This can include but is not limited to organized worship services. You can worship on your own or with family or friends at your home. Read scripture, pray, listen or play inspiring music and you have worship!

If you want to see intensified results, add fasting and prayer three times a week too. (If you need clarification on fasting, please contact me.)

After 40 days of intentional work on your faith, I guarantee you will grow closer to the Lord. I pray you will take the Discipleship Challenge and see how God will work in your life!

This is not my own study outline, it was written by one of our brothers, and sent to me by my friend Pat. Please do something special this year to show God how much you trust Him.

Nothing to buy, no questions to answer, simple but powerful.

I am so excited and just can't wait to see what God is going to do. Let me know what God does in your life over the next six weeks.

In pursuit of zoe,

"This is the way; walk in it."

For the past eight years, my husband and I have co-pastored a church. During this time, my greatest joy has been to lead my two ladies’ Bible studies, and preach each Sunday evening. I have also been writing a blog/newsletter for the ladies in my church, to encourage and challenge my Jesus girls to read God’s Word for themselves—to be” self-feeders.” Through the blog, we continued conversations begun during our weekly Bible study, and I was able to go into more depth than often our time each week allowed.

During the first week of February, God allowed this door of ministry to close. Overnight I went from speaking and leading two groups per week, to being a girl with no one to minister to. I felt I had lost my voice, my purpose.

One day my husband asked why I didn’t start my blog again, but to not limit it to the girls within our area. In other words, relaunch it as a regular blog, and post the link on my Facebook page. What a fantastic idea!

Since then, God has been stirring my heart and allowing me to dream again. But this time my dreams go beyond my town, my county, my area.

Then I received Lysa’s email about the She Speaks Conference, and thought that this could be God’s reply to my questions about my future ministry. On that same day, one of my devotional readings was based on Jeremiah 29:11, and another on Isaiah 30:21. I could hardly contain my excitement! This could be God’s answer! I had to find out more information.

The She Speaks Conference is for any speaker, writer, blogger, Women’s Ministries leader, or any Jesus girl who is dreaming of becoming one of those. The conference promises to supply you with the necessary tools to learn to speak to large audiences, give your messages mass appeal, and make them memorable.

For the writers who are bursting with messages from God to share, the conference will show you how to get started, how to find your unique, God-given voice, and how to impact your audience. And isn’t that what we all want?

For Women’s Ministry leaders, there is a special track just for you, with the opportunity of a Pre-conference Intensive. The conference will give you the tools to cast God’s vision for your ministry, and build a team that will help you to bring that vision to life.

For me, what a blessing to go to a conference, and learn how to effectively speak to large groups, learn how to give my blog a larger mass audience, and perhaps even get confirmation of what God has in store for my future.

I believe that God’s greatest desire is to take my ashes and turn them into beauty, to give me the oil of joy in place of mourning, and a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. The hard part is that I must let go of my ashes, my mourning, and my heaviness, and allow Him to give me what I can never find on my own. I believe that God wants to use the experiences of my life to not only minister to the ladies I see every day, but even to ladies around the world.

I have spoken 2-3 times per week for the last five years, but I normally speak to groups of 100 or less. However, I have already been asked to come and speak at two conferences during the summer, and I need help!

Because my husband and I are now unemployed, winning this scholarship would be a true God-sent gift. And I’m praying for God to open a door for me to get to this conference! I know that I need help to polish my skills, and I’m willing to put in the hard work to do it!

Is that the cry of your heart too? Then join us at the She Speaks Conference. Look for me—I’ll be the one who is grinning from ear-to-ear!

If you would like to find out more about the She Speaks Contest follow the link below.

http://lysaterkeurst.com/2011/03/she-speaks-scholarship-contest-2011

She Speaks Conference link.

http://www.shespeaksconference.com/

In pursuit of zoe,