First, let me begin by saying hello to a dear reader who is really going through a tough time. I am praying for you & asking the Lord how we can help. Please keep calling and thank you for trusting me within your need. You are a precious sister and a great Mom!
What is going on? I have a dear friend in Florida who is in a heartbreaking situation and has almost no one to help her. What has happened to the church & family that reaches out to help the hurting in a way that is inconvenient for itself? Was is convenient for Moses when God choose him? I think not. He was a stranger to his own people, respected by few & out of town with a new life. How about Samuel? His mother pleaded with God for him, then took him to be raised by Eli, convenient for Eli - hardly! Finally, the many Jesus heard literally crying out to him as he was on his way somewhere else... like me. My point is that helping others is not about what is convenient or easily done by us. It is about going out of your way, beyond your comfort zone & stepping into someone else's junk for their benefit, not ours.
Often I hear that people have looked for help & either gone a way that was not intended to be a strong support for real hurts & needs or they have been pushed away by those in the church who are just unwilling to go there. So, if you don't know anyone in need its probably because they don't think you are going to come through anyhow. Ouch! They are out there, looking for help. But the messages they are getting is that they are just too much, have too many needs and would just inconvenience your little routine & drain your vacation budget. Either way it will not stand in the judgement when we are asked why we did not help the person who was in our reach & in need.
If we are to shine our light in the darkness, then that carries with it the implication that we are to go into the darkness.
My challenge to you is to take a good look around. Maybe you are already helping - great! Don't stop because you feel like you've done your part! Maybe you already know someone who needs a bit of help, maybe you know quite a few and are unsure where to start or who to help. Well, what do you have to give? Are you a good listener? Call them up and just listen for a while, then commit to pray for them and call back to check-up. Do you enjoy children? Offer to have the kids over for a few hours a week. Do you like to cook? Drop a meal by one evening or two a month. Are your finances abounding? Pick up a grocery store gift card or call the local electric company & pay part of their bill.
Ladies, we are amazing! We each have so much to give! We are kind & loving & funny. Give your friendship and help to someone who cannot give, or pay, it back and you will be surprised at how much you really do receive from them!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Love
I am always amazed at the depth of the LORD's love for us & for others...
There is always an opportunity to love someone more. Daily I am reminded of how far I am from being a loving person and how caught up I can be in making a poor judgement instead. Rather than focusing on peoples hang-ups, I should be looking into how I can love them more in their imperfections. After all, God loves me wholly every day & I am far from having arrived. Its so easy to contemplate someone else's stuff while putting my own on the shelf as I seek to be loved. Each of us have our areas of struggle where we duke it out with the flesh, this is one of mine.
So, where do I go? How do I overcome? I go to the LORD, on my knees and HE overcomes the sin in me! I cannot fight or love on my own strength. This isn't some event, its a lasting battle and I need the LORD's endurance, power, strength and love to see victory in my own life. I encourage you to go to him. Even if you have nothing to say, he is OK with your silence! The bible says he rather likes our silence in his presence, imagine that. LOL. I know he will meet you at your needs or knees. He already knows your junk, so go and hear what he has to say about how precious you are to him and be amazed as he kindly leads you to repentance and his favor.
Be blessed with His presence,
April
There is always an opportunity to love someone more. Daily I am reminded of how far I am from being a loving person and how caught up I can be in making a poor judgement instead. Rather than focusing on peoples hang-ups, I should be looking into how I can love them more in their imperfections. After all, God loves me wholly every day & I am far from having arrived. Its so easy to contemplate someone else's stuff while putting my own on the shelf as I seek to be loved. Each of us have our areas of struggle where we duke it out with the flesh, this is one of mine.
So, where do I go? How do I overcome? I go to the LORD, on my knees and HE overcomes the sin in me! I cannot fight or love on my own strength. This isn't some event, its a lasting battle and I need the LORD's endurance, power, strength and love to see victory in my own life. I encourage you to go to him. Even if you have nothing to say, he is OK with your silence! The bible says he rather likes our silence in his presence, imagine that. LOL. I know he will meet you at your needs or knees. He already knows your junk, so go and hear what he has to say about how precious you are to him and be amazed as he kindly leads you to repentance and his favor.
Be blessed with His presence,
April
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
What I need from You
This is a great country! We have the freedom to study the Bible without fear. I am so very grateful for all the churches and ministries that are working hard to make studies available to us all through the many avenues of their pursuing.
Currently I have found myself needing more though. I need more than an in-depth study of the temple, more that a weekly discussion of a book I have just read and more than a coffee and chat about your kids. What I need is you to pray over me to listen to me to share life with me on a deeper level. I need to trust you with my pain and fears. I need to know that you are being real and remaining faithful to follow the Lord. I need to be able to call you when I am in the middle of it all and know you are going to stop and pray for me then and there. I need to know that if the Lord gives me counsel for you that you aren't going to brush it off, but trust it is given with consideration of you and in obedience to the Lord. I need the opportunity to be available to you for prayer when you are in the middle of it. And, yes, I do want to have coffee with you and hear about your kids.
So what do you need from those women in your life who flit by on Sunday or Wednesday church gatherings? How are you going to go about meeting those needs? And when are you going to do it?
April
Currently I have found myself needing more though. I need more than an in-depth study of the temple, more that a weekly discussion of a book I have just read and more than a coffee and chat about your kids. What I need is you to pray over me to listen to me to share life with me on a deeper level. I need to trust you with my pain and fears. I need to know that you are being real and remaining faithful to follow the Lord. I need to be able to call you when I am in the middle of it all and know you are going to stop and pray for me then and there. I need to know that if the Lord gives me counsel for you that you aren't going to brush it off, but trust it is given with consideration of you and in obedience to the Lord. I need the opportunity to be available to you for prayer when you are in the middle of it. And, yes, I do want to have coffee with you and hear about your kids.
So what do you need from those women in your life who flit by on Sunday or Wednesday church gatherings? How are you going to go about meeting those needs? And when are you going to do it?
April
Updates
Sorry for the long break in writing! I have had so amny changes in the last few months that the time to write never seemed right. My Mother is now living with us and that is goig well. She is a joy to have in the house and a great help! My hubby graduated and is now working at the job we moved for. His first day of orientation only lasted 2 hours as the hopspital was 3 CRNAs short and he had to work all day, instead of get a tour and find the bathrooms! Yeikes! We also have a young Mom living with us. She has a month old baby girl and has been here just over a week. In all the changes and preparations for those changes we were on the hunt for a church to attend. So far we have come up short. Lots of great congregations in our area, but not the one we see the Lord leading us to commit to.
Whew! I have learned alot in these past months and I am still learning thingsd daily. I need the Lord so much more than I could ever imagine! He is a delight to me and I pray you also know the joy of being in His hands!
April
Whew! I have learned alot in these past months and I am still learning thingsd daily. I need the Lord so much more than I could ever imagine! He is a delight to me and I pray you also know the joy of being in His hands!
April
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