But I Work with Them!

I looked around the room tonight and I realized I was having church with my co-workers  Everyone in the room was someone I work with, or the spouse or teenage child of someone with whom I work.

Besides someone whose career is in ministry, who else only goes to church with people they work with?

HOW  WEIRD  IS  THAT?

The sermon from 12 Stone Church was spot on.  A sermon and a topic I have heard many times before but shared tonight in a practical, experiential way vice just the boring story of the Tabernacle (Exodus 25-40).  

But deep down,  I couldn't get the thought out of my head that these were people I WORK WITH, I shouldn't be doing church with them.   Since when does work and religion mix?  I mean, I'm all about living out my faith and encouraging my co-workers who share with me that they too are Christians, but CHURCH TOGETHER.   That's just another story.   Now, I have gone to churches with thousands of people and if a colleague or two go to the same church, no big deal.   Even if I'm standing up helping to usher people into the throne room  of God through worship...not gonna sweat it but when they are the only other people in the room and their sitting right next to me, or across from me - hmmmmm!

They see me in my element.   They see the real me - flaws and all.  On good days and bad days.  With great customers and with difficult ones.   When I'm tired and worn out and when I've just returned from a three week vacation ready to tackle whatever comes my way.   They've seen me frazzled, dazed, frustrated and irritated.   They seen me at my best and at my worst.   And NOW - they see me at church.

I won't kid you - many memories played in my head with just about every one one of them.   Do I really live out my faith without walking around with a sticker on my forehead that says, Hi, my name is Michelle and I am a Christian.   Is my work life an example of my Christian life?  Are they two in one or am I two different people - the one people see at work and one that people see at church.

As the sermon concluded and the Pastor turned the service over to the "campus pastors" (our "campus" just happens to be thousands of miles away from Atlanta) we eventually went into a time of prayer.  As we shared around the room our prayer requests, my heart suddenly no longer cared who these people were to me other than the fact they were fellow believers with real hurts, real struggles and real pain. I knew about some of them because of the nature of my job, but some...some were personal, raw and vulnerable requests.  I realized no one else in the room appeared self-conscience about the fact we were colleagues, instead they shared as though we were brothers and sisters in Christ, because that's what we are.

As I was leaving, one of the ladies was sharing how she had driven 1.5 hours (probably getting a ticket) to make it to "church" tonight.   It was the first time her and her husband were joining us.  She had asked me several weeks ago if I was still attending a local church and I told her that Friday mornings (the start of our weekend over here) was a little too early to be up and at church 45 minutes away so I had started attending a home bible study.   It's been on my heart ever since to invite her but I was nervous she might say no.  Unbeknownst to me, she reached out to the organizer and asked sheepishly if her and her husband could attend.  At the end of the evening, she said it was because of me her and her husband were there.  Had I never mentioned it, she would have struggled the same as me and just not attended anywhere.

FRIENDS - listen to me....INVITE YOUR COLLEAGUES TO CHURCH!  Don't be shy.  Don't wonder if they will reject your invite.  If the Holy Spirit prompts you to invite someone to church...run, don't walk to invite them.  We live in a lost and hurting world.  People are searching, people are crying out for help, but sometimes they aren't sure what that help looks like.   You may be the only Jesus that some will ever meet.  And once you've prayed together.  Once you've bore one another's burdens, you've fulfilled the law of Christ.   Nothing will bind two hearts like praying together.  

Step out in faith.   Trust the Holy Spirit in your life.   You know what His still small voice sounds like.  You feel His gentle nudging in your heart.   Who cares that you work with them...Be Jesus!

Don't Think...Just Do It!

A colleague stopped me in the hallway and invited me over for supper.
She said, "we'll have some supper and then we'll have some church"

Living overseas for much of the last 16 years
I've learned to have church wherever it presents itself
many times its been in someone's home
or on a military base
or in a 20 ft container
or on a mountaintop
or in a vehicle
or in a spectacular cathedral

It's ironic, when I think specifically about this week

On Tuesday, I was seated in a stadium with 40,000 people
listening to the Pope give a homily
tonight, I was seated in a home with 7 other people
watching 12 Stone church out of Atlanta on my host's X-box

Can I tell you something friends?
God speaks anywhere and everywhere
To hearts that are receptive to hearing His voice

I could have made a dozen or so excuses
not to accept my colleagues invitation
but I knew I needed to be around like-minded folks
who love Jesus

I met a young man tonight, ready to graduate from high school
that was talking to me about how excited he is
to share his faith, defend his faith, and bring others
to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ

who wanted to know my experiences
working with high school students
who had a passion to share their faith
with people who don't share their same faith

we had some supper
never going to skip a home-cooked meal
and the pastor started his series
Grown Up Faith

* Mind Blown *

It's only week one of a six week series
but I'll tell you the biggest take-away from week one

God doesn't do anything by accident

He didn't impress upon my colleague to invite me to her house
on accident
I didn't decide to accept my colleagues invitation
by accident
I didn't meet my colleague's son who's on fire for Jesus
on accident
12 Stone pastor didn't preach that sermon
by coincidence

God had a purpose

He had a purpose when He created you
You were not an accident

When I heard that tonight
It FINALLY dawned on me

My Identity
my reason for existence
is because God created Me

I was not an accident
I was made for a purpose
I was made for such a time as now
I was made to love and be loved by the Creator himself
I created for something much bigger than myself

repeat that last paragraph to yourself
and speak it out loud

maybe you need to say it again
and perhaps again
until you believe it, or hear it, like I heard it tonight

Do you question your purpose in this life?
Do you wonder if you are only on this earth by accident?
Do you even question if you were created by mistake?

Let tell you what I think -
Not a chance!
Now let me tell you what the Bible says:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (Jer 1:5)

Next time someone invites you to
a home group
a bible study
a stadium of 40,000
or a church of 8

Don't even think about it - Just Do It!

It could be the Holy Spirit gearing up to do something insane in your life
Just like He's doing in mine

WORTH FIGHTING FOR

Have you wondered why you weren't worth fighting for?

Have you ever been talking to a friend who asked you why they weren't worth fighting for?

Wondered if you had just said one more thing, did one more thing than someone would have fought harder, or longer for you?  

Have you sat with a best friend, or a child, a sister or a brother, a niece or a nephew who asked you what they could have done different so their spouse would have fought harder, longer, stronger, more fiercely for their love?

I have.

I've been in just about every one of those scenarios.

I struggled for many years of wondering why I wasn't worth fight through heaven and hell for.    Why  he gave up so easily.  

Maybe he didn't.

Maybe I didn't see the weeks, months, maybe even years when he was fighting for me and I didn't even realize it

Or maybe he did give up without a fight.

I've heard of two miraculous stories that God is still writing, where through fervent prayer and persistence, and never giving up, God is in the process of restoring marriages.

But what about the countless marriages that were prayed over and one of the spouses was persistent as all get-up to save the marriage, and it still ended in divorce.  

Did God ignore the prayers of His saints?  

Is prayer not enough?  Doesn't God give us the desires of our heart?  At least if our desires are pure and righteous?

I don't know all the answers, I wish I did.  But I know this, I AM WORTH FIGHTING FOR.

God sent His only Son to this earth to fight for us.   For you and for me.  

He didn't give up when sin entered the world and we were separated from Him for eternity because of that sin.   Instead, He sent his sinless and pure Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth as an atonement for our sins.  He FOUGHT for US!

I don't know the demons someone else is facing.  I don't know why there are some who didn't take their vows seriously when they said until death do them part, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad times, for richer or for poorer.  I don't know why.

But I've finally accepted, without a shadow of a doubt, that I am totally and completely worth fighting for.  

What lies are swirling around in your head that are convincing you that you aren't worth fighting for?  Maybe it's a parent that abandoned you at a young age.  Maybe it's a broken marriage, a strained sibling relationship.  Perhaps it's a best friend that betrayed you.  

Whatever it is, whomever it is, I want you to go to a mirror and look at the reflection you see and say to yourself "I'm worth fighting for."   Then tomorrow, I want you to get up and look in the mirror and tell yourself  "I'm worth fighting for."  Each morning I want you to repeat that until you no longer have to convince yourself but you know it in your spirit.  

It may take you 2 days, it may take 2 months.  It may feel stupid or cheesy.  You may feel like it's the stupidest thing you have ever done, but trust me, one day you're going to look back on those mirror "talks" and remember the day that you didn't have to convince yourself anymore, you knew it deep down in your gut.  

I feel like every once in a while I have a relapse.  I hear of someone that never gave up, never quit, never stopped fighting and God honored that dedication and committment and I wonder why not me.

But you know what, the moment those words leave my lips or enter my mind...I'm reminded of the manger and the cross and that I am worth fighting for.

If you're struggling with not feeling worthy enough to fight for, know I'm praying for you.  I may not know your name or your particular situation, but I'm praying for you nonetheless.  If you want someone to pray for you specifically, for your specific need, feel free to shoot me a PM or a text.  

I know God can restore and renew.   But he can also make new!  Your story isn't over.   A chapter may be over.   The first book in a series may be complete but God's not finished writing your story.   He's got so much more for you so don't live in the pages of a chapter already been published.   Begin on the journey of your next volume and trust God with blissful anticipation for what He has in store for the next adventure.   

Above all, when you don't know how you're going to get through, remember...God's Got This!

Breaks My Heart

What breaks your heart?

I’ve thought about this question a lot throughout my life, starting about the age of 12.  I knew there was a stirring in my soul but I didn’t quite understand it.  Why was I drawn to serving others? Was it just part of my stubborn personality or my independent spirit? My deep need to not let someone else take care of me because there were so many people truly in need all around me? After all, I was born able-bodied with all my limbs, my five senses, the crazy ability to run a 10k with no training, and the gift to make homemade Mac n Cheese better than my momma.

I remember when my cousin met Mother Theresa - I was beyond jealous.    There wasn't even a word for how desperately I had wished it was me who had met her.   We were not raised Catholic and I had never stepped foot in a Catholic church that I could remember.  So why was I so drawn to this older lady that wore a covering over her head and lived in another country?    Was it part of God’s stirring?

I don't know the exact age that I first heard about children being sold, sometimes by their own parents, into a life of slavery.  Slavery comes in many forms and sometimes the first time someone is sold into slavery is immediately after they are born.  They truly know no other life than that where they are a slave to someone you and I would think were our mother and/or father.   I wept at this news.   I knew I needed to do something about it.   I knew God was calling me to something greater than myself, something greater than anything I could comprehend. But I had no idea what that meant.

What breaks my heart?   There are over 14 million slaves in the world TODAY!    Not 1,000 years ago, not 100 years ago...TODAY!   FOURTEEN MILLION.   That's more people than the entire population of the country in which I am currently living.   Think about that for a second 

As life is passing me by much quicker than I was prepared for...I'm really praying about how I can make a difference in this world.   How I can leave my mark, far after I am gone.   Not a big mark, actually....more a dent.   And God keeps calling me back to that story of slavery I heard one Sunday night, listening to a missionary in church.

What breaks your heart?   What keeps coming to the forefront of your thoughts when you realize there is an aching in your heart that you can't quite figure out?  What makes you weep when you hear stories? 

This Christmas, during the hustle and bustle, consider for a moment what is stirring in your spirit.   It's not the amount of ham or turkey you ate during Christmas dinner.  It's not the mulled wine or the gingerbread cookies or the fruitcake Aunt Beatrice brought over. 

That stirring in your heart is calling you to ACTION.   Right now that may just be praying for your next move, your next step.    Or it may be something more drastic.   Whatever it is...don't ignore it.  

Maybe what breaks your heart is the homeless guy on the street corner as you get on the freeway every morning.  Maybe it's the single mom you see faithfully every Sunday, bringing her little ones to children's church in hand-me-down clothes.
Maybe it's the wayword dogs in your neighborhood that need a good home.
Maybe it's that family down the street, whose car breaks down with 5 kids in the back seat.
Or maybe it's the sweet face of a little boy playing in the dirt with cars made out of rocks because he has no toy trucks.

Whatever it is, whatever breaks your heart - I want you to ask yourself this question - SO WHAT? 

What does that mean to you? 

I don't know about you but I have been blessed beyond measure.  Completely undeserved and unmerited but I am blessed.   I may not have a lot of money but I'm blessed in so many other ways.  God has blessed each and everyone of us in one way or another.  Some of us in tangible ways,  others non-tangible ways, but nonetheless we are blessed.    So take that blessing now and bless others.

Friends, we were made for so much more.  God has called us to be His hands and His feet to a world that may only see Jesus through us.   How are you going to show God's love.  Are you going to turn around and walk away because you are scared, or are you going take that small boy playing in the dirt a toy car? Would you consider giving that homeless man a breakfast sandwich?, or buying a car battery for that station wagon on the corner with the 5 kids inside?  Will you be Jesus, today? 

I encourage you to write down or tell someone what breaks your heart.  Then, decide today your SO WHAT and take that first step of faith. 

Let me leave you with the words of Mother Theresa:

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."

"Peace begins with a smile." 

Eulogy - What Will Be Said of You?

Millions of people tuned in to President George H.W. Bush's funeral this past week.   There were some phenomenal eulogies for our 41st president, all of which focused on his love of God, family and country.

Jim Baker, President Bush's Chief of Staff and Secretary of State said, "My friends, we're here today in the house of the Lord to say goodbye to a man of great faith and great integrity."

His son, President George W. Bush said, "Dad was always busy - a man in constant motion - but never too busy to share his love of life with those around him."

"Dad could relate to people from all walks of life. He was an empathetic man. He valued character over pedigree. And he was no cynic. He looked for the good in each person - and usually found it.

Dad taught us that public service is noble and necessary; that one can serve with integrity and hold true to the important values, like faith and family. He strongly believed that it was important to give back to the community and country in which one lived. He recognized that serving others enriched the giver's soul. To us, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light.

In victory, he shared credit. When he lost, he shouldered the blame. He accepted that failure is part of living a full life, but taught us never to be defined by failure. He showed us how setbacks can strengthen."

Presidential historian Jon Meacham said, "His tongue may have run amok at moments, but his heart was steadfast. His life code, as he said, was tell the truth, don't blame people. Be strong, do your best, try hard, forgive, stay the course."

A great woman of the faith passed away in 2015, Elisabeth Elliot.  Steve Saint, whose father was killed alongside Elisabeth Elliott's first husband Jim Elliott in the jungles of South America, eulogized her with these words, ""I'm very sure she would not want to be remembered as a great writer, as a great speaker. She would want to be remembered as a girl, a woman who trusted God to use her and he did, powerfully."

What will people to say during your memorial service?  In the halls of your office?   At your local grocery store?   What will neighbor say?   At the Dr.'s office?

Oddly enough, I've thought about this a lot.   Maybe because I have seen a little more death in my mere 40 years on earth than some.  Maybe because I've sat among complete strangers and talked to them about the life and impact their loved one had one not just me, but an entire nation.   Or maybe it's because I've grieved alongside a traumatized momma as she'd laid her 15 year old only child in the ground and wondered what her purpose was in her short life.

The good news for you - there is still time.  How you treat people, how you convey compassion, or don't. How you love others, or don't.   How you forgive others, or don't.   How you are loyal, honest, trustworthy, kind, or not is what will be remembered long after your gone. 

One thing I heard over and over again from people speaking of our 41st President was that people mattered to him.  All people.  We heard over and over again about times he would ask how someones sick child was doing.  He reached across party lines.  When friends told him they were voting for Reagan instead of him, he didn't turn his back on them, he embraced them.   Sometimes it's as simple as that.


There are two things I want to leave you with today:

CAVU - Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited.   President Bush had this plaque placed on the side of his property in Maine.   I don't know the exact reason he had the plaque resurrected there, but you know what I think of when I hear this?   The sky's not the limit...visibility is unlimited.  Take advantage of unlimited visibility and leave your mark.  When visibility starts to drop, slow down a little but don't give up.  The clearing will come in the morning and it will be prime-time to get back at it.   Nothing is holding you back, except you.  Go for it!  What do you have to lose?

And finally, there was a moving tribute played/sang by Michael W. Smith.  Now, I live overseas and I don't always see social media and hype about things.  Imagine my surprise as I am balling through the most amazing memorial service and I hear the prelude  to a song that sounds familiar and then...MICHAEL W. SMITH's voice singing "Friends".   The very same song I sang as a duet with a dear childhood friend shortly after the death of another very good church friend.   Talk about streams of tears.

President George H.W. Bush was 94 years old when he passed away.  I'm more than half his age, yet that song rang true to him and his circle as much as it rings true to me and my circle.

"Friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the lord of them.
And a friend will not say never, cause the welcome will not end.
Though it's hard to let you go, in the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long, to live as friends."

What will be said of you?

Identity

I have many single friends.  Amazing, successful, caring, trustworthy, honest, loyal and Godly men and women who for one reason or another have either never been married or find themselves single after the death of a loved one or a divorce.  There have been lots of conversations around why it's so hard to find that perfect mate.   I have a lot of thoughts on this topic and perhaps in future blogs I'll share some of them with you as I reread this book which talks about finding your identity in Christ before being complete or whole enough to love and be loved by a human. 

Before you continue reading the rest of this blog, go listen to @laurendaigle song "You Say."

Did you listen to it?
 
Your worth is not found in a human.  I promise you that humans will let you down.  No one is perfect and when you place that burden on another to be perfect, when they fail you - and they will - your world will come crashing down.  You'll feel betrayed, defeated, broken, confused.  You might even be angry and start telling yourself you'll never find someone that will love you the way you need/want to be loved.  I'm sorry to tell you but you never will find a human that will love you that way.   A human was never meant to complete you, to fill that void in your heart.  Would you look deep into your heart today and ask yourself what you long for?  What your heart aches for.  Is it companionship?  Someone to hold you?  Love?  Acceptance?  A place where you feel safe, where you feel like you belong?

Now will you take that same energy and effort that you put into finding or being in a human relationship that you think is going to complete you, and place it into a relationship with the One that will never disappoint you or let you down?  Into a relationship with the One who will fill that emptiness in your heart that you can't seem to fill no matter how hard you try.

I've been single 11 years now and at times it's been a very lonely journey.  I've questioned God, asking Him why He hasn't brought me an amazing Godly partner with whom I can experience this life.   But when I am quiet and still, seeking His will for my life and not my own selfish desires, I hear Him say ,"I am enough."  Friends, HE IS ENOUGH!  Of course I still long for that physical touch, that human closeness, but when that ache begins to well up in my soul I reach for the arms of Jesus that are always open.  It might be through a song or the hug of one of my nieces and nephews. Or it might just be while sitting at my dining room table with a cup of coffee and my Bible that I feel the arms of Jesus holding me, reminding me that He is enough.

Then one day, when we least expect it, God may bring someone into our lives that has found that same completeness and wholeness in Christ.  Someone who doesn't expect you to be perfect  but someone who does expect you to have shortcomings and faults. yet loves you in spite of them.  You get to talking with that person and you realize that whatever comes your way you'll be able to work through it because your identity is not found in that person, rather your identity is in Jesus.  Someone you will be able to weather any storm with because you are secure in knowing that God's the center of that relationship.

But what if that "one day" doesn't come?   Are you prepared for that?   What if God has something greater for your life than a human relationship?  Do you trust God enough to believe that He knows what is best for you?   That He knows the desires of your heart and that His timing is always on time!?  In your quiet time with God today, talk to him and tell Him exactly what you would tell a human being if they were sitting next to you.   Talk to Him like you would your best friend.  Don't hold anything back. He longs for this relationship with you as deeply as you long for a human relationship.   Let Him be enough.  


And when He has  become enough and you have found your identity in Jesus and you believe He has called you to greater things with a human by your side, consider these attributes for your future partner as you pray for them:

A (wo)man who takes time to feed your heart and honor your dreams.   A (wo)man who nurtures your weaknesses and carries your burdens.  A (wo)man who tells you over and over again that you're beautiful.  A (wo)man that sees beyond your flaws and embraces your quirks.  A (wo)man who puts your needs first and theirs second.  A (wo)man who praises your efforts and accepts your failings.  A (wo)man who holds you when you crumble and raises you when you desperately need the lift.  A (wo)man who forgives your mistakes and remembers your gifts.  A (wo)man who listens to your thoughts and cherishes your perspective.  A (wo)man who realizes your potential and admires your purpose.  A (wo)man who trusts you with their vulnerabilities and realizes their insecurities.  A (wo)man of honesty and strength and integrity who can lead your family with faith and perseverance.  A (wo)man of deep abiding passion for all they hold dear.  A (wo)man that never gives up or lets go, because sometimes life gets hard.  A (wo)man who realizes their worth and values yours.  A (wo)man who sacrifices much so that you can have plenty.  A (wo)man who loves you as you are and celebrates as you grow.  A (wo)man who is committed and dedicated to loving you.  A (wo)man who seeks Jesus first in everything, for everything.  (Christine Carter)

40 Year Old Body

I started running late in life...I was probably just over 30 when I started running distances longer than sprints on the basketball court.   When I got started, I loved running, the alone time - just me and my thoughts, the thrill of accomplishment, the way my body felt after completing a looooong run.   I had completed several half marathons on treadmills all over the world but completed my first “official” half marathon in March 2013 in Washington, D.C.

Fast forward 4 1/2 years and I’m officially “over the hill”.   It’s been a good long while since I’ve run any distance let alone a 10k but I decided to sign up for one in Abu Dhabi in mid-November.     The weather should be beautiful but the timing couldn’t be worse. .  Even a 10k requires training, granted not a lot, but if I want to walk normal the next day (which I don't just want to, I NEED to), I need to train.  

So last week I began my training.  3 miles, not too bad, but I got this pain behind my knees.    Can any of my runner friends tell me what pain behind the knees is supposed to mean?  I stretched and stretched some more.  I did a few short runs then decided on an hour run (since honestly, that’s as long as the treadmill will run before I have to restart) so I could test my endurance level.

Once I started I knew I wasn’t going to make an hour.  Read that last sentence again.   What?    I knew before mile 1 I wasn’t going to get much further?   Friends, I have no idea who invaded my body, or more accurately my brain, but it was not someone I recognized.   I am not one to give up on anyone or anything.   I ain’t doing it, yet I could feel myself willing failure.  Read that again- willing failure.   Stop right now and think of something you are willing failure about.    Do you even recognize yourself or these thoughts of insecurity?

Monday morning was a short run, 3 miles and I had to convince myself the whole time, c’mon, you can do anything for 10 mins, or 8 mins, or you can make it to that light.  What happens at 40 that your body now says “ um....I don’t think so”?

I had so many thoughts going through my head during the big run late last week and the shorter run today (note: I don’t run with music, I like to be alone in my thoughts, just me and God).   Well, that’s all good and dandy but lately my thoughts have been everywhere but focused on my training, so it’s been tricky.  

But guess what?   I finished what I set out to do on all my runs, since I started training, I completed my goal, I didn’t give up and I didn’t compromise my integrity.    No one was watching, no one was pacing me, it was just me believing in myself and not accepting “failure”.  I kept repeating that bible verse in Philippians 4 - “I can do all thing through Christ who gives me strength”.

It’s not my strength nor your strength that is required so that you can do all things- it’s the Lord’s! Do you believe that today? Let Him carry the burden. If you try to do it on your own you will surely fail, maybe not right away, but you will.   Trust Him with ALL your heart, not just a little bit.   Lean not on your own understanding because His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not even close to our thoughts.   In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

Promises...such sweet promises!    Lean on these promises today.   He hasn’t failed you and me yet and He is not gonna start today!    He’s going to take the ashes and make something oh so beautiful, something so unrecognizable, the only explanation is going to be God.

I don’t know if my running days are coming to an end or I need to persevere through this season in life - I’ll keep the blog world posted after a few more weeks.  Whatever my lot, it is well...with...my soul.