Working for You?

How are you doing with the things that aren't working out?

Greatest Joy

When I awoke that Sunday morning, I had no idea what gracious gift God was going to give me that day. How at the end of the day I would crawl into bed with a joy in my heart beyond all I could imagine. And it started just like any other Sunday.

I am blessed to have attended a church for over 25 years with just a few breaks in between. But even in those breaks rarely 90 days passed before I was worshipping with this faith family again. With that much history, going to church for me, is like a family reunion. Lots of “good mornings?”… “how ya doings?” … and with my nephews playing on the undefeated local high school football team a lot of “how ‘bout those Falcons?” (Side note: my church is not just in the same district as the high school but the church’s name is in the school’s address and for many years I taught Sunday school in that high school while my church was building out a new worship center.) I am in 100% agreement with David from Psalm 122 when he said, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’”

As I settled into my seat, I looked around and there were my football playing nephews just in front of me. What in the world? They do not attend this local church. “Hey, Aunt Beck! We came to see one of our fellow football players get baptized.” And they had brought another player with them. My heart swelled just a bit. Then, walking down the aisle were my niece and her three brothers. They also attend another church but wanted to come to this church today. And they settled in not too far from me. My heart grew a bit more.

Church started and the worship music began and I looked down and across from me and there were six precious souls that call me Aunt Beck and whom I have prayed for them for years…many since before conception. There they were singing praises to the most high God, opening their Bibles, taking notes, participating in prayer. They were engaged. My heart blew up!

Immediately the verse that came to mind was 3 John 4: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. It was truly a wonderful gift, from a great God who cares for His children, to not just hear but to see them walking in the truth. I know that these kids are not perfect and one may have nodded off a bit during the sermon but they are mine and I love them so. I am eternally grateful to be able to be a part of their lives and hopefully influence them in just a small way.

What is your greatest joy? What gracious gift has God given to you?

Invest in R&D

Failure is just R&D if you don't quit.

What are You Reading? And How are You Reading?

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes and has been all of my life. One of my best memories from growing up is actually getting a library card. My escape as a kid was to leave my house and cross the street to a vacant lot with a book under my arm. I would scale a tree (it felt like I was 100’ in the air but it was probably more like 10’), settle in a branch and read. Life was good!

Once I became a Christ follower, reading the Word was my escape. However, in recent years my overachiever has come out and I am not really savoring the Word but just reading it in a year. I was rushing and not really slowing down to enjoy or even learn more about the God I was reading about.

 So, my 2020 Bible reading plan is not the entire year or even just the New Testament but my plan is to read only the Acts of the Apostles and the epistles. But not just read them but think through them. To help me do that I am using the ESV Scripture Journals that I received as a Christmas gift. As I am reading, I am journaling about what I just read and not after reading a verse or two or even a verse. But, in some cases, one word or one phrase stops me to process, to think, to ask. I really started in December and did the book of James – it took me four weeks spending 10 minutes or so a day at it.

 On January 8th, I started the Acts of the Apostles and I made it through two verses:

Here is what I journaled:

1. The books of the Bible are all related. It is one BIG story and each of the 66 books represents a different facet of God, a different story of His works; one needs to know that Luke wrote this as well as the Gospel of Luke 2. Who is Theophilus? The name means friend of God. No one knows exactly who he was but isn’t that just like our God – the letter went to a specific individual but if you are a “friend of God” this letter applies to you as well 3. Luke’s first book dealt with Jesus – all He did and taught – do I remember enough about what Jesus has done in my life? Can I write a testimony beyond salvation of the great things that God has done? 4. Jesus is seated in glory – the tomb is empty and He has been taken away 5. He has left instructions for His people to accomplish 6. The Holy Spirit is now the ”vehicle” which we will know/see/understand the things of God – He will not contradict the scriptures but will guide us if we want to fulfill them 7. Jesus selected His disciples – even Judas – and by selecting them that means He did not select others.

I might not get through all of the Acts and the epistles by the end of the year (at this rate, I might not even get through Acts) and I am just fine with that. The richness of the Word is like a great steak…savor each morsel and don’t rush onto the dessert.

Do you have a Bible reading plan? If not, here is my favorite one if you are just starting out.

Be Determined

And with God all things are possible!

Set Free

As I was leaving the gym, an old Selah song shuffled through my playlist called I Bless Your Name. This song tells the story from Acts 16 when Paul and Silas were imprisoned because of their faith. Instead of pouting, complaining or even sleeping, at the midnight hour they were praising the Lord.

As the lyrics floated through my car speakers, I, immediately, had a flashback to exactly where I was when I first heard that song. The location was Trinity Christian Center in Lakeland, FL, the singer was the husband of a dear friend and she was on the piano. When Philip sang the 2nd verse, I lost it!

Some midnight hour if you should find

You're in a prison in your mind

Reach out and praise, defy those chains

And they will fall in Jesus' name

Today, I can’t recall what issue took me to that prison in my mind but regardless I was in a prison. It was a daily struggle to get out of bed and face the day. Each morning, I would need to spend hours in the Word and then go on long walks in the Florida heat just to get a word from the Lord to get through the day.

On my walks, I had a playlist that was called Deliverance that was comprised of praise songs and the spoken Word. I Bless Your Name went to the top of that playlist. With the volume maxed out and the earphones in, I would sing with hands raised praising the Lord in straight out defiance of the chains.

The good news…I am no longer in prison. I can’t tell you my release date or when the chains fell off but I have walked through those prison gates. I am set free because of Jesus’ name.

What about you? Are you in a prison in your mind? Do you need to reach out and praise? Do you need to defy those chains?

Leave Nothing on the Table

Is there some places you are not giving it your best? Start doing that today.

Change Your Ending

In the end it will all work out and if it is not worked out then it is not the end.