So I apologize in advance to my dear friend if this writing offends you….

If you are old enough to read this – you surely know already that not everyone in your life believes the same way as you do.  Whether about politics, matters of faith, how to raise children, or which flavor of ice cream is best – chances are that at some point you will have a difference in opinion, or belief, with someone that you love.

I have such a difference with one of my dearest friends – not to mention we have lots of longevity in this friendship (I started to say dearest and oldest – but certainly we are both still very young – so saying “oldest” will not do at all!  – lol).  I am a Christian, she an atheist.  Over the years we have learned to have intellectually stimulating conversations about matters of faith with out offending one another or degrading one another’s beliefs (at least I think we don’t).  Something that I think most people can not accomplish.

Maybe we only achieve this because we know and love each other.  So I am writing this to all believers today to implore you:  Please – learn to speak with others about your beliefs with out emotion (I do not mean without passion), defensiveness, or insults.  Learn to speak intellectually about what you believe and with love toward non-believers just as Christ loved you.  Learn what questions nonbeliever might have about your faith and be ready to answer them.  Remember & apply 1 Peter 3:15

^…….(B) always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and^(C) respect

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if believers and non-believers could learn how to have a conversation with respect – with out calling names?  That is where the title of this post comes from.  I recently read a comment that implied that belief in God is “truly stupid.”  It went on to suggest that such belief  can be attributed to “lower IQ” ‘s.  Of course it pushed my buttons! (Funny thing – Later on <after I wrote this post>  I found out that the writer was indeed a believer who as being sarcastic – sarcasm does not always translate in writing!).

Focus for one moment on one of the most simplistic arguments for, or against, God:  Creation.

The Atheist view…..The scientific argument embraced by most atheist is that everything came into being through a Big Bang.  Explained by one scientist like this:  Science explains the big bang was not from nothing but from a singularity that was all the matter and energy in the universe compressed into a single point that then expanded rapidly.
The Believer view….God Created Everything.  And, if there was a Big Bang – He created that too!  If there was compressed matter that exploded into a rapidly expanding universe – Yeap, you guessed it – He created the matter and the energy that caused it to expand!

It does seem rather simple doesn’t it….But let me ask you this…Look around the place where you are sitting now…In your room, at the office, or maybe at a coffee shop that has free wireless (not naming any names…teehee):  What do you see that magically came into being?  Your computer?  Nope someone made that.  The chair your sitting on?  The meal that your eating, or the coffee your sipping?

Now what about the coffee bean, or the chicken that is on your grill?  What about the tree that is outside your window?  The earth that the tree grows out of?

You see, we can agree that a chair did not come from “nowhere.”  It is the natural (or I might say, super-natural) creation that stirs the argument.    A chair had to be conceptualized.  Someone had to think, “Wow, wouldn’t it be great to not bend all the way down to the earth to rest our bottoms on it for a ‘seat’.”  Then someone had to take that concept and create a design that would support our weight, gather materials, and then construct the final product.

A chair is a relatively simple creation.  The universe is a highly complex one.  You see, it takes much more faith for me to believe that – our planet and its detailed working, the wonders of the human body, the massive operations that keep the universe in balance – that it all that just came into being on its own – than to believe in a divine Creator!  Is it “truly stupid”  or a well thought out and examined belief?  Is my IQ lower because I choose to believe? Is an atheist’s higher because you choose not to?  You see, an atheist can NOT say they do not believe – belief that there is NO GOD – is still a belief.

I could write many more thoughts on this topic, but I think I have gone on enough.  And, anyway, there are so many finer resources you could read -  So many other great minds who have studied both sides of the argument, I hope you will check them out.  If you are a believer, study them so that you may be ready as I Peter suggests.  If you are not, study them so that you can decide for yourself after being informed on both sides of the argument.

But ask yourself this first…I am I open to receiving whatever I learn?  An atheist was once asked, “If I could prove to you today the existence of God, would you accept Him?”  The response he gave was, “NO.”

If you want to research Christian Beliefs on an intellectual level here are some great sources.  Many HIGH IQ’s (lol) here….

Ravi Zacharias = www.rzim.org

Josh McDowell = www.josh.org

Lee Strobel = http://www.leestrobel.com

Mary Jo Sharp   = http://confidentchristianity.blogspot.com

Acts & Facts (Institute for Creation Research) = http://www.icr.org/aaf/

You see, I was feeling stuck – trapped in a situation that seemed to be going nowhere fast – or terribly slow depending on how you look at it.  I had done everything I was supposed to do, said everything I was supposed to say.  I was “keeping my chin up.”  I was confessing with my mouth that I knew it was “in God’s hands.”  I was submitting to the authority in the situation and doing everything they asked me to do – even if I didn’t agree with it.  But (in my eyes), God was not moving.

So after days of holding them in, I just cried my desperate tears.  I prayed (really loudly – kind of shouting actually) to The Lord all the doubts and fears that were inside of me.  I am not sure how long I sat there in the floor crying and praying…but even when I got up and did some of the things I HAD to do – I did them (still) through prayerful, heart-aching tears.

I started off by telling you that I was writing a confession.  So here goes the most truthful part:  I still don’t have the answer to this burden.  God still has not moved to change this area of my life.  I don’t know when, or if, He will.  I am still working on trusting Him in this area (I know it seems funny to say to God- I trust you for eternity, or to watch over my kids, or for my finances – but not some other area, but I guess we all have our hang-ups).

So, today I am committing this verse to memory…I hope it helps you in some way too

Proverbs 29:25 – “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”

It was time for the Passover.  King Hezekiah  had just reopened the Temple.  But, the people were not prepared – they had not been purified – to partake of the Passover.  The king knew the importance of the celebration.  King Hezekiah did what was right, not what was proper.  After praying for God’s blessing, the unclean people were allowed to share in the Passover meal.  The king, and The Lord, were more interested in the heart of the people, than the legalism of The Law.  (2 Chronicles 30)

It was the Sabbath.  Jesus was in the synagogue.  But, one of the men among the crowd had a deformity.  Challenging His critics – Jesus did what was RIGHT, not what was proper.   Jesus healed the man’s deformity.  He WORKED on the Sabbath.  King Jesus- The Lord, was more interested in healing the hearts of the people, than the legalism of His critics. (Mark 3)

During this Passion Week, as we consider ALL Jesus has done for us, I wonder if we are more worried about being proper that being RIGHT.  Certainly it was not PROPER for The King of kings and Lord of lords to be spat upon, beaten, ridiculed, and hung upon a cross.  But, because He did that – all who call upon the name of Jesus can be RIGHT before GOD.  Thank you Jesus!

I have not posted in awhile as we have had a lot going on in our family and in the life of our ministry.  My husband has accepted a Pastorate in Arizona, near Phoenix.  He will begin ministering there April 17th.  Sadly, that will separate our family for the time it takes for our home in Texas to sell.  When that occurs, the girls and I will be able to join him there.  I always say to myself, that you can endure ANYTHING if you know it is only for a set amount of time.  I know in my spirit that God will work it all out, but it is really hard to accept the reality of that separation.

We know that God’s will shall be done, and in His time, but pray with us for that the opposition will have no liberty here – that  Satan will be bound.  Already we are seeing the opposition in that just last night we had a conflict arise with our realtor ( whome we have built a very good friendship with our realtor, but we still have to keep business – business).  We really had to pray about how to deal with it so that we did not compromise our testimony by saying the wrong thing in frustration.

Anyway – Thank you for your prayers in this area – now let me share a Word with you… Today’s post comes from a ministry plan I am working on to minister to wo

men when we arrive at our new home church.  If you have ever been involved in ministering to ladies, you know it can be such a blessing – and a challenge at the same time (imagine that – we women a challenge!).   As I am working out the purpose and plan God has for this ministry I was led to write out this study.  I hope you enjoy it…

…we are to be ordinary women allowing God to use us in extraordinary ways…

Have you ever felt dry?…I mean really dry?

One thing I have learned already from my new friends in Arizona  is, ‘on a hot day, always remember to carry your water bottle!’  Just a few hours without the refreshment of liquid can parch your palette.  Should we go even a day without water in the desert, we start to dehydrate.  We could see our skin start to dry and crack, our eyes may cease to make tears, we could feel sick, grow weak, or become confused!

Are our physical symptoms any different than those we experience when we grow spiritually dry?  When we walk in the desert, away from God, soon, we start to crack.  Our spirit ceases to make tender tears and instead grows bitter and hard.  Rather than a physical illness or weakness,  our spiritual, and emotional, health begins to suffer.  Surely, we become confused and without direction.  When we are physically dry nothing refreshes like a cool drink of water.  When we are spiritually dry, God will always provide refreshment – if we seek it.

The Sweetwater message is two-fold: We are to constantly be refreshed in The Lord and also allow God to use us as a refreshment to others!  This message comes to us from Exodus 15:22-26.

Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.

There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.

The longer we wander in the desert – away from God – the more likely we are to find bitterness and grumbling.  But when we surrender and cry out to The Lord, He can take an ordinary thing (like the limb of a tree – like you and me) and turn our bitterness into something sweet and refreshing for our benefit, and for the benefit of those around us (like finding a pool of water in the desert).

But there is more…God gave us guidelines to live by.  If we follow His lead, seek what is right, and keep his commands He will Heal us!

Ladies, let us be like this limb God used.  Let us be an ordinary thing that He can use to make refreshing Sweetwater!

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

I am a planner – that always worked very well for me when I was employed  in the event management field.  I mean think about it: Artists are planning a world tour, so they have to know what city they are going to be in months, and even years, in advance.  When I worked at the convention center in New Orleans, we were reserving space as far as 15 years in advance for various conventions & events.  Now don’t get me wrong…I do not plan most things in my life that way, but the sooner I can know something is going to happen, the happier I am!

With that being said – have you ever noticed how being a planner doesn’t work so well in the spiritual realm?  Whether you are in ministry by vocation, a Sunday School teacher, a Christian example in your work place, or a grocery store evangelist….you just can’t pre-plan those divine appointments that God has reserved for you!

I find myself a little like Jude, when he writes verse three:  He has planned, and really wants to do, one thing – but the Holy Spirit said, ‘nope….write this instead.’  In the verse, what he is saying is, “When I set out to write you – I thought it would be a letter where I could encourage and exhort you in our mutual faith, salvation in Christ Jesus.  But instead, I have to write to you about defending (fighting for, contending for) your (our) faith!

If you read the rest of Jude, you will learn that there was good reason to be on the defensive.  There were grumblers, malcontents, and false teachers creeping into the church.  That is an important lesson- but for another day.  I am going to stop with the text above and focus on what it has to teach us.

What I learn from this scripture is to be open to how God wants to use you, even if it is not what you had planned, wanted to do, or felt excited about.  When we remain open to The Spirit, we may find it necessary to change our planned course of action so that God can use us in a special way.

When Jude did this, he was used to instruct a group of believer on how to deal with serious issues that were arising in their church.  When we remain open, we too could teach another believer an important lesson, change an eternity by sharing The Message of Hope, or just change someone’s day for the better.

Lord, help me be open to what You have planned for me to say, do, and even write today!  In the name of Jesus I pray this – Amen!

We’ve all had those moments – where we missed seeing what was really happening – and all because we were distracted by the fake.  Now maybe you’re not a sports fan (my sport is football if you didn’t catch that), but you get the analogy.  Whether in sports, or real life, we’ve all turned our attention to the fake at one time or another.

Well, I have seen too much of the fake lately!  My friends, I must remind you, Satan is at work.  He is making every attempt to turn your attention from The Lord and toward the things of this world.  I call your attention to 1 Peter 5:8 : Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Let’s study that out a little before we apply it to our lives.  You are to be alert and watchful.  Why?  Because Satan is at work in this world – he (and those who serve him) stalk this world looking to create chaos.  Whether he is discouraging those who serve The Lord, breaking up a marriage, or stirring up gossip, he is ever ready to distract us from that which is truly deserving of our attention – The Lord.

This week alone, I witnessed many of the enemy’s attempts to distract from the work of The Lord’s ministry.  One pastor stepped down because of moral failure.  One ministry is breaking fellowship with another over administrative differences.  One (formerly) Godly marriage, is headed for divorce.  One ministry is in disharmony over matters of personal preference rather than working together to contend for the faith.  A traveling ministry was deterred when their bus caught on fire, and another friend incurred a serious, life threatening, injury when he fell from the top of his ministry bus.  Please intercede in prayer for these ministries by doing so you can keep your eyes off the fake and on the ball.

Do not let any hindrances distract from The Lord.  Remember when Paul and Silas were in prison? (see Acts 16)   They were placed in prison because they were spreading The Gospel.  And what did they do there?  Where they self pitying?  Did they hold a grudge?  Where they taking it out on each other? (I can see it now:  Silas saying, “Paul, I told you we should have left that girl alone.  She belonged to that demon and now look where it has gotten us!”)  No.  The prayed and sang praise to The Lord!  They worshiped!

The efforts of the enemy are never seen, and felt, more that when The Lord Himself is preparing to do a great work!  So how can we make ready for the great work and resist the roaring lion?  Well, the verse says – be sober and be vigilant.  When you feel discord arise in a ministry, be sober and recognize it is not of God.  When you hear of a ministry taken off course by an accident or injury, cover them in vigilant prayer.  When you’re not happy in your marriage, contend for reconciliation.  Strive faithfully for unity with those Christian around you – you are  in the battle for The Kingdom together – they are not your adversary.  Your true adversary would like nothing more than to have you at war with your brethren.   Most importantly, like Paul and Silas, your prayers and songs to The Lord are the surest way to defeat the enemy.

Lord, make us aware of Satan’s attempts to distract us.  Give him no power.  Give us strength to contend for You.  Help us to be sober and vigilant for Your glory alone.

I Thess 5:12 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.

I love this new commercial, “Have you been a procrasti-Santa?”  It made me laugh, because it is so true, I had just never given it a name!

We all know the gift giving season  is coming (is here now!), and we still put off doing our gift shopping as long as possible.  Even if you have all your shopping planned and completed early, there are always those last minute things that come up – stocking stuffers, a gift for the person you didn’t plan to exchange gifts with but they just insist on “dropping yours by”, the key ingredient to your favorite dish that you somehow managed to forget while in the grocery store.   Yes, even if we weren’t a procrasti-Santa, we can easily get caught up in the bustle of the season and forget the true reason for the season – Jesus.

But I wonder, if we know our gift giving season is coming, why do we put it off?  Even if we didn’t put it off, why are we so clumsy in our planning that we  forget that one special gift?  Christmas morning is coming – whether we are ready or not and our loved ones will be waiting with great expectation.  There is another, even more important, day that is coming as well…

As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, I wonder if we think of the day that He is returning for us?  Have we procrastinated in our evangelism of the lost world?  Do we put off offering someone the gift of eternal life?  Whether we are prepared or not, that day is also coming.  What greater gift can you offer this Christmas that the gift of a heavenly eternal home?

This Christmas, I hope you’ll remember to tell everyone around you about the love of the baby in the manger…How He was born to die for our transgressions….Tell them how they can receive His great gift.  This Christmas, Don’t be a procrasti-Santa – be sure you give the gift of Jesus to everyone!

Scanning in the pictures of my kids when they were first born was especially emotional.  It surprises me every time I look at those photos how fresh the memories are.  It seems only a short time ago that I was praying over my first born in the NICU and wondering when/if we would actually be able to take her home.  Only yesterday, she was five and I was explaining to her how gently to hold her newborn sister for the first time.  I remember loving them before they were even born, and rocking them to sleep, and wanting just everything for them.  Even as I think on it now, I still feel that way.  Even as they grow older, those feelings of  protectiveness remain.  Even as they become independent, you know they still rely on you – needing your love and support.

It seems timely that as I am enjoying such fond memories of my babies, we are in the midst of celebrating the season of another.  Some 2000+ years ago another first time mother was experiencing these same feelings as her child arrived.  Though she was aware of His special nature, she knew He would need her love and support.  Though He was destined to be her King, she wondered how best to protect Him, and raise Him, and how to be a  mother to Him.

I wonder what I would have thought in her same situation.  Upon learning of the plans God had for her, Mary revealed her true character when she sang out to The Lord in Luke 1: 46-55.  I pray that, no matter what plans He has for me, I can be as gracious and accepting.

“ My soul magnifies the Lord,

⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

⁴⁸ For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
⁴⁹ For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
⁵⁰ And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
⁵² He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
⁵⁵ As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

Our modern day ideas say, “No.”  Especially in today’s American culture, our ‘freedom’ is one of our highest priorities.  It starts young too!  Even my 6 year old regularly reminds me that she is old enough, or big enough, or smart enough to make her own decisions or do it her own way.  She is attempting to excercise her freedom.  As adults, we often feel captured by our bosses, our financial situation, or even an unhappy relationship.  Since our instinct is to be free from whatever is causing us discomfort, we immediately resist our captor.  We quit our job, or our marriage.  We ignore our bills, or plan a way to retaliate against our oppressor.  But is that what God wants from us?  Is that His idea of freedom?

Painfully (because I have been in situations I have wanted to resist too), I must say, “I think God wants something different from us.”  Think of how peacefully our Savior Jesus Christ submitted to His condemnation.  Consider how Paul and Silas offered prayers and hymns as they were imprisoned.  Not only that, but when they were freed by an act of God, they remained at peace for the good of their captor rather than escaping.

In the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah, the prophet of God is constantly reminding God’s children to go peacefully into captivity.  The first part of Jeremiah 34 reads:

Thus says the LORD:^(D) Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. ^3(E) You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon.’ ⁴Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah!^(F) Thus says the LORD concerning you: ‘You shall not die by the sword. ⁵You shall die in peace.^(G) And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall^(H) burn spices for you^(I) and lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!”‘ For I have spoken the word, declares the LORD.

Now, there are very different reasons for the captivity in these 3 examples.  Jesus knew He was bound for captivity and knew the neccessity of His obediance to the situation.  Paul & Silas were in jail because their oppressors wanted to silence the preaching of Jesus.  Judah entered into captivity as a result of their own disobediance to God, yet He promised to use it for their long term good.  I wonder if any of these situations apply when we find ourselves ‘captured’?

Sometimes we know why we are captured, we know we have to see the situation through to the end, and we know it will be unpleasant.  But, like Jesus, we know it is for a greater cause.    Other times, (like Paul and Silas) road blocks are placed in our path by those who wish to silence The Word we would offer in the world.  Still other times our captivity is a direct result of our prior disobedinace to God, just as in the case of Judah.

Whatever your situation, I pray you find peace in your captivity.  I know it is difficult to do.  I also find myself a ‘captive’ more than I care to admit.  But I wonder, if (like Judah) we go peacefully into captivity, and try to discover what it is that God wants to teach us, if we would live long, die at peace, and be honored and lamented?

Yesterday was a little different from our normal Monday though.  Usually, I am standing by with a list of chores and serving as task master to all.  Yesterday, I had a terrible headache.  So after  picked up the girls from school I retired to my bedroom, giving them the list of tasks:  homework, clean rooms, unload the dishwasher, put away the clean laundry that was piled up, etc.  Soon both girls came tiptoeing to my  bedside to report that they had completed the list and wanted to head next door to play with their friends.  I gave my OK and walked them next door with instructions to be home in and hour.

Knowing dinner would be expected soon, I pulled myself together in spite of a throbbing head and put a quick dinner in the oven.  While it was baking I decided to check the work that was done in my “absence.”  The dished had been unloaded, and on the surface rooms looked clean and the laundry pile was gone.  But then – I opened the dresser drawer.  Yes, I know it is hard to believe that  my dear, sweet children had just shoved everything in the dresser drawer – but it’s true.  I pulled out crumpled dresses that should have been neatly hung.  Stuffed animals, Barbie dolls, and throw blankets were all crammed together in the dresser along with the clothes that actually belonged there.  You see, my kids thought I wasn’t watching what they were doing.  They believe I had left them to their own devices.  And I guess – for an hour or so – I did.

But, our God is not like that.  He never “checks out” on us.  Unlike moms and dads who need a nap, or get sick, or simply want a break – Our God is always present.  Here, we are reminded of that:

Jeremiah 23: ²³ “ Am I a God near at hand,” says the LORD, “ And not a God afar off? ²⁴ Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the LORD;

In the preceding passages (well the entire book of Jeremiah really) we learn how the people of God had fallen away from Him.  They were worship other gods and not keeping His commands.  Sadly, they were like children “acting out” when they thought their parents weren’t watching.  But they (and we) are reminded through the prophet Jeremiah that we can not hide anything from God – not in secret places, not in the recesses of our hearts.  God sees all.

While I guess that could seem intimidating to some (especially if you are trying to hide something away), to me, it is comforting.  Our God is near – He is never far away from us.  He knows all my secrets – some are just between Him and me.  I hope I have more good ones than bad!