Is One Small Letter Enough?

By Tawna Wilkinson

The other day as I was reading in Ephesians, the thought struck me that this small letter was the only written information the burgeoning church in Ephesus had. One little scroll of truth was to be passed among the believers directing their journey in their new life with Christ. It wasn’t that I had never been told this, but the “ah-hah” caused me to stop and ponder.

One small letter, containing small prayers, tiny phrases and praises of truth, written by an imprisoned individual, guided by a still small Voice. And with that scant information individuals and families, as well as the church itself, flourished and grew. In fact, one source credits the Ephesians church with playing “a significant role in the spread of early Christianity.”

But to complicate, during that time, the city of Ephesus was one of the largest cities in the world; a huge metropolitan civilization in western Asia Minor teeming with multiple religions, politics and commerce. And to better appreciate the power in all “the small”, Ephesus was also the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the World: the Artemision – the worship temple of the Greek goddess Artemis.

Interesting. One small Holy Spirit inspired scroll, written from a prison cell, sent to a remnant of new believers enveloped in an imposing pagan metropolis. And by allowing a snippet of truth to permeate them, this tiny band of believers greatly assisted in the increase of the gospel Jesus Christ.

I wonder what would happen if a remnant of believers in a not-so-big-mountain-town in southwestern Colorado allowed the same small letter, with the same small prayers, tiny phrases and praises of truth to infiltrate their lives. Would that be enough for the eternal Holy Spirit to affect great change in and through them?

The Administration of Reconciliation

By Tawna Wilkinson

    

The other day, I had a hard and messy conversation with an individual regarding their dissatisfaction with the church, and what they felt was wrong with it. The truth is I was hurt and very frustrated, as this wasn’t the first time I’d been approached with the same thing.

However, after I allowed myself the shabby process of sorting out my raw emotions with God and my husband, the Lord reminded of II Corinthians 5:17-21:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

I realized if things were the way He intended in the beginning, there would be no need for our administrating reconciliation. For when things are reconciled, they are back to the way they were created to be.

When Christ was here He waded through enormous dysfunction with people’s perceptions of what He needed to do to make things right – in the synagogues; with the Pharisees and crowds; with the twelve men He hand-picked to journey with Him; even with his mother and siblings. And though Scripture doesn’t give much detail about His childhood, I can’t help but think there was a lot of muddling He had to endure just being a kid and teenager.

We want things to be neat and tidy; to be okay. And more times than not, I think that means, the way I want them to be. We hate the groaning our spirits, bodies and souls experience when we perceive things are not the way they’re supposed to be. And the last thing we want to do is stick around and engage in the hard work of restoration.

 Several years ago, a wise young man said to me, “Relationships are messy, and no one wants to get involved in them.” He was right. It’s obvious. When things don’t go the way we want, our first reaction is to bail…. don’t stick around and muddle through the mess and confusing in-betweens. It hurts. It’s hard. We have no promise that we’re going to see resolution. And what’s worse, we have no control over the outcome, let alone another’s choice.

I completely understand. I’ve bailed more times than I care to admit. I’ve thrown my hands up in frustration umpteen times, “knowing” for certain things are never going to change. But if that is true, then this passage of Scripture isn’t.

So today, I am actually thankful for the individual approaching me. For although the issue was not resolved, I now see I was presented with another opportunity to use my “ambassador muscles.” God, and this person, trusted me with part of the messy process of bringing a piece of reconciliation to this beautiful, broken and messy world. And I am glad I chose to engage in it.

Are You Invoiced?

By Tawna Wilkinson

Putt-sing around my house a few months ago, I was wrestling with a dogging question: Should I or should I not help an individual with a genuine need, which in this case happens to be close to me? When I heard: “Bear one another’s burdens…” And…“for each one shall bear his own load.” (Galatians 6.2, 5)
 

A familiar frustration rose in my spirit, for in times past I had grappled, without resolution, with these exact phrases and specific words.

“Lord,” I said. “In one breath You command us to bear another’s burden, and in the next You seem to contradict commanding the exact opposite. I don’t know what to do or how to be.”

“I know,” He replied. “Look into it.”

So I dropped what I was involved with, went to my Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, and looked up the words and phrases I felt Him emphasize.

To my chagrin, in both instances, the definition of bear was exactly what I thought: “to remove, lift, endure, sustain, receive, etc.” However, I was surprised to find where its meaning was derived….from the base of the Greek word basis which means “to walk; a pace (‘base’) i.e. (by implication) the foot.”

Immediately a picture came of two people walking side by side, one was carrying a large burden while the other, walking in pace, was helping alleviate some of its weight, but was not taking the burden from them.

Intrigued, I dove into the definition of load, and was even more startled at its meaning: “an invoice (as part of freight) i.e. (fig.) a task or service.”

“Wow, Lord…an invoice?”

“Yes, an invoice. I assign to each an invoice; a task; a service to join with Me. If I have not invoiced you to walk side by side with another, yet you choose to, you are in fact sabotaging their relational footing with Me. And, by carrying all, or some, of another’s burden I did not invoice harms our walk as well. Be watchful, child. Do not disrupt your, or another’s, relationship with Me by carrying what has not been invoiced you.”

Sweet release washed over me shedding light on my present situation, as well as evaporating that unresolved and dogging question. For I had many times, out of guilt, shame, or condemnation, whether self-inflicted or imposed by others, helped carry, or carried all of another’s burden never invoiced me. And the results were damaging to the cadence of each relationship.

So, when another’s need arises, I am now inclined to stop and ask, “Have you invoiced me to come along side, Holy Spirit? Or is this theirs to join with You, alone? 

I Need a Clean Sweep

By Jill Palmer

I was driving past a storage place one time and the sign out front read "Too much stuff? Store it here. First month's rent is free!" 

My first thought was that I would give stuff away before I had to pay someone to store it for me. If you're moving that's different but I personally don't want to own more stuff then I can keep at my own house. Paying someone to store my junk doesn't make sense to me. And I don't know if you've noticed this or not but these storage facilities are going up everywhere! We live in a culture with so much extra. 

We find ourselves with extra things that need storing. We see the sign "first month free" and we find our solution! 

BUT THEN comes the sneaky part. As soon as that first month is over they start charging your credit card to pay rent on the unit. You see the charge on your card and say to yourself "I've got to go through that storage unit and get rid of stuff and not pay any more rent." 

And you do that for months....

As I was musing over that The Lord spoke to me and said that is what we do with our emotional junk. We aren't willing to part with old wounds, aren't willing to forgive, aren't wanting to let things go that we were never meant to carry. And so we store it. And the enemy tempts us and says it's okay...the first month is free! 

And it seems like such a good deal so we do it. "I'm mad at so and so and they don't deserve my kindness." We decide to hold onto something. And at first it's fine. No big deal. It's "free". 

Ya see, each of us has our own storage unit full of past hurts, unforgiveness and wounds. And every once in a while we are reminded that we are "paying" for them. Something happens that reminds us of what's in the "storage unit".  And we promise we'll deal with it soon so we don't have to keep on paying that rent. 

And we do that for months....or years...

See where this is going? This next picture might make you chuckle. 

Jesus wants to come in and help you clean out your storage unit. He wants to go through all that stuff that's been packed in there for years.  Sort through what is to keep and what is to dump. And He sticks with you throughout the whole process! It's like Clean Sweep! Remember that show on TLC several years ago?! 

He says in his word that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  If you are feeling weighed down by the world then maybe it's time to let Jesus into your storage unit and help you clean it out. And stop paying the enemy to store your junk! 

Have you been paying the enemy to store your junk and saying to yourself "I'll get to it later"? How can you begin to take steps towards a "Clean Sweep"?

Struggling For Perspective

By Nancy Turley

“The surrendered accept that pain is always but growing pains. And growth is always a gift—even when trials are the tutor.”   Ann Voskamp’s blog (A Holy Experience)

“What used to be a hindrance now helps you the most.” Eckhart

Outside my “Reading Room” window is a hummingbird feeder which hangs down next to a six foot high bush. I love to watch the hummers feed and rest on the steps of the feeder. That is until a Rufous appears out of its hiding place and chases them off. I see it perched in the branches of the bush or even from higher branches in our spruce tree out front, ready to pounce, selfishly declaring the feeder its own. It definitely does not play well with others. I ponder why God even created the Rufous. It is just a big bully, exercising its power, intimidating others from what is also fairly theirs.

I’ve had Rufouses in my life in the form of humans, even as an adult. But more and more, it feels like the real bully is the enemy who would steal my peace by the thoughts and lies he instills in my mind. At times I do feel like I have gone two steps forward and one back in my struggles to gain victory over this. Lately, the teasing thoughts that again assail me are of fear as I wonder about the future. My body is “talking” to me more ways than one, as is my husband Steve’s. It’s easy to project into the future with fearful outlook.

I’m near the end of the book, Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird. One chapter specifically focused on how to bring our minds to a place of silence instead of allowing the harassing thoughts to take over while praying. The author talked about the struggle to keep focused as we are taunted with the current circumstantial struggles in our lives. Interestingly as I read, my visual focus was drawn to the actual printed words with the root word of “struggle” on just one page. Without reading word by word and counting, I could make out eleven times it was mentioned! (I realized later it was because the two lower case letter “g’s” hung below the line and caused my eyes to be drawn to it as they are more darkened places on the page.)

During this counting process though, I had a mini Aha! moment when I realized I was literally doing the very thing the author was pointing out. I was focusing on the “struggle” and thus only saw the words with struggle on the page. All of the other print and wisdom on that page were diminished.

When we focus on the struggle and not the bigger picture, we narrow our perspective and can’t see what God is doing.

I know that despite our real-life struggles, God can and will use them for good, despite the “Rufous bully” thoughts of the enemy. In fact, I think because of these bully attacks, we can be strengthened in our “inner woman” to combat the new onslaughts. The fear that once overwhelmed me four years ago led me to a place of courage into a “new land” which has given me much joy.  Those hindrances are like the two sided coin that can morph our weakness into strength.

Much of our individual journeys are indeed from growing pains, but that pain is a gift—it can allow us to see from a different perspective, a bigger perspective, that of the One who can see all. 

What hinders your perspective? How have you dealt with "Rufouses" in your life? How can we see our struggles and pain as gifts?

Messy Stalls Equal Life

By Jill Palmer

Just when you think God couldn't speak to you in a more hilarious way ... 

BAM. He speaks through poo. 

Poop, waste, manure. Yep. He spoke a word to me through this very delicate subject.

I was going through another rough day/week/month/experience. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what I was going through when He spoke this but I know it was during a prayer time with the staff of our church and I was asking God about the messes. The messes in my own life, in my family, in my church. Messes in general just seemed to be popping up everywhere and He spoke so clearly to me and gave me hope and peace in the midst.

My conversation with Him went something like this:

God, why are there so many struggles and messes? What are we supposed to do about them? How can we avoid them? It stinks! 

Imagine a farm filled with animals. Do you see the mess?

Ew. Yes. Lots of animals. Lots of mess.

How do you suppose you can avoid the mess?

Well...you can't unless you stop feeding them. If you stop feeding them they'll stop pooping. Then there will be no mess to clean up.

And what happens if you stop feeding the animals?

They die.

Yes. They'll die. Messes are a part of life and messes are an indicator of life. Every living thing that I have created makes a mess. Everything has waste. If you stop feeding yourself, your family or your church, the truth is there will be no more messes but they will also die. To avoid mess means to avoid life and that's not why I have put you here. You can embrace the mess and see it as a sign that someone is being fed and is growing or you can fear it and avoid it. Life is happening and I am excited about that. Your job is help clean up the mess and continue to feed those around you with the Truth I have placed in your heart. 

Not too long after God and I had our little "chat," I was told about a Proverb that talked about this very thing. And not too long after that, I ran across it while I was doing my devotions. God really can speak through anything! And I love that He spoke to me and then confirmed it in His Word. My Spirit soared and laughed as I read these words:

Life in general is messy. Life in a community, a herd, a church - whatever you want to call it - is messy. Mess comes as people grow and learn new ways of relating to others. Mess comes as old wounds get reopened and we respond. Mess comes when we learn to be vulnerable and navigate safe new places and people. Messes just happen.

Poop happens.

And it's okay. As the Proverb says, without oxen the stable is clean, but the ox is needed for a large harvest. The people and the poo/mess they/we bring (mine very much included!) is necessary for life and growth and a large harvest.

I'm choosing to embrace the mess, yes even embrace the poo and the messy stalls. As God has so gently shared with me, it equals life, and life in Christ is what I desire for myself and others.

How do you respond to the mess in your life? Can you see it as a sign of life instead? How has God spoken to you in an unusual way?

Focused Tension

By Jill Palmer

Tension. It’s not a word I love but it’s one I’m learning to appreciate. Tension is necessary in so many aspects of life. If the bungee cord is too tight then there won’t be any give when you jump. If it’s too loose…let’s just say that’s not a good option either. If the rope holding the piano to the back of the truck is too tight, it won’t fit and could damage the piano. If it’s too loose, make sure you’re not the one driving behind that truck on a hill.

Can you see why tension is necessary? Everything in the natural is a representation of something in the supernatural and tension is no different.

The Merriam-Webster definition that best fits is “a balance maintained in an artistic work between opposing forces or elements.”

This is Jesus. He was, and is, the perfect balance in an artistic work between opposing forces or elements. He is grace and truth. Mercy and judgment. The beginning and the end. The law and forgiveness. The Sacrifice and the One Who requires it. It really boggles the mind how much tension Christ endured when He walked this earth. And yet it was necessary and it was beautiful.

My life, I have found, is very much filled with this sort of tension. However, I’ve always viewed it as conflict that needs to be resolved rather than a tension that needs to be maintained between opposing forces.

The balance between who I think I should be and who I really am, for example. Truly it can’t be either/or. It has to be both. Unfortunately I’ve been warring with this conflict for so long it’s a struggle to see how it could possibly be both.

Who I think I should be, really who God created me to be in the beginning, is unattainable in this world. If I were to live in this unreachable place I would constantly feel defeated, less than, hopeless and frustrated. Having all patience and kindness and grace in all circumstances is never going to happen. I have limitations as a fallen human in this world. It is not possible to be perfect and to handle every situation as Christ did. It’s just not.

Conversely, it isn’t possible for me to live a healthy, abundant life if I stay living who I really am at this moment. I need to accept who I am but I can’t stay there if I want to enjoy all the promises of God. Who I am right now isn’t who I’m meant to be forever. It’s a stop along the journey. It’s the result of experiences and challenges and the knowledge I’ve gained over my 39 years. It’s part of the process, it isn’t the finished result. Living in this place alone can also leave me feeling defeated, less than and hopeless because I will constantly find myself unable to receive all that God has for me. Intimate relationships, deep and constant joy, freedom and healing are all gifts God has promised to me. In this lifetime I’m always journeying to who I was made to be and if I decide to just stop at the nearest bus stop and give up the journey I’ll never arrive will I?

The beautiful, uncomfortable, healthy tension is lived out everyday in every circumstance. Going back and forth between the wife I want to be and the the wife I actually am right now. The kind of mom I think I should be and the mom I really am at this moment. The follower of Jesus that I strive to be and the disciple that I really am. This difficult reality. This artistic work between opposing forces.

I love the language of that. It describes something that is not simple, not complicated but artful (done with or showing artistic skill). Beautiful, uncomfortable and necessary in order to experience real relationship and real growth.

So instead of running from the tension or trying to resolve it, I’m choosing to embrace it, go with it and live in it because I want to see the fullness of God in my life. I’m forever thankful to Jesus Christ for being my model and my coach in this tension-filled journey.

What kind of tension do you experience? Do you see it as conflict or can you recognize the tension?

Accept the Crooked

By Esther Belin

Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked?  

Eccles. 7:13 (NLT)

For a long time I was troubled by this verse.  In my brain, crooked means imperfection. I had a hard time believing that God would make crooked things since the word perfect is regularly used to describe Him. Why would God make something crooked intentionally? My inner dialogue says: The painting hangs crooked. The hem is crooked. The underlining of my favorite verse in my bible is crooked. I have seen many a student tear out or cross out their writing because it is crooked.

As Christ followers, to seek perfection like Christ is a logical desire – that is easy to accept because walking it out can mean living out God’s purpose for our lives – and I want God’s perfect and chosen destiny for my life (Jer. 1:5-8). That destiny is harder to accept when part of God’s purpose is a crooked path.

I know that God’s ways are not our ways – and I know that God is sovereign over all. And I love that as I grapple with this verse, God’s sovereignty is being revealed to me and I feel silly because it suddenly becomes so obvious that harboring knowledge is not the same as applying knowledge.  Harboring knowledge has been a hindrance for me. While seeking knowledge is generally a good aspiration, I actually built a high place out of my knowledge. I turned something good into something hindering, sinful.

In my preoccupation of straightening, I was not accepting the crooked. I tried to straighten the crooked by applying my knowledge without seeking God’s instruction. I was in constant road construction!

Taking unnecessary detours, creating detours – basically pulling a Jonah (Jonah 1:1-3).

The anxiety of continual highway traffic created fuel for resistance of God’s crookedness. I became overly alert, controlling and sensitive because I was desperately searching for an exit or a smoother road or another driver. Accepting the way God does things means letting Him drive!

Jonah’s prayer was also very helpful to me: “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs” (Jonah 2:7-8 NIV). I was missing God’s grace by not accepting the way He does things.

I do love how God’s word is filled with many crooked paths that have been used for His glory. I am applying those tales of Jonah, Moses, Joseph, Ruth, Esther (and many more) to redirect my rebellious inner dialogue that still tries to bump God from the driver’s seat.

My prayer for you dear readers is that you would not wait until your life is ebbing away to call upon our Lord and Savior – He is waiting for you to remember Him – He is waiting to hear from you.

Writing Songs, Taking Selah

By Esther Belin

I have been reading through the Psalms the last few days, paying special attention to chapters I normally gloss over – like Psalm 3. This psalm is labeled as “A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.”  (For more about that conflict see 2 Samuel, chapters 15-18.) This notation sets a virulent tone – one of sorrow, tragedy, and confusion. David, the one known as a man after God’s own heart, fully exercises all his emotions in song!

I love how God uses songs as a way to dialogue with Him. Knowing that these psalms incorporate Hebrew poetry and structure makes me so curious to study them in Hebrew – especially because I am appreciative of writing as an art. But I am more appreciative of David as a servant of the Most High God. I wonder at the dialogue between him and God. When God asked David to write about this painful and lonely time, what was David’s reaction? Did he agree readily? Or did an emotional tornado wrench at his body and soul at the thought of reliving that time? 

I appreciate that David not only obeyed God, but that his retelling of this painful time does so in music and poem. Beauty from ashes. When I am in the middle of a painful situation – and I don’t even want to pray (or know what to pray), I can always trust that reading through the psalms gives me hope. I thank our loving Father God that He wants us to be emotionally healthy – God expects us to feel and He also wants us to write our own song of beauty from ashes.  He wants us to be consumed by Him – to refine, to reposition, to rejoice! Crazy hard, but doable (Romans 12:12 ESV).  

Additionally, three instances of Selah are included in this short psalm. Selah generally infers a pause – a rest to take in God’s presence, a meditation.

I love this intentional call for a pause. In this particular psalm, I imagine the Selah as a time to fully cry unto God or fully praise God – either way, a true pouring out of self. I can totally visualize David doing both.   

The verse that comforts me the most is verse 5:

“I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” When we “cry aloud” to God, He answers us “from his holy hill” that we may “lie down and sleep.” 

God wants to give us rest! He knows the pressures we are under. He not only knows, He sees and hears. Such love. 

The second half compounds on God’s love: He sustains us. Because of all the emotional weight David was bearing I believe the only reason David was able to awaken again is because he poured himself out to God the day before – in tears and in praises.

This is such a good practice. I easily get filled with the weighty yucky stuff of this world – and I am regularly finding out how easy it can be to let God carry my burdens by crying out and by praising Him. The more I take time to Selah and understand God’s love for me, the more obediently I pour out myself to Him. I want to be sustained. I want restful sleep.

At times, I also want revenge for my pain. Verses 6,7 truly speak to that emotion. David embraces God’s command to not fear. Great assurance. I do love the zeal of verse 7. David cheers God on to arise, deliver him, strike his enemies in the jaw, and break their teeth! Great deliverance. David is a wonderful representation of how to lament, express, and seek God. This short psalm literally packs a punch – and I always feel good after reading it. Great relief. 

We are God’s children and He will defend. We are God’s creation and He will strengthen our skills to sing a new song (Ps. 33:3 NKJV). 

Dear Readers, my challenge to you is to write out your song. Song of Lament. Song of Praise. Song of Deliverance. Seek inspiration from David and strength from our Sovereign God. Allow our Almighty, Compassionate Lord and Savior to awaken your heart strings. And please share it – so we can rejoice or weep along with you (Romans 12:15).  

3 Reasons to Keep the Sabbath

By Jill Palmer

For some reason the modern Christian culture is a wee bit terrified of the word Sabbath. Or maybe we aren't terrified of it, maybe we just don't understand it. Either way we don't see the practice of a Biblical sabbath as a necessary part of our Christian walk. I want to challenge that way of thinking.

The word "rest" is a word the Holy Spirit has been echoing in my head over and over for several years now. My physical body, my soul and my spirit have been crying out for rest but my mind just couldn't figure out what that looked like much less how to do it. Like a funnel that starts out wide, so was this idea of rest. And as a funnel narrows, so did this idea, narrowing into the practice of sabbath.

Like many of us, I thought I was already sabbathing. I spend several hours at church on Sundays, not just because I'm the pastor's wife but because I truly enjoy worshiping with my church family. Isn't that what sabbath is? What I discovered through study was far different than my understanding! God wasn't saying to pause and go to church. He said to stop and delight in me. This is a holy day - a day set apart. A day that looks different than every other day of your week.

For me this meant no work (no returning emails or non-emergency communication), no household chores (bills, dishes, laundry etc..), no media (TV, computer, iPads and cell phones). Add in family activities, not to be busy but to be together (includes, but isn't limited to, hiking, biking, playing games, painting etc...), reading time (Bible and other books I want to catch up on), napping (love this one!), slowing down everything! It's a delight to discover what I love to do and what my family loves to do!

And the benefits?! Oh my goodness! God totally knew what He was doing when He included the sabbath in the 10 Commandments.

1) It's about our identity. The Israelites had been slaves for 400 years! Since the time of Joseph they had lived and worked in Egypt. Working for Pharaoh 24/7. Hard, hard labor! Exhausted they cried out to God for a deliverer. God heard their cries and raised up for them a leader - Moses. Moses led his people out of Egypt and miraculously across dry land through the Red Sea. Once there, God gave His people the commandments and established a new nation. Part of their teaching was "self-care" and identity.

This one commandment - the 4th commandment - immediately elevated the Israelites. No longer were they slaves having to work tirelessly every single day. God said to rest. Take one full day off a week. Trust in Him for provision. They are far more valuable than the work they do. They have value and worth because of Who He is. We have value and worth because of Who He is. We are loved, not because of what we do but because of who we are.

No longer are we slaves to this world (money, work, sports etc...). We have love, value and worth because of our Creator. Stopping for a full 24 hours reminds us of our new identity in Christ.

2) It's about loving ourselves. We aren't very good at taking care of ourselves. Truly we don't know our own limitations. Thankfully we know a God Who does. He knows what we are capable of and what we can't possibly do. He knows that we don't fully understand our new identity so we work and work and work trying to prove to ourselves and to others something that He already knows.

Why do we insist on working and serving beyond the point of burnout? In wanting to feel needed and important, we miss the signals that say we are reaching capacity. Instead we try to cram more in. More activities, longer hours. More. And then we reach burnout. Not the destination we were aiming for but because we've missed the signs that say turn before you fall off this cliff, we find ourselves in that exact spot. Mad at people. Mad at the church. Mad at God.

We must listen to, and love ourselves before we reach this point. By intentionally making sabbath a priority we are slowing down to listen to God and ourselves. Are we reaching burnout? If so, we can hear it and act accordingly before we go over the edge.

3) It's about engaging in now. Our lives are inundated with information, media, work...distractions. There is so much noise in the world around us we often miss the now that is happening...well...now! We miss the beauty of a sunset, the smell of flowers, the sound of our loved ones laughing, the feel of gentle sunshine on our faces, the sweet whisper of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the thrill of doing something we actually love. We miss the now because of the worry of the future or the regret of the past. We spend so much time going from task to task and being concerned about what's happening everywhere else but here. Our senses are on overload!

Sabbath allows us to stop and engage in the now. We don't have to be concerned with a to-do list or what's next list. We can shut out the noise and listen to the things that are quieter and oftentimes sweeter. We can hear what's really inside of ourselves and inside of our loved ones. We can hear the sweet voice of Jesus reminding us who we are, His love for us, He plans for us, the battles He wins for us. It anchors us and brings us back to now.

The sabbath is an invitation from the Lord to enter into His rest. It's not a duty or a responsibility. It's a delight! And I believe it's life-changing. 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. 

Psalm 23:1-3a

A beautiful reminder from my Shepherd.

We All Break the Same

By Megan Danquah

The title of this post is borrowed from one of my favorite songs by a band called Mute Math: We All Break the Same. I was reading through my Facebook feed this morning and was struck by three different friends of mine who are currently battling the most difficult situations of their lives. Death, divorce, betrayal, crisis. They are words that some of us are afraid of and that hit close to home for others.  

Two years ago, I went through my own crisis. It involved my husband and I, the ministry we were involved in and it was messy. And my life felt like it was shattered. Everything that I held dear was stripped away.

Over the course of time, living through emotional devastation and embracing the deep pain that it caused, allowed me to come into personal contact with my own brokenness. No longer was that brokenness something that I hid away for the world never to know about. No longer was it something that I pushed down with all my might, trying day after tiring day to keep far away from affecting me. No longer did I ignore and suppress that brokenness. Instead, I allowed myself to become acquainted with it, familiarizing myself with its breadth and depth and height and length. I began to live out my right as a human being, my right and dignity to FEEL all that was within me.  

Eventually, my brokenness became familiar to me. And just like it is with anything that we were once afraid of because we didn’t know or understand it, the more I got to “know” my brokenness, the more I found beauty and grace in it. I began to love myself because I wasn’t rejecting this huge part of me that was festering under the surface. Now I began to embrace my brokenness, call it beautiful and love myself with it and in it.

The truth is, we will never not be broken on this side of heaven. None of us have escaped wounds and hurts that have shaped us and have bequeathed us with lots of baggage. We walk through this life broken because we are descended from the original broken ones: Adam and Eve. Sometimes life will feel like grief upon grief, but the key lies in not rejecting that.

God once spoke to me in the midst of a silent, pain-filled sob where my gut felt like it was turning in on itself in pain. He said “It is just pain. It won’t kill you.” I held onto that with all my might. Now I understand that pain and brokenness are a companion that I walk with. They will always be with me and I need not try to send them away or ignore them. As a matter of fact, when I embrace them and allow myself the grace to feel them deeply, the joy in my life bursts forth with greater hues than I have ever noticed before. Yes, the dark is dark, but oh the glorious light is light!! We simply cannot numb one area of our lives without numbing them all.

What I find fascinating is that these feelings of brokenness come and go. They don’t stay forever. Sometimes brokenness wants to talk to us and sometimes she just walks with us silently. And you know where that points to, right? Straight back to the goodness of God! We will not be left to live every day with a miserable grief. It will come and it will go. And our sweet and kind Father gave us a promise: that our light will shine forth like the dawn; that we will rise up on wings like eagles!

Remember, dear lady, that we all break the same. No human is exempt. All experience the sting of that death that entered in the Garden of Eden long ago. Allow it to draw you closer to your humanity. Allow it to forge deep bonds between you and others. I promise you, the joy of living FULLY is encompassed by both the joys and the sorrows of life, and you will be the better for it.

Lord, Are You Washing My Feet, Again?

By Tawna Wilkinson                                                                                    

“Then He [Jesus] came to Simon Peter.  And Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, are You washing my feet?’”

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.’”

“Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’” 

“Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’”

“Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but my hands and my head!’”  (John 13.6-9)

This type of encounter happened to me a year ago. Jesus presented me with “His pitcher and basin” through a very uncomfortable, out-of-the-box method and venue, and my initial reaction was just like Peter’s: “Lord, you will never wash my feet…especially this way!”

In times past, I had granted Him permission to do that very thing. And though the process He chose was less than comfortable, and I didn’t understand the why of it, I did know I loved Him and wanted a richer, fuller, and more intimate relationship. So I would acquiesce.

However, when I saw Him coming this time, in this way, using this setting, the rumble in my spirit was so deep and unnerving, so agitating, and even humiliating; I didn’t think I could take it. 

“God, You know how much I love you, and how many times I have gone through this ‘foot washing’ process with You…but this way? Really?”

“What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

“But, Lord,” I said, kicking and screaming with pride. “I’ve been pursuing You, right here.  I don’t need this venue. And besides, what if I’m viewed as a ‘conference junky’ looking for her next fix, in order to feel spiritual?”

He didn’t budge. He simply and lovingly, continued offering me a new level of intimacy
through this awkward avenue of a different kind of “foot washing.” 

Still struggling, I whined, “Wow, Lord, does this ever end?"

“Only if you want no ‘part’ with Me.”

What? That was it. That was all it took. And just like Peter, I was in. 

“Wash me, Lord; any way and every way You choose!  Dunk me.  Drown me.  If this is
the only way I can have ‘part’ with You, then do it.”

And He did.

Truthfully, when I saw how filthy my soiled feet made the basin of water after all the previous washings I had received, I writhed in shock and pain. I had no idea how dirty I had gotten, again.
 

But, He was so gentle and so loving as He bathed and massaged my feet. And when He
finished I was clean. I was free. I not only received my “part” with Him, but He went
exceedingly abundantly above everything prior.

So now, when I see Him coming, offering again His “pitcher and basin”; no matter the
form; no matter the shaking in me, I want my prayer to be: “Lord, thank You for washing my feet,
again!”

Take Home Your Treasure

By Esther Belin

An image came to me one Sunday at the close of a worship service. The image came with such an overwhelming emotion of melancholy. God’s presence was so heavy; there was an overflow it. The message was packed with God’s goodness – we were fed well that day! The image that came to me was gold nuggets – a treasure of them. They were the overflow of His blessing and He wanted us (His church) to gather them up and take them home. Yet, I was so grieved, numb with a wave of melancholy. 

Why?

It seemed like no one else saw the treasure – that no one was taking home the gold nuggets placed right in front and beside them. 

I was so weighed down because of this word: melancholy – that I later did a quick word study.

I had known melancholy to simply mean a state of sadness or being lonely.  However, the root origin is Greek and the literal meaning is black bile.  According to the ancient Greek pathology, a person was diagnosed with melancholy when they exhibited a wide range of symptoms (from irregular digestion, enlarged liver/spleen to nervous exhaustion or the feeling of something being stuck in the throat) which was believed to be caused by an excess of black bile in the body.

That day in church I definitely felt a deep congestion like the feeling of something being stuck in my throat.

I knew at that moment God was grieving over us. He was grieving because there are remnants of a dead and lukewarm church – and consequently we cannot see or do not care to pick up and take home the treasure. Now sisters I say this with no condemnation because I lived in this state for many years (and I always justified it because of my circumstances which indeed were oppressive).

Rather, we need to take heart that our compassionate and sovereign Lord and Savior is unfailing. He will show up every time his people are gathered. Yet, do we enter the house of the Lord with expectation? Do we really believe that God wants to satisfy our souls “with the richest of foods”? (Ps. 63:5).

The table is set. The menu is perfect. God invites us personally to feast. 

And we do every week. (I thank Jesus that our pastors use their anointing to enrich the Kingdom.)

The meal is nourishing and filling. The company is encouraging, funny and like-minded. We feast on God’s word every week at church. Yes, the church in general does a great job of feeding the people. However, weekly meals are not enough to keep us nourished and filled.

God’s presence is enough but if we don’t constantly seek Him, we will be continually undernourished and empty (and in such a famished, needy state).  God wants to bless us. He wants us to take those gold nuggets home. He expects us to take the gold nuggets home so during the week we can experience more of His presence by studying his character. Only God prepares such a grand feast where he expects us to take a doggie bag home.

How can we be the light and salt of the world if we haven’t learned how to nourish ourselves on God’s word outside of weekly church experiences?

How do we create a desire to meditate on God’s word – day and night (Ps. 1:2)?

There is no universal formula, but there are universal factors.  Basically, it is a lifestyle, it is an attitude, it is a pattern.

Here is a pattern I use: Posture, Praise, Prayer, Pruning

Below are some verses that correlate to each factor in my pattern (there are so many more). 

Posture: Ps. 119:130, Ps. 37:23-24, Ps. 38:9, Ps. 40:6, Ps. 14:2, Ps. 37:4-8, Ps. 42:1-2, Ps. 46:10

Praise: Ps. 16:11, Ps. 113:3, Ps. 34:19, Ps. 19:7-8, Ps. 46:1-3, Ps. 47:7, Ps. 92:1-2, Ps. 107:9, Ps. 150:6

Prayer: Ps. 26:2, Ps. 34:4, Ps. 119:11, Ps. 51:12, Ps. 55:22, Ps. 43:3, Ps. 61:1-3, Ps. 90:16-17, Ps. 130:5-6, Ps. 141:1-4

Pruning: Ps. 51:6-7, Ps. 94:12, Ps. 119:36-37, Ps. 119:103-104, Ps. 139:1-3, John 15:1-2

The book of Psalms has been comforting and mysterious to me.  I am drawn to the mystery behind the psalms and the psalmist.  I want to know the character of God and the Psalms are a wonderful way to experience God’s majesty, mystery, love, grace, and mercy.

Dear readers, I leave this verse for you to feast on, as it has been essential to fine-tuning my posture of daily meditating on God’s word.

Isaiah 50:4

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.  He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

It is a practice.  Not perfect, but possible.