Pick Up Your Crown

Leave a comment
Photo by Kristal Terziu on Pexels.com

‘But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ‘

1 Peter 2:9

Before the pandemic, I hosted a small group of women for an informal Bible study and time of refreshment. As we shared our experiences, responsibilities and various hats we wear, one of the women shared a statement that made me chuckle but was unfortunately a truth many of us can relate to – “I wear so many hats I just want to ask someone , ‘Can you please take a hat?‘”

As women, we wear and try to balance so many hats…mother, wife, daughter, business woman, employee, ministry leader, mentor, friend, sister, coach, volunteer, and the list goes on. These various hats can cause us at times to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, discouraged, and irritated leading to procrastination, stagnation, neglect, and even anger. If we are not careful, our growing collection of hats can knock off our crown causing us to temporarily lose sight of Who we belong, who we are in Him, and what HE wants us to do.

Polishing and adjusting our crown should be a daily practice. Our crown should identify us as part of the King’s court – on assignment to represent His kingdom and serve others with the grace & love that is part of our DNA completing our daily ensemble.

‘Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ‘ Colossians 3:12-14

While there may be hats we can put on a shelf for a season or hand over to another eager owner, we can not afford to take off our crown. You may need to adjust it from time to time…just don’t let it come off.

Remember who you are…YOU ARE ROYALTY.

Pick up your crown!

What do you see?

Leave a comment
Photo by Ismael Sanchez on Pexels.com

I recently watched a movie where the main character had an overwhelming desire to be attractive. She felt unloved, unwanted, overlooked, and overweight – when in fact she wasn’t any of those things…at least to those that mattered. Through a series of made for movie events – including a bump on the head, she ended up believing that she was pretty.

While she believed with all her heart that her physical appearance changed, it didn’t. It was what she thought about herself that changed. As a result, she was more confident, outgoing, courageous and carefree – living her life to the fullest (sadly though at times her personality wasn’t so pretty…that’s a word for another day).

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, it is important that we see ourselves correctly. We need to believe what Our Father says about us and how He sees us so that we can live in the fullness of all that He desires for us.

Don’t allow the world, social media, culture or other people to determine what you see when you look in the mirror. Allow them to see the beauty that is inside of you…the hope of glory, Christ in you (Colossians 1:27).

You are:

  • Beautiful. (Psalm 45:11, Song of Solomon 4:7)
  • Made in His image. (Genesis 1:27)
  • Fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
  • Precious. (Isaiah 43:4)
  • Loved. (John 3:16, I John 4:9-10)
  • Chosen. (Ephesians 1:4, I Peter 2:9)
  • God’s handiwork. (Ephesians 2:10)
  • A special possession. (I Peter 2:9)
  • A crown of splendor. (Isaiah 62:3)
  • Royalty. (I Peter 2:9)

True transformation begins the moment you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, allowing Him to reign in your heart as King. He can help you adjust your vision so that you can see yourself as the king/queen He has created you to be.

Now let me ask again…when you look in the mirror, what do you see? Let Him transform you.

CRY OUT!

Leave a comment

“…but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”” – Luke 18:39

Sometimes it may seem pointless to call on God. We may feel that our situation is impossible or we have been crying out for so long and our situation has not changed. It can seem as if our desperate pleas for help go unheard. We don’t understand. Those around us don’t understand. They watch us worship, serve, cry out and wonder where God is when we need Him most. Some may even encourage us to stop our seemingly unheard prayers – or we may give up on our own because we can’t see how God is going to change our situation.

“As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭18:35-43‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Bartimaeus wanted to see. He probably hoped all of his life to have his sight. He heard about the miracles Jesus did, believed Jesus could change his situation and had faith to cry out when He knew He was near. The men who tried to silence him probably didn’t see any hope for Bartimaeus’ situation. They didn’t want him to distract the Master from His Father’s business. But Bartimaeus’ faith would not allow him to remain silent. While he couldn’t see any of the miracles Jesus performed, he could hear the testimony of others, he was aware of the power of crying out His Name. He believed Jesus could give him the one thing he desired. His faith restored his sight.

Don’t let ANYONE – the enemy, your family, friends or even YOU, silence your prayers. Despite what you can or cannot see, don’t give up! Keep crying out to the One who is capable of changing you and your situation.

Father, Thank You for hearing us when we call on Your Powerful Name. We know that all things are possible through You. Even when we can’t see what You are doing, help us to remember that You are working all things out for our good. Thank You for restoring our spiritual sight and increasing our faith to trust You in every area of our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Love is Hard

Leave a comment

Loving others is easy when things are going good, the person looks like us, has similar interests, or they comply with our wishes (demands) or can be counted on to return a favor.

Love is not as easy when we have to love those that get on our last nerve – the ones that don’t see eye to eye (nor will they ever), the ones that seem the neediest, the ones that push the last button, the ones you ignore when their name pops up on your phone – those that don’t treat us the way we believe we deserve to be treated. Love is hard. I wish Brother Paul would have spent a little bit more time warning us in his famous love chapter just how difficult loving others can be at times.

When I am challenged in my own love walk, I think about all the times that I was and can be difficult to love. The times that I am cranky, unforgiving, frustrated, rebellious, the times that I hurt more than I love – a poor representative of my Father. In those times, there was always someone who still loved me despite what attitude I was taking on that particular moment. Sure, there may have been a family member, friend or brother/sister in Christ that loved me in those least desirable moments. But even their best love is limited. It is God’s love for me that never changes. His love still amazes me. Despite my unlovable moments, He is always right there loving, covering and reminding me to give the same love that He freely gives to me. His love looks past all of my mess and sees His child, who He will always love.

“This is love. Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” I John 4:10-12

As believers and followers of Jesus, when we choose to lay aside our opinions, preferences, and judgments, we are allowing the world to see God’s love through us.

Father, help us to grasp the depth of Your love that surpasses knowledge so that we would be filled to the measure of the fullness of You that we might be able to love our brothers and sisters with the love that You have showed us. Amen.

Remember what Jesus said: ““If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:32-36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Waiting…

Leave a comment

 

round silver colored wall clock

Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile on Pexels.com

I don’t like waiting. Period.

I want what I want when I want it. I like to have the details, the expected wait times, and timelines in front of me. Slow wi-fi and computer start ups cause me to tap on my mouse pad a little faster. Waiting on people frustrates me, long lines annoy me (or any line if I am being honest) which is why I am thankful for advance ordering and pick up options. However, even with that there is the possibility that waiting is required.  Waiting tends to make me tired, frustrated and cranky.  As you can see, I am not too fond of  waiting.

I have to sadly admit, I am the same way with God. I am way too eager to see His plan unveiled, anxious to get out of the trial, ready to share what He is sharing with me without giving it time to settle in my own heart. I want to know all the details, the timeline, and reason for the wait. Though I know God is faithful, I tend to be impatient during the wait – missing out on the benefits of the wait. Often missing what is happening in the moment because I am too focused on what is on the other side of the wait. Neglecting those I am supposed to be serving while I wait. Not taking care of the things that I need to while I wait. Missing the lesson in the wait.

Why do we have to wait?!?!?! 

“My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be complete, lacking nothing.”  – James 1:2-4 

Waiting is part of life. The wait is important. Learning how to wait is part of maturity. Waiting well is called patience. Patience is learned. Patience requires practice, which means we can expect many opportunities to let patience work in us.  It is in those moments of waiting that our faith increases as our patience is being developed…so that as James reminds us…we will be complete, lacking nothing allowing God to work His perfect plan for our lives. There’s a lot happening during the wait. Trust Him.

Just because we don’t like something, does not mean it’s not good for us…

Wait well.

Father God,  Give us the grace to wait well and trust what You are doing while we wait. Amen

Honor Her

Leave a comment

“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring praises at the city gate.” -Proverbs 31:31

Whether she is your mother by birth or stood in the gap so that you could experience the love of a mother…

Whether you are blessed to still have your mother here or holding on to bitter sweet memories of her as she watches over you…

Whether she is your mother or someone else’s….

Honor her.

Each of us has been gifted with a woman to love, nurture, care, teach, encourage and celebrate us. Maybe her presence in your life was seasonal but her impact lasted a lifetime. These women have sacrificed of themselves so that we could be the best version of ourselves. They honored us. They cried for and with us. They prayed for us. They challenged us. They set a standard for us to follow. They always see the best in us, while lovingly helping us correct the worst in us.

It is because of them, we are the women, the mothers, the grandmothers, the daughters, the sisters, the aunts, and the friends we are today.

Celebrate her.

Love her.

Honor her.

Not Forsaken

Leave a comment

backlit cemetery christianity clouds

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

When you turn on the news to hear the number of COVID19 cases continue to rise, the death count steadily increasing, unclaimed bodies being buried in massive ditches, unemployment numbers rapidly increasing, and lines for food banks spanning miles, it can be easy to believe that God has forsaken us.

The psalmist David was acquainted with suffering as he asked God in Psalm 22 why he had forsaken him —when would the trouble end. Jesus cried out in His suffering on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?“.  In the midst of our pain it can often feel as if God is no where to be found. As we find ourselves in these turbulent and difficult times, it may seem as if our prayers are going unanswered, our pleas for help seem to be ignored, and our tears seem to be wasted. We have encountered times of restlessness and even hopelessness. The pain sometimes unbearable.

The soldiers who mocked Jesus as they watched Him suffering in agony in those final moments on the cross help give understanding to why we tend to lose hope. “Let Him come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him and acknowledge Him.”(Matthew 27:42 AMP)  Simply put – sometimes we need to see a sign in order to believe. A sign to restore our hope. A sign to help us rest.

In the midst of all of this uncertainty where there may not be many visible signs of hope, find encouragement in Jesus’ parting words to His disciples:

“Take careful notice: an hour is coming, and has arrived, when you will all be scattered, each to his own home, leaving Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]

-John 16:32-33 AMP

We are never alone! The Father is with us. Because Jesus lives we can have this hope. Continue to cry out to Him. Allow Him to turn your pain to praise, your worry to worship, your anxiousness to awe. He is here with us. He never left.

Be encouraged. You are not forsaken.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Leave a comment

“…He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we would desire Him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem.” – Isaiah 53:2-3

Without knowing the story behind the image above, would it attract you to the promise of a life of freedom? Would it draw you to the promise of a glorious life? Do you see the love in this picture? Do you see the beauty? Only when you know the story behind the picture, can you see the true beauty.

For some, the thought of tests, trials, the many crosses you will have to take up and bear, having to walk away from certain relationships, rejection, laying aside our own wants and tripping of fleshly desires, do not always seem that beautiful. None of what we are called to surrender or have to endure on earth will ever compare to the beautiful suffering of our Savior.

Despite the ugliness of our sins, God sees the beauty in His children. He loved us enough to send His Son, Jesus, to die a death far from beautiful that we would have access to a beautiful life. A relationship with Him.

When I look as this picture, I see a beautiful Man – scarred with all of the ugliness of my life. He may not have stunning good looks or appear majestic. He did not demand respect or even demand my life…He offered a simple invitation.

Paying a cost I could never afford to exchange the ugliness of my sins for the beauty of a new life.

Hosanna!

Leave a comment

In the first time ever – probably since the church was established – the churches are empty. Worshippers have not been able to gather corporately to celebrate Palm Sunday.

For most of us, it’s not our first time not being in church, on what our Pastor refers to as lamb selection Sunday. Either we were in the world (me) or took for granted the gathering of the church and more importantly what it is we were celebrating- the entry of the King of Salvation preparing to fulfill His assignment (me).

Interestingly enough after Jesus entered into Jerusalem on a young donkey, He cleared the temple and reminded the people that His Father’s house should be a house of prayer. Though the churches have been cleared out for another reason, we need to return to and focus on the main thing…Hosanna in the highest!

Hopefully you have been able to worship and commune virtually or even with your family. If not or even if you have, I wanted to share some scriptures to read and meditate on this week as we celebrate Jesus’ journey to the cross.

  • Matthew 21:1-10
  • Mark 11:1-11
  • Luke 19:28-44
  • John 12:12-19
  • Isaiah 62:11
  • Zechariah 9:9
  • Psalm 118:25-29
  • Revelation 19:11-16

“When I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” – Jesus

There IS Light in the Tunnel

2 Comments

gray scale photography of lighthouse

Like most of the world, each day I wonder when this situation is going to end. When will I turn on the news to hear a cure has been found, that there have not been any deaths or more illnesses from this virus, that there is a vaccine to keep us safe, or we can return to life as we once knew it.

The other day as I returned from the coffee house (which is now my kitchen) to my makeshift work space slightly frustrated with the new norm, my screensaver displayed a beautiful lighthouse at the end of a long stony road. The black and white photo highlighted by the brightest white drawing attention to the light from the beacon of  the lighthouse, reminded me of the saying “There’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the Light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.”  – John 8:12

Believers in Jesus Christ do not have to wait for the light at the end of the tunnel. The Light has already come that we can have abundant life here and in eternity – full of goodness and hope, even in the midst of chaos, tragedy and devastation. Jesus came into the world – into our hearts, not only to save us but that we would be a reflection of His light for others to see the hope of glory that is in us as a testimony of His salvation.

There is Light in the tunnel.  His name is Jesus. The world needs His Light more than ever.

In our darkest moments, we need to fix our eyes on the Light to be reminded and encouraged by His faithfulness,  using this time to seek Him through prayer and His Word, and to serve Him by being the light among all men.

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16

If you have never placed faith in Jesus Christ, you do not have to wait until we get through this..until we get out of this tunnel. Jesus came to rescue us ALL from darkness.

You can receive this Light today.

If Jesus has prompted your heart to do so, pray this prayer:

Jesus, I am a sinner lost in darkness. Come into my heart, illuminate it with Your Light, and cleanse me of my sins. Today I accept You as my Lord and Savior. I believe that You came to earth as a servant, as God in the flesh. You died, was buried, and rose from the dead, that I might have the Light of life. I place my faith in You alone. My heart belongs to You. Thank You Jesus for loving me and saving me. 

In Jesus Name,  Amen