Tis The Season ...Target Lady is counting down the days to the holiday big sales. She is racing down the isles of the store (Target, of course) pushing a cart as she attempts to get in shape for the BIG DAY. In another add she says she hasn't slept in days. She's standing by mini-model of Target that she's apparently created on her kitchen table. In every commercial she appears overly animated, with eyes bugging, and a maniacal grin stretched across her face. She is a bundle of nervous energy as she waits for her day of shopping frenzy. Her life-purpose is to shop at Target.
Nothing against Target, or any retailer. I just find these commercials very eye opening. In all their exaggerated glory, there are some major parallels to the chaos that can easily reign in everyday life during the Christmas Season.
As Princess Warriors for Christ, we are reigning real for Christ, fighting the good fight, which actually involves spreading peace. Fighting with peace? Contradictory? No. Part of the armor are The Sandals of the Gospel of Peace. Wearing these sandals demonstrates our readiness to enter the world, as chaotic as it can be, and share the Good News -- Christ's Gospel of Peace. He gives us His peace. (See more info on wearing the sandals)
I don't know about you, but I don't always feel "peaceful" during this hectic time of year. Waiting in long lines and traffic jams aren't typically peaceful scenarios. I don't respond well to drivers crawling up on my car's bumper or grumpy people in line. Yet, as a Princess Warrior, I am supposed to bring peace to the world, and that means instead of yelling at that angry driver who speeds by fist (or finger) raised, I need to pray for him and remember there really is a Reason for the Season and it isn't hitting the best super sales, but hitting my knees in worship of the One who saved me from a life of sin and death. A Savior born in a filthy stable who now sits at the right hand of God in the heavenlies.
I guess if I'm honest with myself, I can admit that I've felt a bit like the Target Lady at times. Not about grabbing gifts, necessarily, but about all that needs (or, I think needs) to be done in order to make Christmas just right for my family and friends. When what truly is most important is celebrating the birth of the Christ and the freedom and peace He provides.
Granted, our world is not at peace, but peace can still live in our hearts. God give us the ability to walk in the world without being part of its chaos. And there are things we can do to keep focused on the real reason for The Season, and our existence, any time of year:
Please consider the Three steps to experiencing God's Peace (adapted from my Pastor, Dave Pauli's sermon last night, titled: Experience God's Peace this Christmas.
1. Learn to walk in the light of the Lord.
a. In His presence - Give God your day. Before your feet hit the ground, acknowledge His lordship over your life. Most of us wake up to worrying thoughts. Our daily to-do list is foremost in our minds. Instead, turn your attention to God, allow Him to direct your daily path right from the start.
b. Choose obedience - It's impossible to experience total peace while clinging to sin. The old saying: If you want the Bible's blessings live the Bible's Way-make a whole lot of sense. 1 John 5:3 (CEV) We show our love for God by obeying His commands, and they are not hard to follow.
2. Become a student of His Ways - Psalm 119:165 (NCV) Those who love your teachings will find true peace ... Spending time with God and learning to "live" His Word provides peace and a ton of other blessings.
3. Let go of conflict - Ephesians 4:3 (NIV) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 1 Thessalonians 5:13 (NIV) ... live in peace with each other. Colossians 3:12 (NIV) As God's chose people, hold and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
I wish I could share all the stories and examples found in this simple yet highly practical teaching, but I can say one thing, peace involves choices. Choices we as Princess Warriors must make. We must choose to take steps that allow God's peace to reign in our hearts so we can spread it around in our world. Amen! We are, after all, Christ's hands extended to a hurting and often chaotic world.
Together, let's say no to being like the Target Lady and yes to experiencing and spreading the peace of our Lord this Christmas Season and the rest of the year.
Precious Princess Warriors, it feels so good to be sharing my heart again, at last. For someone who spends a majority of of her life encouraging others, I have allowed myself to be overcome by discouragment, fear, and my faith has been lackluster (to say the least). Granted, I've experienced physical illness, injury, pain, loss, hard stuff -- difficult life stuff. But Paul reminds us we can find contentment in any situation with Christ as our King.I spend a great deal of time on this BLOG talking about the challenges that face us in a fallen world. Today, I'm going to suggest we take some time out to fully experience the "joy of the Lord." He's given us the capacity for great joy, laughter, and fun times. I believe we face so many difficult situations in life that we can forget to have fun. We fail to laugh, and forget to smile. Well, let's put a stop to that, right now, shall we?
We are God's girls and we have reason to celebrate.
Recently, I was asked to prepare a presentation on the benefits of laughter. This was a work project and listing scriptures on the subject wasn't an option. However, I was able to find some very interesting information on the topic. This article made a compelling case for the many unique benefits of laughter. Take a peek and hurry back!
http://helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm
God gave us an all-natural "medicine" to boost our emotional, physical, and social health -- laughter. I've been on a quest lately to add huge doses of laughter to my life whenever possible.
So, go on; read the following CHURCH NOTICES. If you've seen them before, no problem, they're still funny! And remember these sentences actually appeared in printed church bulletins or were announced in church services. Ready, set, laugh!
1. Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Berth Belch all the way from Africa.
2. Announcement in the church bulletin for a national PRAYER & FASTING Conference. "The cost for attending the Fasting and Prayer Conference includes meals."
Are you chuckling yet? I am.
3. The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."
4. "Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands."
5. The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled due to a conflict.
6. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community.
7. Don't let worry kill you off -- let the Church help.
8. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs. (the misplacement of one coma ...)
9. Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
10. Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.
11. Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days. (uh oh!)
12. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.
13. Please put your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
14. The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon. (Okay; I'm laughing.)
15. Low Self-Esteem Group will meet Thursday at 7:00 PM. Please use the backdoor.
Last but not least: This evening at 7:00 PM there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin. (Gotta love it!)
I hope you had as much fun reading those as I did. What a hoot.
Here's the challenge Princess Warriors: Today, let's show the world just how much fun it is being daughters of the King. Let's smile. Laugh. And share joy whenever and wherever we can. We truly can make someones day better and brighter, while experiencing new levels of joy in the process.
Please feel free to make comments on this post, including any clean, funny, jokes you might have. I'd love to share them. God bless you!
Seeking God is more than having a casual interest in Him. It's similar to going on a hunt, and the place for us to start is in God's Word, where He reveals Himself to us. A hunt. Hunting for Him -- for God. Is that your priority? Let's come back to that question later.
I don't know about you, but I've been known to hunt hard for that certain pair of shoes, a specific music CD, a highly recommended restaurant, a ... well, you get the picture. We ladies know how to hunt for what we want, don't we?
I bet if I could see you (and you were being completely honest) I'd see more than a few hands raised in response to that question. Actually, before heading to the mall for a day of shopping, we could simply announce: "A hunting we will go," and our families would know exactly what we meant. Granted, we'd be leaving armed with coupons, credit cards, and checkbooks, rather than firearms. But still ... we can be dangerous.
I've seen exactly how dangerous after working my younger years in retail sales. Stampeding women the day after Thanksgiving are hard to miss. I never realized how important buy one get one free socks could be. Thankfully, that's one hunt I've learned to avoid.
Please, understand, I'm not trying to shame the avid shoppers reading this, but am only demonstrating that when we are eager to find a certain something or someone, we will indeed hunt, as well as, make the time and effort to ensure a successful hunting exhibition.
Several months ago, when Sundae, the fattest gerbil I've ever seen, was alive and well, I was treated to a true hunting exhibition right here in my bedroom. I was sitting in the exact same place where I'm seated this very moment, typing away on my keyboard, when I felt a whoosh of fur blast by my feet. I knew it was one of our feline friends chasing after something. Surprised by the intensity of the chase, I turned around to take a better look.
What I saw gave a whole new meaning to stalking. After that initial sprint under my desk, Patches, our patch-colored cat, crouched low to the ground, scooted forward every few seconds, her eyes trained on the over-fed (really fat) rodent scurrying (rather slowly) a few feet ahead.
By the way, chubby gerbils have difficulty reaching and maintaining high speeds. Sundae was sort of speed-waddling away from the fierce predator bent on his destruction. No one (not even a super-sized rodent) wants to become dinner for something bigger, badder, and faster. Patches on the other hand, was fixated on her prey. With predatory perfection, she wiggled her backside and prepared to pounce.
You might be thinking: "Geese, Carol! You just sat and watched your kitty munch on (mutilate) your daughter's helpless gerbil. What's wrong with you?"
I promise, I did not do nothing. In fact, from the first gerbil sighting, I'd attempted (unsuccessfully) to lure Patches away. I cooed, called, and eventually threatened. Granted, all this was happening really, really fast. When it was apparent that Patches had no intention of stopping her hunt, I stepped in and rescued Sundae before he became the equivalent of a gerbil sundae. (See, I'm not some animal hater!)
One definition of hunting is: to pursue or search for something. Hunting seems to be a process of sorts. Consider human hunters. They spend a great deal of time preparing for their hunting trips. They pack, prepare, and plan their schedules carefully. They spend hours tracking their prey. The enjoy the whole process of "the hunt." Ultimately, at some point, on one of their hunts, they are rewarded with a trophy buck, duck, of for fishermen/women -- a prized fishy. They've invested time, energy, research, and money to make they're hunting experience more enjoyable and fruitful.
So, what about us and our hunt for God? I bet you wondered when I'd get back to that.
Do we eagerly look forward to our time seeking Him in the Word, learning more about how to best approach Him, hunting for those special nuggets of truth He has just for us? If I'm honest with myself, I have to, and hate to, admit that I've spent more effort and energy hunting for a certain book or mascara than I have hunting for God on some days. At times, I hurry into His presence and my mind wanders a million different directions. I promise you, when Patches was after Sundae the Gerbil, she was 110% focused on the hunt, and enjoying every minute of it.
To often, we take our relationship with God casually. We think, I've been on this hunt before. I've read that verse a million times; I've studied that chapter ten times before. I've searched and found all there is to find. Oh, precious princess warriors, how wrong we are when we adapt that frivolous attitude about the King of Kings -- our King and Savior -- our Redeemer and Deliverer. We can never know all there is to know about an all-encompassing God big enough to create our universe and everything in it. How can we be bored with such a mighty God? Why would we want to stop hunting for everything He has for us? It is with Him, after all, we will spend eternity.
Doesn't a bride eagerly hunt for the truth about her future mate? She explores his past, his present, and his future dreams. She wants to know what he likes, dislikes, and believes. The bride will spend countless hours searching for the most intimate information about her betrothed. She never grows tired of the hunt. She wants to know everything possible about the object of her affections. Yet, we may find ourselves tired of our time with God, no longer excited about learning more.
I want to deny that I've ever felt that way. That, sisters, would be a lie. Thankfully, after reading the above quote, I am preparing to recommit on a whole new level to the heavenly hunt. I want to know my King more tomorrow than I do today. Don't you?
Go on. Get your Bible. Grab a pen, a journal, and a cup of tea. Curl up at the feet of the One who made you, the One you will spend forever with. He promises if we search (hunt) for Him, He will be found. When we find ourselves immersed in His love, those other worldly hunts will no longer hold the same appeal. For Christ has all we need today, tomorrow, and always.
Happy hunting!
For my Easter article visit: http://powertochange.com/discover/faith/goodfriday/
Blessings Princess Warriors. I'm so excited to share my latest blog entry. I hope that you too will feel encouraged, blessed, even challenged, by the following message. Check back soon, because I'm not yet finished with this whole Alice in Wonderland comparison. There's just so much "good stuff" from the movie that relates to our growth as Princess Warriors for Christ.
Greetings to all God's girls! I have an exciting and challenging message to share with you. I hope you are as touched as I was when God revealed this simple phrase to me in a parking lot outside The Mall. Yes, the shopping mall that I was visiting in Vancouver, Washington, this weekend with my daughter. The phrase is: Heaven Hunger. First, a little background. I am always drawn to what we now refer to as "bling." Yes, bling-bling, anything shiny, glittery, gleaming, colorful, vibrant, breathtaking, both natural and not.
A beautiful landscape and a pair of rhinestone earrings both have the capacity to dazzle me. I also have to admit that I have a soft spot for STUFF. Yes, stuff. Things. Items. Pretties. Bobbles. STUFF. Too much of the time the stuff that I'm drawn to costs money. Not necessarily a lot, but money that I don't really need to be spending.
Okay, you say, that makes sense, Carol, you're a woman. We like to shop. Most of us anyway. Pretty things catch our attention. Nothing strange with that, right? Well, I guess it depends how you look at it. And why you want the stuff to begin with.
First, let me be very open. I won't go into details, but I have not always been wise with my finances. In fact, I'm working to get out of debt. I like to buy things for you, me, and everybody. This is not a good habit when it conflicts with God's goals for your life, not to mention, puts a major dent in your pocketbook. I think there is something deeper than a shopping addition going on, not that overspending can't be a serious enough issue in itself.
But, consider this: God created us with our senses. Sight. Smell. Hearing. Touch. Taste.
Stay with me! I promise this will be more than a summary of our senses.
For starters, this weekend I spent money on the following things/activities/stuff. Money that could have been used to pay bills and help others. But I was on a quest. Here's my list:
1. Purchased deliciously fragrant lotion, bodywash, and spray from the place where I can't comfortably fit into their underwear anymore. Did you figure it out? Victoria's Secret. I didn't care about the lacy undergarments anyway. I was lost in the tantalizing fragrances and succumbed to my desire to have those yummy smells with me at home and on my body. Fed my sense of smell.
2. Me and my daughter (both with weight challenges) shared a huge peppermint marshmallow creamy sundae thingy at Boppin Bobs. The taste and textures were so enticing and enjoyable that I continued to indulge far after my actual body hunger had past. Fed my sense of taste.
3. At another retailer, I was bombarded by glittery, rhinestone, costume jewelry. I'm talking some major bling. I couldn't seem to resist a giant ring full of shiny glittery stones. In fact, even while driving home, I couldn't stop staring at my ring finger. Of course, I cut the tag right off and wore my purchase home so I could enjoy the shimmery sensations. Fed my sense of sight.
4. Went, like half of America, to see Alice in Wonderland 3D (Good movie by the way). Fed my desire for incredible sights and images and sounds.
I'm not going to list everything I did, but are you getting the picture here? There were also plenty of things that I was drawn to and ignored. I did say NO! a lot, but, obviously, not to everything. It seemed as if I was hungry for for certain things. I was ravenous for these beautifully created items, tasty treats, exciting images... are you with me, ladies?
I've spoken a lot about how we all have hungry hearts that hunger and thirst for the One Thing that will sustain them -- Jesus Christ. I also realized as I was driving away from the mall, we have another hunger that is built into us, tied into the One Thing.
Feeling a little guilty about what I did purchase, I was talking to God, and the two words I heard were: Heaven Hunger.
I explained to my daughter what I was thinking. How we are drawn to beauty, both those things in nature and that are created. Things that sparkle, shine, and smell good. Flowers, a baby's cheeks, a flashy handbag, a colorful painting, a lovely throw rug, pristine sandy beaches, white snow-covered mountains, puppies and baby kitty cats. And that's just the eye candy stuff, I didn't even highlight the sound of crashing waves, cry of a seagull, strings in a symphony, or, the wonderful feeling of a rabbit's fur, a puppy's tongue licking your cheek, a hug from a loved one. I could go on and on and on.
Why? Well, I believe that God was reminding me that this isn't my home. Not my permanent one anyway. I have a strong "heaven hunger" that desires the incredible, supernatural, awesomeness of Heaven.
Think about it.
The Bible talks about streets of gold, and beautifully blinding jewels that we've never laid eyes on. A new Heaven and a New Earth. As if sunsets and diamonds aren't already glorious enough.
What will make this heavenly home so beautiful is God Himself. His glory will be beyond our now limited imaginings. Our senses will be flooded with His glory and highly inventive creations. I believe we long for this place of ultimate beauty. For there, we will finally find the fulfilment that we never quite experienced here on this fallen and imperfect planet.
Even as Christians, who taste God's goodness now, we will be absolutely stunned by the avalanche of His greatness featured in everything we see, smell, touch, taste, and hear.
Get this! According to His Word, we will feast on fine foods (without gaining weight) have rooms in our very own mansions, and walk down streets of gold so pure it's like walking on glass! They'll even be gates of pearls. I can't wait to see this jasper stone that John mentions in the Book of Revelation. My point: I'm hungry for heaven. God loves to create and surround Himself with beauty. We, princess warriors, are royalty created in His image. Why wouldn't we want the same?
Now, before you think I'm giving approval for us to race off on a quest to gather all the beautiful STUFF we can, let's think again.
I need to tell you something huge. Something you have more than likely experienced yourselves. After my day of seeing, smelling, tasting, feeling, and hearing of this world, I was left even more hungry for His home. That's right. No matter how shiny the ring, how cute the baby, how lovely the seashore, how tasty the Thanksgiving turkey or hot fudge sundae, NONE OF IT IS LASTING or ETERNAL. It is but a substitute of what awaits us in our future heavenly home.
We're back again to the "real deal" stuff. Reigning real as princess warriors, we must understand that everything here, right now, is but a dim substitute of what is yet to come.
Hello ... Princess Warriors! MOVING ON ...
On a much different note (a terribly sad one) is the current major headline about a Killer Whale named Tillicum (meaning friend) who pulled his longtime trainer and human friend into his tank at Sea World, killing her in the process.
Now this isn't a blog entry to discuss how we feel about animals in captivity. There are plenty out there for that. I'm actually using this tragic story to segway into another tragedy that can be deadly in its own unique way. Though not likely to kill your physical being, the issue we're exploring can certainly play a significant roll in killing your trust, your relationships, and your faith in others, even God.
I want to believe that Tillicum didn't intend to kill his trainer of ten years when he pulled her into the water. Although, I can't possibly know what goes on in the head of anyone or anything. Only God knows that. Sadly, though, whatever the reason, lives were forever altered. Not only was the woman's family, friends, and coworkers impacted by this horrific event, but also the men, women, and children in the stands were deeply traumatized by what they witnessed. Surely, their lives will be changed forever after seeing such tragedy unfold before them. It was definitely not what they expected. Dawn, his trainer, most certainly didn't expect it as she stroked and played with the familiar animal.
When I read this story, I started thinking about an issue that has caused problems for many women -- both believer and non-believer alike. No one is immune. Only by the grace of God can we rise above this problem. So, what am I talking about? Maybe some of you have already figured it out. The picture above gives a clue. It shows two princesses on either side of a road, a road that leads to one castle. Two princesses, one castle. Hum? Are they a team? Sisters? Maybe friends? For our purposes today, I'm going to say friends. They are both daughters of the King and are traveling the same narrow road to reach their future heavenly home.
What happens when one princess turns on the other? It may not be obvious at first, maybe they've ended up on opposite sides of the road because there is a division between them. Maybe the "G" word got in the way.
Ladies, there is a "G" word -- GOSSIP -- that can reap havoc on our relationships. It is especially painful when the back biting takes place between two friends. When we take our words, and use them like a sword to stab our sisters where it hurts most -- in the back and through the heart, we not only harm ourselves and our friend, we can end up traumatizing those around us.
Gossip, lies, backstabbing all seem to grow. The impact is felt like the aftershocks of an earthquake. People take sides, and battle lines are drawn. Instead of fighting together against our common enemy, we end up fighting amongst ourselves.
The devil just stands back and cheers. He doesn't have to lift a finger. We're the ones raising weapons to wound other warriors.
As Christians, we can even use the Bible, God's truth, as a tool of destruction.
I have a feeling you know what I mean. For example, Julie confessed to her good friend, Jonie, that she has been yelling at her children. She admits to letting the sun go down on her anger, a lot. She requests prayer from Jonie and shares about her struggles in confidence. Jonie, who has struggled with similar problems, suddenly feels a little better about herself as she has improved in this area. For some reason, she is compelled to tell another friend about Julie's confession. Jonie reasons that she is gathering prayer support and really needs advice on how to best support Julie. Get the picture. So the cycle continues. Pretty soon, Julie uncovers the knife in her back, which is now piercing her heart. She becomes disillusioned with her Christian friends, who are all discussing her issues, and she stops attending church. After all, she came to The Church to find true friends, people she could trust. Instead, it's exactly the same gossiping mess she experiences in the world.
And we wonder why so many people avoid Christians, referring to us as judgemental, hypocritical, and worse. Sadly, sometimes we are those very things. I know I've been that and more. I've also been on the receiving end of such treatment. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that it doesn't feel good to be gossipped about.
Friends, we are daughters of the King of Kings. We are to be an example to a hurting and lost world. We are to be set apart, not the same, but different -- holy.
Loyalty to others is a quality every Princess Warrior should exhibit. I know I need to. And not just sometimes, with some people, but all the time, with all people. Granted, alone, this is simply too much for our frail human nature to master on its own. We need heavenly help and earthly support. We need the power of the Holy Spirit and the encouragement of safe and trusted friends to hold us accountable.
Won't you take the Stomp out Gossip Challenge with me? Let's try it for a day and then build on that. Wake up and ask the Holy Spirit to put a supernatural block on your tongue. A block that acts as an alarm before negative words and comments are spoken. Once words are out, they stay out. There is no giant eraser that can vanquish our cruel comments. Don't I wish! Rather than say something negative about someone to another person, find a quiet place and talk to God. We can complain to Him. He tells us we can come to Him with any concern. He won't gossip.
That's it; one day without speaking negative words to anyone -- about anyone. Can you do it?
That also means when you're in the grocery store parking lot, and some rather rude woman cuts you off for a highly coveted parking spot, you do not turn to your passenger and complain about her. Keep the mouth shut! We can do this. So, what do you say? Are you with me?
I've said this before, and (forgive the cliche') but I'll likely say it again ... and again. We serve a God of relationship. We, as the body of Christ, are to be Christ's hands extended. We are examples of grace; lights in an often dark world. We need one another! So let's stop wounding our comrades, because as the title so simply states: Back biting leaves teeth marks. Worse yet, it hurts the heart.
What does God's Word have to say about gossiping?
Proverbs 16:28 NIV tells us:
"A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends."
What about 1 Timothy 5:12-13 NIV?
"Thus they bring judgement on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides they get in the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to."
Or Proverbs 20:19 ...
"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man (or woman) who talks to much."
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