Filling the Pitcher: Reflections on Declare Conference

The Filled Pitcher | Meridian Magazine

Last summer when I went to Declare, I was all wrapped up in insecurities and fears.  Insecurities about myself and fears that my blog wasn't good enough or whatever.  I didn't even know everything that was making me feel anxious.

When I got there, I discovered that God had a very personal message for me.  Almost every speaker, almost every piece of memorabilia, every person I encountered gave me this message: I am enough; God is more than enough.  On the last day there,  I got a bracelet reads "Love > Fear."  This perfectly summed up everything I learned at Declare.  Love.  God is Love.  He is bigger than fear.  Fear comes from the devil, the enemy, and God is bigger than all the fears that the enemy can put in front of me.  It was a good message, a good word from God.

That message carried me through a whole year.  This year, going to Declare, I was feeling pretty good.  I wasn't having insecurities about myself or my blog.  The people I met last year at Declare were so warm and  loving and welcoming, not judgmental in the least.  I wasn't worried, but I didn't really go with any expectations or goals either.  When I got there, I found myself not getting a super personal word like I did last year, but it was still good.  What I got this year is what I equate to filling up the pitcher.  I simply enjoyed myself listening to so many good speakers,  singing praise, and visiting with so many good people there.  I didn't worry about if my blog was good enough or how many people it was reaching. I feel confident (at least right now) that I'm writing what God wants me to write and that it is reaching the people who need to see it at that moment.  In fact, I pray about that every time I post:  that my post will be powerful to one person, that it will be what one person needs to read or hear or see that day.  And I pray that I can take myself out of it.  Let my words not be about how many likes or comments I get, but about reaching one person.  Even if I never know who that is.

What I found this year at Declare is a connection to people.  I reached out to people.  People reached out to me.  I reconnected with people I met last year.  I made new friends.  I prayed for people, and even had some pray for me.  It was also about my connection to God.  I feel like I filled up my pitcher this year.  Jesus said, "Come to me, all who are thirsty, and drink of the living water."  And that's what I did.  I drank up His living water.  I filled myself up with His Word and His goodness so that I could, in turn, pour it back out to the people around me and the people who I touch through my blog.  My reflection on Declare this year is that my pitcher is full of God's goodness and love.  I want to return that to the people He has placed in my life.

Thank you for being one of those people!  Thank you for taking the time to click on my link and read my words.  I pray that my words will somehow bless you today.

Hope Prevails (Book Review)

This is my friend, Michelle.  

I had the joy of meeting her last year and reconnecting with her again this year.  She and I were in the same group last year at The Declare Conference.  I felt like we connected immediately, and we kept in touch off and on through social media.  What a pleasure and honor it was to be part of her book launch team.  

Hope Prevails is an amazing book.  Michelle is a certified neuropsychologist, and she is licensed to know how to deal with depression.  However, this book is unlike any other.  She fills every page with her own personal struggles of dealing with depression and numerous Scripture references.  Although my heart breaks for her in all that she and her family have gone through, I also find myself cheering for her as she step-by-step talks about how she recovered.  I absolutely love that this book is intricately tied to God's Word.  Not just one or two references per chapter, but one paragraph may have eight to ten references in it.  

Depression is a tool of the enemy.  He has come to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).  He wants to steal our joy, kill our peace, and destroy our identities.  He does this by getting inside our heads and twisting everything around.  He makes us doubt our selves and question our worth.  He feeds on our personal anxieties and insecurities.  

But it is not true.  Michelle testifies throughout the pages that this is false.  God's Word says time and time again in many different formats how He loves us because He made us.  We can't earn it, and we can't lose it either.  Nothing we ever do can make God love us more than He already does...and nothing we ever do can make God love us less than He already does either.  

In Isaiah 54:17, we learn that "No weapon formed against us shall prevail."  And that includes the weapon of depression.  The enemy cannot use against us what we have surrendered to God.  When we start taking every thought captive and offering it up to God, the enemy begins to lose his power over us.  When we get God's thoughts and words firmly in our heads, we are filled with light and truth.  

Now to be clear, I am not saying that your days will get any easier.  I believe that they can and will over time, but it might be so gradual that it is hard to see.  Or the enemy may try even harder to pull you down once you start fighting back.  I admit that this is not an area where I have struggled, but I see hurting people all around me.  Beautiful people (of all ages) who are wrapped up in lies about themselves and cannot see themselves as God created them.  

There are two major themes that run throughout this book.  1). You are not alone.  God is always with you, and He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid or discouraged because He is with you (Joshua 1:9).  2).  Hope prevails.  Even in the darkest valley, you do not need to fear (Psalm 23:4). Our hope is in Jesus Christ, and that will prevail over anything else.  Keep your eyes fixed on Him because He is the author and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1). 

In addition to the personal trials as well as the strong ties to Biblical truth, the end of each chapter has a prescription for steps you can take to overcome the darkness and depression as well as a personal prayer.  It is even followed by several songs that helped Michelle overcome her struggles and may benefit you as well.  Whether you are struggling with depression or you love someone who is, I believe this book is powerful to help on many levels.  I highly recommend this book; I think it will be life-changing.

I want to leave you with a few words from the author herself.  

“I’m writing today from where I stand, the other side of depression’s valley. I encourage you to persevere. You will not always feel this way. There are brighter days ahead...

I’ve written this book to offer hope. In the midst of my battle, hope was elusive. I wasn’t sure I would survive. Actually, I wasn’t sure I wanted to survive. But hope—the belief in a purpose, the belief in something better—can make all the difference..."

Hope Prevails!

#hopeprevails

The opinions in this post are my own, and I have in no way been compensated for writing this review.

Five Minute Friday: Help

I have been married almost thirteen years to a wonderful guy.  I am so blessed to have this man in my life.  He often doesn't get enough credit for all that he does.

But some days are hard, you know?  Not every day is magical and like a fairy tale.  This is real, every day life, and some days we get on each other's nerves.  Marriage takes work.

So I say all that to introduce a realization that I have had recently.  A week or two ago, I realized that we approach "help" in very different ways.  This was really an Aha type of moment for me.  Seems like I probably should have figured this out before, but I consider it proof that we never stop growing and learning about each other.

My husband is a hard worker in every area of his life.  Not only that, but he is always willing to assist those around him in whatever way he can.  He jumps in and gives his best no matter what.  These are admirable qualities, for sure.  

I am a rather independent person, and don't typically ask for help.  I prefer to figure things out and do them my own way.  I may struggle a bit along the way, but I usually get my task accomplished.  When I get stuck beyond where I can manage, I do ask for help.

So this is sometimes a source of contention between us.  When he is doing something, he expects those around him (that means me!) to see a need and act on it.  Jump in and just start helping. When I am doing something, I want everybody to leave me alone until I call out for help.  Often this takes place like this:  I am making dinner, and my husband wants to give me some advice about how I could do it easier and more efficiently.  While he may be right, I feel like I am doing fine doing it my own way and don't need any help.

I don't think either perspective is bad or wrong.  I don't think my way is better than his.  What I do think (now) is that we have different approaches that sometimes create a little friction.  

So what I am realizing is that I need a little help in the moment to recognize what is happening.  Two different personalities and approaches trying to operate as one unified team.  If I can remember that he has good intentions when he offers a suggestion, I might not get so snippy.  And if I can remember that  he might welcome some assistance on a project he is doing, I think we might draw even closer to one another.

The two shall become one.  We are united in our marriage, and in our love for each other.  We are united in our love for Christ and our love for our children.  But we still have two distinct personalities. Sometimes I need a little help working that out.  I can't do it on my own, but where should I turn?

My help comes from the LORD, the maker of the heavens and the earth.  All I have to do is ask the One who made me.

Failure Commissioned (Inseparable Chapter Four)

Are you afraid to fail?  Are you afraid you won't measure up, that you aren't good enough?  Are you afraid that someone will find out that you messed up and that you are not perfect?

As I read the opening pages of Chapter Four of my Bible study, I really identified with what the author Ashley Linne was writing.  It so captured my very thoughts:  

"Failure.  We loathe it.  We fear it.  We allow it to hang over us like a cloud, threatening to ruin our hopes and dreams.  We dread it so much that sometimes we choose to sit safely in our comfortable lives, never daring to step out and pursue the great things to which God has called us.  I have never attempted because I feared I would fail...I often have some unattainable definitions of success in my life, and I bow to the pressure before I even make an attempt."
 
Ouch and double ouch.  Some unattainable definitions of success, and I stop before I get started.  I have this idea in my head of what "perfect" should look, and then I decide I can't possibly do it that well.  Doesn't really matter what the "it" is; it could be anything.  Anything that I am afraid to attempt because I might fail.  What about when this defines my Christian walk?  Can I be perfect?  Of course not.  Does that mean I shouldn't try?  I know in my head that the answer is, again, of course not, but that is sometimes my mode of operation.  So when I fail to try as a Christian or I try and then fail, does that affect how God feels about me? 

What about if I am doing everything right?  Does that mean God loves me more than when I am not doing well?  "We're right with God because Jesus is right with God, and we're in Jesus.  We're filled with His Spirit; He resides within us, guiding and directing us minute by minute if we are listening.  Following His voice in trusts is what pleases Him."

So pleasing God comes from trusting Him, and trusting Him comes from following His voice.  But how do I know His voice in order to follow it?  Jesus told His disciples that He was the Good Shepherd, and that His sheep would know His voice and follow Him.  Still though, how do we know His voice?  It comes from knowing the word of God, and that comes from an ongoing commitment to read it, listen to it, or otherwise study it. 

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our daily helper after He was no longer able to walk the Earth with us.  Because the Holy Spirit is the mediator between God and us, we can learn to listen to that still, quiet voice inside us that prompts us to follow Him.  Ashley says it like this: "The Holy Spirit is constantly in communication with us, so we have ample opportunity to follow His lead.  Will we miss some of what He's saying?  Most likely.  But that's where grace comes in.  Making a habit of listening for God's voice takes time and practice.  For some of us that time span may be days, but for others it may be years.  The important thing is that we remember that in Christ, we can do what He asks of us.  We can do it because we're in Him and He's in us.  So if He's asking us to do something, we can do it because He will be the One powering us" (Philippians 4:13) [emphasis mine]

Listening to God's voice and following His will comes down to the two commandments that Jesus gave us:  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.  If we put everything we do under the microscope of loving God and loving those around us, we won't necessarily avoid failure but we will begin to define success as doing what God wants.  The outcome of our actions and how other people respond to us is up to Him.  He just wants our heart, and He wants us to treat other people well.

In some of His last words on Earth, Jesus commands us to "Go, and make disciples of all nations."  This is an area where I always feel like I fall woefully short.  My words get all tangled up.  I don't know what to say.  I don't want to come across as judgmental or as hypocritical, especially when I know all the areas where I have fallen short in the past (or right now).  But it is important.  If we are looking again at the microscope of loving others as ourselves, don't we want those people who are in our daily lives to know the love of God like we do?  Don't we want them to know they are loved like we are loved? 

"We don't need to be perfect, know everything, or have it all together.  We just need to be able to point others to the One who is perfect, knows everything, and has it all together."  

In case you are still uncertain about measuring up to God's standards, let's took a look at Peter.  Peter is well-known for being impetuous.   Yes, he is the one who sank when he tried to walk on water.  Yes, he told Jesus not to wash his feet.  Yes, he is the one who denied Christ at the crucifixion.  But isn't he so much more than the sum of his mistakes?  He also is the only one who got out of the boat to walk on the water.  None of the others even thought about it.  Peter is also the one who changed what he was saying to Jesus:  not just my feet, but my head and hands as well (John 13:9).  And Peter is the rock on whom Jesus trusted to build His church after He ascended to Heaven.  Even though Peter didn't always get it right, he didn't always get it wrong either.  If Jesus could forgive Peter for denying him three times and give him more chances to follow Him, He can do that for you as well.

You may not always get it right, but you won't always get it wrong either.  Take it day by day, and follow His lead one step at a time.  Cut yourself a little slack, and keep trying.  "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

Can You Imagine?

This morning I picked up a check that was for the tutoring I had done throughout the school year.  I got to the van, and I looked at the amount.  I smiled.  A big smile.  It was a good check.  Not a terrifically huge amount of money, but a little more than I had thought it would be.  That in itself is good, but I immediately recognized that it was more than I needed to finish the commitment I had made to the building fund of my church.

In the fall of 2014, our church initiated a building campaign.  Todd and I set a goal together.  It was one that we agreed on, and one that we felt we both had to stretch a bit to get there each month.  It felt right.  It felt good to agree on the amount and to know that we were helping our church make needed improvements to our facilities in order to be better able to serve the community.

And then, right before the pledge cards were due, God laid it on my heart that I had more to give.  It was clear to me that this was something He wanted me and me alone to do.  An act of obedience and trust.  It felt like an unsafe and scary number that He was calling for.  How in the world could I do that? I kept hearing these words in my heart:  Trust me, trust me, trust me.  So I did it.  I committed to this amount by myself, in addition to the joint amount that Todd and I would be contributing.

I didn't know how it would work, or what it would look like.  I was afraid of failing.  My extra contribution would come from talents with which God has gifted me.  Tutoring and crocheting to be precise.  God blessed me with these abilities, and I would use them to give back to Him through the Imagine campaign at church.  I decided that I was committed to this amount, even if it took me longer than the 36 months to accomplish it.

Less than a month after this decision, I got a call from a friend of a friend--a complete stranger to me.  She was desperate for some reading help for her son, and our mutual friend had said she should get in touch with me.  Not long after that initial conversation, we were having tutoring sessions twice a week. Bam.  That was a significant start to fulfilling my obligation.  I believe that was God directly working through the situation to show me that He had it all under control.

Along the way, I have been sent other tutoring students.  In addition to what I do through school, I have had students that I work with at the house.  Although it makes for crazy schedules and means that I have something going on almost every single night, I really do enjoy helping them be more successful.  That is intrinsically rewarding, but it also gives me a sense of satisfaction to know that all that time and effort directly corresponds to my goal for the church.

As if that wasn't enough, my crochet business has blossomed.  With the exception of setting up a table at our church craft fair and posting some pictures through Facebook, I have done nothing to market my business.  God is my marketing and advertising director, and He is doing a fine job!  I consistently have six to ten orders that are waiting for me to be made.  That is not so many that I get  overwhelmed trying to get everything done, but not so few that I feel despair or worry over not making my goals.  I get a kick out of people sending me a picture and asking me if I could make something like that.  God has certainly blessed the work of my hands.  He sends me the customers.  I make the products, and I give the profit to Him.

So here I sit, 21 months into this big, unsafe, scary goal.  AND I AM FINISHED.  Fifteen months ahead of the 3-year commitment.  When I saw my check this morning, I realized that the amount was enough to fulfill my goal.  That is what brought on the big smile.

And then the tears.  As I drove back to town, I just was overwhelmed.  God loves me so much, and He is so good to me.  He has faithfully brought me the tutoring students and the crochet customers, without me having to go out and hunt up business.  Twenty-one months ago, He said, "Trust me."  And that is all I had to do.  Even as I sit here typing this, I am overcome all over again.  I just cannot believe how He did so much more than I could ask or even imagine.  Looking back to the fall of 2014, I  didn't know how I could possibly make it work.  The answer is:  I couldn't.  God did it.  All I did was take one step of obedience.

"Now to Him, who is able to immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen."  Ephesians 3:20-21

Corpse Alive (Inseparable Chapter 3)

In Christ, I am alive.

When I accept the power of Christ into my life, I am no longer dead to sin.  I am alive by Him dwelling within me.  I have the presence of Christ Himself inside of me.  Because of His presence, my focus can be on the work of the Spirit, not on my fallen, corrupt nature.  Romans 8:6-7 tells us, "A mind focused on the flesh is doomed to death, but a mind focused on the Spirit will find full life and complete peace.  You see, a mind focused on the flesh is declaring war against God; it defies the authority of God's law and is incapable of following His path."  I had to read those words a couple of times before it really sank in.  A mind focusing on the Spirit will find full life and complete peace.  A mind focused on the flesh is declaring war against God.  When I am focused on the wrong things--the things that are not of God--I am declaring war against God.  I do not want to be a person on the wrong side of any war that involves God.  That will not turn out well for me.  That concept reinforces my perspective that my righteousness matters.  But it's not about the rules or the laws...it is about our heart.  The condition of my heart is where my righteousness comes from.  If I am alive in Christ, then I should desire to do what pleases Him.

"When we are without Christ, we are dead.  How do we come to recognize we are dead inside?  Only one who has been brought to life can tell another dead soul what it is like to be revived."  This is why our personal testimonies are so important.  Our resurrected souls can share our stories of how we are alive again and can impact other people.  We need to use our own experiences to keep pointing people back to God.  

The next section deals with life after our souls have been resurrected.  We are no longer dead to sin but we are alive in Christ.  So why do we continue to focus on all the ways we have sinned in our lives?  "It can be really easy to be preoccupied with our sinful nature even though we've been rescued from sin's ultimate consequences.  It is true that we will struggle against temptation for the rest of our lives...But what bothers me is how often we continue to view ourselves only as sinners."  That is such a good point.  I am a sinner.  I do mess up more frequently than I like to admit.  I still struggle in so many ways.  But I am a lot more than the sum total of my sins.  I am alive in Christ.  I have the embodiment of the Spirit living in me.  We are new creations with abundant life.  In John 10:10, Jesus says, "I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly."  We need to stop focusing on our sins and focus on all the we can do through the power of Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13).

So what do we do with those sins, mistakes, and other flaws in our lives?  Ignore them?  Pretend like they never happened?  That is my natural response, but God can use those very areas of our lives in order to reach someone else. Although it isn't easy, we can pray for God "to use our past mistakes as tools for justice and goodness in this world."  I love that phrase.  "Tools for justice and goodness" makes me feel like a superhero ready to rescue the world!

The Bible character in this chapter is Lazarus.  It is a familiar section, but there was a new application for me here.  Lazarus was dead.  Completely dead and buried in a tomb for four days.  When Jesus raised him back to life, he called for those around him to help him get unwound from the grave clothes.    He couldn't do it by himself.  "When Jesus raises our souls from the dead, sometimes there are things about our old, dead life that are trying to hold us back.  We need help getting untangled, and that's part of why our new lives are meant to be lived alongside other believers.   We need to leave the things that wrapped us when we were dead where they belong--in the grave.  We are in Christ now, and instead of grave clothes, we are tangled up in His grace, mercy, and redemption.  We are alive."

Here are some ides that stood out to me in Romans 5.  We are to celebrate in times of suffering because it produce endurance, and that shapes our character.  From that we can learn to hope and anticipate God's goodness (v. 3-4).  We have grace--and have it abundantly--through the legacy of Jesus Christ (v. 17).  Although we don't aspire to be sinners, God's grace is more.  No matter how much sin creeps in, there is always more grace (v. 20).

***

The opinions expressed in this blog are my own, and I am in now way being compensated for this post.

Made Right (Inseparable Chapter Two)

 "Made Right."  I love the name of this chapter.  It holds a double-meaning for me.  I am "Made Right," as in I am made correctly, perfectly, exactly as He wanted me to be.  No mistakes there.  This is near and dear to my heart as it was the theme of my #write31days project last October.  The second meaning is more what the author Ashley Linne intended in this context.  I am "Made Right," as in I am right with God.  Christ's blood covers me so that I am not separated from God.  His sacrifice makes me right as it washes away my sins.

We are fallen creatures in a fallen world.  On our own, we can never be right with God.  Only through the Anointed, the Liberating King can we be justified.  "But that ability has not come from living by our fallen nature; it has come because we walk according to the movement of the Spirit in our lives" (Romans 8:4).

The next section talks about Eve.  Ashley states, "Somewhere along the way Eve forgot who she was. In fact, she forgot who God was because somewhere in her heart she started thinking He was holding out on her."  Sometimes I think Eve gets too easily blamed for her sins.  After all, if she hadn't eaten that piece of fruit, then we would all be better off, right?  But today I am thinking about it like this: Eve (and Adam) lived in a perfect world and walked in the garden of Eden with God, and yet they still had doubts and insecurities.  Satan knew just where to poke and prod them to get them to fall.  How much more will he know where and how to attack us?  His biggest trick is to convince us to take matters into our own hands instead of trusting God.

Sin in our lives is going to happen.  It is inevitable.  That is why we need Jesus so much.  He is the One--the only One--in all of mankind who never sinned.  I can't even fathom what that would look like. Jesus never back talked his mother for that would be dishonoring her.  He never gossiped about his fellow carpenters for that might be bearing false witness.  He never put anything or anyone between him and God the Father for that would be having an idol.  No sins.  Ever.

Because of His perfect nature, He was able to be the perfect sacrifice for us.  He loves us so much that He didn't want us to be separated from God, even though it meant He would have to be through His death on the cross.  "Jesus gave everything of Himself so I could had everything of Him.  Not just a 'get out of hell free' card, but a destiny, an identity, a purpose, a brotherhood... a life."  Salvation is so much more than an absence from hell's gateway.  I think some people miss the importance of that.

In the next section, Ashley Linne talks about how our reconciliation is already complete.  Jesus did it.  We cannot do it on our own.  "There is no way we could ever make amends with God on our own, and we need to allow ourselves to enjoy the freedom that brings our souls.  I hope you have felt the sweet relief of having the weight lifted off your shoulders through His forgiveness.  Don't go back and pick up baggage you have already left behind."  Man, that had a lot of weight for me.  Don't go back and pick up baggage you have already left behind.  Ouch!  How many times have I done that?  Leave it in the dust; don't keep going back for it and quit carrying it around.  Lay it down already!

In each chapter, Ashley ties the trait she is describing to someone in the Bible.  Abraham was made right with God by his faith and his faith alone.  Not his good works, not his striving to do the right thing, but simply by believing God.  God said, "I have a plan for you, Abraham."  And Abraham said, "Let's do it."  That's my paraphrase, of course, but that's essentially what transpired.  Romans 4:3 says, "What does Scripture say?  Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."  So what does it take for you and me to be righteous?  To do the same thing as Abraham:  to believe God and follow His plan.

Here are some standout moments for me from Romans 3.

God is faithful.  He does not change.  No matter how unfaithful or untrustworthy we as individuals are, He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  "If every person on the planet were  a liar and thief, God would still be true" (v. 4).  The purpose of law is not to be a set-by-step plan for becoming right in God's eyes; the law was designed to show us how much we need a Savior (v. 20).  All have sinned and fail to reach God on their own ( v. 23).  We are saved and redeemed through the grace that only comes from Jesus the Anointed (v. 24).  We are made right through faith and not deeds (v. 28)

In Christ, we are... made right.

***

The opinions expressed are my own, and I am in no way being compensating for this post.