My youngest daughter has been determined to get what she wanted since the womb. While carrying her, if she wanted to move—she moved. At times you could literally watch my pregnant belly completely shift from one side to another. When she got a little older her little two year old hands could move whatever she wanted moved--including adults. One of my fondest memories is when I was holding her and at the same time carrying on a conversation with another adult. She wanted my attention so badly she grabbed my face with those little hands and turned my head to face her and said, “Mommy wlisten.”  (Spelling on purpose)  Needless to say she got my attention.

As this baby girl of mine grew she got better at getting my attention. Her father and I being in ministry were often caught up in crowds of people.  Lots of people would be talking or trying to get our attention or one another’s.  Naturally as big crowds do things can get fairly loud. It was never a problem for my youngest.  After a time of trying to get my attention with, “Mommy”, “Mummy”, “Mom”, she would shout at the top of her lungs, “Pastor Rena”.  Now my head would turn and I would zero in on her.  Why? That was my little girls voice but not what she would call me. It never failed to bring a sort of panic and attention.
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God is love. He speaks in a still small voice. He knows our name.  He calls us His people. However, there are times when He must get our attention. It reminds me of when Abraham was going to kill his son, knife in the air and then this thundering voice yells from heaven and Abraham just stops in his tracks. God has a way of getting our attention.  In the same way I believe we can get God’s attention.
When there is a powerful love connection between two people the bond is so great that regardless of the location or the circumstances communication can take place. I believe even the dead can be brought back to life.  Take a look at this true story.

Romans 10:13 (NIV) "for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Psalm 50:15 (NIV) "and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

Jeremiah 29:12-14Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.14 I will let you find me.” This message is from the Lord. “And I will bring you back from your captivity. I forced you to leave this place. But I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have sent you,” says the Lord, “and I will bring you back to this place.”

God hears you!

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it–the LORD is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

​In order to be disillusioned we must have illusion to begin with.  Many think we become a Christian and then we are to experience a problem free life.  This is an unreal expectation and can cause us to backslide or become disillusioned with our faith in God and even God’s people.  I heard it said better to invest our time in seeking the perfect One than in seeking perfection in a fallen world. 

The perfect One is much more concerned with our right responses to wrong circumstances, than He is in making all our circumstances right.  In this world adverse circumstances are normal. When things don’t go our way and we reach out to God then we find spiritual blessings come wrapped in trials.  I know the reason I went into ministry was of course because God called me, but many are called and few are chosen.  I answered the call because I had received so much help I wanted to make available the same help to others.

God wants to transform us all from the inside out.  When we change on the inside it manifest on the outside. You might say it is an inside out job. Only the One who lives on the inside of us is capable of bringing about that change. 

If you have been wounded, hurt, or disillusioned, there is a second chance to see things clearly and get God’s perspective.   There is hope. There is help. It is found in the word and person of Jesus Christ. You can begin to see what and how God sees and then you willl not be surprised or disillusioned.  

I've never understood a few major things in life. Before you get married you’re supposed to know nothing about sex. The morning after your wedding night everyone acts like nothing happened and everything is normal. Before you go to kinder garden they tell you treat everyone nice and share.  You go to kinder garden and you get picked on or worst yet beat up.

Bottom line is nothing is as it seems. So what do we do about it?  Prepare for things ahead of time but wait for your time. Recently we planned to go on a twenty one day fast. In preparation for the fast we got rid of everything we couldn’t eat for the next twenty one days.  Because we prepared properly for the fast the fast was successful. At the end of twenty one days we could eat whatever we wanted again. Only problem was when the fast was over we couldn’t just eat what we wanted with ease. There were side affects. When all of the sudden you can have what you couldn’t have most of the time you’re not ready for it.  We learn by experience, and sometimes experience is painful.

John 16:23 (NIV) ""I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 

No one can prepare us for all that is ahead—except God.  He knows what the future holds. Do things His way and you will know the way. True no one knows about tomorrow but we know who holds future.

Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) “Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.’

Relationships now that’s a hot topic. Am I really going to go there? Yes, I am.  I tend to see the humor in things and this word actually makes me smile. Think about it. I see in pictures so when I look at this word I think relations in or on a ship. I can see how couples and singles and males and females would react on a ship in good times and in bad. Run out of food on a ship and relations with one another would drastically change.  Have beautiful weather, great music, lots of delicious food and again relations with one another would change again. Rocky waves and storms can cause a good relationship to go bad quick.

That being said when we run into storms of disagreement, bad health, no finances, unwanted pregnancy , or the inability to conceive, it can be the perfect storm. Because of our past, our personality, our temperament, our biological age or even our emotional age, the way we respond or react can be very different compared to the person we are in relationship with.  Like a tea bag sometimes we don’t know what’s in another person until the temperature gets turned up.

1 Peter 3:7 (NIV) “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
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This is pretty heavy stuff men.  You treat your wife bad and your prayers get hindered.  No man in his right mind wants that.

Hebrews 12:14 (NIV) “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord...”

Romans 12:18 (NIV) “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

When we read these scriptures the choices of how we deal with relationships is up to us.  I remember hearing, “Dead dogs don’t bite.” The more dead we are to the way people treat us the better able we are not to bite.  In order to pursue peace with all people so we will see the Lord we must be dead to the flesh—how we feel, what we think, what she said, what he did, etc., etc.

So how do we die and still live? I’ve got to be honest with you it’s a daily trip to the cross and a daily washing in the water of the word. How do I do that you may be asking?

• Refuse to react rather choose to respond.
  • By waiting 24 hours or however long you need before giving a response. Tell them you will get back with them.
• Go to God and ask Him to define the issue to you and for you to be able to see the situation as He sees it.
• Read the word daily. It cleanses or soul. It cleanses our perspectives and motives.

I pray this helps. The world is not worth being in if you don’t have relationships and if you have bad ones it can cause you to want to leave this world. I am asking God to show you what you don’t know that may be hurting your relationships and in turn hurting you.  Storms pass but sometimes there is damage done that needs repaired from the storm.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV) “20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

The time to read up and study healing is not from your sick bed. The time to give thanks for a body that works right is not when it no longer does. The time to be active and go where you want to go is before you can’t.  Admittedly we all take our health for granted.  It’s only after we’ve had a bout with illness do we realize how typically good we feel every day. Feel bad for a day or two and then begin to feel better and you know what I mean.

So how do we prepare for an illegal storm to hit our body? We know the truth of God’s word that tells us we are the healed. We are not the sick. Jesus already healed us. That healing was purchased for us by the striped He took upon His back. The devil came to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)  Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Amazing that both of those statements come from the same verse.  The devil tries to get us to believe that sickness comes from God to teach us something, or to use it to teach others and show that God He himself is great. What parent gives his child cancer to teach them something? (Luke 11:11)  God doesn’t give what He doesn’t have and He doesn’t have sickness and disease.  God is great and He does not need to use anything the enemy has to teach us anything.

James 1:17 (NIV) "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Study now. Don’t wait until it’s too late to do what God has called us to do all along.
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2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV) “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Stop by tomorrow for part 4 in our series and read about relationship storms.
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Being storm ready demands that we be prepared ahead of time. Sometimes we must spend money on things we don’t want but we need to function properly when the storm comes. An example would be insurance premiums. We purchase insurance and then pray we don’t need it. We purchase snow tires and then pray it’s a mild winter and we won’t need them. It is the same with our finances. There is a story in the Bible about wise and foolish virgins. (Matthew 25) Notice they purchased oil for their lambs ahead of time. They wanted to make the preparations that would sustain them until the bridegroom came. When we build financially strong we need to know we are in obedience to God and as we said in yesterday’s Blog, “When we do our part, He will do His part.”

Luke 6:49. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.

It doesn’t matter what the stock market is doing or not doing. What matters is what God is saying to you. I don’t play the lottery but if I got a word from the Lord to go play, I would be at the nearest gas station or grocery store buying my ticket. God does not leave things to chance. He set up laws on the earth and we can chose to work with them and teach others to do the same, or we can work against them and suffer great consequences.

God said, “Owe no man nothing except to love him...” When we are debt free it sure is easier to love. Studies have found couples that fight over money are miserable. Maybe they still love one another but they could end up divorced because of fighting over finances. Few things bust up a marriage more than money or the lack thereof.

Prepare like a financial storm is coming—because one is. Then pray we don't have one.

It’s that time of year again here in West Virginia.  I have no idea how far this Blog reaches or what part of the world you are reading this.  What I do know is that we all have seasons in our life. We have seasons of plenty and seasons of lack, seasons of joy and seasons of mourning, seasons of being young and prayerfully of being old.

This definition of the word “Season” from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

"A period of the year characterized by or associated with a particular activity or phenomenon <hay fever season>: as (1) :  a period associated with some phase or activity of agriculture (as growth or harvesting) (2) :  a period in which an animal engages in some activity (as migrating or mating) (3) :  the period normally characterized by a particular kind of weather <a long rainy season> (4) :  a period marked by special activity especially in some field <tourist season> <hunting season> (5) :  a period in which a place is most frequented"

So right now we are in our Winter Season. The weather is harsh. Winter is a lot more work than our other seasons in many ways. It’s dirty and uncomfortable in the winter.  Some experience depression because of the limited amount of sunlight. The temperature swings are severe.  We can be extremely cold and the next minute sweating.

Life in Christ is like this. We have to be ready for whatever the storm brings. We have to be dressed. (Do you have your robe of righteousness on?) We have to have gas in the car and groceries in the house. (Are you spiritually feeding yourself and filling up on the Holy Spirit?) Tires on the car. (Vehicles speak of ministry so are you paying your tithes and giving offerings?) Even in the summer the grass needs mowed. In the fall the garden needs harvested and perhaps food preserved, school books or clothes purchased. Yes, in our spiritual life we have to work harder at different times. The work may change but in each season we have things that are required disciplines that will cause us to weather the storms that we encounter. The tougher and longer the season the more preparations that we must make.  We can’t be lazy and not study healing and then battle the storm of sickness and disease successfully when it comes.  The Lord wants us ready ahead of time.

2 Timothy 4:2 (KJV) “2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”

Sometimes we have to preach to our self. Get in the word and get the word in us because the storms of life will come. Those that are ready will weather the storm successfully and perhaps even help others who are caught in the storm.

Trust in the Lord if you do your part He will do His part.

Job 30:22 (KJV) "You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride; And You dissolve me in a storm. 

Proverbs 10:25 (KJV) “When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.”

As you read this Blog today please take a moment to listen to this song and allow the Lord to minister to you.

We all have filters. No I’m not talking about the kind that filters our blood or our kidneys. I am talking about the ones we subconsciously use to filter what people say to us. The Bible tells us to renew our minds daily. (Romans 12:2) When we renew our minds it can replace the old dirty filters, clogged filters, faulty filters and give us healthy clean ones. We are to do this daily, not every not every three months.  Let me give you an example. Someone may say they are cutting fat from their diet and increasing their intake of vegetables and fruits. If we have had a weight problem all our life and people have mentioned things to us over the years about our weight then our filter may be take what that person has said and internally hear you are addressing that they should do the same thing. Their feelings are hurt. They don’t think you understand how hard they try to lose weight. Now they are offended.  All you wanted to do was share what you are doing friend to friend, brother to brother or whatever the case may be.

How do we navigate conversations from becoming a tangled web of misunderstandings? Ask questions. Be direct. Yes, these both can help but it also pays great dividends to read proverbs. It is also helpful get some good books on personality types or temperaments. Then when the conversation is over ask the other person for feedback and watch their body language and eyes. The Bible tells us our eyes are the windows to our souls.

Matthew 6:22 (NIV) “"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”

In the busy world in which we live it is difficult to say the least to communicate.  It becomes increasingly difficult the more people we have in our lives.  Make every effort to be present when engaging with others.  Finally pray. Begin your day with the one who made us all and ask Him to be present in all you say and do. He is faithful to never leave you or forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

We all have filters. No I’m not talking about the kind that filters our blood or our kidneys. I am talking about the ones we subconsciously use to filter what people say to us. The Bible tells us to renew our minds daily. (Romans 12:2) When we renew our minds it can replace the old dirty filters, clogged filters, faulty filters and give us healthy clean ones. We are to do this daily, not every not every three months.  Let me give you an example. Someone may say they are cutting fat from their diet and increasing their intake of vegetables and fruits. If we have had a weight problem all our life and people have mentioned things to us over the years about our weight then our filter may be take what that person has said and internally hear you are addressing that they should do the same thing. Their feelings are hurt. They don’t think you understand how hard they try to lose weight. Now they are offended.  All you wanted to do was share what you are doing friend to friend, brother to brother or whatever the case may be.

How do we navigate conversations from becoming a tangled web of misunderstandings? Ask questions. Be direct. Yes, these both can help but it also pays great dividends to read proverbs. It is also helpful get some good books on personality types or temperaments. Then when the conversation is over ask the other person for feedback and watch their body language and eyes. The Bible tells us our eyes are the windows to our souls.

Matthew 6:22 (NIV) “"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”

In the busy world in which we live it is difficult to say the least to communicate.  It becomes increasingly difficult the more people we have in our lives.  Make every effort to be present when engaging with others.  Finally pray. Begin your day with the one who made us all and ask Him to be present in all you say and do. He is faithful to never leave you or forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Today while driving to my dentist appointment I saw an owl. Now I’ve grown up in the hills of West Virginia and lived here all my life. Rarely have I seen an owl that wasn’t in captivity. Today this big bird was just sitting on a limb of a tree.  I guess the reason he stuck out was that everything was covered with a light dusting of snow. The white back drop caused this guy to really stick out. I mean hey, it was early in the morning and I’m typically not a morning person. I hadn't even had my tea as I brushed my teeth for this appointment I was headed to.

When I got home I began to rehearse my day. The dentist is usually not the highlight of a person’s day nor is visiting or sitting with someone in the hospital. So, I was having trouble being “Thankful” for my day. What am I going to write on that people will want to read and be worth their time and effort?

The owl came to mind. I looked him up and found out he was an Eastern Screech Owl.  I was wondering how I even got sight of him?  It was the snow. The blanket of white was showing off everything.  Jesus is coming back after a spotless bride. (Eph. 5:27)

Revelation 21:1-2  (NIV) “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.”

We are going to stand out against a dark world. It will not be hard for others to spot us. When you stand out you can become a target. I prefer to stand out and be called a beacon. Like a Light house we can be spotted by ships about to hit danger. It is about time we get spotted. It is a rare sight to see Christians today. We are there but God is about to show up and show off and we my friend are part of the show!

The owl is a symbol of wisdom. The world is about to seek out that wisdom.

James 3:13 (NIV) “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

Remember Elmer Fudd on Buggs Bunny?  "What you can see when everything is white is right."  We have been washed with the Blood of the Lamb and when that happens--we stand out!