Hevel

Hevel? Have you ever heard this word? I hadn’t until the last few months.  If we open the book of Ecclesiastes its the word that often gets translated as “vanity” or “meaningless,” yet hevel translates to something that means much more to me.  Hevel might include vanity or meaningless, but it is what doesn’t last.  Hevel is fleeting, its here today and gone tomorrow, like a mist.  

We’ve seen a lot of hevel in 2020.  There was this world, I never saw changing.  We did the same things year in and year out, and if I’m being honest, I began to rely on hevel.  I began to trust in the calendar and the traditions.  I began to live in the daily appointments and sign ups, commitments and extracurricular.  

There was always tomorrow.  There was always something to plan, until March 2020; suddenly, nothing was a given.  Life stopped.  Those planned moments were just gone.  There was no given timeline to live in, we were just waiting, with no idea when life would start up again.  Surely one more month and then life is normal, surely a few more weeks, surely, surely just kept going. 

I was reminded of what I’m told in the Bible.  What lasts isn’t of this world.  

James 4:13-15

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 

Now I’m living Biblically, because when my kids ask about something happening in the future, I say, I don’t know and we will see what happens.  Its a hard place to live unless you are standing firm.  

Matthew 7:24-27

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Building our lives in Christ means in the midst of a global pandemic, we are standing firm because our confidence isn’t, or shouldn’t be in the details of this world.  This world is temporary.  We are living for something greater than the minutia of life on earth.  

Matthew 6:19-21

 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

2020 revealed that many of us weren’t living out what we say we believed in.  We were in fact storing up treasures on earth instead of living for the life after this one.  

It was hevel that we were expecting to last instead of realizing and walking in the knowledge that things and moments aren’t forever.  

That can be physical things or seasons in life.  Do we take the moments with our kids, spouse, parents, friends and other family for granted?  Do we life like we have another day for fill in the blank, or do we life like we only have today?  

Let's take a look arund and ask what is hevel and what is lasting?  Are we treating hevel like hevel or hevel like everlasting?  

Before I leave you today, let me offer one more thought on the topic.  Some days I find myself saying, "God, I'm over this life stuff, just take me home to heaven! I'm done with the hevel, I just want you!" Can you relate with that? I think most Christians can.  

We are reminded that even though this life isn’t forever, our days are purposed.  Part of longing for what lasts past this earth, is understanding the connection of eternity with the hevel in the relationships with our fellow man.  All of us were made in the image of God, but not all of us know the life-changing love of Jesus.  We need to be depositing into those around us.  That is storing up treasures in heaven like we read in the Matthew passage above.  

This world is bigger than each of us as individuals, when you lose hope, look out to your fellow man and remember God has a purpose for us! Blessings this week.  

Resetting Life Expectations

Life is hard, isn't it?!  I feel like I was always looking for the time in life when it would be easy, but even in this amazing stage of life I find myself in, I am still struggling with challenges.  I wanted the white picket fence, the perfect family, house, etc.  Here I am living it and its just not the problem free reality that I envisioned and desperately hoped for as a girl.

Don't get me wrong, I love my life, but where along the way did I pick up the notion that the good life was a perfect life?  Where did I gather in the info that a problem-free existence was possible.  I've been a Christian all my life, and I've studied the Bible, but does it say that anywhere in that book?  No, in fact, it says just the opposite.  We are told about the problems of life.  It shouldn't be a surprise!

John 16:33 
"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."  

Its no accident that John 15 comes before this verse.  John 15 talks about God as the vine and us as the branches.  He discusses the vital truth of being close and connected to God to grow and thrive.   We need this truth in order to survive life. 

There was a time in my junior high days that the first chapter of Jeremiah struck me with a nugget of truth. Read part of it with me: 

Jeremiah 1:4-10 

The Call of Jeremiah
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Now go back and look at verse eight.  Do you see that word, "rescue?"  God doesn't promise we won't go through the "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day," or days as it usually goes in life, and he never promises the perfect, scripted life.  Instead he promises never to leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5-9, I Kings 8:57, Genesis 28:15, Hebrews 13:5)  and he promises to rescue.

Why does God promise that?  Because he knows when life is hard, we feel alone, defeated and inadequate. Jeremiah wasn't just some random guy having a bad day, Jeremiah was a prophet that God sent out to share his truth and love, knowing Jeremiah wouldn't be received with open arms.  He knew he would be treated badly, but he still sent him because God loves people and wants the best for them.  God also loved Jeremiah, which is why he assures him he will rescue him.

Often in scripture, God sent people on missions by giving the job description and then promising to be there.  He doesn't say it will be easy, he promises his presence, which means something when you are an all-loving, all-powerful God.  When God says he will do something, he will do it.  It doesn't matter if the promise seems impossible.  Man and God don't operate in the same realm.  He doesn't have our limitations.  In fact, our God didn't just send us, he also sent himself in the form of Jesus, who did everything he told us to do. He led by example.

Also, have you ever noticed the richest life usually comes as a result of the passage through the "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad" experiences?   The sweet life isn't being a Stepford Wife - in fact there perfect existence is in reality, no existence at all.  Messy life is the best life.

I can't finish this without reminding my Christian readers out there, that this Bible filled with people like Jeremiah doesn't just stop with the men and women in this book.  We have been given a mission.  Matthew 28:16-20 is God's mission for us.  Go read it if you don't know it, and if you do, go get reminded.  These promises are still for us today as we walk the same road that has already been walked.  As you struggle to love that woman that trash talked you, face cancer, stand up for truth in a loving way, share love with the homeless, listen attentively to that annoying talker, invite that friend to church or Bible study, be loving to a spouse that is on your last nerve and the list goes on, remember you are on a mission from God.

So what are the keys to a good life?  I think its pretty simple.

1. Know Your Mission
2. Know Your God
3. Enjoy the Beauty Amidst the Storms
4. Press On In Love

Maybe its time to throw out the childhood expectations you had for life.  I know I need to and re-calibrate what I am aiming for.  God will rescue you if you let him.  Being his means having a peace in the one true God no matter the circumstances, but it doesn't mean problem free. Sometimes I need reminded of that reality.  God loves me and he always has.  He loved the girl with the abusive stepdad, with all the baggage after divorce and abuse as much as he loves the wife and mom I am today.

Do you need to reconnect with God today?  Do you need to clarify your mission and get to know your God, your master, a little more?   Do you just need the encouragement that you aren't alone and you are seen?  Take this truth and keep on.  You are needed.  Happy Wednesday!  - Carrie

The Point of Church

Church.  Do you go? Statistics say most people don't anymore.  I have gone pretty much my whole life.  Some churches I've attended had pews, others had chairs and some even met in homes.  The building or the traditions really aren't the point.  Some people get stuck thinking those small details are crucial and they usually end up watching as their church become a sinking ship in a sea of  what once was.

What is the point of church?  Do we need to do it in a certain order? Do we need to all be together or kids in one room and adults in another?  Do we pass an offering plate or allow people to support the church via online website?  Do we sing a certain type of song or sing a certain number of songs?

The point of church has nothing to do with any of those questions, in fact when we say church, in truth, we aren't even talking about a building.

The Christian church is in fact, God's people.  Those who have chosen to accept Jesus as their Savior and work together as a body of believers.  We are the church.  I hear people all the time say something and either precede it or finish it with "I probably shouldn't say this in church," as we stand talking in the building we call "our church."  Obviously, its okay to still call the building church, but its important we know that we are the church.  Our bodies are temples for God's dwelling so the question should be about what we should do with our lives no matter where we are.

The point of church is really connection, worship of God and growing in Him.  That comes through songs and a message, but it also comes in a Bible study or small group setting.

This is an important distinction as we seek to make our "churches" places people in 2019 (soon to be 2020) will attend.

When we hold to tradition more than content, we are failing ourselves and those around us.  The content is what is important.

I recently had a discussion with a few different people on kids in church.  Many older than me feel kids need to be sitting in church with their parents during the service, and quite frankly, if a parent feels that way about their child, then I am not going to disagree.  That is their right as the parent, but I actually have a different perspective.  I want my kids to fall in love with Jesus.  I want them to learn about him, but also connect with him.  My relationship with him is not theirs' so to expect them just to carbon copy my experience is not only ill-informed, its naive.  For my kids to continue going to church, they don't need to see how I do it, and watch me sing along with worship songs or take notes, during a sermon.  They will see my faith every other day in real life.  That is what makes the impact.  I want them to learn as little kids on their level and build on that, so when its time to be in a church service next to me or in their own church as adults, they have the foundation to build on and can be seeking to grow on their own because it matters to them.

I have a relationship with God because I learned the basics, studied the Bible on my own and because I talk to God as an active part of my life.  I talk to God throughout the day and that was because I learned to as a kid.

I don't want my kids to get good at sitting in a pew (or row of chairs), but I want them to be good at going to God and knowing who he is and who he made them to be.

We do need each other and that is why church is so important.  We need to be solid on the foundations of Bible knowledge, and we need to be acting like the body of Christ, all working together as we each do our part, but how that is accomplished on a Sunday morning, really is more about the people gathering than it is about tradition.

We live in a different world than the one I grew up in, and we need to do things differently to reach and care for those around us.

If you go to church, why do you go?  Have you ever asked, "what is the point," in connection with the aspects of your worship service?  Are there things that have become more important to you  than the point?  If you don't go, and you consider yourself a Christian, do you know why you don't go?  It is important that we go deeper and ask the questions.  We need to understand the patterns of our daily living and choices.   Only then can we grow.

Why Are We Here?

Do you know why we are here?

God met with his council and said, "Let's make man in our image." (Genesis 1:26-28) This with the purpose of us ruling with Him.  Satan wasn't a fan, of course then, he was Lucifer.  He didn't want us included just like first borns don't want to share mom and dad with their new baby sibling.  As we see the story unfold in the Bible, we can see, Satan became our enemy.  (I Peter 5:8) Satan's plans and God's plans stand in direct opposition (John 10:10). 

God did in fact create us (you know obviously, because we are here).  As we see the story unfold, we see that we messed up.  Adam and Eve left the garden.  God needed a new way to see his vision happen.  His new plan came in the form of a covenant, fancy word for promise or contract, with the children of Abraham, the nation that would come to be known as Israel.  If you've read the Bible you know they also messed up, so again, God needed a new plan to accomplish his goal.

Enter Jesus.

Who was (is) Jesus?  He was God in human form - not quite the Sci-Fi shape shifters but something like that.  Because Jesus was human he had the same issues we did (Hebrews 4:15) but because he was God he was able to be the perfect sacrifice.

In order for man to rule with God and his celestial council, (I Corinthians 6:3) we needed to be perfect, but no man had been able to do that.  In the pre-Jesus days, that perfection was sought through atonement - animal sacrifice.

Satan nor anyone of Jesus' day knew He came to die.

Everyone thought he came to rule like King David had.  They were expecting a government take over.  Jesus instead came to be the final sacrifice.  (Matthew 4:1-11) His blood would atone, not only for the wrongs of the Jewish people, but for all people.  His new covenant included everyone.

Good Friday is the day Jesus died.  Jesus first incited Satan with the purpose of being killed so he could take us back from our enemy - a rescue mission.

Then came Sunday.

Satan thought he had won, but he was duped.  Easter Sunday is the day Jesus came back to life.  He conquered the grave.  (I Corinthians 15:55-57) Good Friday and Easter re-established God's plan.  We can now rule with Him!

All we have to do is: 1) Believe, 2) Receive, 3) Follow (Romans 3:23, 3:10, 5:12, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10, 10:13, 10:17).  

In essence if we made the choice to accept God's sacrifice for our life, we are accepting a royal leadership role.

When we see stories in the news about Prince Harry's upcoming wedding with Meghan Markle, we read about the ways Meghan must transition into her role of royalty.  People have been up in arms over her requirement to give us social media, and yet trading everyday for royalty does come with perks and sacrifice.

Doesn't this same thing happen for us?  If we know we have become royalty with Jesus' act of love, doesn't that motivate us to live differently?  Instead of a focus on acquiring more on earth or getting what we want, shouldn't we be looking to the needs of others as more important than our own (Philippians 2:3-11). 

Easter is coming, and we have a story to tell.  That doesn't mean we don't participate in family gatherings, Easter egg hunts or shopping for a new outfit, but we have much more to celebrate!!!  Easter is a celebration of our freedom - our emancipation from death!!!  We aren't just waiting for the day we rule but we have part of God living in us (John 14:15-17) and heaven starts now!

So why are we here?  We are here to know God and make him known.  We are here to love one another.  We are here for purposes beyond this physical world!

What is Your Kryptonite?

I am not superman, but I definitely have my own kryptonite.  I bet you do too.  Have you ever thought about what it is? 

Why even think about it?  We may not be dodging into phone booths (I know, what is that - ha!) and changing into our super outfit to save people from a nearby, evil nemesis, but you are the hero of your life, at least you should be.  You also aren't perfect so you can either be ignorant and ignore all your shortcomings or fake and pretend they don't exist, or you can put on your big girl pants and face it. 

What's my kryptonite? I'm severely easily distracted.  I mean I can be talking to you about one thing and then...squirrel!  So my phone is my enemy, because I can get on Facebook to update a group I run or add to an event and before I know it an hour has gone by and I haven't done what I went on to do. 

Knowing this about myself means I have to be intentional.  To get anything done, I must have lists and limits so that I can stay on track.  If I don't, the day will go by and nothing will have been accomplished.  If I need a vaca day then that is fine, but if my family wants to eat (aka, oops I forgot to add dinner to the crockpot or even defrost the meat), and I need to keep the internet on (aka, I forgot to pay the bills), I have to get my list done, not to mention the lists I have for my jobs and every other hat I wear (and yes, I know I do way too much, but baby steps is my pace in the better myself arena). 

Thankfully, when I focus, I can get a lot done.  I'm also great when things fall a part, I have a knack for just rolling with it and finding something that will work when a crisis takes over an event. 

The point is I must first:

1.  Know my kryptonite

Then I can:

2. Create a plan to combat it

And only then can I:

3. Slay the day :)

Do you have goals for your life or even day?  If not, get them because you are just wasting time, and if so are you doing what you need to do to accomplish them? 

Excuses are just that.  If you want to get er' done, you need a plan and that has be broken down into attainable steps.  But the plan will fall a part if you don't recognize your kryptonite and create a plan to overcome it.  Just accept that it is there and prepare yourself to knock it down or avoid it with  your patterns and plan. 

I don't know who is reading this, but I know you are a human being with a purpose.  Why not live life to the fullest?  That is what my Bible tells me Jesus came to give us - abundant life.  So what is stopping you?  The answer usually involves yourself and usually your kryptonite. 

I'd love to hear from you.  Comment, message me, and let me know if this is helping you.  I don't need to write just to have my words fill a page.  I want it to make a difference.  Is there something you would like to hear more about?  Tell me.  Introduce yourself.  I promise - I'm listening!  Happy Wednesday.  Decide what you want out of life and start your journey today.  If you already know, motivate and keep going.  God bless, my friends.  - Carrie

Maybe We've Got It All Wrong

People are stupid.  There I said it.  We chase after things that don’t really matter and fight for freedoms that damage us.  

I just don’t get it.  

Why is the “life”, the party life?  Why is it best to have the freedom to have sex with anyone?  Why is it best to fight to have an abortion when typically it wrecks our soul and leads us to make other choices that hurt us?  Why is it best to live a life that leads us to lonely places?  Why do we give God such a bad wrap for being too strict when the reality is everything he wants for us is what is best for us?  

Being in a committed loving relationship and sharing our heart in a real way is best for us - not sleeping around till you get an STD or wasting perfectly good humans to protect your right to have sex with anyone at anytime.  Sex isn’t the end all, be all of life - relationships are.  Living in freedom from addiction and knowing our true purpose is the best way to live.  

Its not freedom to drink but its being free to say no when you shouldn’t drink and free to say no to relationships that are toxic.  Its living a life free from fear of facing yourself and your inner demons but instead facing our own issues head on and moving past them.  

Yes, God has rules but he doesn’t lead with those rules.  He leads with love and when we discover who he made us to be and how we can best be like him to the world, we discover the rules are actually the path to freedom.  Each stage in life isn’t something to run from because we want what another stage has, instead its something to embrace because of what it offers us and how it prepares us for what is next.  

Then we know what is really worth fighting for because there are issues in this world worth fighting.  In knowing God we know the enemy that we fight.  We put on spiritual weapons and fight against the root, not a symptom of the problem.   

Have I just oversimplified life?  Maybe.  But when we chase after the right things then we discover so much more than we ever dreamed possible.  Humanity doesn’t need more freedom but accountability to each other so we can live in love.  Our decisions do impact others and its not just about ourselves.  

We need to focus on what matters and have frank conversations (often with people who have completely different world views) on how that can best be accomplished for the benefit of all.   I had a friend recently tell me, as we discussed issues that would have us living in opposition, that we weren’t really that different.  We saw past the labels and discussed the heart of the issues and what we saw was common ground.  That is something we need more of today.  

Do you ever stop and reflect at what is driving your positions and decisions?  Is it fear?  Is it judgement?  Is it anger?  Is it love?  Is it hope?  Is it bravery?  Where have you gone off your path?  Where have you misstepped?  Or maybe you are right on track and someone else needs your direction?  Be in community, be in relationships.  Seek God where you are, not where you will be good enough for him.  

Yes, maybe I have oversimplified because well each of these topics I’ve touched on could have books written on them highlighting all sorts of angles and caveats, but I become saddened when I see people time and time again wreck their world by overcomplicating and selling themselves short or fighting for the very thing that will kill their destiny and their soul.  

The Power of Purpose

We all encounter hardships and roadblocks and its hard at times to know what our response should be?  Do we ignore it? Do we walk through it?  Do we get discouraged?  I think the answer to those questions can be found in one word. 

PURPOSE!

In Acts 23:11 we hear God speak to Paul about his purpose.  God has illuminated Paul's ministry path (literally) from the beginning.  Each step of the way, God instructs Paul.  Here we read that Paul will preach in Rome.  So having that before him, he must have confidence that whatever stands in his way will be knocked out if it is to keep him from Rome. 

In my Bible reading this past year, when I got to a particular story and road block in Acts 28, I took great pause as this confident purpose and focus connected with my own life. 

You see Paul, who had just been shipwrecked, had not only helped everyone get to shore with the assurance that all would live, but as they sat near a campfire, he shook off a venomous snake after it bit his arm.  Those around him questioned if he was a god, but Paul was sure to point to the Savior, as the true God and source of healing and power. 

What caused me to pause, was Paul's response to the snake. 

He didn't acknowledge it. 

He didn't ask for prayer or yell for help. 

He didn't check to see if there was a doctor nearby. 

He just ignored it and kept going. 

If you know anything about Paul, you know he didn't die of old age after a long, fulfilled life.  He was martyred for his faith.  This was a man who looked death in the face and knew it was on the horizon (2 Timothy 4:6-8).  So it wasn't that nothing every stopped him.  It was his purpose instead that determined his response. 

We often don't know how to react to the roadblocks and enemies that come after us because we lack purpose.  We drift through life with the average American existence and lack any true direction. Our world (and I believe ultimately, Satan) keeps us from having this focus with the many distractions we encounter every day.  Its the greatest way to defeat us.  Without a singular purpose and focus we are drifting and often trapped in the midst of hardships that should hold no power over us. 

Paul wasn't the only one with focus. 

In "The Master Plan of Evangelism" by Dr. Robert E Coleman, we get another example of a man of purpose.  That is of course, Jesus.  I love what Dr. Coleman says (page 19) when discussing Jesus' purpose:

"Not for one moment did Jesus lose sight of his goal.  That is why it is so important to observe the way Jesus maneuvered to achieve his objective."

"He had confidence in the future precisely because he lived according to that plan in the present.  There was nothing haphazard about his life - no wasted energy, not an idle word.  He was on a business for God (Luke 2:49).  He lived, he died, and he rose again according to schedule."

I love it! 

Death wasn't the enemy, it was the avenue for life.  God, in the form of Jesus, died for us so that we might live (John 3:16). 

I've heard stories of people coming to know Jesus because they were in a specific hospital that missionaries came to visit.  Their sickness brought them before God and in the end saved their life! 

Before you can face any mountain in life, you must know your purpose so you can know if you are to conquer it or die on it.  Don't waste time by trying to conquer what you weren't meant to conquer or die on a mountain that you were destined to overcome.
 

Are you standing with me at a place ready to find deeper purpose? 

I am standing before God readying my heart to hear more about that purpose so I may know my response to each issue along the way. 

Two Things That Could Change Your Prayer Life

Paul tells us in I Thessalonians 5:16 to pray without ceasing, but what does that really look like? I will admit that there have been times in my life where that sentence seemed a daunting task. How does one pray all the time? As I have grown in my relationship with God, I can say, I understand that it is more about planning and perspective than anything else. Yes, we are to always be praying but when we are focused on Christ, isn't it easy and simple? There is a lot to pray about, the list really is infinite. It can at times become overwhelming and the overload can cause us to shut down. That is why a plan is so crucial for us to succeed in achieving a prayer life. Last month on my Facebook page I featured thirty-one days of praying for our kids. My mentor, Laurel, provided me with this list of spiritual qualities that the Bible says our kids should obtain. This list includes corresponding scriptures, and its been a great addition to my time with God. It really is too good not to share, so I chose to make a photo for each day of prayer for these qualities in our kids. That is one way to cover our kids in prayer, and the great thing is many of the qualities can be modified as targeted prayers for our spouse, a friend, other family member or even ourselves. Last spring, I got some spiral-bound index cards and fun pens and had the teens in my youth group use them for a prayer project. On one side they wrote a person or subject that needed prayer, and on the back they added bullets of ways they could pray for what was listed on the front. This is another great way to create a plan for your prayers. Another option is a day of the week topic assignment: Monday’s is our family, Tuesday’s is our church, Wednesday’s our neighborhood, Thursday’s our government, etc. However, you want to do it, is fine, but adding some order to your prayer life really covers more ground and ensures you aren’t forgetting anything. I also mentioned perspective because when we put on our prayer goggles, we see situations in spiritual terms. Tonight, after my whole family was in bed, I chose to walk some trash out to the curb to add to our cans for pick up tomorrow. As I was walking back into the house, I looked out along the street and it was quiet. I noted the absence of people out at that hour and I thought, I really should pray for my neighbors. Earlier that evening, my daughter and I went for a walk and I realized that would have been the perfect time to pray. Its seeing a walk as more than just a chance to get out of the house or get exercise, but an opportunity to bring those living closest before the throne of God. A simple act with powerful spiritual impact. That my friend, is perspective. Prayer perspective allows us to see beyond circumstance to the spiritual battle that rages on in the invisible realm. What would this world look like if we prayed with purpose? I can guarantee if each of us sincerely took our job to pray seriously, we would see some major changes in this world. Maybe instead of throwing opinions around on social media sites, we should be on our knees in prayer over the matters that matter most!