Spring has sprung!!!!  Yeah for SPRING!!!!!  If you read my earlier post you know I do not like cold weather and I really enjoy warmth.  Well, in honor of an early spring I started spring cleaning at the church a week early.  Now, before you get too excited and think wow Alex is really on the ball!  Let me just clue you in.  I have been saying for about a year and a half(probably longer if I am honest), “I am going to clean and organize the sound room.”  ”I really need to get over there and clean up that sound room.”  ”This sound room needs an overhaul!”  Can you guess where I started cleaning?  Yup!  In the sound room.  I think it looks and feels a lot better!

When you take on a cleaning project the good thing about it is the neat things you find along the way.  Have you ever did an overhaul in your house or bedroom and come across those random objects that bring good memories, maybe old pictures or home videos you haven’t seen in a while.  Perhaps you come across something important that you misplaced and when you find it your so ecstatic that you think you won the MEGA MILLIONS! [don't forget to tithe if you won, ]  Finding old stuff like this is one of the benefits of rolling up the sleeves and getting busy about that cleaning project!

Well during my project today I found something that was stuffed in the bottom of box with old CDs, a bunch of cables, and cassette tapes (remember those things? – I still have a few! My girls love them too, NOT!).   What I found intrigued me.  It stirred something in my heart.  It made me have the same feeling like when you lose something and you find it again.  It brought back all kinds of dreams and feelings of joy that life can tend to dull because we get covered with the world’s dust.  I thought if the thing I found would do this for me, maybe it could do it for you!  So, here it is I would like to share it with you!  I hope that it stirs in you what it stirred in my heart today!

THE FELLOWSHIP COMMITTED TO DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES

I am a part of the fellowship committed to doing “WHATEVER IT TAKES.”  I have the Holy Spirit Power.  The die has been cast.  I’ve stepped over the line.  I am out of the comfort zone.  The decision has been made.  I’m a disciple of His.  I won’t look back, let up, slow down, or back away.  My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.  I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chincy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, or popularity.  I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.  I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power.  My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.  I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, or burn up – till I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.  I am a disciple of Jesus.  I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops.

And when He comes to get His own, He’ll have no problem recognizing me because I have dedicated my life to being a part of the fellowship committed to doing

WHATEVER IT TAKES!!!

This was written by a young African Pastor and it was taped to his wall in his home.  Let’s be a part of this fellowship!  Amen!

I am a big fan of brownie batter.  I am also a big fan of coffee.  And I am becoming a bigger and bigger fan of God’s timing.

While baked brownies are lovely, I believe that brownie batter is better.  (Don’t give me the salmonella lecture….I leave out the egg if I’m going to eat the batter instead of bake the brownies.)  Some wonderful things in life need to be enjoyed right away, with no fancy preparation that would mess with the texture.

Coffee is…

Ahh! Where do I begin?

Coffee is wonderful.  I’ll leave it at that.  But coffee that’s right out of the coffee can is not so nice in my cup.  First I need to prepare it, adding the water, letting it heat up, waiting for it to brew, and THEN lifting that aromatic mug to my lips.

God has the right timing for everything in our lives.  We need to let Him move us forward at the right moment and hold us back a little while when the time just isn’t right yet.

Like brownie batter, some opportunities will be diminished if we wait too long or mess with things too much.  The time to stop and listen to a grieving friend is NOW.  The time to say, “Thanks, God” for whatever good thing your just noticed is NOW.  The time to ask for divine guidance when making a decision is NOW.  Don’t wait to plan a lunch date with a grieving friend, or schedule a formal prayer time of thanksgiving, or try things in your own wisdom and check with God if it doesn’t work out so well.

Like coffee, some opportunities will be gritty and bitter if we rush the process.  It’s good to WAIT when a sharp retort comes to our mind in a difficult discussion; God will give us the word that speak the truth in love if we will hold back that reaction.  It’s good to WAIT when we see unanswered prayers in our lives; God will open our eyes to see the way in which He has already answered if we give it time and trust.  It’s good to WAIT when making a decision that still seems really murky; time quietly listening for His still, small voice of truth will keep us from impulsive disaster.

God’s timing is often not in sync with the timetable we have created in our own limited understanding.  Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time and a season for everything under heaven.

When we SEE and KNOW what His word says to do, we should never hesitate.  The time is NOW.

When we are UNSURE, we should never rush.  It is good to WAIT.

Would you like some coffee with your spoonful of brownie batter?

This week I am blessed to spend time with our friends from Florida, with the primary focus of taking our grandson Landen to Disney world.  So much to do and see, fun with the characters, amusement rides, and just plain getting to spend time together unfettered by the daily drudge.  What a wonderful week!!

One thing that I really enjoyed was the evening parade.  At 9:00 pm, Disney World dims the lights in the park and presents the Main Street Electric Parade.  Floats and characters parade by with lights and music, dancing, and waving to all of the children watching.  So many wide eyed faces enjoying the finale of a day of fun and excitement.

I must say that I really enjoyed it.  For me, the best part was watching Landen wave to Peter Pan, giving a ‘donkey boy’ a high five, and generally having his face light up at the whirling illuminated snail, turtle, and other floats.  The wonder of a child seeing an exciting world unfold right in front of him.

Luke 18:17 – Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.  

There are so many amazing things to see in God’s world; beautiful sunsets, the leaves in fall, the flowers in spring, the tiny hands of a young baby, the healing of a friend, and so many others.  Instead of having a feeling of awe and wonder about my creator, I see the things that make me lose heart or become discouraged.  Too many times I miss the things in life that God has put there for my enjoyment and to point me toward Him because I am seeing things through my corrupted eyes.  Eyes changed by the cares of this world and my lack of focus on the one who created me.

The parallel gospels all have the story of Jesus rebuking his disciples and telling them (and therefore us) that we need to stop seeing the world through our eyes and start seeing it through the eyes of a child.  I particularly like Matthew 18:3 because it says that we must change or be converted to be like little children.  Change that can only happen with the practice of putting my eyes on the author and finisher of my faith.

 My prayer this week is that we would all begin to see with the eyes of a child the wonder of what God has done for us, the world he has created for us, and that we would receive the gifts he has given us with the wide eyed wonder of a child.

Recently I heard a message by Pastor Jud Whilhite,  of Central Christian Church.  His message was titled, “How to deal with the roller coaster of ministry”. (click here to hear the message) In this message Pastor Jud speaks to church leaders on how to deal with the ups and downs of ministry and how to stay grounded.  As I listened to this message I began to think how much his message not only applies to ministry, but life.

Here are the principles that Pastor Jud offers to help us stay grounded:

1. Do a gut check: Examine our heart.  What are our ambitions?  What are the things that motivate us? The challenge is to be real with ourselves and determine if we are motivated by our own selfish actions and ambitions.  Are we living to please ourselves or God?
2. Stay a little crazy for God: Have a heart passionate for Christ that would cause us to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  Take personal risks for the glory of God. Get out of our comfort zone.
3. Be compelled by Christ love: We need to remember that our new life in Christ can compel us to live a life dead to ourselves and alive in Christ.  Remember what the love and grace of Christ has done in your heart and life.
4. Focus on the task of reconciliation: Our job as believers is to bring others to reconciliation with God.  When we focus on reconciliation, God will provide opportunities for us to share the gospel message with unbelievers.

At the close of the message Pastor Jud reminds us that in order to stay grounded we are not to look for the spectacular, but to have a faithful and sincere heart before God.

Listen to this verse:

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy  and to walk humbly^[a] with your God.

I agree with Jud as each of us pursue to have a faithful and sincere heart before God, we will then experience His spectacular love and grace in our lives each day.

If you have some time listen to the message in its entirety.  46 minutes is all you need.  Time well spent.

Want to sing that new song from Sunday’s worship service again?  It’s by Steve Fee, and here’s a video of his recording of it.  Be blessed, and sing REAL LOUD next Sunday when we sing it again!

May we never forget that JESUS is the point…He is our source and our goal!

This post first appeared January 6, 2012 on www.7sistershomeschool.com.  On Fridays at the 7 Sisters website, we like to link up to a mom named Lisa-Jo and all the writers over at her site, www.thegypsymama.com for a 5-minute blog.  5-Minute Friday blogs mean that mean Lisa-Jo picks a prompt word, and I do my best to write for 5 minutes on that word without overthinking or editing myself…..just write!

The prompt word on January 6, 2012 was:  Roar. 

Here’s what I came up with in 5 minutes!

=================================================

I’m a word-geek.  I love to play with words.

One of my favorite words is PRAYER.

If you get goofy with the spelling and the pronunciation, it can become -

PROAR!

What would 2012 look like if you were livin’ on a PROAR instead of just a wimpy prayer?

How does prayer become PROAR?  Add your voice to the voices of other believers!

I read a really interesting book a few weeks ago called Lioness Arising by Lisa Bevere.  In it, she examines lionesses and their habits, and applies those images to the life of believers.  The roar of a lioness is mighty, but when the other lionesses in her pride raise their voices with hers, the sound is mind-boggling.

When I pray alone, it is mighty.  Conversation with the God of the universe has unlimited potential.  But my praying becomes PROARing when I pray with other believers.

I pray with my husband, faithfully, all the time.  It is the only thing that has preserved what little sanity we have!

I pray with my kids.  We don’t do little “token” prayers, we sit together and talk to God about the stuff that’s bothering us, the stuff we’re longing for, and the stuff He’s laid on our hearts.

I pray with other homeschool moms.  I cannot find words (word-geek that I am!) to describe how praying with these other women has changed me personally, and changed our little world over the years.

I pray with the kids I get to teach in day-school classes, co-ops, drama camps, and anywhere else we find ourselves together.

I pray with my church.  I see amazing things happen in the lives of others even while I am impatiently waiting to see God’s answer to my own concerns.

I pray with others around the world.  The internet allows me to join in to the PROAR being voiced around the world.

Will you join me?

Let’s live life in 2012 on a PROAR!

by Pastor Alex

Yes, winter is here!  Although we have not had much snow in the Delaware area, the cold air has truly arrived.  One unique distinction about winter is the need for heat.  Across the nation as winter sets in, fireplaces all over begin to blaze with hot coals and bright flames providing families with necessary warmth.  There is such an affinity to fire during this time of the year.  We load up on wood, pellets, or coal.  We clean out the chimney, and open the flue.  We crumple the newspaper, and place the kindling on the grate. Then we strike the match, place it to the paper, and watch the small flame burst into a blazing fire. My how we adore the glow and enjoy the heat radiating from our fireplaces.

If you are anything like me, you do not enjoy the cold.  I don’t like to be continually bombarded with the frigid air, and especially in the morning crawling out of my nice warm bed with extra covers on top!  The cold is a reminder of our need for heat and to regulate our body temperature to prevent us from slipping into a severe state of hypothermia.

It is interesting to find the unique parallel between our physical bodies and our spiritual life.  I am reminded of Paul’s exhortation to Timothy when Paul instructs his young son in the faith to fan into flame the gifts in him.

1 Timothy 1:5-7(NIV)

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.  For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Paul is instructing Timothy to remember the gifts that are in him are for a specific purpose and they need to be fanned like a fire.  God has imparted to each of us power, love, and self-discipline.  In order for these gifts to be present in our lives we have to do a couple of things.  We have to get rid of  the worldly build up in our lives (clean the chimney/open the flue).  We have to read His word for fuel for our spirit (gather wood). We have to make preparation for God’s presence in our lives (crumple the paper/ arrange the kindling).  We have to pray and interact with God (strike the match / place it to the paper).  Lastly, we have to allow God to consume every part of our lives (watch the small spark turn into a blazing fire).

If we do this on a continual basis then we will prevent ourselves from falling into spiritual hypothermia.  Hypothermia is an awful state that could take our very life. As a follower of Christ, at the first sign of feeling cold or indifferent towards the things of God, we need to stir up His gifts in each of us.  We need to be on guard against that spiritual enemy we call apathy.  Apathy, like the cold air, allowed to go unchecked in our lives will eventually destroy us and render us powerless in our lives spiritually and physically.

So, the next time you are warming yourself by the fire, I encourage you to remember God is a consuming fire. He wants each of us to not live a cold spiritual life.  But, He would rather us fan into a blazing fire the gifts that He has deposited in each of us.

What are some things that you do to prevent spiritual coldness from setting in, in your life?

My parents named me.  Your parents probably named you, too.

My birth certificate says that my name is Sabrina Gay Culley.  (Just save the jokes…I’ve heard them all before.  It was a long time ago, and my parents wanted me to be a happy child.)

The first name was one my folks chose for me.  Personally, I like it.  There’s that classic poem titled “Sabrina Fair.”  There have been a couple of cute movies called “Sabrina.”  And it’s pretty unusual, so I don’t meet a lot of other Sabrinas.  That satisfies the unique streak in my personality.

(We’ve already agreed to skip the middle name, so let’s move on.)

My last name was my father’s family name.  I grew up in a college town, and from time to time I would meet someone and they would say, “Are you Dr. Culley’s daughter, the classics professor?”  Yup, that’s me!

We all start with a name that was given to us, usually by our parents.  But over the years other people name us.

Maybe a close friend gives us a nickname.  I was Bree all through high school.  About ten years ago a friend started calling me Savvy and it stuck.

Maybe a sweetheart gives us an affectionate nickname.  Fred calls me Lovey.

My kids call me Mom, my students call me Mrs. J, and my mother-in-law calls me Babydoll.

But what about the names we receive that cause us pain or fear?

What if someone names you Stupid?  Fat?  Ugly?  Annoying?  Loser?  Screw-up?

How about the more subtle “names” we can be given?  Many years ago, I was told by a man I respected that I was bound for trouble because I was intelligent and articulate…he said that men don’t like that in women, and I’d better remember my place.  I am still working through the healing process from the damage he did with that name.

I know men who have been told that they are selfish and undependable when all they did was refuse to give in to another person’s utterly unreasonable demands.  I’ve seen them walk in fear of their own judgment for decades because of it.

Do you know people who were given names that were harmful to them?

Have you ever been named in a way that damaged you?

Revelation 2:17 has a really interesting phrase in it.  Jesus is talking to believers, and He promises that to the Christian who overcomes sin and lies in the world around him — who doesn’t buy into the stuff that surrounds us because it is contrary to the word of God — He will give a white stone with a new NAME written on it, a name that only the believer will know.  I think He’s promising me a deep, deep knowledge of His personal relationship with me as His bride.  Just like I took Fred’s name when I married him, I bear the name of Jesus Christ because of His great love for me.

All through the book of Isaiah there are promises that the children of God will be given a new name by Him.  He will call us what we SHOULD be called, according to His unique design in us, His great love for us, and His perfect plans for us.

I liked having my dad’s family name when I was a kid; it was nice to know that people knew I was Dr. Culley’s kid, and he was a good guy, so they were happy to meet me.  I was excited to take Fred’s name when I married him; I liked knowing that I was publicly recognized as his wife.

I don’t like some of the other names that people have tried to pin on me over the years, but I don’t have to bear those names if I realize they aren’t true.  I have been given a NEW NAME by the Lord Jesus Christ.  I have been called Beloved.  I have been called Daughter.  I have been called Righteous.

I think I’ll stick with the names He chose for me.  How about you?

SO many blessings!  Over the course of our lives we receive so many blessings.  Blessed with health.  Blessed with a home.  Blessed with a family.  Blessed when I serve.  Blessed to live in a country where I can worship Him freely.  Blessed when I seek Him.  Blessing upon blessing.

These blessings are typically plainly seen.  A house, a car, food on the table, or the computer I am typing on are all physical things we can touch and see.  We can enjoy the company of a wife and enjoy the relationships we have with our children and grandchildren.  When we are sick, we know when God has restored us to health.

Psalm 103 says:

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy Name.  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. 

Forgiveness, healing, redemption, love, and strength as in our youth are all described as benefits the Lord provides.  And it is good and proper that we remember these things and thank Him for his intervention in our lives.  David recognized in Psalm 18 that God was his rock, fortress, deliverer, his shield and the horn of his salvation.  Remembering all of these benefits, in verse 49, David says:  “Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name.”

Do a quick word search in the bible for the word ‘thanks’ or ‘give thanks’.  We are directed to give thanks for the remembrance of His name.  For His mercy.  For His wondrous works.  Because of His righteous judgments.  We have been given so much, and therefore we have much to be thankful for.

But what about the things that didn’t happen?  At this point you might be wondering “Why should I be thankful for things that didn’t happen?”  Let me explain.

Galatians 3:13. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) 

Deuteronomy 28 lists these curses as poverty (your basket and your kneading bowl), cursing your family (the fruit of your body), cursed health (boils, tumors, scabs), your relationship (someone sleeps with your spouse), and so many other things.  We have been spared from all of these things, things that DIDN’T happen because of our relationship with God.  Things that might have happened but, because we are redeemed, they never occurred.

Specifically what I was protected from I will probably never know.  But I will praise Him and give Him thanks anyway for the things that didn’t happen, for the hedge He has placed around me (Psalm 139) that I can’t see but is there nonetheless.  And I will give thanks for the Things that DIDN’T Happen!

We sang a new song during the worship service this past Sunday, Aaron Keyes’ “Sovereign Over Us.”

The idea of sovereignty is really intriguing to me.

The definition of sovereign says that something is “possessing supreme or ultimate power.”

Here are the lyrics to that song we sang:

V1
There is strength within the sorrow, There is beauty in our tears
You meet us in our mourning, With a love that casts out fear
You are working in our waiting, Sanctifying us
When beyond our understanding, You’re teaching us to trust

CHORUS
Your plans are still to prosper, You have not forgotten us
You’re with us in the fire and the flood
Faithful forever, Perfect in love, You are sovereign over us

V2
You are wisdom unimagined, Who could understand Your ways
Reigning high above the heavens, Reaching down in endless grace
Youʼre the Lifter of the lowly, Compassionate and kind
You surround and You uphold me, Your promises are my delight

BR
Even what the enemy means for evil
You turn it for our good, You turn it for our good and for your glory
Even in the valley You are faithful
Youʼre working for our good, Youʼre working for our good and for your glory

Words & Music by Aaron Keyes, Bryan Brown, and Jack Mooring.
 Copyright (c) 2011 Thankyou Music (admin. worldwide by worshiptogether.com  songs excluding Europe, which is admin. by kingswaysongs.com) (PRS) 

What I see around me are circumstances.  Some of them I can control, some I can affect, and some I can’t do a blessed thing about!

What I often fail to see is God and His supreme and ultimate power over my circumstances.

My financial struggles?  God can provide the money I need.  He can remove bills that are hanging over me.  He can give me additional chances to work for additional pay.  He can give me favor with those who seem to be in charge because they are under Him.

My health?  God can touch and heal miraculously.  He can give doctors the wisdom to treat my illness.  He can teach me to care for my body in the ways that it needs for health and strength.  He can take me home to heaven and give me a new and flawless body when the time for that is right.  Every cell of my body is under His supreme and ultimate power.

Relationships in trouble?  God can move hearts that appear to  be made of stone.  God can move in my heart (no matter how stony or shattered it may feel!) to produce the love I need for others.  God can bring forth His wisdom through Godly counsel.  Every person who touches my life in any capacity is ultimately under His sovereign power.

When I sing this song, I am reminding MYSELF that I am under the supreme and ultimate power of a God who loves me unfailingly, who has good plans for my life, and who has promised to never leave me nor forsake me (Heb. 13:5).