Hammer on Anvil '

I am not a fan of reality TV. I don't want to hear the stories of gold diggers in Alaska, or Duck Dynasties (whatever that is!), or anybody who lives in New Jersey (no offense, Jersey...just not my thing). When it comes to my relationship with God, however, the more real the better.

I want to understand the mindset of God's people from Bible times. I feel closer to Adam, David and Paul when I put myself in their very real shoes. At Christmas, my desire for reality is stronger than any time of the year. For me, watching The Nativity Story and reading about Jesus birth are as much a holiday tradition as family gatherings and decorating the Christmas tree.

Because music is such a huge part of my life, songs bring pictures to my mind. This one, in particular, touches me with the majesty of Jesus. It fits in perfectly, in my opinion, with the words the angel spoke to the shepherds: "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." -Luke 2:10-11 I hope you enjoy, and this music fills you, as it does me, with the beauty of what God has given us.

Last year we received dozens of glossy postcards from various churches proclaiming, and well, pimping their hyped holiday programs. Among the worst offenders were the flyers that boasted "face melting lasers," ample parking and comfy seats.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).

Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name! (Psalm 103:1).

We just celebrated our national day of giving thanks. I wonder how many of us took the time to ponder the immeasurable blessings that have been poured out upon us by our heavenly Father. And I'm not talking about all the wonderful tangible blessings like treasured relationships.

God has blessed me with family, friends, mentors and mentees, and staggering ministry opportunities. I never cease to be humbled by the responsibility He seems to think I can take on. Beyond that, He has blessed my husband and me materially; we live in a nice home that He has enabled us to expand to meet the needs of people who come to stay with us on a fairly regular basis.

But even if I didn't have all these tangible blessings -- even if I lived alone in a tiny apartment and had no children or grandchildren, and very few material possessions, I have reason to bless the Lord as long as there is breath in me. Why? Because Jesus has delivered me from death! Ephesians 2:6 says, "God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms" (emphasis mine). Think about that for a minute. We know that Jesus sits at the very right hand of God, and this Scripture states that we are seated right there with Him! Folks, if we had nothing else in our lives for which to give thanks, this one thing should keep us singing for all eternity.

I have a confession to make. For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with anger. Through lots of reading and sound counsel, I have learned that anger is often a defense mechanism when somebody lives in fear. That explains how it all started with me; my mother was very physically and emotionally abusive, and I remember waking up in the morning fearful of what sort of mood she might be in.

Because of the abuse, I had virtually no self-esteem growing up, which led to abuse in other venues -- most notably when a church deacon molested me. Other things happened, too, but it is not necessary to mention them all. Suffice it to say that many things have occurred in my life that would appear to justify my anger.

Now, though, my life is such that I have no legitimate reason to be angry. Yet anger from the past oftentimes rears its ugly head, and it is a constant battle to exercise 2 Corinthians 10:5 and take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. I have to remind myself regularly to "Bless the Lord, oh my soul." And I am discovering that as I lift my voice in praise to Him, anger dissipates. It is slowly losing its hold on my life, and I covet your prayers that one day it will be completely gone.

If you are given to anger or a critical spirit, or if you find yourself complaining a lot, I encourage you to begin incorporating this Scripture into your life -- a hundred times a day if necessary. When you are tempted to lose control, take a deep breath, focus on God, and say, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name!" In this Psalm, David commanded his soul to praise the Lord -- leading us to believe that he did not feel like praising the Lord. But we are not to be ruled by our emotions. Oswald Chambers says, "Take yourself by the scruff of the neck and shake off your incarnate laziness," and that is precisely what we need to do when it comes to being formed in the image of our Creator.

This week, begin by making a list of everything for which you are thankful -- most notably the gift of Jesus Christ, who has redeemed your soul from death. Ask Him to give you a thankful heart, and begin to praise Him. Though many ugly things have happened in my life over which I had no control, and I myself have done things I am not proud to admit, I echo John Mark McMillan's wonderful sentiment: "I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way that He loves us" (from "How He Loves").

Good evening everyone. I pray that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I certainly did. It was filled with family and friends and great food.

There are roughly 31 days until Christmas and I have to say that I was out with the rest of the bargain hunters looking for a good deal and I found some, but once again I heard disturbing news of people treating others with disrespect, hatefulness and disregard. These kinds of stories always hurt my heart because this is suppose to be the time of the year that we as the human race are to show loving kindness toward our fellow man. But it always seems to bring out the worst in folk.

So, I want to issue a challenge to everyone, 31 days of kindness. During this month, November, people have been writing about what they are thankful for on many of the social networks. In December, I would like for people to do a kind act toward another human being each day of the month and not tell a soul they have done it. Keep it between you, the other person and God. He sees your heart. He knows your spirit. There is no need to let everybody know what you have done. You will feel like a brand new person. Helping others helps you.

Have a very blessed night everybody!!! Love ya!!!
Cheryl

Yesterday evening, my husband went to Wal Mart. On Thanksgiving. Against both our better judgements. He was gone a total of 15 minutes when I received this from him:
He returned ten minutes later, empty-handed. "It was not worth it," he explained. "One guy told me he'd been there 30 minutes, and hadn't moved the entire time. All that for $20 off." In case you can't see very well, let me clue you in: the sign in the background proclaims "More Christmas for your money."

As the holiday approaches, relatives have begun asking the age-old question, "What's on your Christmas list this year?" I have been stymied, but also a bit proud, to see that my children cannot come up with substantial answers. Their mindset seems to be shifting away from "me" and more toward "others". I know a large part of it is their youth group--service projects abound in our ministry these days, and I can see the effect it has had on all our students. I also hope it is the product of their upbringing. I have very impatiently awaited the day when I could see evidence in their lives that they see the needs of others, and exhibit the desire to meet them.

The Lord has given us the best gift we will ever receive, and our lives are irreversibly changed by it. As we grow in Christ, may we expand our circle of influence, just has He did during His earthly life. Not out of duty, but because our minds have changed. May we begin to see people as Christ sees them, and live in such a way that we can lift others up. This type of life has rewards in store for us here and in heaven. The way service changes our lives is indescribable, and it pleases our Lord as well.

When I was growing up, singing and praying before dinnertime was a requirement. My parents wanted us to always remember that before we got to eat, it was crucial that we give thanks. I thought it was a lovely idea, because I love to sing, but I do remember how my teenage brothers snickered and rolled their eyes at this simple tradition.

Silly or not, I can still hear my Mamma's voice almost quiver as she sang with such conviction. I know now that it's because she and my Dad were still in awe on how Jehovah Jireh, God Our Provider, had so faithfully provided for all 9 of us once again.

Sure, we were poor, but in those moments, I never felt lacking. I simply felt thankful.

We stood around the table with food prepared by loving hands, and sang:

"Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say, 'I am strong'
Let the poor say, 'I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us'
Give thanks."

Let's see, Thanksgiving it tomorrow, Black Friday is just two days away, and Twinkies are on their way out. There are really plenty of topics to pick from for this week's post.

I'm going to run with Israel though. To preface this, I am not going to be taking a stand on how our nation should be responding to the continued tension and war between Israel and Palestine. All of this talk about Israel did create a nice conversation between my wife and I though.

It ended the the conclusion that we are so glad Israel is no longer the only people who receive God's blessings.

I am grateful beyond words (look at that Thanksgiving made it in this post after all) to God for opening the door for Salvation to this lowly Gentile boy.

You see... I'm not Jewish. I have no Jewish heritage at all, which means, according to the Old Testament way of living, I was not worthy. I was not a part of God's chosen people. The nation of Israel was sacrificing to the One True God and living for Him (except when they weren't, which we find a lot of in our Bibles) while my ancestors were living pagan lives.

The only way for my ancestors to be "saved" would have been to become an Israelite. They would have had to abandon their people and adopted the Israelite way of life. Everyone else was unclean. Israelites did not talk to, touch, or look at Gentiles (anyone who was not an Israelite). We were outcasts.

Then Jesus came. He changed everything! He opened up the wedding feast for us. In Matthew 22:1-10 Jesus tells of a King giving a wedding feast. He sends his servants out to bring all the people who were invited. They decided not to come and some of them even killed the servants. The King was outraged and ended up offering the invitation to those who at one time were not invited.

That's me! At one time I was on the outside and overlooked. But the people God had chosen rejected His Son. They killed Him. They killed the people who followed Him. Paul (who wrote more books of the New Testament than any other author) spent his days preaching to those on the outside...the Gentiles.

As Christians, we are God's chosen people. What I am about to say often causes disagreement, but I'm running with it. Israel is no longer God's chosen people. They do not get a free pass into heaven just for being Jewish. Jews need Jesus just as much as anyone else on this planet.

Christians are not God's chosen. We are the "nation" blessed by God. No, we are not a nation in the way the world thinks of it. We do not have a specific plot of land to call our own, but none-the-less we are a people group of one mind and one heart focused on the Savior.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;¹⁰ for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10

 That verse was said to us! How wonderful!! It is good news that God chose those who were once on the outside to now be His people. It is amazing to be offered Salvation and to have a connection with God that was unheard of before Jesus came.

This news cannot be kept a secret! Sometimes we act just like the Israelites did in the Old Testament. They were not out to convert everyone and to share God's news. Many times Christians do not go out of their way to share the wonderful news of Jesus either. We just sit in our pews (or chairs) and act content to know Jesus but not share it with anyone.

People need to know that God desires them! He desires them so much that they are now welcome into His Kingdom. What great news!

"Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you" (1 Samuel 12:23).

This story of Samuel amazes and humbles me. He boldly brought the word of the Lord to the Israelites, and usually it addressed their sin and idolatry. This particular time, they sinned against God by demanding a king to rule over them.

Samuel lets them know this sin is grievous, and they beg him to pray and ask God to spare them (again). Rather than lecturing them about how much they deserved God's wrath, Samuel encourages them to forsake their sin and truly follow God. Then he says, "Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you."

Wow. Prayerlessness is sinning against the Lord. It's not merely an admission of, "Gee whiz, my week was busy and I just couldn't fit everything in." Samuel knew his prayers for the Israelites were vital, and did not neglect to intercede for them.

According to blueletterbible.org, the word "prays" occurs 117 times in the Bible, "praying" occurs 36 times, and "prayer" 106 times. That doesn't include other ways prayer is talked about, like "seeking God" or "asking God." Suffice it to say that prayer is high on God's "to-do" list. The Early Church "joined together constantly in prayer" (Acts 1:14). Paul exhorts believers to be "faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12) and "devote" themselves to prayer (1 Corinthians 7:5; Colossians 4:2). James says "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (5:16). In Luke 18, Jesus tells a parable illustrating that we should always pray and not lose heart.

The depth of our love for Jesus is revealed in our prayer life. Superficial relationship reasons that we have fulfilled our obligation if we pray brief prayers at the beginning and end of the day, and at mealtimes. If our relationship with Jesus is intimate, however, prayer is the pulse of our lives. We are entirely given to God and His purposes, and He is free to wake us in the middle of the night to pray if He chooses. We pray little for ourselves, because God has enabled us to see the "big picture." We intercede for ministers of the gospel and for all our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we cry out to God to save the lost. We don't necessarily have set times for prayer, because we genuinely "pray without ceasing." Lifting our voice in prayer is as natural to us as breathing.

Neglect of prayer, then, is symptomatic of a seriously deficient spiritual life, and one of the major reasons that many Christians walk according to the flesh instead of according to the Spirit. A casual relationship with God is one in which we have never really encountered His holiness, and therefore have never come to grips with the depths of our own sinfulness. But when we encounter God and get a glimpse of His glory, everything changes. His holiness illuminates our sinfulness, and we cry out as Isaiah did, "Woe to me! I am ruined!" (Isaiah 6:5). When we reach this point of desperation, we realize we need not only the salvation that God offers, but constant communion with Him.

It is interesting to note that in Ephesians 6, after Paul describes in great detail the armor of God, he says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions" (6:18). Though prayer is not listed among the pieces of armor, it seems to be how Paul wraps up this section on spiritual warfare. If we hope to be effective soldiers for God, we must not be guilty of the sin of prayerlessness.

Have you ever been reading the Bible and a verse just seems to jump off the page, slap you in the face, and yell BOOM!!! ?  I had that happen the other day.  It was actually eight verses in Isaiah and they’re pretty awesome by themselves, but what really got me was that they fit in with something I’ve already been thinking about lately.  Let me explain and then I’ll share the verses.

Hello everyone!!! It has been a great day! I spent time with my church family today, good times.

What do you do when you are tempted to do the wrong thing? Do you give and let it get the best of you? Or do resist it and pray through it? Temptation is very difficult to deal with and you cannot do it alone. God has to help you through it. That is why it so important to have a relationship with Him. You need Him everyday to make it, you need Him every second of everyday to see you through.

Prayer and faith are the keys to beating temptation. You must believe that He is and that He can help you. Yhen you must take action and resist, resist, resist!!!!

Have a blessed day everybody!!!

Cheryl

On Tuesday morning, after a few days of feeling like poo, Doug got up and went to go pick up his reserved copy of some game called Black Ops 2. It's apparently a big deal and my husband is really into his game right now. And yes, eventually this torrid affair will fizzle and he will go back to talking about the lawn or a new gadget he wants to save for, but for a few days, it's fun to watch a hardworking and incredibly faithful man act like a total kid about something he simply enjoys.

I love it! I love it when my husband gets caught up in a new video game. He gets enthralled. It's adorable. And I am not being factious here. I genuinely love watching grown people get really excited about something in their lives. It can be anything. Needlepoint, gaming, cosplay, barbecue, traveling, Christmas, Halloween, parades, Lord of the Rings, tools, coupons...I dunno, something. I love watching people get excited about something that brings them joy!

Sadly, though, some of us forget to simply enjoy life. We are so busy just living that we forget to notice that life, even when it's ugly, is still oh-so-wonderful.

This is not an opinion shared by most. I remember as I kid my love for all things cute was met with jeers and snide comments. "One day you'll grow up and see that Happy Meal toy is just a gimmick, sweetie," a counselor said to me while we stopped at McDonalds on the way back from a week of church camp. All my friends were ordering huge portions of nasty food. I decided to order a smaller portion with a nice price tag and added bonus - I got a wee Cruella de Vil toy with the food. Neat! Then I had four different people try to tell me how bizarre and immature my choice was. Really? Of course it is, but I was just a kid enjoying some junk for a few minutes. I knew brussels sprouts would be on the dinner table later, but I just wanted for a brief moment to be excited and enjoy the cheap toy and junk food my parents rarely allowed me to get.

A few months back, one of my dearest, best, good friends, Katie (from KatieMade Baked Goods & Confections) came over to bring her tasty baked goods, her brilliant wisdom and her much needed humor for my weary soul. (Oh friends, everyone needs a friend like Katie. She is a friend that makes even the heaviest of hearts rejoice.) In the middle of my over dramatic tangent about something absurd, she points out that I might not be crazy, but I may just be a personality type that is not often understood. She then found a web site and, like a shrink, began to ask me questions on how I feel about various things. Ten minutes later I read the results of a profile for a INFP personality. And let me tell you: It was the closest thing I have ever read to describing me. Way to nail it, Myers Briggs personality test. The weirdest part is that even my oh-so-accurate personality profile references Star Wars. Yes, I can't even get profiled without some nerdy charm. Like I was saying, it's me to a tee.

Anyway, the point is this profile stated something that I have always held dear to my heart as a great resource. Sure, it makes me seem a tad off, or a bit kooky, but I believe God gave me this personality for a reason. The beginning description for an INFP personality type states: "INFPs never seem to lose their sense of wonder. One might say they see life through rose-colored glasses. It's as though they live at the edge of a looking-glass world where mundane objects come to life, where flora and fauna take on near-human qualities."

Whoa. This makes me sound like Alice in Wonderland, but it's the truth. That's how my head feels. I am not all rainbows and butterflies all the time, but I try to keep my head as cotton candy and Disneyland as possible. Now, this does not give me a pass on hurts and fails, but in most cases I can look past the current struggle and find something magnificent.

Children are a lot like that. Despite what is happening around them, children have this inane ability to find something fun, something good, something to hope for, even when things are falling apart.

Last week our family was passing around some stomach funk. My son Indie had been dealing with a brand of tummy yuck for days, and despite the fact he felt gross, he was still up, ready to play and, as he says, "ready for an adventure." And in between jaunts to the toilet, he was still so cheerful.

Oh Pretenders, please find that childlike joy. Let's look for good in things, instead of always being on a witch hunt. That's the point, friends, we can stop searching and planning to see evil around every corner!  And we are supposed to. Philippians 4:8 says,"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

Maybe it's time to take your statistics about this sick, sad world, and simply find something enjoyable. I hope that joy is in the Lord, but at this juncture, I will be pleased as punch to see you get excited about Black Ops 2. I just want to see that you are still able to feel, express and extend joy and excitement about something in your life. And the world needs to see that, too.

Oh honey, I get that there are evil things out there. I know there are bad people. I know good people do bad things. I further know that just because we claim to love Jesus won't stop us from being terrible humans sometimes. I know this. But this does not mean we need to stay planted in front of Fox News all day, writhing about how the world has gone to crap. Darlin', the world has been crap since people were put on it. It's nothing new, but the object of our faith is to show light and salt to a world that is so dark, bland and stale. We should try to shed light on the truth and then while adding flavor we will preserve that childlike faith in others. That's not easy, but it's vital.

"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).

I am a sinner. I am broken. I have grieved the heart of God far more than I care to admit in my five-plus decades on this planet. At times I feared that my sins were so onerous that I was beyond the reach of redemption.

The Apostle Paul might have wondered the same thing. In 1 Timothy 1:15, he marveled that, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst." When he experienced the grace of God Cecil B. DeMille style, he realized he was indeed saved, and his zeal to spread the good news to others led him to exclaim, "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16).

Yet the truth that we are free in Christ is one that many arrive at with much difficulty, if at all. We who have tasted His goodness should be walking advertisements of His joy and peace and freedom. Our light should shine so brightly that others are drawn to it, yet sometimes we forget how far we ourselves have fallen, and communicate judgment rather than love and mercy.

Christians as a whole, for example, come down very hard on women who have experienced abortion. In my years counseling these broken women, I have learned that it is difficult for them to accept God's forgiveness -- but it is even more difficult for them to forgive themselves. Satan has convinced them that what they did is so monstrous that they are beyond God's reach, and unfortunately this lie is perpetuated by church people.

The church I attend is a mosaic of colorful people, tattooed and pierced, addicted and broken. I love it because it reminds me that life is not always tidy, and that my view of what Christianity looks like may not necessarily be the correct one. As Mike Yaconelli says in his book Dangerous Wonder: "Christianity is not about learning to live within the lines; Christianity is about the joy of coloring."

It is my heartfelt and tear-soaked prayer for people to know the truth that will set them free. Not some manmade doctrine or ridiculous legalism, but the real truth -- the one that rises far above all the rest. The one that redeems their lives from the pit, when they never dreamed they had a shot at life.

May we, as Christ followers, be living examples of this truth.

Good evening everyone! I pray that you got out and enjoyed your day! I did!
I had a question posed to me from a fellow believer, can you drink alcohol and still be saved. I told her that I felt that yes you could drink a beer and still be saved. I told her that everything must be done in moderation, everything can become a sin if you let it consume you and you put it before God. Food, alcohol, money, people, shopping, anything.
Then we talked about Biblical times and how Jesus turned the water into wine, it wasn't just grape juice, the Bible says wine. the Bible says things should be done in moderation. We are not to over eat, we are not drink too much, we are not to do anything to the point of where we feel that we cannot live without it.
I like to shop, but there was a time that instead of praying and meditating on God's word, I would go out and spend money that I didn't have to make myself feel better. And when I couldn't shop, I would feel bad about it until I could. I had to ask God to help me with my problem and He did!
The point is, everything must be done in moderation and to the glory of God. So, whatever you do remember, God comes first, always!!!
Good night, have a very blessed weekend!!!
Cheryl

Hello! I am Hannah. I am new to the Hammer on Anvil blog, and I am just so excited!!! I figured you might want to know a little about me, so I'll give you a silly rundown: I am a home-schooled, middle child of seven. I met Doug at a Bible school that we still call "Jesus Jail."  We just celebrated nine years, and we have two brilliant kids, Missouri and Indie that I call the States. I like Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Captain America, and the X-Files. I make most of my clothes, and there is this quirky way about me that reminds people of a Muppet. Okay, now that is out, I am so glad to be here. God is doing amazing things in my life and I can't wait to get to know you as we get closer to Jesus. Feel free to comment and interact with the blog. Because blogs are like games and life, friends. It's more fun when you participate. Hugs!

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I was 15 the first time I was told I was not fit to serve in the church. Every Sunday the pastors would practically beg from the pulpit for more help -- mostly for the less glorious jobs of nursery duty and the Wednesday night meal. I thought, I have worked a few summers in a kitchen; surely I could serve up some casserole in the fellowship hall. So after a particularly rousing service, I wandered to the back table with all the flyers and barren sign-up sheets, grabbed a pen, and signed my name for kitchen service.

Two days later, I got the call that they no longer had need of help, but thanked me for volunteering. The next day, someone from church called my mother and asked her to help in the kitchen. I was baffled, but assumed that perhaps I was just too young, and that's why I couldn't serve. That night I went to church early with my mother, and as she helped prepare the meal, I prepared a heartfelt inquiry.

In 2 Timothy 4:12, it says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." I figure if I read the big wigs this Scripture, they would see that they should let me volunteer regardless of my age. When I got up to bring my message to the table of officials, I was even more baffled: the 13-year-old soprano choir superstar stood behind the counter, ladle in hand, serving the church she called home. If it was not my age, why was I not allowed to serve?

The next Sunday the pastor pleaded again for help. I signed up. Two days later I received yet another call saying my service was not needed, and another "Thanks for applying." That Wednesday my mother was called upon again to serve, and I was starting to see a pattern. It wasn't my age, or that suddenly there had been a surge of volunteers. It was me. I was not wanted.

Humbled, but not sure why, I confronted the person in charge of volunteers. "Hey, you keep asking for help. Here I am. Put me where you need me," I said. She turned, peering over her overly-padded shoulder, and said, "Yes, we feel that your appearance is a distraction to the comfortable, inviting place we are trying to provide. We can't have you out representing our church." I didn't know what to say to that. I had been told more than once that my quirky fashion and fondness for brightly colored hair was "prideful" and "sinful" -- but now I couldn't even help with the jobs nobody else wanted to do? Egads, church.

That was the beginning of the end. It took three incredibly painful years to realize that I would never be pretty enough for their church. I would never be what they wanted on stage, in the nursery, or anywhere else. I was not welcome. I was not wanted.

With that realization out there, I went good and crazy. I did everything I wanted to do. Believe it or not, until that point I had tried very hard to tone down Hannah. I would try to wear normal things and talk less passionately about nerdy things. I even spent a full week of my part-time dishwasher job money on a pair of name brand jeans in an effort to fit in. I tried, but even when I tried, it was still me and I was still unwanted.

So I went full Hannah crazy. I dyed my hair brighter, cut it shorter, made more silly accessories and even pierced my face. A lot. And the whole time I was physically going nutty, I was spiritually diving into the Word of God, making more time for Bible, prayer and seeking God's heart. Sad thing is, that didn't matter to the church. I had purple hair and metal in my face. I couldn't love Jesus and look like that. I was a disgrace.

Of course all this "acting out" prompted the youth pastor to call me out in front of everyone and say that "God had no use" for people like me. The following week, I told my parents I could not continue to attend that church anymore. I felt, and still feel, the saints went marching and I got trampled.

I spent the next several years turning to whatever felt good, looking for that acceptance and love I never found in the house of God. What I found is that nearly every group is more tolerant, kind and loving than the church had ever been. This made me bitter. This made me indignant. How could a group of people pollute such a profound message of grace and mercy? How could we turn that message of hope and redemption into a country club for pretty people? Friends, the Jesus I know did not come to pat the prettiest people in Polos on the back. He came here for the broken, the trampled, the sad and the dying -- and that is exactly what I am. I do not have it all figured out, but I know the church is doing it wrong. We judge sin that is different from ours. We exclude because we get uncomfortable. And we trample, because we are busy marching to a drumbeat that is all our own.

Believers, this simply will not suffice. We need to take down our privacy fences. Get to know the people around us, listen to what they need, meet their physical needs and then pour more love, more grace, and more mercy upon a world we so love to hate. Why? Because God so loved the world!

I believe there is a Redeemer and I believe all my hurts, failures and falls have brought me to the margins where all the trampled have been cast aside. I am here because Jesus is here. I tried to march with the saints and was told I wasn't even fit to serve them. I turned to the Bible and saw that Jesus didn't march with the saints either -- He hung out with sinners. Jesus, friend of sinners, met me there among the bitter and broken, and loved me where I was. And when I was ready to walk again, He gave me the grace to carry on.

Ten years later, I am still walking. I have not arrived, but Jesus led me to a group of believers, a church full of sinners, that loved me, met my physical needs and allowed me to serve. Together we are transparent, praying for each other, building one another in love and giving mercy to all who are weary from the road less traveled. Sure, we still fail and fall, but we get back up, rebuild broken pieces, and keep on walking towards a Light that never goes out.

Friends, let Jesus meet you where you are. Invite His light to illuminate the dark, ugly places where we like to hide our hurts and fears. Let Jesus heal and save you. Walk with Jesus and find a church that wants to know and love you, regardless of the baggage that you carry.

If you have been burned by believers, trampled by the saints, and lost in the shuffle, I want you to know there is a Redeemer. You are important. You are not a lost cause. There is a Love that will not let you go. Please come, "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). I know the church has left a bitter taste, but Jesus is not found there. Please, open up your mind and lift up your heart to the Lover of your soul, the Friend to sinners, the Redeemer of life. I assure you it will not be easy. God does not make your life easier, but He redeems the things that don't make sense. I don't have all the answers, but the answer I always get from the Lord, and that is more love. More love, more light, more grace to the world that God loves so much.

As I write this, President Obama has been projected to win the election. Not all the states are in, and it's just a projection, but it is certainly looking like he is going to be serving another 4 years.

I found out this information by checking a couple websites, but really the only site I needed to turn to was Facebook. Already, after only about 30 minutes of this news, my news feed has blown up with election statuses. 

These statuses are anything from "YES!!! WE DID IT! HE WON!" to "I'm so incredibly disgusted. Our nation will never survive." It is a little funny to me because some of these statuses are by 8th grade students who never show interest in our political process until the states start changing colors on their TVs. 

Now, I went to the polls today and voted. I colored in the little bubbles and slipped my paper into the neat little box. I had in mind who I would have liked to see in office (not just for President). But I am not freaking out one way or another (some I voted for have been elected and others have not). Some people may tell me that is because I'm ignorant and uninformed. Some will say I just don't care enough. 

I think it is because I have a God who is bigger than our political process. My God has not ceased to be in control just because one person has been put into office and another has not. Check this out:

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. (Romans 13:1)

Paul wrote this verse during a time when Christians were being persecuted by the government. Caesar wanted himself to be the only "god" people worshiped. He was a terrible person, who committed terrible evils. All you have to do is look at history. People being dipped in tar, crucified and lit on fire to light the streets; the Colosseum, and blaming Christians for the burning of Rome were all things the government did.

Yet Paul still says to be in subjection and that there is nobody in power, except who have been established by God. For me, that is encouraging. It may seem random, or contrary to God's will that a person is in power, but that is not what Scripture tells us.

There is a reason certain people have been elected today. Take heart in knowing that God is still in control.

 I'm not going to tell you what to do politically now that the election is over. What I am going to tell you to do is pray, and I don't mean that stupid "pray that his days may be few" prayer. What happens if you are so busy praying that his days are few and then someone else even worse takes his place? Or what happens if her days are few because she is killed without ever knowing our Savior? Please use wisdom.

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

 Pray for our leaders, that God's will be done. Pray that if they do not know the Savior, that they respond to the salvation God offers.

I'm not worried. My God is so much bigger and has proven He is still in control. We may not understand the outcomes of this election, but I guarantee that this didn't catch God by surprise.

Keep living out your faith. Keep spreading the gospel.

And pray with wisdom.

Good evening everyone! I pray that you have had a restful and blessed weekend so far.
The beginning of November, Thanksgiving month. Several years ago I read in a popular magazine that many people keep a gratitude calendar during this month. Each day on the calendar they write down one thing they are thankful for in their lives. I now see that the world has upgraded to posting daily statuses on Facebook and Twitter of how thankful people are.
Although it is wonderful to give thanks for the things you have in your life and for just life itself, but why wait until November to do it? It  should be a 365 day a year thing, giving thanks. I know every morning I try to say Thank You Lord when my feet hit the floor, thankful that I can move and do for myself. So many in this world can't do say that.
So, don't just be thankful because it is Thanksgiving month, be thankful because God has done so many things for you that you can't even count them, and He will continue to do great things for you the rest of your life!
Thank You Lord for ALL You've done for me!!!!
Have a very blessed night, don't forget to set your clocks back 1 hour! Love ya'll!!!
Cheryl

With one high school and one middle school student in my house, I have found myself pondering adolescent friendships quite a bit lately. The teenage years are a difficult time for young men and ladies. It's the time when responsibility grows as well as freedom.  Emotional maturity begins to develop, and the adjustment can be tough.

The Bible has a lot to say about our friendships. First, a warning about the quality of folks we spend our time with:  He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. -Proverbs13:20.

Also, a word about making big decisions: Proverbs 12:15-The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel. 

Maybe the most important of all: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Jesus encourages us to reach out to people who need Him. He doesn't want us to shy away from what some would consider a less desirable crowd. However, we need to always remember that we are to be in the world, but not of it. Followers of Christ need to be purposeful in developing relationships with others who will remind us who we belong to.  Our relational lives need to be balanced to keep us accountable to the Word.