The 300 Club: Guest Post

I'm doing a guest post for Warren Baldwin, the author of Roaring Lions, Cracking Rocks. I hope you join me in The 300 Club!

My husband is intrigued by the story of God forming Gideon’s army to fight against the Midianites. We discuss this story together because we crave to be part of the 300 men God uses to show His glory. We all know that God slims down the army of 32,000 so He can ensure that the victory is obviously His alone. However, why does God choose to use those particular men? What is different about them that they are granted the honor of fighting? How can Christians today ensure that we are part of the infamous 300 Club?

Finally, after much conversation and study, my husband and I came up with three characteristics that separate these men from the crowd. I believe every single man among the 32,000 had an opportunity to serve God, but each chose to bow out of God’s plan by A) his lack of trust in God, B) his lack of hunger for God and C) his lack of obedience to God. God wants all of His children to share in His glory, but He gives us free will to choose. Whether or not we are willing to be a part of God’s amazing adventure is up to us.

You can read the rest at Warren's Blog here!

Where's the Sugar?

I made a sugar free apple cobbler for my kids. Even the whipped cream on top was sugar free. I was so excited because it looked beautiful, and it tasted pretty good. My three year old sugar connoisseur son was so excited. I put the dessert in front of him, and his eyes bulged. He took his spoon and started taking big bites. After a few mouthfuls, he put the spoon down and looked up at me.

“What’s wrong?” I said. “You don’t like it?”

He pushed the bowl away and said, “It needs sugar.”

I couldn’t believe it. I looked at my husband, and he shrugged. How did he know there was no sugar?

The same concept goes with ministry. A ministry leader can make sure that everything is perfect and looks great, but there is only one way to ensure that God’s sweetness (Holy Spirit) is present. Unless the leadership is sensitive and broken to the will of God, the Holy Spirit cannot freely move through the ministry like it should.

Before we had kids, God moved my husband and me to Dallas. I saw a commercial for a local Christian school, and I knew that God wanted me to teach there. The position paid very little, so I taught college at night. The year was challenging for me, and I couldn’t wait until summer so I could get outside the classroom.

I started applying to other positions, but I had an uneasy feeling that I was supposed to teach one more year. I got offered an amazing job located downtown Dallas, creating English software to help kids with standardized testing. I was ecstatic because this job paid twice the amount of my two current positions combined, and I could sit behind a computer and analyze grammar and syntax all day.

For five days, I wrestled with God. I knew He didn’t want me to take the job. I remember jogging on my treadmill, and I jumped so hard out of anger that I broke it. I stomped around my living room and finally fell against the wall crying. I cried until there was nothing left. My family and friends didn’t understand. Why would I not go for such an amazing opportunity? All I could say was, "God says so."

During the last day of school, I finally resolved to be obedient, but I still felt very abandoned by God. I went to my desk and opened the Bible. I read Jeremiah 29.11: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (NLT). I decided that I would learn everything God wanted to teach me the following year, so, hopefully, he would allow me to leave the classroom.

My last year teaching, I taught seven subjects, including seventh and eighth grade Physical Education. For one of the six weeks, I felt God wanted me to teach them a Christian song in sign language. I didn’t know anything about music, but two of my students were daughters of the choir teacher. I didn’t have a plan, so we just worked each day at putting together a performance. I taught the girls some “choreography” and the sisters helped with the chorus. We finally finished it, and the girls had created something special.

I saw the principal in the hall, and I asked if she wouldn’t mind just taking a quick look at what the girls had created. She said sure, and sat down in an empty auditorium. After the principal saw it, she demanded that they perform in front of the school at the next pep rally. The girls were thrilled, and I was happy that they were able to show the school how hard they worked.

The girls performed in front of the entire school, and the teachers and students were amazed. People were crying, and I didn’t understand what was going on. The choir director came up to me with tears in her eyes and said, “Now that's what it's all about.” Till this day I value the fact that she didn’t thank me. It was obvious that I did nothing except allow myself to be broken by God and stay obedient to His will.

God’s spirit is unleashed through the brokenness of the ministry leader. Leaders are called into dry areas, so Living Water can flow through them, saturating everything with God’s presence. However, the ministry leaders must be broken so that the Holy Spirit in them can move freely. Leaders are responsible for having a broken self-nature and an obedient heart; the rest is up to God.

God’s glory comes in all shapes and forms and through all types of ministries, but it is obvious when the Holy Spirit is present….you can taste His sweetness. God needs our brokenness, so the Holy Spirit in us has free reign. How is God breaking you today? Do you receive it or become callus? How would your ministry (family, marriage, career, relationships, etc.) be different if God's Spirit was in control?

"Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies" (1 Corinthians 15.43-44 NLT).

Striving Laundry: Guest Post for Writer's Manna

I'm doing a guest post over at Writer's Manna, authored by Heather Spiva! I hope it encourages you today!


I have been anxiously striving to finish edits on my first book. My mind has been consumed with writing, and I’m constantly telling myself to get to work. I feel the pressure of a deadline, and I told God one afternoon, “I can’t wait until I’m done.”

I could sense God smile and say, “Then you’ll start your second book.”

I stopped in my tracks. I realized that I will never be finished. When I’m done climbing this mountain, God will have another one for me in the distance. While I’m alive on this earth, God will always place promises for my life in the horizon.

God places promises beyond each of us; and as we move closer to them, God is able to mold us into the likeness of His son. Promises are in the core of Jesus; they pull us toward Him like gravity and slowly perfect us into our original design.

At that moment, I had a reality check. Obviously my perspective was wrong because God would not want me to be anxious about anything (Philippians 4.6).

How do we strive towards God’s promises without becoming overwhelmed? How do we find balance and joy in a life that will always be pulled toward higher goals and greater accomplishments?

I would like to answer this profound question with one simple word: Laundry.

Laundry is never done. Whenever I go from room to room with arms filled with dirty clothes, I like to sing the theme song to the 1984 movie The NeverEnding Story. If that story were written by a woman, I am sure it would have been about laundry.

I’ve learned to do a little bit of laundry every day. I don’t even think about it anymore. When I wake up, I’ll notice that the hamper is getting full, so I’ll grab the clothes and start a load. That afternoon after I put the kids down for a nap, I’ll put the clothes into the dryer and forget about them. While the kids are playing before bed, I’ll take the load out, fold it and put it away. Never once was I anxious.

I used to let the laundry build up, but I noticed that I always became anxious. The lack of clean clothes would begin to affect my life, and my mind would send me distracting signals to “get to work.” Laundry would become a big deal, when, in reality, it is such a small part of my life. If I would simply give laundry a fraction of my attention every day, it would be manageable.

This concept is the same for God’s promises. God doesn’t want His promises to become anxiety builders in our lives. His promises are supposed to draw us closer in relationship with Him. The imbalance comes when we stop daily focusing on God, and we let our relationship with Him build up, unused in the hamper.

If we hungrily seek God everyday and align our lives in His will, He would ensure that we have just enough time every day to work on His promises. As we seek God, He will groom our lives of everything unnecessary, and we will have perfect amount of time to complete His will. Also, when we focus on God, He will fill us with joy and peace that will filter through every aspect of our lives, dispersing our anxiety, worry and procrastination.

The purpose of life is to glorify God. If we are not doing that in our daily life, we probably need to ask God for a healthy dose of perspective. I decided to give up on striving; instead, I’m keeping my eyes on God and allowing His grace to move me toward His best for me.

"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46.10 NASB).

You can also check out this article here!

Your Part in the Wall

I was reading in my one year Bible about the remnant rebuilding the wall after they returned to Jerusalem. Two very different prophets were called by God to oversee the construction of the wall and to help reestablish the nation. So much insight can be gleaned from this story, but I'm excited about what God made personal to me.

After reading Ezra's and Nehemiah's points-of-view, I felt God ask me, "Which one do you think you are?" I excitedly told God, "Nehemiah!" In my mind's eye, I could see God turn His head toward me, raise His eyebrows and say, "Really?" I read back through the details from both prophets, and I knew I was more like Ezra.

When I was twenty-five years old, I taught college composition. This was the hardest step of obedience I had taken up to that point. For a solid year, I lived on the opposite side of my comfort zone. The emotional, spiritual and physical pressure I felt squashed my appetite, and I became the thinnest I've ever been in my adult life. Although I was a good teacher and the students learned a lot and enjoyed my class, I was on edge all of the time.

I didn't like being in front of a class. I didn't like everyone looking at me for direction and answers. I didn't like having to talk, talk, talk all the time. I was definitely no Nehemiah. I would have preferred to sit among the students, read my books and lead by example. God knew this time would stretch me, so, thankfully, He didn't ask me to teach college for long. He gave me a full year to rest before He put me through another stretching situation (my first baby).

The interesting thing is that if God were to ask me this question several years ago, I would have insisted on the wrong answer. I get so enamored by the action and risk of Nehemiah that I forget about the heart and strength of Ezra. Both these prophets were necessary to the completion of the wall. They both brought God's vision to fruition by each doing his different, yet equal part.

I think the reason that many Christians feel jealous, angry or confused about what other Christians are achieving is because they don't know what they're supposed to be doing. It is hard to know who we are in Christ if we don't know who we are. I used to feel guilty about self-evaluation, like it was egocentric. But God reprimanded me. He said that I needed to have a healthy understanding of my design, my desires and my destiny. We all must find our wall (purpose), that grows His temple (church) and plant our house (life) in the middle of it.

When we find our niche in God's Kingdom here on earth, we will find ourselves in Holy Ease. This doesn't mean everything will be easy or smooth, but our passions should align with our purpose. Nehemiah and Ezra did a lot of work against all odds and showed great amounts of discipline, and they were able to achieve the impossible. Together they built the wall in 52 days and established God's people on His truth. God divided His vision, and everyone did his/her part. How much could the church accomplish today if all Christians would discover their part and do it wholeheartedly?

Have you asked God to give you a healthy understanding of who you are in Him? If you saw some of your personality reflecting from a Bible character, would you recognize yourself? How do you think knowing your design will help you achieve your destiny?

"Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other" (Romans 12.3-5 NIV).

The Obedience Blur: Guest Post

I'm doing a guest post over at Truth and Grace Ministries, founded by Karen Lowe! It's a quick read about the stage of confusion that occurs after a step of obedience but before we find our footing! I hope it encourages you today!

The Obedience Blur

About a year ago, God asked me to stop going to the gym. This was upsetting for me because I have gone to the gym ever since I was a young adult. I love working out, and the gym atmosphere motivates me and ensures that I exercise. I couldn’t understand why God would ask me to take this step of obedience.

Because I no longer had a gym membership, I had to squeeze in my work-outs at home. My four to five times a week exercise routine shortened to two or three days. It became increasingly difficult to find time to exercise with three kids at home. I would beg my husband to watch the kids while I jogged. I would work out on an exercise step outside while the kids played. I would work out while the kids napped or after they went down for the night.

My work-outs began to eat away my writing time, and I struggled with not being able to effectively do both. I couldn’t figure out how to balance my schedule, and I started to feel like I wasn’t able to handle all of my responsibilities.

Finally, I became fed up. I decided I was going to wake up an hour earlier each morning. I already woke up about 30 minutes before my kids so I could do a quiet time, but now I was determined to work-out and spend time with God before my kids came looking for me.

The first day, I dragged myself downstairs and did a work out video. Afterward, I felt so great, and I had an excellent time with God because I was wide awake and filled with energy! By the time my kids were up, I was ready for the day. I didn’t have any bad mommy moments that day because I no longer had an agenda to keep. I wrote while the kids slept, but other than that, I was completely there for them.

What I learned from this experience is that many times our steps of obedience take us into a period of confusion or imbalance. This is normal because we are adjusting to our new situation that the change creates. I think many times we turn away from our obedience because we falsely believe that the transition should have been easy. The fact is that many things we do for God are not easy, but God always has a wonderful purpose.

It took me an entire year to finally adjust to my small step of obedience. And although life still does not play out perfectly each day, I have found the balance that I knew God wanted me to achieve. I’m sure He cheered for me the entire time, and I’m glad that I trusted His will for my life.

What step of obedience has God asked you to take? Have you experienced a time of difficulty because of the changes? How were you able to modify your environment, attitude or obligations to adjust? Did you see God’s purpose in the change?

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5.18 NLT).

You can also read this article here!

Don't forget to enter my video giveaway!

Ragman Directed by Dale Ward & Giveaway

I arrived at a doctor's appointment, and talked with the receptionists while I waited. I could tell she was under spiritual and emotional pressure. I found out that she went to my church, and I gave her information about some ministries available to her. I was determined to give her a slice of hope and comfort before I left. I could sense that she needed something tangible, some concrete resource that would help her through this season of heaviness.

I fished through my purse, and I pulled out a book that I was currently reading. This book gave Christian insight on issues that women struggle with every day. I was so excited that I had taken this book with me! I knew this resource could shed some light into the darkness in which this woman found herself.

However, I can never forget her expression when I handed her the book. She was so disappointed! The Gallup poll says that about half of Americans are reading books; yet, there are still another half of Americans who are not (Gallup.com).

What Christian resource could I have given this woman that would have filled her heart with God's truth in a medium that she would have embraced?

My twin sister and I recently watched the Christian short film,"Ragman," based on the classic short story by best-selling author Walter Wangerin, Jr. Director Dale Ward (4 time Emmy Award winner) does an amazing job at bringing this faith-filled story to life in a way that is relevant and tangible. This short film is beautifully directed and performed, and my heart was so full of God's beauty and love when the 18 minutes were up.

In retrospect, I wish I had the book and the DVD in my purse. I would have pulled them both out and asked the woman, "Which would you prefer?"

What if every anointed written resource was produced into visual media? I see the trend beginning, and I know why the visual complement of books is so important. God loves 100% of people, and I could only imagine that He would want His truths produced to reach both halves.

The visual concepts of the film are stunning, and each current day symbol alludes to a New Testament counterpart. You watch as the Ragman (Christ figure) walks through an inner city, exchanging people's old rags for new ones. The Ragman meets people on his way to die on a trash heap, taking their pain and sorrow on Himself and replacing it with His healing and peace.

A well-dressed man diligently follows the Ragman, learning and experiencing His character, power and glory. The well-dressed man watches as the Ragman dies for the sufferings of others, and then the man falls asleep overwhelmed with grief.

The well-dressed man awakes to find the Ragman risen from the dead, beautiful and whole again. The man faces the Ragman, takes off his nice clothes and pleads, "Dress me!"

During this final scene, I saw my heart's cry. I want to diligently follow Christ, strip myself of my selfish nature, and beg God to dress me in His glory and righteousness. I want more than forgiveness of my sins; I want to emulate Jesus. I desire for people to look at my life and think to themselves, "She definitely loves God because she's starting to live like His Son."

My love for God shapes my obedience, and my obedience shapes my Christ-likeness. I pray that we all will deepen our love for God, so that our obedience to His commands become like honey to us (Psalm 19.9-10 NIV).

"But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did" (1 John 2.5-6 NLT).

We are giving away 2 copies of Ragman. Leave a comment and you get 1 entry. State that you are a follower and get a second entry! Entry deadline is Saturday, August 21st and we will announce the winners on Sunday, August 22nd.

The film has ben awarded the TAFFY Award at the Attic Film Festival, and also Best Faith-based Film at the Cape Fear International Film Festival. "Ragman" is currently nominated for Best Drama at this summer's Route 66 Film Festival in September.

Michael Hyatt of Thomas Nelson Publisher

My article entitled, "In Defense of Self-help Books," has been published on Michael Hyatt's blog! Mr. Hyatt is the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publisher, the largest Christian publishing group in the world.

I would be honored if you would read the post and make a comment. If you Twitter, Facebook or post a link to the article, I would be overjoyed! Here is the link:

http://michaelhyatt.com/2010/08/in-defense-of-self-help-books.html

Blessings to you!