A Lesson from the Muppet Movie

I took my four-year-old grandson, Raf, to see "The Muppet" movie which is very cute. At one point in the movie one of the characters blows up something. Raf tried to push me out of my seat and said, "Go tell them to do that again." I thought, "If only I had that power!"

As I'm sitting here thinking of that, I'm rejoicing that God does have the power to do all He wants to do. How comforting and thrilling to trust in our loving and powerful God. He is faithful and holy therefore He only does that which is righteous and good.

This past week, my Uncle Harold died and though he heard the Gospel over many years, he always resisted. My sister who was very close to him even shared the Gospel again with him within two weeks ago. Again, he wasn't receptive. But he was found kneeling by his bed when he died. We hope that he surrendered to the Lord and then God took him home to heaven. God was faithful to continue to work in his life until the very last moment.

I don't have the power to make a movie in the theater replay but God has the power for all things He desires to happen. God is powerful and faithful! Praise the Lord!

Do You Love Jesus?

For some reason, this question "Do I love Jesus?" has really intimidated me at times. My perfectionism rises strongly within me in regard to that question. I review all the ways I don't obey or act as God would want, and it feels like my "love" level for Jesus dips to nothing.

And then I view the word "love" and think of feelings. Do I feel love for Christ? It "feels" like I don't. I must review the truth that love is more than a feeling; it is a choice.

So today as I'm reading J.C. Rylie's book Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties and Roots, Dr. Rylie talks about the ways we know if we love Jesus. Here's his main points with his quotes:

1. We will think about Jesus. "The true Christian does not need to be reminded that he has a crucified Master. He often thinks of Him."

2. We like to hear about him. "We find a pleasure in listening to those who speak of him."

3. We like to read about him. "The true Christian delights to read the Scriptures, because they tell him about his beloved Savior."

4. We like to please him. "We are glad to consult his tastes and opinions. to act upon his advice, and do the things which he approves."

5. We like his friends. "We are drawn to them by the common tie of common love to one and the same person...There is a bond of union between us."

6. We are jealous about his name and honor. "We do not like to hear him spoken against without speaking up for him and defending him."

7. We like to talk to him. "We tell him all our thoughts, and pour out all our heart to him."

8. We like to be with him. "The heart of a true Christian longs for that blessed day when he will see his Master face to face, and go out no more."

I usually don't like lists of "requirements" because my perfectionism, as I said, kicks in and it feels like I don't do ANYTHING! But that's not the purpose of this list. It's to give us pause and I really think we'll find that the desire of our heart is for all those things, though imperfectly. I'll never measure up to perfection, but I know sincerely that each of those eight items is true in my life. And then I can (and you can) seek to improve little by little.

Pastor Rylie continues, "...if you do not love Christ, let me tell you plainly what is the reason. You have no sense of debt to Him. You have no feeling of obligation to Him. You have no abiding recollection of having got anything from Him. This being the case it is not likely, it is not probable, it is not reasonable that you should love Him."

The degree that you and I are grateful for what Jesus did for us, will determine the degree of our love for Him. Jesus said about the woman who was "a sinner" and poured expensive perfume on him: "her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:47.)

Yet, somehow it feels selfish to love out of gratitude. Doesn't that make it all about me? Shouldn't I just love Him without any other motivation? Thankfully, I John 4:19 tells us, "We love, because He first loved us." It's to be expected that we'll love Him out of gratitude for His love and sacrifice. God graciously gives us plenty of motivation to love Him. Isn't that wonderful?

How's your love level for Jesus? How can we rejoice in the ways we do love Him and how can we grow more deeply in love with Him? Which of the eight ways do you see in your life most strongly and which of the eight ways do you want to grow more in? If you are weak in an area, reflect upon how much Jesus has done for you. Our love for Him must increase as we concentrate on our wonderful undeserved blessings.

Beware! Time Pressures!

As Christmas approaches and stresses seem to increase, one of the tensions is having enough time to do what we need to do. So in keeping with the theme of our last several posts, let me give you a story of the third principle (from a previous post): An opportunity is not necessarily God's open door.

Years ago as I was trying to put this principle into practice, I was invited to the re-organizational meeting of a ministry at the church I was attending. I knew the Lord didn't want me to take on any responsibilities like that, but I couldn't say "no" to going to the meeting. As the needs for leadership were outlined at the meeting, I was mentally sitting on my hands because I knew I would be tempted to volunteer for something. But this "opportunity" wasn't God's open door so somehow I was able to walk out of the meeting without volunteering to help with anything.

But I walked away with a heavy heart because no one else volunteered to take on any of the positions. I figured that was the end of that ministry at our church.

Within two weeks, I talked with the women's ministry director of our church and she asked me if I'd like to start teaching a parenting class. My parenting book had just come out and I knew this indeed was the opportunity that was His open door. I said yes! (And I continued teaching that class for many years).

After I said "yes," I realized that if I'd volunteered for a position with the other ministry, I wouldn't now be able to agree to the parenting class which was what God really wanted me to do. Or I would have done both and had too much to do. Then my family would have suffered. I was thrilled to see how the Lord had led me.

Several weeks after that, I heard that a group of women had stepped forward to take over the leadership positions of the first ministry. They hadn't even been at the meeting and so that ministry continued for many years. God had opened His doors to who He wanted to be involved. Thankfully, no one at the meeting felt pressured to take on something God didn't intend for them. And God had faithfully continued the ministry that He desired to continue.

As you face this Christmas season and it may sometimes feel like you have too much to do, remember this principle: an opportunity is not necessarily God's open door. Don't feel pressured to take on responsibilities God doesn't want for you. Only do those things God wants you to do. He knows what is best for you and your schedule. Trust Him with it. He won't lead you wrong.

Who's In Charge of Your To-Do List?

Congratulations to Freda who won the copy of Faith Deployed...Again. Thanks to all those who contacted me.

Guess what? I just crossed off the last item on my to-do-list. Well, I guess more accurately, when I finish this, I will! (If you haven't read my previous post yet, it will bring you up to date).

As I thought more about the three reasons we can trust God with our to-do list, I wanted to share more about Truth #2: God will give me enough time to do what He wants me to do.

I've had to learn that truth in the trenches. Yet I have some great stories from it. For instance, I remember the day I was working frantically on a project that needed to be completed for a meeting that evening. I knew I didn't have any extra time. I would need every moment until I left.

And of course, the phone rang. I hesitated even answering it but I couldn't NOT answer the phone. (There's another truth to add to the list: you're not required to answer the phone!) It was Lynn. She said, "Kathy, I made an appointment with my pastor but I want you to go with me. You've been encouraging me to do this and I'll only go if you go with me."

When was her appointment? Within the next hour.

A war started in my mind. "Lord, I can't go with her, I have to work on this for the meeting."

I was shocked when I sensed the Spirit prompting me to say I'd go. "But Lord, you don't understand. I'll never get the work done and after all, it'll be your reputation that's stained!"

"Go with her!"

I didn't understand but since I'd been working on trusting the Lord with my schedule by obeying Him and letting Him be in charge of what I accomplished in a day, I told Lynn I would go with her. And I did.

When I returned home several hours later, the phone was ringing. I picked it up and heard the chairperson for that night's meeting say to me, "Kathy, we've had to cancel the meeting tonight. I'll let you know when it's re-scheduled."

I guess my lack of faith was revealed when my mouth dropped open. But that day, my trust in God's control over my schedule rose sky-high.

If you have a similar story of when God demonstrated how He will give you enough time to do what He wants you to do, please share it with us. It will encourage all of us.

Submerged Under Details

Help! My pile of details has fallen on me and I can't get up!

After returning from our trip, I began making a to-do list. I think it must be related to rabbits because it began to multiply. And it's feeling really overwhelming. So I needed to start reviewing some truths:

1. God is the blessed controller of all things. God is sovereign and though things may feel like they are out of control, they aren't. God is in charge and knows how He wants me to handle each thing on my to-do list.

2. God will give me enough time to do what He wants me to do. If I obey Him and follow His lead through each item, it will get done if God wants it to be done. Not only time, God will give me enough energy to do what He wants me to do. Because it's all about Him and about His glory. If it will bring glory to Him (and I cooperate with Him), it will get done.

3. An opportunity is not necessarily God's open door. Just because I've put the item on my list doesn't necessarily mean God wants me to do it. I don't need to feel pressured because otherwise that means the list is my god. Instead I can seek the Spirit's direction whether it's an item to work on.

Whew! I'm feeling better. OK, Lord, what should I do next?

Encouragement for Military Wives

We're home from our trip. Thank you for your prayers for our safe arrival. For today's blog, here's an interview with Jocelyn Green, the author of Faith Deployed . . . Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives, a newly published book with Moody Publishers. My niece Kelly Dye is a military wife stationed in Japan and I so respect and appreciate her service for our country. We owe so much to all our military people and their spouses. I hope you'll purchase a copy of Faith Deployed...Again to pass along to the military wife you know.

Jocelyn has offered to give a copy of Faith Deployed...Again to one of my readers. To put your name in the drawing for the free copy, please post a comment or send me an email at Kathyspeak@dc.rr.com letting me know you're interested. I'll draw out a name this Sunday, Nov. 20th.

Could you share with us the inspiration behind Faith Deployed…Again and what readers can expect from it?

The inspiration for Faith Deployed . . . Again was the same as the inspiration for the first book I wrote for military wives, Faith Deployed. Put simply, military wives need encouragement, and the best source is God’s Word.

As a former Coast Guard wife, I was so desperate for biblical encouragement that spoke directly to me. To have an opportunity to collect this type of encouragement from twenty-eight other military wives from every branch of service and have it published by Moody is an incredible gift. I never once lacked motivation to work on this project. Encouraging military wives is my heart’s passion. Plumbing the depths of God’s Word and finding new gems in it to share with other women was a deeply spiritual and satisfying experience for me.

The title of your sequel is Faith Deployed…Again. What is the significance behind the phrase “Faith Deployed,” and can the phrase (and the book itself) have meaning for those who aren’t military wives, as well?

I think of “faith deployed” as a faith called into action. Whether your military family experiences deployments or not, military life requires that we all deploy our faith in order to respond biblically to each trial we face. While this book was written by and for military wives, using illustrations from the military lifestyle, anyone who reads the book will come away with a deeper understanding of God’s Word and how it applies to trials we face. Military wives will be likely to get the most out of it, since it speaks directly to their unique lifestyle, but I have heard from many, many civilians, and men, who have also benefited from reading it.

What is the one piece of advice/recommendation you give most for wives?

Get plugged in with a church, and cultivate your relationship with Christ by reading the Bible and seeking out other women who have been through military life challenges and have still remained strong in their faith, rather than bitter about life. (If people who read the Faith Deployed books aren’t sure what I mean by having a personal relationship with Christ, there is an appendix at the back of each that explains it.) I can offer no greater hope than the hope I find in God’s word. For just a sampling of some favorite Bible verses that apply to deployments, for example, see: http://www.faithdeployed.com/2011/01/favorite-bible-verses-for-deployments/

I also tell wives to bring their troubles to God in prayer, and to let others pray for them, too. Prayer works.

I do have a page dedicated to lots of resources for military families on my Web site, and I often send women there to find some really great help out there. Many times the most helpful thing I can do is to connect women to the resources that are already available.

November is the Month of the Military Family. What are some practical ways that individuals can support the home front?

Instead of simply saying “Let me know if you need anything,” give her some ideas, perhaps in the form of a coupon booklet for free babysitting, homemade cookies, a coffee date, running errands, an hour or two of housework, etc.

Find out what’s broken and fix it. Computer problems are a big deal, especially since so many couples rely on email or Web cams to communicate. If the car is broken down, offer to give rides.

Mow the lawn, pull weeds, other yard work- cleaning out gutters—those seasonal tasks that the deployed spouse may have typically done.

Bring a meal over so that’s one less thing a stressed out spouse would have to think about.

Visiting is a great mood lifter, but ask first. And if you get a couple negative responses, don’t take it personally.

Drop off a basket of favorite foods and/or a movie rental you know she’s been wanting to see. (Other ideas for a military wife care package can be found here: http://www.faithdeployed.com/2010/02/the-reverse-care-package-a-guaranteed-way-to-bless-a-military-wife/]

Pray for her! [link to http://www.faithdeployed.com/2010/11/when-someone-asks-how-they-can-pray-for-you/]

For more about Faith Deployed…Again, including a free excerpt, visit www.faithdeployed.com/coming-soon.