It’s super easy for me to get caught up in all the things. New supplies, Meet the Teacher, new clothes, and Friday Night Lights no doubt.
With all the hustle and bustle and excitement of a new year it’s easy to become “busy”. And don’t you know the devil loves busy. Because when we are “busy” our focus shifts from the main thing to everything else.
The main thing being our mission field because as educators we’ve been called to love, to teach, and to serve. It’s who we are.
The devil has strategically been chipping away at the family structure for generations now. Unfortunately, I see a shift in who he is targeting and it’s us. It’s educators. With so many broken families students are coming to school unloved, undernourished, and emotionally drained. We are their hope. We are on the frontlines.
Educators, remember the following when things get hard – your bad day shouldn’t define theirs. The devil knows when students don’t get loved at home. He knows they need our love and compassion and kindness and hope. So don’t you know he loves it when we mess that up. Don’t you know he loves it when we get aggravated. Don’t you know he loves it when our goat is got.
This mission is so much bigger than us. It’s bigger than our lesson plans. This mission is about showing love and exuding grace. This mission is about making Heaven bigger.
Y’all, we’ve got work to do. Hard work. But man will it be worth it. This year I challenge you (and me) not to get caught up in the busyness. Not to lose focus on what’s really important. And to keep the main thing the main thing.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” Hebrews 12:1
Several weeks ago as I sat in a Wednesday night Bible study, the statement was made, “The way to maintain grace is to be a channel of grace.” As I’ve pondered this, I’ve been challenged to look at grace a bit more in depth. I know we say that grace is “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”. While that is true, how do we maintain God’s riches? When I say maintain, I am using the definition of “continuing in or persevering in”. How do we continue in grace? According to the statement made by my husband that Wednesday night, it is by being a channel of grace.
First, we must realize our need for grace. Why do we need it? We are radically lost. We are sick. We are basically dead. The cure for that is Jesus. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift.”——Ephesians 2:4-8 God’s grace allows us to be found, healed, and brought to life.
In that new life we are to continue living in that grace. That does not mean we just do whatever we want and expect God’s forgiveness. That new life means that we continue to develop into what He wants our lives to be. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”—Ephesians 2:10 We were created to work for God. Because of His grace, He gifted us with various gifts which are to be used for His glory. “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.” —1 Peter 4:10 When we are good stewards of grace, we persevere in grace.
Grace is a lifestyle we live in once we accept that initial gift of grace. Grace flows through us as we use our gifts for His service. We were meant to share the blessings, not hoard the blessings. Living in grace requires that we are constantly aware of God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense and then allow our lives to be channels of those Riches.
When I served in the Army, we used to be tested regularly on our physical fitness/wellbeing, and part of the test was to be able to complete two miles within a predetermined frame of time.
The track/route wasn’t always the same, and the weather wasn’t always perfect, but we still had to be able to finish under our given time or fail. There were two rules that would nullify our run time, one of which was that our feet could never leave the path we were given. “Don’t touch the grass.” If your feet left the track, it was taken as a signal that you had given up and would not be finishing. They didn’t have compassion if a runner became ill and needed to vomit either. That runner had better brace themselves and lean over the track to puke on the grass, but their feet better never cross that boundary.
Within Christianity, we are raised from little children to understand that we are part of an army that is entrenched in a war against evil, but when it comes time for rubber to meet the road, most of us are comfortable only wearing the armor of God but never actually putting it to use. The Lord isn’t looking for us to be knights in shining armor. It has been said that a knight whose armor is shining is one who has never fought in a battle. God has called us to war, and war is bloody. And war is beyond frightening to even the bravest of souls. Here’s what we fail to truly understand: we never fight alone. We hear it over and over without ever really getting it into every fiber of our being. If we did, we’d never lay down our sword.
The other day my twelve year old daughter was wrestling with her seventeen year old brother. He is obviously bigger and stronger than her and can easily outlast her body in endurance. Did she let that stop her? Absolutely not. He wanted her to confess something, and she would not give in at all. She cried out for relief over and over, and he kept repeating that all she had to do was give in, submit to what he wanted of her. It didn’t matter to her that she was experiencing some pain and was seemingly never going to break free, but she refused to give in to what her enemy wanted.
Why? Because she knew her enemy could only go so far. She knew that even though he was bigger and stronger on all counts and that she couldn’t break free from him on her own that he had a boundary he couldn’t cross. See, beyond the power of her enemy, there is her Father who would rip her brother in half if he were to actually hurt his little girl. She knew she could hold on and endure, because if the battle went farther than what she really truly could endure that her Father would step in and put a halt to it immediately. While she didn’t “whoop” her brother that day, she definitely beat him.
So many I know are being put to the test, and I would say to you, “Toe the line!” Finish this race. It may seem like relief will never come, but your Father has His eyes on you. The enemy cannot cross where He has not been given permission. Stand fast. Ephesians tells us that after we have put on our armor to stand. STAND. If you cannot do anything else in this fight, just stand, and don’t you dare let your feet leave the path. “You were born for such a time as this.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 states, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” At first glance, this verse can be a relief. We may think, Oh thank the Lord! Everything happens for a reason! These thoughts are as comforting as they are true, but what is also true is that some of those seasons that occur under heaven are dark and heavy.
I can guarantee you that there have been years in my life where I wondered, Lord, Why is this happening? Why isn’t anything working out right? Why does this hurt so much? Why is this taking so long? Why? Why? Why?
I can also guarantee you that at 42 years old, I still don’t have the answers to all of these burning questions. The Lord has revealed some of his reasons to me over time, but I also have to realize, as we all do, that I may never know the “why” of some things this side of heaven. That thought can nearly drive me into a panic attack at times, however, one of the things the Lord has revealed to me is this—a hard life can equal a great testimony.
Who would know better about a hard life than Job? And, wouldn’t you know it, my promise from the Lord is straight out of Job. So, guess what else that means? I can fully relate to Job because I have gone through overwhelming and painful trials myself. At times, we all feel like we have endured the trials of Job. They aren’t pleasant but, if we keep in mind how it all ended for Job, then we know that they are worth it.
Job received magnificent blessing after all his suffering. He refused to “curse God and die” and the Lord rewarded him for it. Our trials are not wasted if we keep our focus on the Lord. It’s tough. It’s rough. There will be plenty of times we want to give up, give in, and just quit, but we can’t because we ALL have the promises of the Lord. They are YES and AMEN. God is not a liar, so He has to keep the promise He made to you.
Job suffered greatly. He lost his children, his possessions, and even his health, only to be left with a nagging wife and crappy “friends.”
But, God!
The Lord didn’t leave Job in the ash heap, and He won’t leave me there. He won’t leave you there. He won’t leave anyone there!
“The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first …” (Job 42:12) In the long run, all that Job lost, all the trials that he endured, brought him to the greatest blessing of his life, simply because he endured and clung to the Lord like superglue.
At the beginning of his life, if the Lord had given Job a choice, I doubt he would have chosen loss, sadness, loneliness, and disease but, in the end, all of the heartache made the blessing all the more greater! If we could talk to Job right now, I bet he would tell us that when the “latter part” of his life began, he reveled in every, single, tiny and massive ounce of blessing God poured over him. He appreciated it like no other because he knew what it was like to have his heart ripped out of his chest and still have to live and breathe and make it from one day to the next.
If the Lord had given me a checklist at the beginning of my life, I would have chosen all the happy occasions that I could. I definitely NEVER would have checked off all the shortcomings, struggles, and anxieties that life has brought me. Who would? But, you can bet your bottom dollar that I am going to revel in EVERY glorious, magnificent, and splendid ounce of blessing the Lord has coming my way!
I am still waiting on much of what I have always prayed for in my life, however I am currently living at least some of the prayers that I used to pray, and I am learning to be grateful for what has been answered while I am hopeful and thankful for what the Lord is bringing me in the rest of this “latter part” of my life.
The last two verses of Job should be a beacon of light to us all. It is my specific promise from the Lord, but is also a promise to everyone that the Lord can bring the ABSOLUTE BEST to fruition, even after the trials of Job. “After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years: he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years.” (Job 42:16-17)
“you rule over the surging sea; when it’s waves mount up, you still them.”
Personally, I love the beach.I love the water, and I love the waves. The waves remind me of life, in a crazy way. You have to keep your eyes above the waves so you don’t go under. Just like you have to keep your eyes above all the stress, worry, anxiety, and all the other things of life. We have to keep our eyes on God.
We have to stay afloat.
God will put people in our lives to keep us floating. God will keep us floating. Without God we’re just going to sink.
To understand this crazy thing I’m trying to explain, think of the waves and the water as the stressful things in life. Worry, anxiety, stress, loss, pain, etc.. We have to keep our eyes above it all. It’s almost like the saying “keep your eyes on the prize” except we didn’t earn the prize, it was given.
To stay floating in the water of craziness, we have to remember that God will be there to keep us floating. He will give us people to help us.
Those people are the ones that helped make me into who I am today. One of those people is my Aunt Day-Day, Daisy Marino. She inspires me daily, and she keeps me floating. The day this is being posted is actually her birthday. So happy birthday Day-Day, love ya.
All of this to say, don’t let yourself sink.
Remember those people who help you. Remember that God is always with you. The hard things we have to go through are just temporary – we have a prize ahead of us.
Just keep your eyes above the waves.
Dear Lord, thank you for today. I pray that you will be with everyone as they go about their days today. I pray that you will help them to keep floating, and I pray for the people that you send to keep them floating. I also pray for the people who are sinking, that you would help them in their hard times, and that they would remember that they aren’t going to drown with you by their side. Thank you for Day-Day and the impact she has made on so many lives. I pray that she will keep on helping people stay floating. In your name I pray, Amen.
Last week, as my family and I were watching a movie called “Braveheart” together, I noticed that the main character, William Wallace, displayed many characteristics found in Christ.
Wallace was bold, passionate, caring and loving (well, sometimes… because other times wrathful and murderous, but that’s besides the point). He was not afraid of what other men could do to him, rather he stood up for himself and his people by going to war against England.
Later, after he defeated several large armies in battle, he was captured, tortured, and executed in front of a large crowd all because he refused to swear allegiance to King Edward. In the end, he forced one last word out of his mouth: “FREEDOM!”
I bring the story of William Wallace up because a) it’s awesome and b) because I think Wallace displayed Christlike actions that Christians should emulate.
Look at this verse: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal 5:13).
As Christians, we have a greater freedom than the freedom found in any nation because we were once in bondage to something far worse than any country or government. We were in bondage to sin. But because of Christ’s great sacrifice, we have the chance to truly be free. Free from our past. Free from our doubts. Free from ourselves.
With that freedom comes a choice, which is why it’s called, well, freedom, to either use for our own “flesh” or for the glory of God.
Today, as you go about and do whatever it is that you do, I hope and pray that you decide to use your freedom for the Kingdom of God and not the Kingdom of You because “Whom the son sets free is free indeed.” (John 8:36)
Here recently I got back from church camp. Church camp is always the highlight of my summer. I get so much out of it, including what I’m here to talk about today.
Our pastor hit on being lost but then found. This really hit for me because as a teenager, I often find myself struggling to stay in the word or just do a simple Bible study at night.
I get so caught up in what the world has to offer that I lose sight of God. I then start to feel lost and lose my sense of direction. In these times, it’s important to remember that no matter how far from God you feel, you are never too lost to be found.
In Luke 15:4, Jesus talks about when shepherds lose their sheep. If a Shepard were to lose one sheep out of one hundred, he would then leave the ninety-nine to find that one sheep.
This is the same way with God. We tend to run from our problems instead of turning to God for help. At that point we’re at our lowest and feel like one in a million. We feel like we’re just someone that has no value and is useless.
God’s still holding on to you, and He never once left you. Our value to God is incalculable. The love He has for us never fails. No matter how much wrong we do, or how lost we may feel, He always finds us.
I’ve been in Hebrews this summer, which means I’ve learned a lot about the Old Testament and the New Testament – highly recommend.
This morning as I reflect on what I’ve learned so far through studying Hebrews I feel the need to say the following:
If you’re in a rough patch, season, or just a one time pickle that’s just about to do you in – don’t forget what God has already done in your life.
I’m not saying to dwell on the past, but I am saying to determine that God can take care of whatever “this” is too.
He can.
He will.
He has.
Look at what He’s already done. Look at what He’s already brought you through.
He’s not done doing His thing, and to that promise I shout Amen. Well, I’m gonna whisper it right now because I have a 12 year old sound asleep next to me on the couch.
Y’all, don’t you dare throw in the towel, because God certainly isn’t.
And He never will.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
I have two questions to ask regarding the above statement:
1. If God is clapping for you then what does it matter if anyone else is?
2. Are you not going to clap for someone else because they didn’t clap for you?
Ladies, this isn’t the mentality I want to teach my daughter or my nieces or my students. The time and energy spent on seeing who liked what and who followed whom can be spent in the Word. It can be spent serving. It can be spent truly resting in His arms.
I want my girls to clap for others regardless if those same people clapped for them or not.
Because it’s kind.
Because they have a good heart.
Because they are genuinely happy for others.
Because they are confident enough to not need a clap back.
Ladies, clap for someone today.
Or hug them.
Or text them.
Not because they did it first but because lifting others up is the evidence of God living within you.
Because joy is contagious.
And Momma, that thing you are too scared to do because you’re too worried about what others will think or if they will clap – no ma’am. If God wants you to do it – if He told you to do it – you go right on ahead.
He’s clapping for you.
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31
“I’ve heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” Job 42:5
Sometimes I can read scriptures I have read many times before, and then one day one just kinda lights up and gets personal.
Have you ever heard so much about someone that you felt like you knew them? Then after meeting and getting to know them you realize what you had heard was only a part of who they were?
Growing up I heard a lot about The Lord…and through hearing I thought I knew who He was. It wasn’t until I had a personal encounter with Him, and spent time getting to know Him, that my eyes were opened. I realized how wrong my perspective of Him had been.
We read about Job and how he had many thoughts and questions about God during his time of trouble. He even listened to the advice and opinions of his friends and their thoughts of why he was suffering. But it wasn’t until God began to speak that his questions got answered and his were eyes opened.
In the middle of Job’s suffering he felt like God wasn’t anywhere near, but we can see that it was through Job’s grief that God was able to reveal to him His deep compassion and mercy – that He is always listening, observing and working all things together for His purpose.
It’s so easy to have faith when life is smoothly sailing along but then we allow fear and doubt to crowd into our mind when the storms come. Job’s storm caused him distress, doubt, and anguish, but after his personal conversation with God, he gained insight into God’s heart. It was no longer something he had just heard about, it was something he experienced personally.
In this life we will experience times of trouble, distress, and doubt. We may even have a friend list that consists of all sorts of flavors…with advice and opinions that are all over the spectrum. But there is no friend like Jesus.
He adds all the ingredients we need. He is a great listener and His Word gives us all the advice we will ever need. Through Him we have access to His peace that surpasses all understanding. Our happy place will always be found in the state of His Grace.
Rays of Sunshine inc 