DON’T BAN THE “B, C, S, OR D” WORD, TRANSFORM THEM

Beyonce, Jennifer Garner and other prominent women are promoting the “Ban the B Word Campaign.”  They claim girls and young women are afraid to assert themselves and fulfill leadership roles for fear of being called “BOSSY,” therefore the word should be banned, allowing women to take their rightful roles in society. Is this a remake of the “Women’s Lib” movement of the 1960’s?  IMO, “Bossy” is the result of a character trait that has not been guided into the proper channels.  If you don’t want Hollywood Icons telling your children how to handle words or character traits, the step up, take charge of the role you assumed the moment that little girl or boy was born.

Having been born the oldest of 5 girls and, for the last 36 years, the mother of 2 boys, I will say that “Bossy” is not gender specific.  As in all characteristics, "Bossy," shows up in boys and girls, alike.  As a child, I was called “strong-willed.”  I was never called “strong-willed” in a positive light, so I grew up thinking that was a horrible trait that would cause me much grief over my lifetime.  Then I gave birth to a “strong-willed” little boy and it all became perfectly clear.  My problem was not being “strong-willed” it was learning how to submit that will to God and allow Him to use that character trait He had placed in me for His purpose.  Believe me, my “strong-will” has come through in some tough situations and help me to stand strong for the right things.  That “strong-willed” little boy has grown up to be a “strong-willed” man with a “strong-willed” little boy of his own.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Parents this verse doesn’t mean just taking your kids to Sunday School, saying meal and bedtime prayers with them and teaching them what NOT to do.  Training your child is allowing God to show you a glimpse of His plan for this precious little person entrusted to your care.  Let God do a work in your child’s life by guiding and molding all these wonderful character traits into tools to be used for His Glory.

God places certain character traits in each one of us to be nurtured and developed for His purpose.  If your child is BOSSY, help them to understand true leadership is not making everyone do what they choose but having a goal, planning and allowing others to contribute their ideas to reaching that goal.  If your child is STRONG-WILLED, don’t think you must “break” that will; instead teach them that being strong-willed doesn’t mean always doing what they want without regard to anyone else.  It means living a disciplined life, submitting their will to God’s will and being strong enough to not fall apart when He asks them to do the hard things.  If your child is COMPLIANT, help them to understand that there are many voices speaking into their life and you will help them to learn to listen and follow the ONE VOICE that loves them and has a great plan for their life.  If your child is a DRAMA-QUEEN/KING, recognize the positive aspects of their emotional traits.  They probably feel situations in a way that a calmer child does not experience.  Instead of becoming a “Drama-Parent,” turn the “drama” into compassion for others.  This child will probably be the one that will “weep with those who weep and laugh with those who laugh.”  God has some great adventures planned for your little Drama-Queen/King.

So while I agree that the word “bossy” is not a word that girls or boys desire to be labeled, having Hollywood Icons proudly declare, “I AM BOSSY!” is not what our children need to hear.  Families need mature, Godly Dads and  Moms that will recognize the character traits God has placed in their children and help nurture and develop them into strong, Godly young people. 

 Written by a Bossy, Strong-willed, Drama-Queen

YOU HAVE TO TRUST IN YOUR GUIDE

The “Kilimanjaro Warriors” recently reached the summit of the mountain after a grueling climb.  Several hundred make the challenging climb up the highest mountain in Africa every year.  What made this climb so unique and newsworthy?  The people belonging to the “Kilimanjaro Warriors” are wounded military veterans, many of which are amputees.  One of the climbers described the exhilaration of climbing the mountain and the agony of falling, skinned knees and the fear experienced as he descended.  He finished his story with these words, “The climb is not complete until you get to the bottom.”

The brave warrior’s words grabbed my attention, “The climb is not complete until you get to the bottom.”  Thinking over my life, sometimes it seems I have slid downhill a whole lot more than climbed the mountain.  That is impossible of course because you can’t go down the mountain unless you have already stood on the peaks.  So thinking about the times of climbing and descending in my life, I began to examine the differences between going up and coming down.  Why does the ascent seem easier than the descent?  Why does the anticipation of reaching the summit give you a kick of adrenaline but the exhilaration of reaching the goal swiftly fades as you make your way to the bottom?

When you are in the process of climbing, your focus is upward.  You can mark the progress and you reach a new “plateau” every day.  With every new height reached, you are met with a widening view of the scenery, a new experience, an exciting discovery; you overcome the challenges successfully because you want to reach the top.  You can see each ledge and toe hold clearly as you pull yourself up the mountain.  Finally you reach the summit and the whole world is laid out before you as your reward.  The air is clear, you can see for miles. Exhausted?  Yes, but the adrenaline kicks in and you are convinced that this place is where you were always meant to live.

After a few hours or days on top of the mountain, the granola bars just don’t satisfy, there are no streams from which to replenish your dwindling water supply, the exhilaration has waned and the view becomes familiar.  It is time to descend because in actuality your climb is only halfway complete.  The backpack is lighter now and suddenly you notice the “clear air” is really a strong wind that seems to relentlessly buffet your tired body.  The same path that you climbed up is the same path you will follow down but the footholds are backwards and seem less sure.  There are times when you must turn on your belly and blindly feel by faith, for the rocky ledge that was a welcome boost as you climbed upward.  Now, can you imagine being an amputee and going through this whole process.  You try to feel the rocky ledge but you have no feeling in your prosthetic limbs to tell your brain that you are on secure footing.  As the “wounded warrior” stated, “That’s when you have to trust your guide.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

Weary “Fellow-descender,” we all come to places in our descent from the peaks when we just have to TRUST OUR GUIDE.  He’s been down the mountain before; He knows the path.  You may feel as if you are dangling in midair on the side of a steep mountain but TRUST YOUR GUIDE.  You may have tripped and fallen, your knees may be raw and bleeding and you have lost sight of the summit’s beautiful panoramic view, but TRUST YOUR GUIDE. 

Finally you reach the bottom of the mountain and lie down in the soft warm grass.  A trickling brook promises cool refreshing waters and visions of a hot supper fill your mind.  You’ve made it; YOU’VE REACHED THE BOTTOM, THE CLIMB IS COMPLETE!!!

A SURRENDERED HEART IS NEVER DISAPPOINTED

“Bampa’s taking us to “Red Robster,” 3-year old Maicie excitedly informed everyone as we walked out of church headed for Sunday Dinner with the grandkids.  Is Red Lobster her favorite restaurant in the whole world?  Probably not, but she is 3 so everything and every place is an exciting adventure.  When Maicie is with Grandpa and Grandma she has complete faith in our love, our desire to do whatever is best for her and she knows we have special little surprise blessings just waiting to be bestowed upon her.  Maicie has completely surrendered her will to Grandpa and Grandma, so it doesn’t matter if it is Red Lobster or McDonalds, having her favorite book read to her or snuggling on Grandma’s bed watching a video, going to the Reptile Zoo or making valentines at the kitchen table; A SURRENDERED HEART IS NEVER DISAPPOINTED.

As I meditated, during morning devotions, my mind went back over all the many blessings in my life and the few disappointments.  God whispered sweetly to my spirit, “A surrendered Heart is NEVER disappointed.”  I began to examine each one of those disappointments and realized once again, God was right.  Every disappointment I have faced has been due to following my hopes and dreams instead of God’s plan, imagining the outcome I wanted instead of understanding God’s work in my life, or having expectations all for my benefit rather than furthering the Kingdom of God.  On the other hand every blessing I have received as a result of a Surrendered Heart has been lasting and never disappointing.  Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.

Lord, help me to have the Surrendered Heart of a 3-year old.  Every morning help me to awake with the excited expectation of the new adventures You have prepared.  I want to have complete faith in Your love and Your desire to do whatever is best for me; knowing that YOU are working all things for my good.  Whether it is “Red Lobster or McDonalds,” I want to feast at Your table; whether it is reading your Word or resting quietly in Your arms, I want to linger in Your presence.  If you want to show me the “Reptile Zoo” or have me share the Gospel at my kitchen table, I am available.   I desire Your will to replace my will and Your hopes and dreams for me to come to fruition.  Most of all, remind me that A SURRENDERED HEART IS NEVER DISAPPOINTED.

GOD ISN'T SEEKING GOLDEN STATUES

We watch Sunday’s game, feeling all warm and fuzzy when the athlete points Heavenward as he scores.  Miss America thanks God for giving her this platform to speak for Him and we cheer. Facebook, twitter and the rest of Social Media was recently bombarded by Believers, excitedly sharing the news that Megan Fox and Katy Perry had revealed that they believed in speaking in tongues.  We were told that we should not be judging their lifestyle choices because God looks on the heart and besides, THEY SPOKE IN TONGUES!!!!  In America, we have become so devoid of God in the Public Square, that when an actor says the word “God” other than in a swear word or an athlete crosses himself after a good play; we swoon with religious fervor or is it “fever.”  Well, here we go again…

Monday morning the News, Facebook, Twitter and other print media were all showcasing the most exciting event of the Oscar Award show; Matthew McConaughey, in his acceptance speech had raised his golden statue to Heaven and thanked God.  No mention of what that golden statue represented or what the actor had done to receive the award.  OH NO!!! The only thing that mattered is that he had said the word, “God!”  He went on to say, “He has graced my life with opportunities that I know are not by my hand or any other human hand.”  It sounds lovely but STOP!!!!  What god was Mr. McConaughey really thanking and by whose hand had the opportunity come?

 Matthew McConaughey won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in a movie entitled Dallas Buyer’s Club.  Since I did not see the movie, I investigated its content to try to understand what marvelous thing was being credited to God.  Dallas Buyer’s Club was of course rated R and contained moderate nudity, heavy language and sex.  It had a pro-homosexual world view, 186 obscenities, 21 strong profanities, 3 light profanities, extreme sexual content and sexual immorality, and drug usage.  Honestly, I found no mention of God in any of the online reviews, so I continued searching for the “OPPORTUNITIES” that Mr. McConaughey attributed to the Hand of God.  Here are some of the other movies he has starred in recently; maybe they will reveal a clue. Killer Joe, this movie was first rated NC-17 and had to be edited to receive an R rating.  Magic Mike is a movie about male strippers, which of course also carried the R rating.  Wolf of Wall Street also rated R and containing enough nudity, language and immorality to make just about anyone that had a conscience, blush.  Do we really think our Holy God was sitting on His throne just waiting for Matthew to raise his golden statue to Heaven and attribute such a collection of human depravity to His Hand?

All opportunities are not from God, as we read in Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”  ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.”   Fame, riches and success are not necessarily, signs of the favor of God.  There is another voice that belongs to the “god of this world,” constantly luring and tempting us away from that which is pure and lovely by promising wealth, position, affirmation and recognition.  Learn the difference, do not mistake the voices of this world for the voice of God which asks for self-denial, taking up a cross, leaving our own success and following Him.

What about my life?  When I stand in the congregation, testifying of God am I bringing glory and attention to Him or merely raising a “Golden Statue of Personal Success?”  I believe every gift and talent we possess is bestowed upon us by our Creator.  But I also believe that every choice we make to use our gifts and talents does NOT automatically bring glory to the Giver of the Gifts.   God is really not impressed by the pathetic offerings we present to Him showcasing our efforts and success.  Revelations 4:10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne.   He is filled with joy and we are truly only successful when we yield the gifts and talent back to the Creator and allow Him to use them in us to glorify Him and reach the hurting and broken.  When humbly at His feet, we present the souls that we have loved and ministered to and the people with whom we have been able to share the Gospel, we have offered the kind of genuine thanks our God will accept.

Psalms 56:16-17 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. ¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.  Does the God of Heaven desire our “golden” statues, the awards for our earthly accomplishments?  NO, He desires us; the award for HIS earthly accomplishments.

When you have faithfully followed after the Spirit, then you can raise your hands toward Heaven and truthfully say, “He has graced my life with opportunities that I know are not by my hand or any other human hand,” giving God the glory He deserves.  God isn’t looking for GOLDEN STATUES; He is seeking for those who will worship Him in SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH!!!

DO YOU HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN?

Benjamin Franklin wrote, “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.”  With that in mind, it is always good to have a “Contingency Plan” just in case the unexpected happens to the best laid plans.   I have often had to resort to “Plan B” when “Plan A” just wouldn’t come together.  It is a good thing to keep “Plan B” close when planning a party, cooking a dinner or picking out the perfect outfit for the occasion, but what about when we commit to following the Will of God?  God has ONE PLAN.  It is perfect so there is no need for a Contingency Plan.  The Bible gives us some examples of individuals who thought “Plan A” could use a little refining but always, “Plan B” didn’t turn out so well for them.

One of the first examples occurred in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.  The people were hungry and God rained down manna.  “Plan A” was that the people would gather just enough for today (except the day before the Sabbath) and trust God that He would provide for tomorrow.  Perhaps fear and hunger replaced trust or maybe they thought they could save some energy, but some decided to institute “Plan B” and gathered enough for today and tomorrow.  Well “Plan B” resulted in wormy manna and the people discovered “Plan A” was just fine.  A few years later, Joshua led the Israelites against the city of Jericho.  “Plan A” was to abstain from all the spoil of war with certain items being consecrated to the Lord and put into the treasury.  A man named Achan decided on “Plan B” and took a Babylonian garment, gold and silver, hiding them under his tent.  Once again “Plan B” didn’t work out so well, the Israelite army was defeated in their next battle, at AI and it ultimately resulted in the death of Achan and his entire family.  There are other examples in the Bible of people setting aside the Plan of God and instituting a Contingency Plan of their own.  Every time “Plan B” ended in disaster.

Let’s take a look at the people who put unwavering faith in the plan of God with no thought of a contingency plan; “just in case.”  Noah obeyed by building the ark and getting into it when God said “it’s time.”  There was one door, which God shut and Noah and his family were saved according to “Plan A”.  The account of Elisha as he prepares to follow Elijah says, he took the yoke of oxen, he had been plowing with, slaughtered them, used the yoke for firewood to roast them, fed the people and left.  Talk about burning bridges….Elisha burned the whole team of oxen; there would be no “Plan B” to come back to if “Plan A” didn’t work. As a result of Elisha sticking to “Plan A” with no contingency plan, he was given a “double portion” of Elijah’s anointing.   Finally, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to bow to the image with the threat of death for disobedience.  “Plan A” said, “Thou shall have no other gods before me.”  Daniel 3:16-18 proves that the 3 men never considered “Plan B;” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”  Their faith in the Plan of God with no consideration for contingencies brought them through the fire, through the flood, built a nation and performed great miracles; God still rewards that kind of faith…If one person will dare to embrace “Plan A” with no contingencies.

Three times in my adult life has God said “GO.”  Even with my crazy personality of planning and lists, I understood that Steve and I had to follow “Plan A.”  We left family, friends, jobs, sold houses, packed up the kids and went.  Things didn’t always turn out the way we envisioned but the Blessing of God has been abundant.  FAITH says, “I may not understand the details but I trust in the Plan Maker, so I will go.”  FAITH says, “I wouldn’t do it this way but I’m following HIS WAY, so I trust it is for my good.”  FAITH says, “I cannot see the path clearly but my hand is held firmly by my Loving Father and when the way gets rough, I will be carried in His strong arms, so I keep walking.” 

God has always had only ONE PLAN; “Plan A.”  When you commit to follow God there can be NO CONTINGENCIES. You may have to kill and roast the oxen, build a boat or go through a fiery furnace.  It requires FAITH, TRUST, and COMMITMENT but His plan is perfect and it makes packing for the journey a whole lot easier.

WHAT IS YOUR PASSION?

“The word passion originates in the Latin, meaning “to suffer.” The word was created by religious scholars in the 11th century to describe the willing suffering of Christ. Passions have become nearly synonymous with pleasures and what excites us in modern culture. But consider that Passion is originally defined as the moment of the deepest willing suffering of Christ for our good. It lifts the word from human desires to a monumental love willing to suffer. When we find ourselves willing to choose suffering for a cause, that cause may hold our life’s mission.

This excerpt from Jennie Allen’s book, “Restless, Because You Were Made for More” spoke something to me.  I’m not sure what the word, “Passion” says to you, but I certainly never considered it synonymous with “Suffering.”  When I think of passion or being passionate about something, I think of something I love, something that gets the creative juices flowing, or something that excites.  I have to confess, I really didn’t get why we always talked about Jesus Christ and His passion.  I seriously thought it was all about His love for mankind; that we were His passion.  Well it was and it is, but, in light of this new revelation of the word passion that I have received, I realize that the Passion of Christ was that He loved mankind so much that He was willing to SUFFER for the cause.

Paul says in Philippians 3:9:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.  Oh we dance and rejoice that we know Him and are partakers in the power of His resurrection but pull back slightly when we consider partnering with His “Passion.” Is the “Cause of Christ” one of which I am passionate? Perhaps, I am wowed by the “Glory.” The dream always includes great exploits, accolades and of course the “stars in our crown” representing the many souls won, but am I willing to DIE; is there any PASSION?

The call to the “Fellowship of His Sufferings and being Conformed to His Death” may not result in your physical death but it will require that you DIE!  If you want to share in the fellowship of His PASSION, your will must die.  What He Desires FOR Your Heart must become the Desires OF Your Heart. Jesus said in Matthew 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Are you ready to take the first step in really knowing Jesus Christ?  Before you answer the call, consider the cost; “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.”  The COST is great; the cost is everything to share in His Passion for the Cause of Souls, but the REWARD is also great.  The reward is everything; Fellowship with Christ for Eternity.

DENTISTS, ROOT CANALS AND SPIRITUAL MATTERS

I have probably had more dental work than the average person.  I am convinced that my dentist’s children have all went through college on my “$1,000” visits.  I have first-hand knowledge of most dental procedures and immediately recognize the different levels of tooth pain.  So why did I ignore the small bubble on my gum and the accompanying sensitive tooth for 3 years, because the bubble would come and go and sensitivity is not pain.  Finally, the back of my tooth broke off and I had no choice but to make the dreaded call.  My dentist confirmed what I already knew; a root canal was in my future.

I could have been given an antibiotic to fight the infection.  The “bubble” and sensitivity would have left but the underlying problem was still lurking in the tooth, just waiting for another opportunity to manifest.  To make sure the infection was gone and to save the tooth, the dentist began to clean out the infected pulp from each of the 3 root canals of the tooth and rinsing the inside with a dental antibiotic cleanser.  Once the root canals were clean, they were filled with a permanent filler to strengthen and seal the tooth.  A thousand dollars later and my tooth is as good as they day it was born; well almost!

Now to Spiritual Matters!!!  You are skipping your way through life and you notice a bubble, but since there is just some minor sensitivity, the bubble is ignored until the problem takes hold and something breaks.  That is when you realize you have no other option but to submit to a “Spiritual Root Canal.”  God doesn’t just prescribe an “antibiotic” to relieve the symptoms; NOPE, He goes right to the “Root Canal” and restores us back to brand new.  God gently and lovingly cleans out all the “sin” infection from every channel of our heart and cleanses us with His blood.  Once the infection is washed away, He doesn’t leave us empty, helpless and vulnerable but fills us with His Holy Spirit to seal and make us strong. 

If you’ve noticed a little sensitivity or a “bubble,” don’t ignore the symptoms or put off the treatment.  Submit to God’s “root canal;” you are worth saving.  Allow Him to clean all the rottenness from the hidden parts that no one can see beneath your smiling façade.  There is nothing as powerful as being washed in the blood of Jesus to banish the infection of sin that threatens to invade our “bones.”  Then allow the Holy Spirit to fill the clean, empty places and restore what has been broken.  Yes, it will cost you something and the procedure may involve a little pain but your life is worth saving and Jesus will be right beside you to hold your hand.