The Untraditional Letter

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Jessica

My official study of the book of James has concluded, but my thoughts regarding the book of James are still running rampant through my mind (maybe this is what meditating on the Scriptures looks like). For this people person doesn’t meet a stranger gal, learning about the man James was just as important to me as reading what he wrote.

You know the first thing I thought about James? I thought, he obviously never took the letter writing course in middle school. Every letter is supposed to have a positive greeting and then if you have something not so nice to say, you slowly and very carefully transition into it. Then to make everyone feel nice and fluffy again you make sure and end on a high note. Not James…No sooner does he say hi then he dives right into being joyous over trials. He then gets all personal and points out you can say you believe in God, but if your life doesn’t reflect that belief what good is your faith. He then concludes his letter with these last words, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19-20) What kind of an ending is that?!? There is no goodbye, I’ll be praying for you, or even a tie it all together sentence. James just leaves us hanging…or so I thought.

The first week of this study we spent studying who James, the half brother of Jesus, was and what made him tick. It turns out James did not initially believe Jesus was the Son of God. In fact, and I must admit I got quite a good chuckle over this, James thought Jesus was out of His mind (Mark 3:21). James would have been brought up to revere the law. He would have observed the Pharisees, who pretended to be perfect, and may have felt Jesus was just extremely religious. James spent his childhood sleeping next to the Son of God and didn’t even know it.

It wasn’t until after Jesus had died on the cross and appeared to James in His resurrected body that James became a believer (I Corinthians 15:4-7). The Bible does not record what was said between these two, but there is no doubt Jesus loved His brother James. Jesus loved James enough to die for him in his unbelief, but Jesus perfected that love when He went back to restore James. I wept over this part for that is what made the difference in my life as well. I will never get over how the God of the universe pursued me when I was in the depths of my sin. When I was dragging His name through the mud, He rescued me from a lifestyle that should have all but consumed me. It is that personal moment with Christ that our eyes become opened. This is the moment that would change James’ life. It is the moment that will change each of us if we allow it to.

James becomes a founder of the church in Jerusalem. In fact, historically speaking, the book of James is believed to be the oldest book in the cannon of Scripture. How cool is that! James may have been the one to break the 300 year silence of when the last book of the Old Testament was written until the moment the Spirit of God inspired James to pick up his pen. I just wept at this part too (I weep a lot apparently). For it is God’s presence in my life that led me to writing again as well. The Lord revealed Himself to me in such a powerful way during the time of my brain surgery that I just could not be left unchanged. Just like James, I could no longer remain silent.

James faithfully served in the Jerusalem church until he was martyred in A.D. 62 by Ananus (II) who was serving as High Priest at the time. Ananus wanted to get rid of anyone he believed posed a threat to the traditional Jewish practices. Remember, many of the Jews did not believe Jesus was the Son of God and were still waiting on the Messiah.

Are you still with me? I didn’t mean for this to turn into a history lesson, but it will explain why James ended his letter the way he did. James’ heart would have no doubt twisted within him on the day Jesus was crucified. I am sure James wished he could talk with Jesus just one more time. I wonder if he spent sleepless nights thinking over every moment of their childhood. I wonder if he hated himself for not being there when Jesus took His last breath.

And then one day in the midst of his grief, Jesus appears to him. Did James run to Him and sob on His shoulder or did he fall to his feet unable to take a single step? I don’t know what words passed between them, but I know that James was forever changed. Maybe that is why James is so passionate about our faith being proven by our actions. Perhaps this is why he tells us to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials,” because it is through the trials that we become complete. Maybe that is why instead of the traditional ending to a letter he tells us if we see someone in the “family” straying to bring them back to the truth. He ends with restoration because it was at the moment of his own restoration that his life began.

James begins his letter with hope and ends his letter with hope. He reminds us not to lose our joy when going through the trials of this life because it is through the trials that God will develop in us an authentic faith and if we don’t have an authentic faith what good is it anyway. He then shows us that an authentic faith will fill us to the brim and then spill out into the lives of others. He then reminds us to be there for one another. To live out the picture of restoration with one another because that is what Jesus does for us.

Beth Moore beautifully points out, “Maybe this is why James closes his letter with restoration because that is what Jesus had done for him. On that day, mercy had triumphed.”

Thank you James for throwing traditional letter writing skills out the window. Thank you for being real and not beating around the bush. Thank you for not only living an active faith, but dying with that active faith intact. Thank you for reminding me that mercy triumphs every time when God is the Author of your story. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Poison Laced Smores

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Jessica

Poor Job. He is always the one we use to illustrate the saying, “It could be worse.” Not many of us have lost everything (possessions, children, health) all at the same time like this man of faith did. To me though, what takes an already tragic set of circumstances and makes it that much worse are his three friends that come under the guise of helping, but are really bringing poison laced smores to the fire.

When you are going through a rough spell (aka it looks like someone has thrown a grenade into the middle of your personal life), you are going to need some encouraging bonfire buddies. However, mark it down…underline it….bold it…italicize it (you get the idea), nothing will draw some major losers out of the woodwork faster than seeing someone go through trials.

I have a sneaky suspicion these supposed friends of Job were all too happy to see this righteous man lose it all. God commends Job as being blameless before Him. You don’t get a recommendation higher than that! Job’s impeccable character would have been known throughout the land. The fact that Job continually did what was right would have probably irked those around him. When it seemed that God was disciplining Job, those three couldn’t saddle their camels fast enough so they could expose Job for the fraud they thought him to be.

Is this ringing a bell with anyone this morning? When you are going through a really rough spot in your life and are emotionally vulnerable, nothing can bring you down faster than the negative and ungodly opinions of supposed friends. How do you know when it is time to get some new smore buddies?

* When they encourage you to doubt God’s character and use their own human reasoning to explain your misfortune.

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto you own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

*When instead of feeling encouraged their advice leaves you feeling anxious. In other words, you are in worse shape after they leave their odes of wisdom than you were just dealing with it by yourself.

Proverbs 12:25, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a GOOD word makes it glad.

*When the advice they are giving is not backed by Scripture. ( The Oprah Show is not a substitute for Godly wisdom.)

Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. DO NOT ADD to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

By the time Job’s fire side friends were done with their lengthy accusations (about 30 chapters worth), God has to intervene because after thirty chapters of nothing but foolishness, He has had enough. God says in Job 38:2, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” The Jessica translation would say, “Job, why are you listening to these depressing thoughts with no real substance given by men filled with nothing but hot air?”

God then goes on to point out all the things He controls (the universe, stars, gates of death just to list a few) that even the top scientists of today can’t figure out. We find Job with his hand over his mouth and repentance in his heart. Job drops to his knees and declares, “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” (Job 42:2-3)

Job’s friends in their zeal to be biblical Dr. Phil’s, forgot the most fundamental truth that God is God. Sometimes there aren’t answers we can wrap our minds around to why God allows us to go through certain trials. The best thing we can do when we see someone we love facing some pretty heavy storms is to direct them to the One who does know all things and pray on their behalf.

Sweet sisters, be careful who you let sit around your fire. If their words of wisdom feel more like poison laced smores, get some new friends. To my faithful, godly, and compassionate bonfire beauties, thank you just doesn’t begin to cover how grateful I am for each and every one of you.

Proverbs 16:24, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”

Would You Defriend Jesus on Facebook?

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Jessica

Today’s post is the culmination of my thoughts after spending eight weeks enmeshed in the book of James. I began wondering if Jesus’ earthly ministry took place today in our culture, what would it look like? I then began to probe deeper into my heart and asked if Jesus posted what He was doing and who He was helping on Facebook, would I defriend Him because I was afraid of the social repercussions supporting His ministry might have on me? Here are some of my thoughts…

Would you defriend Jesus from your Facebook when You found Him on the wrong side of town speaking with a prostitute because that woman has the same worth to Him as the deacon in your church?

Romans 2:11, “For there is not partiality (favoritism) with God.”

James 2:9, “but if you show partiality (favoritism), you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”

Would you defriend Jesus from your Facebook when You saw Him walking out of the bar with his arm around a drunken man because Jesus can see the abused boy hidden within that never healed?

Matthew 9:11-13, “And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.

Would you defriend Jesus from your Facebook when You saw Him share a meal with a rough crowd with even rougher language because He cares little about His reputation and more about the destiny of each and every soul seated there?

Jonah 4:10-11, “But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left-and much livestock?”

Would you defriend Jesus from your Facebook when He took a stand against a prominent Christian leader or institution because nothing makes Him more mad than when we use His name to wound those sitting in the pew?

Matthew 18:6-7, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man whom the offense comes!”

Would you defriend Jesus from your Facebook when the same grace you have claimed in His name is shown to someone you don’t deem deserves it?

Matthew 18:33, “Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?”

Ephesians 4:32, “And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

During Jesus’ ministry, He was “defriended” so to speak by the Pharisees, the Jewish religious sect, that claimed to be doing God’s work. That got me thinking about how Jesus’ ministry might be misinterpreted by Christians today.

Would we decide He was hanging with the world too closely? Would we be uncomfortable with the company He would keep? The Pharisees were unwilling to even entertain the notion that Jesus was who He said He was. They wanted things to stay the same because that is how it had always been done. Do we not do the same thing in our churches today?

Let’s not be content to quench the Spirit within us. Let’s not become complacent while others are walking away from their faith no longer able to keep up the fake facade. Let’s not defriend Jesus for fear of what true service to Him would do to our social circles.

I have to face the truth that sometimes I don’t minister to certain people out of fear of what others might think of me or might assume about me. The book of James calls us to live out our faith, prove our faith by pouring it into the lives of others.

God has given me a burden for the women wounded in the pews and yet many of the posts He puts on my heart I don’t share because I am afraid I might offend someone and in the process become a social outcast. I am beginning to not be afraid anymore. I am starting to realize I should be more afraid of disobeying God’s calling in my life than in what it might cost me personally to do so.

It takes just one person to determine not to sit silent any longer. It takes just one spark in one heart to light a fire of authentic ministry that when spread cannot be stopped. Never underestimate the power Christ’s love reflected in our lives can have on a person. I do not want to callously walk by the undesirables I come across. I do not want to limit God’s presence in my life because it might make me uncomfortable. Lord help me to see through Your eyes, help me to love with Your love, and help me to live out my faith.

The Four Letter Word We All Need

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Jessica

“Where hope would otherwise become hopelessness, it becomes faith.” ~Robert Brault

I think I have watched every episode of, “I Shouldn’t Be Alive,” that used to come on the Animal Planet channel. There is something about watching people survive impossible situations that I find inspiring and deeply moving. Perhaps my favorite episode was about a man named Steven Callahan. He was a naval architect whose sail boat sustains irreparable damage during a sailing voyage destined for Antigua. He ends up having to desert the sinking craft and escapes into a six person inflatable life raft.

He is able, after repeated dives, to salvage a sleeping bag, an emergency kit, some food, navigation charts, a short spear gun, flares, a torch, and three solar stills for producing rainwater although only two would wind up working. His food provisions quickly were depleted and Callahan became a sort of MacGyver of the sea. He used his spear to kill mahi-mahi and triggerfish and even the occasional bird.

No search was ever initiated for Callahan and he would end up spending 76 days adrift the endless ocean before he finally reached the shores of Guadeloupe and was picked up by some offshore fishermen. During his nightmare of an ordeal, he had survived shark attacks, raft punctures, physical deterioration, but perhaps to me the most impressive he had survived the impulse to quit. While at times he had wanted to give up and die, Callahan never lost hope that he would survive.

“Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops…at all. ~Emily Dickinson

Hope is a four letter word that expects something will happen. It cannot be defeated because with hope there is no impossible situation. Hope perseveres when all else has failed. Hope carries us through what our circumstances cannot. What we choose to fix our attention on will determine whether or not we have hope.

There are some situations, like watching a child die of cancer, that threaten to annihilate hope from our hearts. It is during these times, if our eyes are locked onto our circumstances, we will find ourselves in nothing but an inflatable life raft thrown around by the angry sea and just waiting for that one inevitable large wave to consume us as if we never existed to begin with. That is why we must fix our gaze on the One who is the Author of hope. The One who exists outside of our circumstances and promises us a secure future.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Hope doesn’t mean you will not have fears or go through periods of grief…hope will just prevail. Perhaps the question I get asked the most is how are you able to smile despite being in chronic pain, despite knowing you will end up in a wheel chair, despite finding out you will have to undergo brain surgery again. The answer is a small four letter word God calls hope.

I have hope one day the pain will end. I have hope that one day I will run as in the days of my youth. I have hope that if God brought me through brain surgery once, He can certainly do it again. I have hope this life is not my future. I have hope. I have hope. I have hope!

“Some see a hopeless end, while others see an endless hope.” ~Author Unknown

A Working Faith

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Jessica

Today’s Text: James 2:15-16

“If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” NKJV

I am only studying the book of James for two more weeks and quite honestly I am relieved and saddened all at the same time. Relieved in that I need some time to just process all God has shown me and saddened because I feel as if a quite monumental journey is coming to an end.

The book of James can make you squirm and be downright uncomfortable. Today’s key verse is no exception. How many times do we let ourselves off the hook from really doing something with, “I’ll pray for you.” Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying prayer is not important. There are times all we really can do is pray and what a powerful gift from God prayer is. However, sometimes we use prayer as an excuse to remove us from getting involved. Sometimes we don’t want to get our hands dirty. We don’t want it to really cost us something.

James points out if someone comes to us with a need that we can fulfill and we send them on their way with nothing but a “Bless your heart,” we are dealing with some dead faith. Ouch!! Is anybody else squirming or is it just me?

I was standing in line at the Family Christian store picking up some last minute Christmas presents. The line wasn’t moving and I kept checking the time afraid I would be late to my lunch date with my best friend. As the woman before me was being checked out, I noticed the cashier point to a picture of a child in need and ask if she would like to become a sponsor. The woman was already sponsoring two children and shared how wonderful it was to get to know these kids and invest in their futures.

Finally, it was my turn at the register and the cashier asked me the very same question, “Would you like to sponsor a child?” I kindly told him, “No, thank you. I can’t right now. Not today.” I paid for my purchases and quickly walked to my car. What I had just told the cashier played like a broken record through my mind. I had lied to the cashier and to myself. I could help right now. I just didn’t want to.

I wrestled with that conversation for the next two weeks. Every time I went to the store and pulled out my debit card, I thought about a child in need. Every time I opened my pantry filled with food, I thought about a child that was starving. I rationalized my guilt and consoled myself with thoughts like, “You are only one person. You can’t solve all the world’s problems. You have your own kids to think about.” God reminded me it was His job to worry about the world. He was just asking me to do what I could with the resources He has entrusted me with.

Finally, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I asked Glen if we could sponsor a child. I told him we just had to because I needed a decent night’s sleep again. Glen thankfully agreed and in January we became the proud sponsors of Abieku through Compassion International. Abieku is 10 years old and lives in a small farming village in Ghana. Through our correspondence I have come to love this young man. We pray for him every night around the dinner table. I am thankful for the privilege I have to watch God’s plans for this sweet child unfold like the buds of a rose. I can’t change the world (praise God He is not asking me to), but I can and am called to invest in the lives of others.

Beth Moore makes this thought provoking statement, “Do those we encounter in passing, in working, or in playing receive any direct benefit because we are Christians? James might argue that bringing benefit to our worlds from our faith is the chief reason we’re still here after we are born again into eternal life with Christ. Faith is meant to do some good.”

What good would it have done us if Jesus came and instead of dying on the cross for us, He just wished us luck? We would all be on our way to hell because only Jesus, the perfect Son of God, could pay for our debt. He didn’t leave us with empty promises though, He willingly sacrificed Himself on our behalf because we had a need that only He could fill. With Christ as our example, let’s look for needs we can fill. Let’s not be content to use pacifying words when action is needed. Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:17)

Please Don’t Tell Me to Make Lemonade

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Jessica

Please note I do not dislike lemonade and no lemons were injured in the making of this post

We have all heard the expression, “When life hands you lemons…make lemonade.” I hate, loathe, despise, dislike (you get the idea) this expression. If you are clinging to this ideology when life body slams you, I think you are going to find yourself needing something a bit more.

Lemons are sour. While adding a splash of lemon to tea or fish can enhance the flavor, nobody (unless you are really weird) wants to drink a big 8 oz. glass of just lemon juice. In order for that lemon juice to become drinkable, you have to add a substantial amount of sugar. The fact of the matter remains though you are still drinking sour lemon juice. You have just masked the taste.

When we tell people to make lemonade out of the lemons in their lives, we are really telling them to hide their pain and to fill up their lives with other meaningless distractions. In the end, however, they are still left with lemons. They are still left with grief. They are still filled with despair.

While this making of lemonade may temporarily help, it will never fulfill us or complete us like the book of James tells us a trial should do. Instead the trials will rob us like a thief in the night leaving us with doubts as to if God really ever loved us at all. We dread the dawning of a new day because we don’t know if we have the strength to go on.

I want, no I NEED something more… Instead of taking my lemons and making lemonade, I want to give my lemons to God and exchange them for gold.

Job 23:10, “But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” NAS

Sweet sister, are you grieving over a lost loved one. Have you just been diagnosed with cancer? Have you just been told you will end up in a wheel chair? Has another fertility treatment not worked? Does your past haunt you? Do you wonder if you will ever not be in constant pain? Are you like me and need to know that God has something better in mind than telling you to make lemonade out of the trials you are facing?

Praise God, He does have something better. He promises to exchange those lemons for gold. Gold does not tarnish, it cannot be destroyed, it is valuable, and it will last forever. Yes, Father, that is what I want.

What about the getting through it part though? The promise of gold is at the end, but what do I have to hold onto when I am in the midst of tragedy and trials?

Isaiah 43:19, “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall bring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Now that’s what I am talking about. I love how God promises us a new thing. Not to take the old thing and mask it in a different package, but will completely transform it. When we are stuck in the wilderness and the daily struggles have left us parched, God will create a way of escape and water for our thirsty spirits.

Isaiah 42:16, “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked paths straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.” I am so glad the person is blind. A blind person can’t see anything. Sometimes the darkness in a trial can all but consume us. Sometimes we find ourselves alone. Our friends, our family have deserted us when we need them most. God will pierce through the darkness with His light and He is a traveling companion that will NEVER leave no matter how bad it gets.

There was a time in my life when my heart had more holes than a pin cushion. The lemons in my life all but destroyed me. I tried to dump sugar on them, but it never lasted and the holes never went away. I don’t want to make lemonade out of the disasters in my life, I want God to take and transform them into something beyond my wildest imagination. I want gold!

Mercy Triumphs

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Jessica

Today’s Text: James 4:11-12

“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” NKJV

I am a nerd. I admit it. I enjoy learning new things and have been gifted with the ability to memorize large quantities of information at one time. I love to study God’s Word. The more I study the Bible, the more I see how each truth ties into the whole big picture like a piece of thread that connects the squares of a quilt.

While each quilt square is unique, it shares a common thread with the rest of the squares. A quilt square by itself is just a piece of fabric and would not be useful unless combined with the other squares. (Imagine only having one small piece of fabric to keep you warm on a cold winter’s night.) Similarly, is the word of God. You cannot read one book and neglect the rest, but instead must see how each book, each chapter, each verse fits into the whole of God’s plan.

Today’s key verses deal with our propensity to judge one another. While we begin with this square of Scripture, we will look at several others and hopefully have a quilt aka be able to see the whole picture when we are finished.

The first thing I want you to notice is that these verses were written to believers. The judging that is being talked about is judging within the body of Christ. Right after James gets done talking about the tongue and the damage it can do, he gives the example of speaking evil against one another. Apparently, judging one another was a struggle in Jesus’ day as well.

At the root of judging is pride. We determine a personal standard is all of a sudden part of the gospel and anyone who feels differently is outside of the will and fellowship of God. We then decide it is our job to confront this sin in another’s life. Many times without even taking the time to understand where that other person is coming from or maybe even considering the Holy Spirit might lead someone a different direction we start throwing stones.

Beth Moore cautions, “We can go from a blessed awareness of expressing the image of God to playing God and not even feel the shift. We must check our hearts and His Word the very moment we feel compelled to represent God.” You see we base our judgments on what we can see. Only God can see a person’s heart and what their intentions and motivations are.

Remember Job? He was commended by God for being righteous and blameless. When he loses everything, including his children, we are told even in his grief Job did not sin in his heart against God. If you were to interview Job friends, however, they were convinced Job must have been hiding some major secret sins. God had to remind Job only He was there when the foundations of the world were being formed and He alone could judge the heart.

James 3:17 tells us what wisdom from God will look like. It says it will be, “pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality (favoritism) and without hypocrisy.” Godly wisdom will promote peace not disharmony. It will be gentle not filled with barbed words. This wisdom will be willing to yield implying a willing desire to let someone else go first and not try and cut someone off or leave someone in our so called righteous dust. It will be full to the brim of mercy and good fruits. If you are full of mercy you won’t have room for a criticizing spirit. It won’t show favoritism and lift up those who agree with us and trample on those who don’t. It is not hypocritical. We will let God judge the hearts and intentions of others knowing we have no right to do so.

Sweet sister, maybe this is why we are told in I Corinthians 13 that if any word we say, any judgment we pass, any stand for righteousness we make…if it is not done in love it just simply doesn’t matter. Maybe that is why we are told over and over again throughout both the Old and New Testaments that we are to, “love your neighbor as yourself.” This love, this care for others should come first, even before the desire to be right. Can you see the quilt taking shape?

Beth says in light of understanding what Godly wisdom is, “True wisdom has a gentleness about it, doesn’t it? Harsh people are never wise people. They may be smart. They may even be right. But they are not what the Bible calls wise.”

Let’s allow God to be God. Only He knows what happened in that divorce. Only He knows what scars another bears. Only He can determine the purpose behind someone’s actions. Let’s instead obey what commands He has given us. Let’s have love as the motivation behind all we do and all we say.

Oh the harsh words we wouldn’t say against one another under the cloak of being righteous. Instead of being right, let’s strive to have wisdom from above. When given a choice between mercy and judgment, let’s choose mercy. James 2:13 says it best, “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

When given the choice to bash someone on Facebook, choose mercy because it triumphs.

When tempted to judge someone’s choices, choose to give them the benefit of the doubt because mercy triumphs.

When you feel compelled to announce someone’s sin under the guise of being Spirit led, choose mercy because that my sister is what Jesus has done for you. His mercy led Him to a cross to pay for your sins and mine because He determined mercy would triumph.

If I Only Had A Brain, Heart, Courage…Health

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Jessica

Perception is everything! How we perceive something has nothing to do with the truth of a situation, but instead on how we determine that situation to be. For example, pretend two people have been left on a deserted island with nothing but the clothes on their backs. One person decides to sit on the beach sobbing just waiting for the unavoidable kiss of death, while the other person turns into MacGyver. By the time the sun sets, this person has made a shelter out of palm branches, is roasting a salmon over the fire, and is washing it down with coconut milk. Why such different responses? The answer is perception. The first person perceives the situation to be hopeless, while the other person perceives some creative thinking will be necessary in order to survive.

We can ruin ourselves with wrong perception. It is always that one elusive thing we don’t possess that we convince ourselves we just have to have in order to be happy. Remember Scarecrow, Tinman, and Lion from, “Wizard of Oz?” All three characters were missing that one special thing that kept them from being able to be complete. Mr. Scarecrow needed a brain, Mr. Tinman needed a heart, and Mr. Lion needed some courage.

We all know what happens. They go to see the mysterious and powerful wizard in Emerald City and the wizard gives them a useless trinket to represent what they had always wanted. However, Scarecrow, Tinman, and Lion perceive the trinkets to really be something of value and all of a sudden “poof” they could now live their lives with purpose. In reality, the trinkets had added nothing. It had only changed their perspectives.

Oh how we do the same thing. If I only wasn’t single, I would be complete. If my husband treated me better, I would be able to be the mom I should be. If I didn’t have this illness, I would accomplish something. So we head out to find our “wizard” who will give us what we think we want only to be handed a cheap knockoff. Now what???

We have to shift our perspective.

I Corinthians 10:13- “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” God is never going to allow something in your life that you cannot overcome or are not equipped to handle. That is a promise and sweet sister if God said it you can have the confidence to claim it because He always keeps His word!

2 Corinthians 12:10- “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Wow! Paul is saying, “I relish the moments I am at my weakest because I know that it is on my knees that I am really at my strongest. Paul purposed to have a right perspective.

Isaiah 43:2- “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” When trials like a flood come you will not drown and when you are surrounded by the flames of the enemy you will not be burned.

If you are a child of the King, you are complete. You are not missing anything. You can spend your whole life looking, seeking, trying to obtain that one thing you think you need and you will waste your whole life collecting nothing but knockoffs and trinkets…OR…you can choose to live a life with purpose, joy, and peace knowing if you have God, you have all you need.

Father, help me not to spend my life trying to fight the things you have allowed in my life. Help me not to settle for trinkets and knockoffs and miss out on Your best for my life. Help me not to waste my time looking for what I think will make me happy, but let Your presence be enough.

Just Do It!!

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Jessica

Today’s Text: James 1:25

^“The one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he will be blessed in what he does.” NET

So for the past four weeks, I have been immersed in, consumed with, and convicted by the book of James and I’ve only gotten as far as the first three chapters! The book of James is considered by some to very controversial and even contradictory to other parts of the Bible. If you were to just read the book without bothering to understand the context, to whom the book was written, or the viewpoint of the author you might become convinced James is saying works are required for salvation. Rest assured, however, that is not what James is saying at all. James instead was saying what would one day become the Nike campaign…JUST DO IT!

The book of James forces us to examine whether what we say we believe is able to be proven by our actions. Here is where so many good intentioned folks get off track. They assign man-made standards as coming from God and then judge others around them by those standards. The Pharisees did this. They had all the “do’s” and “don’ts” and then piously walked around determining the spirituality of those around them while claiming to do so in God’s name. My sweet sisters, they missed the point. They missed out on true relationship with Christ. They missed out on being able to truly minister to others because they had self appointed themselves into a role only meant for the Holy Spirit.

James explains to us what truly living out our faith will look like. This Spirit filled believer will care about others equally with no partiality (Js 2:1-6), they will not become bitter when going through hardships knowing it is the trials that God uses to make them complete (Js 1:2-4), they will be merciful toward others fully realizing the magnitude of grace the Lord has shown to them (Js. 2:13), they will be able to control their tongue knowing the immense damage that can be done by such a small member of the body (Js. 3:5-6), and they won’t just study the Bible as a means to criticize others, but as a tool of God to show them how to live it out.

If you have ever asked the question why you can’t gain victory over a certain area of weakness in your life, the book of James contains the answer. You can attend church every Sunday, read every self-help book on the issue, attend four Bible studies, and until you allow those words to produce a change you are going to be the one looking in the mirror of truth only to forget what you saw a moment later. The cycle of defeat, like a broken record, will play out in your lives over and over again.

Beth Moore writes, “We can underline our Bibles till our pens run dry without a drop of ink splattering our lives. The self-deception slithers in when we mistake appreciation for application or being touched with being changed. The Word of God, however, is meant to do more than penetrate. It’s meant to activate.” Sisters following Christ is work…often messy work. Allowing God to shine a light into our hearts is not a pretty picture. He knows the true motivation that led us to say what we did. He knows the real reason we are sitting in a pew. He knows the contempt we have for others sitting only a few feet away. He knows every unspoken thought.

Too many times we want to be the light that exposes the motivations of others. We want to highlight our Bibles for someone else’s benefit. We use our words, without a moment’s hesitation, to crush those around us. James is urging us to realize that a living faith leads us to examine OURSELVES using God’s Word as a mirror to reflect what truly is in our hearts. We then allow the Spirit of God to transform us and shift our perspectives. We invite Him to do whatever it takes to maintain fellowship with Him.

I want to share one more thought from Beth with you. She writes, “We can work a study until the desert turns to ice and still be stuck in the same bondage. The doing causes the changing. Not the hearing.” If your faith is categorized by a lengthy list of “do’s” and “don’ts” ask God to help you learn what authentic relationship with Him really is. If your faith is just something you talk about ask God to give you the courage to begin living your faith out. JUST DO IT!!

The Diagnosis

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Jessica

I had stayed up the night before my appointment writing down all my symptoms so I wouldn’t forget anything important. I explained to the doctor the terrible headaches and pain I was experiencing, which were now accompanied by bizarre neurological symptoms. Without even batting an eye or running a test, the doctor knew what had been causing me to almost pass out, to walk into walls, to be stuck in bed for days with dizziness and nausea. The diagnosis was…wait for it…stress.

He might as well of called me crazy. In a sense, he did. All these symptoms, which by the way I had never experienced before, could be attributed to stress. Did I mention he ordered no testing and did no exam?!? He just decided a 29 year old female couldn’t have anything legitimately wrong. Apparently stress can cause you to walk into walls…who knew?

I am so glad I did not give up, but instead just went somewhere else where I found a doctor willing to figure out what was wrong. It was my family doctor, who after really listening to me, decided to order an MRI and within 24 hours I was diagnosed with a chiari malformation. It was such a relief to finally know that what I was dealing with had a name.

It has been almost 4 years since I was diagnosed with chiari and there are days I wish it had been stress. Stress can be alleviated. It can be worked through. It has a remedy. Chiari, on the other hand, does not. If you weren’t dealing with stress before, you will certainly wrestle with it at some point after chiari invades your life. Everything changes, you change.

I realized before chiari I wasn’t immortal, but I did imagine myself at 70 years of age driving across the US in a fancy RV with Glen in the driver’s seat. I had a bucket list a mile long, but somehow I never had the time to accomplish any of them. After all, there was always next year.

A chronic illness is a not so friendly reminder that a new day is not guaranteed. It is a reminder that each day is a gift. So I began the arduous process of removing the things that didn’t matter out of my life so I could replace them with things that did. I prayed over what God wanted me to do with my time and then asked Him to give me the courage to pursue them.

It seems strange that it is through my disability, I became able. Able to see life from a different perspective, able to see the hurts and needs of others, able to venture out in uncomfortable waters because I no longer had the luxury of letting fear hold me back. Ultimately, I am glad it wasn’t stress. It would have been too easy for me to “fix” the problem and return right back to my life. Instead, chiari has forced me to acknowledge some things God allows in our lives aren’t meant to be fixed, but instead to bring us to our knees and require a daily reliance on Him for strength knowing He uses all things for our good.

Awakened Anew

Seeing Life from a New Perspective!