God Has No Limits

Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

We serve a God who has no limits.  Think about that for a moment. No limits!!!

I read a little story once about a boy who was out fishing.  He was standing right on the very edge of the river, casting out his fishing line. An older gentleman was a short distance away watching. All of a sudden, the little boy felt a tug on his line, he pulled and released, pulled and released and out of the water came a 12-inch long bass.  The older gentleman quickly ran over to the little boy to share in his excitement only to find the little boy unhooking the fish and throwing it back into the river.  The older man, wide-eyed said, "What are you doing? You just caught a whopper. Why on earth did you throw it back in the river?" The little boy looked up at the older man and said, "My frying pan is only 9 inches wide."

Sometimes, I think we are like that little boy. God is trying to bless us, He is trying to provide us with God-sized opportunities, but our minds only see a 9-inch frying pan.  This is where faith and obedience come in. God wants us to use the power we have in Him to rise above that kind of limited thinking.

I firmly believe if God has placed something on your heart to do, He will make a way for you to do it. Whatever it is may seem unlikely, or it may seem outlandish, and we can easily come up with dozens of reasons not to pursue it. But if God placed that desire/idea/dream /opportunity on your heart - who are we to say "Oh no, that can't happen!"  You know who put those words in your head - the one who wants to thwart God's work. WARNING, WARNING, WARNING!!!  Don't believe it!!

God has placed inside of you great potential. He has big plans for you. Jeremiah 29: 11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Those plans came with all you need to accomplish them.  I love this quote from Erma Bombeck, "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and that I could say, "I used everything you gave me."  When we use what God has blessed us with for His glory, to further His kingdom, somehow it just exponentially increases. I have seen it happen. For example, at our church, we have a staff team of just 5 very committed, very gifted ladies on our Children's Ministry Team. They love the Lord and serve with a full heart for God and kids.  Sunday after Sunday, week after week their whole focus is on making sure kids have a good time learning about Jesus. And they do.  Many, many children have come to know Jesus as Savior through their efforts and the use of their God-given talents.  And each week we see more and more children coming to the church. That is our increase. You see, God does not want us to sit on the sidelines. He wants us in the game.

One time, Jesus invited His disciples into the game. Jesus appeared to his disciples near the Sea of Tiberias. 7 of the disciples went out to fish. That night they caught nothing. Nada! No fish for you! When they came back in the morning, Jesus was on the shore and called out to them but they didn't know it was Jesus. Jesus asked, " Friends, haven't you any fish?" And of course, the answer was "no".  So Jesus gave them another opportunity to fish. He told them to go back out in the water and throw their nets on the right side of the boat. When they did (obedience/trust) they were unable to haul the net in because there were so many fish in it. They weren't just little fish either. The Bible describes them as large fish - 153 of them. Whaaaat??  The story goes on to relate how they ate a nice hot breakfast of what else, cooked fish.  (John 21:1-14)

The disciples got in the game. They obeyed and tried again even though they had just come back from a night of fishing without catching anything.  And what happened? They got more fish than they could have ever imagined.  Was that because they were expert fishermen? After all, it was their job. No! It was because they saw an opportunity. They held fast to what could be - the possibilities. When they went back out on the boat the 2nd time, they weren't even sure it was Jesus that gave the instruction. There is a lesson there, as well. Sometimes, sometimes, we are not sure if the direction is from the Lord. What we might find is that we are not really sure until we see that the net is full.

Remember those powerful words found in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."  God's power in you will allow you to do those things that He asks you to do, those things He planned for you. Not 'some' of the things.  'ALL' things. Why? Because He has no limits. The one thing those disciples knew how to do, was fish. But even they couldn't fish that day without God's help. I am of the belief that God wants to open the floodgates of blessing in our lives, in our churches, in our homes, in our schools, at our workplaces. He wants to accomplish through each of us way more than we could ever ask, dream, hope or imagine. He calls us to trust Him. He calls us to get in the game. And we can - because He can! He has no limits except the ones we place on Him.  Just sayin!

Pray Without Ceasing

I believe it is God's desire for us to communicate with Him. Communicating with God verbally or in our thoughts is called prayer. His Word encourages us to talk to Him "without ceasing", and "at all times".

                                             I Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing." 

Ephesians 6:18 "Praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication to that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints."

I have charge of the Preschoolers in our church.  I can't imagine serving anywhere else. Preschoolers are so much fun and they learn through movement. Anyone with a 4 or 5-year-old, knows they love to move - A LOT!!  and practically all the time.  Anyway, one of the things we teach them when we are learning about prayer is that we can talk to God anytime (we point to our wrist, aka wristwatch) anywhere (we move our hands to each side of our body at about shoulder height) about anything (we reach our hands to the sky). This, of course, is a simple way to teach kids about talking to God and they totally get it.

But, as adults, prayer needs to go deeper still. Every occurrence, every occasion, every circumstance, every decision we need to make can become a stirring of the Holy Spirit within us to pray.  Prayer needs to become a habit. So much a part of ourselves that it is as frequent and natural as breathing.

I have read a book called The Practice of the Presence of God several times over the years. This book changed my thinking about prayer. The cover of the book invites us to read the spiritual secrets of a humble brother who enjoyed closeness with God.  Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk whose sole purpose in life was to remain always in the presence of God - no matter the task, no matter his circumstance - anytime, anywhere, anything!

In his 7th letter to an unnamed friend, Brother Lawrence wrote, "The least little remembrance will always be acceptable to Him. (God) You need not cry very loud; He is nearer to us than we are aware of."  God is always available - just a thought or even a whisper away.

The book goes on to talk about S. Clement of Alexandria. He was a gifted teacher of new Christians in the church at Jerusalem.  I can easily identify with Clement on several levels. You might want to look him up and read about his life. It is quite interesting.  Back to topic...around 190 A.D., Clement wrote the "Stromata" in which he described a man that might be very much like Brother Lawrence. He wrote, "the great business of a philosopher, that is, a wise Christian, is prayer. Such an one prays in every place, at every time, not indeed using many words, or thinking to be heard for his much speaking, but in secret in the depths of his soul, while walking or conversing with his fellow-man, or reading, at the table, when at work. His praises rise to God unceasingly; not only in the morning, and at noon, but in all his actions he glorifies God as do the Seraphim."  Anytime, anywhere, about anything!  Unceasingly in thought, word and deed!  

These types of prayers are called breath prayers; they are short, simple, heartfelt, meaningful, spontaneous, important and valuable. Examples might be when you are watching your child quietly play - you speak a blessing over your child, or pray for their future. When you see a beautiful flower, thank God for the gift of nature. When someone you know comes to mind, ask God to give them the desires of their heart. Short, simple prayers that keep us communicating with God, and in His presence all the time.  Breath prayers can be prayers of praise, worship, love, needs, thanksgiving, blessing, help and so on and so on. Anytime, anywhere about anything! 

Today might be a good day to begin practicing breath prayers and perhaps, like Brother Lawrence, they will become a habit in us leading us to remain always in the presence of God.  I pray it is so!

Breathe in - "Father", breathe out - "draw near to the persons reading this blog today."  

There are many good articles on Breath Prayer. Following is a link to just one.

Guideposts article on Breath Prayers

God's Love

God looks for us - He searches us out and calls us by name.  He leaves the 99 to find the lost 1. He waits eagerly for us to come to Him.

He loves us in spite of our faults, in spite of our sin, in our brokenness.

God delights in us in spite of all of these things.

He understands.  He cares.  He grants mercy.  He forgives. He provides.
He loves fully and completely.

He knows us inside and out because He created us - He thought us up and then spoke us into being.

Because He knows us so well He can love us perfectly.

He loves unconditionally as only He can.

He loves personally.

The only thing He wants in return – is fellowship - that we love Him back.  That we talk with Him and get to know Him. That we believe.

What do you do with a love like God’s?

You accept it. You bask in it. It's a gift.
You truly realize just how great His affection is for you - how He loves you so!

And then you share it. 

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19 

That's it...simple.

How Should I Be?

As a preschool teacher, I always felt it was important to share how a child's day was with their parents.  I also liked to capture things the children said.   I would ask the children a leading question and then jot down their answers and at the end of the year, I would provide the parents with what I called a Dictation Book.  After one particularly hard behavior day -  lots of tattling and bickering going on - that's what 4 and 5-year-olds do, right??  - anyway, I thought we needed to take a breather so I had everyone sit criss-cross applesauce on the floor.  I turned out the lights and we sat in silence for about 3 minutes.  To them, that was an eternity and by the end of the 3 minutes someone started giggling and it, of course, had a ripple effect. Once the hilarity died down we were ready to have a TALK and I asked a leading question.

"Ok", I said, "we have had a hard time getting along today.  Really, guys, how should we be?"  That's all I said.  Micah's hand shot up - I should be good and loving.  Brayden chimed in - I should be nice. Laura was more specific - I should be nice to people.  Andrew piped up - I should be a sharer.  And so it went, I should be:  a listener of God, noble,  kind and not listen to the devil, be myself and be good to God's creatures, good to my friends oh and kind, forgiving and on and on.  These kids had it right. They just forgot for a moment.  They were all caught up in doing what preschoolers do and they forgot how they should be.

As adults, sometimes we forget how we should be.  We get all caught up in the excitement of a kids baseball game and we forget.  We get caught up in a heated political discussion and we forget. We get caught in the middle of a neighborhood dispute and we forget. When we feel ourselves being some way other than how we should be, it is time to stop and take a breather.

Looking at how God is - His character - serves as a reminder and gives us a plumb line to hold ourselves up against.   We are filled with God's love -- not dotted, not sprinkled, but "filled" -  it should ooze out of us like the jelly when you bite into a jelly-filled donut.  "...for we know how dearly God loves us because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love." Romans 5:5  God is good.  Even Jesus proclaimed God as good. "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked. "Only God is truly good." Mark 10:18  Being good isn't just about being obedient, it isn't just for children.  Oh no, being good can mean so much more - honest, virtuous, having integrity, and noble - as my little Ian said.

The Bible is very clear about how we should be.
"But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also.  If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you."  "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."  Luke 6: 27-31, 35-36   

Kids sometimes forget how they should be. Adults sometimes forget how they should be.  It is just a fact.  I think God's expectation of us is that we always aim to be the best person we can be.   Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you."  2 Corinthians 13:11  And Mark instructs, "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."  Mark 5: 48
Perfection is a pretty high bar.  We won't truly be perfect until we get to heaven, but we can aim for it now.  Aim to be more Christ-like.  Look inside yourself and see what area God might like to see you work on.  I know what area He has pointed out to me.

As you peer deep inside, go into it with an open heart and mind and a can-do attitude claiming the verse: "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13.   Let's take it from the mouths of the babes and be how we should be.  How much more beautiful our homes, our blocks, our towns, our cities, the world would be if everyone was how they should be.
It could happen. But it has to start somewhere - let it be with me! I invite you to join me.

Sweet Friendship - A Good Gift

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."
—John 13:35

Billy Graham said, “The human soul is a lonely thing. It must have the assurance of companionship. Left entirely to itself, it cannot enjoy anything.”

As God was creating all things, He said, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). God did something about this with the creation of Eve. This was the very beginning of human companionship. Ephesians 4:25 reminds us that "we are all members of one body." God’s people are one body. We are not intended to function alone, not intended to be unconcerned for one another. We were made for community. This is where friendship comes in, the comradery that lightens the heart and lightens burdens because they are shared. 

As God’s children, God promises us "good gifts". (James 1:17)  One of those gifts is friendship. While we are here on earth, we are guaranteed the richest and truest friendships. Only in true Christ-centered friendship does genuine trust exist.  Only in true Christ-centered friendship do we feel genuinely safe. Only in true Christ-centered friendship do we find genuine peace. The only true cohesive power in the world is Christ. He alone can bind our human hearts together in genuine love and trust.

“A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” Proverbs 27:9

Much like Jonathan and David, hearts can be knit together in friendship. (1 Samuel 18:1) Jonathan was a gift to David. He supported him, encouraged him, and helped him become the leader and king that he was. True friends can do that for each other. In the words of Melanie Shankle, “The aim of friendship is to sow into each other words of eternal life and blessing. We remind each other of God’s wisdom and provision, refresh each other’s spirit, and strengthen each other’s faith.”

Just like Jonathan was to David, God has given you people around you that are a gift. People have been placed in your life by Him, at this particular time for a reason. I love this quote from Corrie Ten Bloom, “Every experience God gives us, every person He puts into our lives, is the perfect preparation for a future only He can see.” Your future is in His hands. He is faithful and can be trusted to give you exactly what you need when you need it. He is faithful and can be trusted to give you exactly WHO you need when you need them. God has given you a "good gift" in the people around you. Lean in to Him and to each other and sow blessing into each other’s lives through your sweet friendship.

Be sure to thank God for your friends, the people He has given you to walk through life with. The people that will tell you the truth, even if it hurts. The people that will listen and not judge. The people that you love and will love you back no matter what. The people that time and distance have no hold on. The people that will make you stronger and a better person. They - are a good gift! 

  

The Sound of Silence and Electronic Devices

Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel, a musical duo that had their beginning in the mid to late '60s wrote a song called Sound of Silence.  According to Sean Kelly from Quora, "In The Sound of Silence, he (Paul Simon) was expressing his angst toward his, and other's, feelings of alienation in a post-modern world.  Part of this alienation is viewed as a result of our inability to communicate effectively with one another, combined with our ready acceptance of thought and opinion as provided by the mass media." 

'Alienation due to our inability to communicate effectively with one another.'  

Whoa! Does that sound vaguely familiar?  Aren't psychologists and educators today saying that the social media phenomenon, video games, and cell phones have done just that?  Are we not so tied to our phones and ipads and computers that they have replaced a good old fashioned one on one conversation.  I myself have been known to spend (waste) an hour or more at a time flying through social media to find out what's going on in people's lives.  But, is that really the whole story on their lives? I would be willing to bet - not!

Is there a place and/or use for social media, of course.  Sharing exciting news, sending invitations, building a business and perhaps sharing some vacation pics are all excellent uses for social media. Should kids be allowed to have fun playing video games and watching TV, sure.  However, these activities should never replace communicating with people one on one. And all too often it does.  "Kids are spending an average of more than 7 1/2 hours a day using electronic media, which includes TV, the Internet, video games, and mobile devices, according to a 2010 report by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation."(Quoted from Very Well Family) I would suggest that this is causing a breakdown in the relationship building process.  People are meant to be in community - real-life community - not just a digital community.  

Jesus gave us a good example of how life is meant to be lived in community. Seriously, He talked to everyone and He listened. Really listened. He asked tough questions. He gave straight answers. And He made people feel loved, accepted and well...important.  That's what being in community is all about. We get to know - really know - people...not just the good stuff that gets posted but the bad and the ugly and the truth of it all.   

Think about it, when you are perusing social media, there is no conversation, no communication - just silence, unless of course, you see something funny, then you might hear yourself laugh.  But, there is no one to laugh with you. Just silence. 

The sound of silence can be lonely. The sound of silence can be frightening. In the silence there is room for your mind to compare, judge, feel jealous, resentful, fearful and so many other emotions that are not from God.  

So, we have established previously that there are a place and use for social media and cell phones, as well as a time and place for kids to play video games or watch TV.  However, I would propose that we be smart about it.  Set limits and practice what we preach.

Here are a couple suggestions to help us all make the right choices and decisions when we are using our electronic devices:
1. Be disciplined about how much time you spend on social media or using electronic devices (your kids are watching you)
2. Set clear hard boundaries on how much time you allow your kids to spend on social media or using electronic devices (including watching TV) - # of hours per day, only on the weekend, only certain shows, etc.
3. If a real live person comes home or enters the room - they come first - put the device away
4. Make a plan for those times when there is nothing to do. Instead of going for the X-box, play family board games, here's a novel idea (no pun intended) have a family reading time every day - your kid's teachers will thank you! 
5.  Don't be afraid to just turn off the TV, gather all electronic devices in a basket and go cold turkey for a night and just talk. (Warning: It might take a while to get the hang of this but it is so worth it!)

Think about how the sound of silence might be influencing you and your family, and give this a try.

    

    

Listen to Me!

Life is odd. It is sometimes filled with confusion and uncertainties. You never know for sure what’s coming. One day is fine – the birds are singing, the sun is shining and the kids aren’t fighting. The next day monsters come out from under the bed and out of the closet from all directions. The fridge breaks down, all 4 kids wake up with pink eye, so you need to stay home from work, but have no vacation days left. But wait, it gets better, you have spent all your grocery money and don’t get paid for another 5 days. Stuff happens! Am I right?

Malcolm Muggeridge, a Christian scholar made a statement that I sincerely value. He said, “Every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message.”  

The parables Jesus told are to help people understand an unfamiliar concept or idea. He painted vivid pictures with His words so the people could ‘figure it out’. He used commonplace things to illustrate His point and help someone come to a conclusion.

At my current workplace, we have begun a study called Rooted. This week’s study was on prayer. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Sometimes we pray and pray seeking God, seeking an answer or clarity. We wait, and wait and wait perhaps thinking God is not really hearing our cry. News Flash!! God doesn’t send a text or an email with an answer. We play a part in getting an answer. Prayer is a two-way conversation. Our part is to stop, be silent, and listen. Pay attention to the “happenings, great and small”, and find God speaking to you through them. In other words, ‘get the message’ He has for you. He really could answer you and guide you in so many different ways.  But we have to be paying attention. We have to be listening. What are some of the ways God speaks to you?  Think about that for a moment. 

I believe it is an art to find and hear God in the things that happen. It takes practice. It takes being still and that can be hard. Take it from the person who has to get up and do something during every single TV commercial. It is hard to sit still. But hear Psalm 46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God…” Be still!

God’s promise in Psalm 32:8 is “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” I learned the lesson of listening and paying attention many years ago and have never forgotten it. I was working in an office setting. I knew my time there was done, but it was comfortable. I was paid well, it was close to home, so for literally months I was asking God for direction – should I leave should I stay, blah, blah, blah…One Sunday I was sitting in church before service started and was praying again – God what should I do. I flipped open my Bible and immediately focused on these words found in Isaiah 46:12 “Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness.”  LISTEN TO ME… Believe me, I got the message! Did you ever see a child place one hand on either side of mom’s cheeks and turn her head so she was looking him right in the eyes? The child is saying ‘listen to me, mom’, ‘focus on me’ ‘I am trying to tell you something’. That morning it was as if God placed a hand on either side of my face and turned my head in His direction – ‘LISTEN TO ME’, ‘FOCUS ON ME’, ‘I AM TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING’. I had not taken the time to listen or pay attention to the answer – my heart had been telling me to move on! I wasn’t listening to my heart. My family said to move on.  I did not listen to them either. ‘Happenings great and small’ told me it was not the place for me to be. I failed to ‘get the message’ even in all that. However, God, because He is who He is, kept His promise and got my attention by calling me a “stubborn-hearted” fool. Listen to me!!!

Matthew 7: 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Once we learn to listen and pay attention, we have an amazingly perfect resource to find peace, contentment, understanding, direction, & clarity. He alone brings calm in all the chaos of life. However, we have to do our part, too! Listen!

I would encourage you to get in a quiet place for a prayer time today. After you are finished praying, spend 3 minutes in the quiet and just listen. Perhaps write down what you hear from God. I suggest you begin to make this a daily practice. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what you hear from God as you listen to Him.