Discipleship Network Forum

I am always being dragged away and enticed by the world and Satan, that dog who won’t go away but hounds me constantly. I feel like I am constantly fighting with hardly any relief. The best relief that I have found always comes from the Scriptures. God’s Word is the best anti-venom for counter-acting the poison of sin. The writer of Hebrews says this about temptation: “For because He [Jesus] himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18.

I don’t always think of “suffering” through temptation. I usually think of temptation as annoying and bothersome, like being outside when the mosquitoes are really bad. But this verse says that Jesus “suffered” through temptation. He had to endure it and it was not pleasant. But we don’t like pain, we crave pleasure, we avoid pain at all costs. So we give in to temptation because it is more pleasurable (at least in the short run) than suffering and enduring through and not giving into temptation. But we must see the reality of life in a fallen world, where the battle rages for our souls.

The reality that temptation will always be present (until Jesus comes back) and so we will always be in a constant state of suffering, of enduring and fighting off temptation. Suffering in this life is inescapable, but thanks be to God who has given us a Savior who not only can empathize with our suffering but gives us the grace and strength to endure it and fight it off. I John 2:15-17 shows us the Truth:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world-- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-- comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

Ask the Lord to give you strength and grace to suffer and not give into sin just because it seems more pleasurable – for ultimately sin kills and destroys us – only holiness and purity bring life and this is what Jesus has clothed us with. Pray that God will satisfy you with Jesus and His overwhelming love rather than the passing things of this world. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” John Piper

All for Jesus,

Fletch

Vonda Skelton, Christian author and speaker, begins every November by listing 5 blessings in her life daily. The challenge is that once a blessing has been listed, it cannot be listed again before Thanksgiving. The first days are the easy ones . . . the blessings that are so visible that they sometimes block out the others. It's a great challenge that I can't live up to daily.

But I can revisit it often so I don't lose sight of what God is doing in my life. Will you join me? I offer two ways. You can just comment below with your list of blessings, daily or periodically, during the month. Or, especially if you're a blogger, you can blog about those blessings. 

My first listing is below and I want to focus on the people God has brought into my life:

1.  My husband, a godly man, loving husband, incredible father and grandfather

2.  My son who has grown into a strong man who cares for others and willingly puts his life on the line for others through his work as a fireman

3.  My daughter who has become an incredibly strong young woman as she has found her identity in Christ and her call to work in missional areas others try not to notice

4.  My son-in-law who totally loves the Lord and my daughter, in that order, who is on journey with God

5.  My son's new family, although not yet official, that has brought joy into our lives.

Where do you want to start?

Margie Williamson

Community Manager

A couple weeks ago when the weather was warm and beautiful, I took a long walk through the woods, made longer by getting myself thoroughly lost.  While I wandered, God reminded me of a call He has been continually placing on my heart.  

"Take my yoke, for it is easy and my burden is light."  I never want to believe that, being a nose to the grindstone kind of girl with worrywart tendencies.  Yet, He keeps calling me to joy.  What He asks of me is prayer, praise, writing, and pursuing the things that bring me joy; such as creative endeavors, time in nature, and sharing conversation and experiences with those I love. 

So, I have been attempting to focus on these things.  Then, just as I am doing well and starting to experience joy... a filling comes loose in my tooth and it feels like the bottom is falling out of my barely ordered world...our finances get a little out of whack and I harbor thoughts of blame toward my husband, who is more of a spender than I am.  Goodbye joy.  Farewell focus and spontaneous flow of ideas.

I have picked my spot to stand and carved out a space in which to truly live.  Should I be surprised when I get hit with all sorts of things that have always been guaranteed to topple me?  Do I still need to get my tooth filled? Yes.  Do I still need to be as faithful as I can with my finances? Yes.  Do I let this sort of thing control my joy and keep me from pursuing what God Himself has told me repeatedly to pursue?  May it never be!

After all, if I am being pushed from all sides, harried and harassed, doesn't that mean I am doing something right?!  Why is the enemy so afraid of what I might write or pray for or knock loose in the Heavenlies by my praise?  I must have more power and potential than I ever imagined.  "His yoke is light," not just light on my shoulders and heart, but brilliance, like those who live in darkness long to see.

As it is with most everything, starting a new project is a bit nerve racking  until one settles into the norms of a group and gets to know the members.

My goal is to begin to get to know other members that are growing deeper in the knowledge of Truth, especially as we watch and observe the signs that point to the second coming of our Saviour !

My expectation is that we keep our points of view in the full  context of scripture as we share in the fullness of Truth the burdens of our heart ! For me I find there are so many interpretations on scripture that creates division in THE TRUE FAITH !

  I extend my right hand of fellowship to you and pray that we will  grow in Faith and Love as we share the wonderful knowledge and experiences we have had with the "Bread of Life", Yeshua, as we walk with Him on life's narrow path to everlasting life.

"Fight for Joy!"  I love that phrase.  It is not original with me, it comes from my friend John Piper.  But I love it because it characterizes every day for me.  Each day I get up and face a day that has tremendous challenges.  Challenges to fight for a strong and healthy marriage, challenges to fight to raise godly kids, challenges to fight temptation and lust, challenges to fight disappointment, challenges to fight suffering, challenges to lead people to a greater understanding of God’s grace.  These challenges can seem overwhelming at times but that is why we have to fight.

I use three main weapons to fight for joy.  The first is God’s Word.  The Bible brings me the true truth about life, God, who I am and how I am supposed to live.  The Bible tells me the unbelievable story of God’s relentless pursuit of me and His unconditional grace He floods my life with everyday through Jesus.  Thanks to my old Young Life leader, Casey Dunn, I memorized Psalm 119:9,11 in high school and I still remember it today.

“How can a young man keep his way pure?...I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”  Hiding God’s Word in my heart enables me to fight for joy and to believe that the promises of  God are far better than the promises of the world.

The second weapon I use to fight for joy is prayer.  I am terrible at prayer.  I can’t sit still for more than 35 seconds.  Prayer is hard work but it pays great dividends.  I try and pray throughout my day, attempting to constantly keep the Lord on my mind.  Asking the Holy Spirit to fight for me when I am tempted or frustrated or feeling down.  Sometimes I put these two weapons together and pray through a passage of Scripture.

The third weapon I fight for joy with is friendships.  I have a couple of guys that I can share absolutely anything with.  I can call them day or night, ask them for help, advice or prayer. They have always been there for me.  If I am feeling like a complete failure then I know I can call one of them to help me work through it.

So, my challenge to you is simple, grab your Bible, speak directly to God and make sure you have some buddies that will fight this battle with you.  The battle is of utmost importance, it has eternal consequences.

All for Jesus,

Fletch

The Theme for GEMS this year is wisdom.  We are looking into Proverbs a great deal.  This is a book I have not tended to dig into much because it seemed like a big "to do" list, especially Proverbs 31.  I always had the unsettling feeling that I didn't measure up and might just be the fool Solomon the Wise and your mother warned you about.

Wisdom really does not get a lot of press these days.  People are smart or savvy or intelligent, but no one talks much about having wisdom or discernment.  Yet, these things are highly valued by God.

I am feeling right now like I lack wisdom in a lot of areas.  I can't seem to get a handle on finances.  Money just seems to be running through my fingers lately.  So many things I depend on, like cell phones etc.  that cost money to replace, just seem to be self-destructing on me. 

I am stalled in my "career" but have no idea how to move ahead.  I cringe at sending out the resume I have, and I don't seem to have any "feet in the door" anywhere at the moment.  I also don't seem to interview well.  I do seem to make a good impression when I actually am in a situation, substitute teaching or volunteering, but when more long term or permanent opportunities come along I always either miss them or am passed over.

These and other situations seem like sorts of things I "should" be able to work on and "make better."  However, when I try, I just spin my wheels and get more anxious and frustrated.

When I go to God and ask for wisdom, He offers me the wisdom of the branch.  "Abide," He says.  "Rest and remain firmly grafted.  Accept with joy the seasons of your life; spring budding and growing, summer fruit and harvest, then the riotous release of beautifully lifeless leaves to the wind." 

Strange, that they are most beautiful at the moment of their death and separation from the branch that nurtured them.  Yet, it is no use to cling to last year's leaves when spring buds come.

"Except even, the bleakness of winter, stretching bravely toward the sky and accepting the chillingly exquisite burden of snow and ice.  It is a season of resting in the promise of spring to come."

So, I am seeking to relax and let the sap flow from the trunk that is Jesus, let the Wind of the Spirit blow me and my leaves where He will, and dig deep into the sustaining soil of the Word and prayer, so I can wave joyful leaves of verdant life in praise and bear fruit in season.  Silly me to try and bear my own fruit, when I am just a branch.

Just over a year ago, I was at a writers' retreat, trying to figure out what to do next. I had big aspirations to write fiction, and had started five or six manuscripts, but never felt good about them. God used the ladies at that retreat to confirm not only what God had gifted me to do, but what He had called me to.

Confirmation in our Christian lives is HUGE! Sometimes, I think it would be so much easier if God would just whisper in my ear what I'm supposed to be doing. And then I realize that He is . . . He's just using other Christians to say the words.

Yesterday I taught a Bible study on Ephesians 4. A couple of ideas stuck out for me: Believers are brought together to be the body of the church, to help each other grow in spiritual maturity, and to work in unity with one another. Then I had dinner with an old friend and a new friend last night. And God used them in a mighty way to speak to me.

God's confirmation is all around . . . when we listen.

How have you heard God's confirmation for what you're doing?

Margie Williamson

Community manager

On Tuesday night at 1:30am my next door neighbor was robbed at gunpoint. They stole some of her jewelry and her cell phone and of course scared the daylights out of her.  This is obviously quite disturbing.  We live in a very nice, quiet and (usually) safe neighborhood.  But this happened next door!  Literally 25 feet from where I was sleeping.  You can’t ignore it now that it has happened.  So the big question is, what do we do now?

First, I am thanking God that my neighbor was not physically injured, although the emotional scar will be
there for some time and I am praying that God will heal that. Secondly, we will be more vigilant about keeping our lights on at night, our doors locked and try to be as aware as possible of our surroundings.

But am I really surprised that this happened?  Yes and no.  Yes I am surprised because these things don’t
normally happen in our neighborhood.  There has always been the occasional car break in or vandalism but I
have never heard of someone being robbed at gunpoint.  I am not surprised though that people have
the will and desire to rob other people.  It is in our nature to do whatever we want regardless of the
consequences and regardless of anyone else.  We live in a culture that believes in “the survival of the
fittest.”  It only makes sense that if someone wants something someone else has then they will just take it.  Originally, we were created by God, to live in a relationship with Him.  But, we rebelled, we decided that we wanted to live life the way we wanted to and said,  “The heck with God, I’m going to live life the way I want to.”  The problem is that living this way has created a pretty chaotic world.  One in which people lie to one another, cheat on their taxes, start wars, say mean things to each other, think evil thoughts, and even rob each other at gunpoint.

The real answer to all of life’s problems is to return back to God.  Because God created life and He’s the one who designed it, then He is going to be the one who knows best how to live it.  God has this intense desire for us to enter
back into this awesome relationship He originally created us to live in.  Some of you have done this already and you
understand what I am saying. Some of you are not exactly sure who this “God” is or what it means “to have a relationship with Him.”  My suggestion is for you to pursue God and get to know Him a little better.  But how?  There are two main ways: First, read what God says about Himself in the Bible.  God has chosen to make Himself known in the Bible.  Actually, God has made Himself known through His Son, Jesus Christ.  The Bible says that Jesus is the exact
representation of who God is.  God chose to communicate to us in the flesh, through a human, Jesus, who was both God and man.  So I encourage you to dust off your Bible and check Him out.

The second way to know God is to talk to people who really know Him.  I have a personal, intimate relationship with God.  I know Him.  I have read the truths about God in the Bible and then have experienced
those truths in real life.  I know about God’s unconditional love, His mercy and compassion, His justice.  I know that He is with me all the time.  I am available to talk to anyone who wants to know more (Plus I have this blog where you can get more information and resources to understand God more. Tomorrow you can read about Cowards vs.
Courageous people).

And I am not the only one, there are others who have this same relationship with God through Jesus.  So I encourage you to talk to them, get to know them, ask them questions about who God is.

The best is yet to come,

Fletch

Lee and her husband are members of our church. But when her husband fell victim to Alzheimer's, they moved five hours away to a senior adult community that specialized in treating patients with the disease. On vacation with friends, two of us visited the couple this week.

It was good to see Lee.

It was good to see they were settled in a beautiful place.

It was good to know that Lee had help with her husband.

It was also heart-breaking to see her at this stage of life.

She is incredibly thin because she literally made herself sick taking care of him. She's living alone and struggling with the transition of leaving her home and her church that had been so important to her for her entire adult life. And, she is alone in her apartment, with her husband locked in the Alzheimer's unit.

But I saw a disciple who had continued in discipleship through it all. Lee spent 35 years at the church in the nursery, loving and rocking babies. When she became too weak to be able to pick them up, the babies were placed in her arms so she could rock and love them. She embodied the love of Christ.

Now living alone in her apartment, when she's not at meals or with her children or her new friends or visiting her husband, she sits studying an old leather Bible. The Bible seems to stay next to her on the sofa all the time. When I looked at the cover, I realized it was her husband's . . . his name was imprinted on the cover.

For me, that's a beautiful picture of love and discipleship. The Bible demonstrated her connection to the two people most important in her life, Christ and her husband. One is slowing disappearing from her as he forgets more and more; the Other will never disappear from her. In a dark time, Lee continues to rely on her "hope for things to come."

That's a disciple.

For years I have been hearing about the importance of "mentoring" in the congregation. I have even been to workshops on this topic - but I could never really get a handle on it. Then one of my Elders informed me of how much she learns by our one on one times. Once a week she would come by for prayer and we would spend 20 minutes to an hour in conversation about prayer, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, leadership - whatever was on her mind. It dawned on my one day that I was mentoring. And then I realized that mentoring was not a program, it was simply sharing and imparting to others what I had learned from the Lord.

In the Spring of 2009 I had an interesting encounter with the Lord. As I was praying in my office, I had a vision. Appearing in front of me was a document - and on that document was a questionaire. I wrote down all the questions that I was seeing and I distributed it to all the folks in the congregation (over 60). Forty seven questionaires were returned to me. The questionaire was about intercession, prayer and spiritual warfare. The results were very diverse but there were two things that EVERY questionaire had: everyone wanted to learn more about spiritual warfare and everyone wanted to learn to hear the voice of the Lord. Now what do I do with this ? The Lord told me in prayer - "write and teach". I wrote a booklet on spiritual warfare and I followed that up with an all day seminar. But what was fascinating was what happened next. To teach people how to hear the voice of the Lord, I didn't write a booklet and I didn't have a seminar. Instead, the Lord directed me to launch a "One-2-One Prayer" initiative. Those who were interested could have one on one time with me to learn how to pray and discern the voice of the Lord. Sixteen people signed up for this. It was based on their schedule and it personal mentoring time with their pastor. We launched it in January of 2011 and we ran it for 5 months. Almost all began having experiences of the Lord in prayer; one experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit and three were raised up to join me in engaging in spiritual warfare through intercessory prayer. This One-2-One Mentoring is begining to take on new life; some are asking for very specific things to be discussed next time. Since we focus on the Christian Year (Advent to Pentecost) I have decided to expand the mentoring season from November to the end of June. This is how I learned to let Jesus lead me in mentoring (feeding) my sheep. May you be encouraged by this.

What if the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19,20 , was the generative source for all Ministry in the New Testament?  What if every other ministerial function in Church found its genealogy in Going, Making Disciples, Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded?

See the rest of this post.

Over the last year or so I have been reading some books that have had a huge impact on my walk with Christ. They have caused me to rethink my commitment to Jesus, what it means to be a Christian, how to live out the Christian faith…what a life totally surrendered to Jesus might look like, and a host of other questions.

Some of these books have been: “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan; “Radical” by David Platt; “Not A Fan” by Kyle Idleman. Most recently I have just finished the novel, “Courageous” by Randy Alcorn.

This is based on the screenplay of the upcoming movie by the same name. As a pastor, I have been able to see an advance screening of the movie, and as great as the movie is, the book is even better, and has had an even bigger impact on my life than the movie.

All of these books, and the movie, have one theme in common…how can you stay the same after you have encountered Jesus. They may not seem as if they are addressing this issue, but at the core, that is exactly what they are saying.

How can you stay the same after you have encountered the “crazy love” of Jesus? How can you stay the same if you have come into a relationship with this “radical” Jesus? How could you ever be just a “fan” and not a totally committed follower of Jesus after you realize what He has done for you? And how could you not be changed into a “courageous” follower after you have been loved to the cross by this man, who is God in the flesh, Jesus?

Reading John chapter 8 today, these thoughts and more came to my mind, especially when I got down to verse 11.

In John chapter 8 a woman was caught in adultery and brought to Jesus. Now, the first thing that comes to my mind is where was the man? As my Dad used to tell me, “It takes two to tango.” Maybe the man was a Pharisee or a scribe and so they were protecting one of their own. Maybe this woman was a prostitute, so they were trying to get rid of an unwanted person in their society. Whatever the reason, they were one sided in their presentation of their religious beliefs.

Jesus would have none of that.

After he wrote something in the dirt…(ever wonder what He was writing? Maybe it was the name of the scribe or Pharisee that was with the woman)…He answered them with this in verse 7: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Well, that ended that. One by one they left. Until only the woman and Jesus remained. It was after this that He said these words to her in verse 11: “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

If I had a nickel for every person who quoted the first part of that statement from Jesus to me, well, I’d be a rich man for sure. Everyone wants the "no condemnation" Jesus, but not to many are ready to embrace the same Jesus that says, "Go, and sin no more."

But it is the second part of the statement that is essential and vital to this dialogue.

“Go and sin no more.”

In essence He was saying, “Go, and leave your old life behind. Go, and walk in a different direction than what you were heading. Go, and follow Me.”

And how could she not do so? After being forgiven by Jesus, how could her life not be changed? How could she continue in the life she once had? After this day, after this encounter, after being saved by Jesus, how could she not now live for Him?

And yet, many professing believers in Jesus seem to do just that.

Far too often, I have found myself doing just that.

No more.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that I can be sinless…but I am saying that I can sin less. I am saying that I can follower Jesus closer. I am saying that I can love Him more.

And after all, isn’t that what it is all about.

Having this crazy love, this radical love, this courageous love, this love that causes me to be a follower and not a fan, of the one who gave His life for me…Jesus.

Will you join me?

Let’s go.

Pastor Dave

I am speaking tomorrow at a chapel service in a senior adult community in Atlanta. I get to do that three or four times a year. 

I love doing it and I never turn down the opportunity. The seniors there are so sweet. Several I know from our church and others I've gotten to know over the months when I can be there. Some show up in walkers or wheelchairs; others are brought with their caretakers; still others come in slowly under their own, if diminishing, steam. What always amazes me is that they continue to come––consistently, week by week, to participate in this chapel service.

As much as I love the opportunity, I also struggle to know what to say. I've realized over the past months that what these seniors want, more than anything else, is to hear a word of hope! As I've thought about their need and prayed for guidance, God reminded me of a Bible study I led recently about God's call upon Ezekiel to speak His message to His people (Eze. 2-3). The message God gave Ezekiel wasn't that hopeful on the short-term: He commanded Ezekiel to share with the people of Judah that their disobedience was going to bring them God's judgment and punishment. On the surface, that's not really a hopeful word! 

But to that instruction, God provided His servant Ezekiel with the following information:

First, God described those Ezekiel would face as "briers" and "thorns" and "scorpions." I can't imagine Ezekiel being thrilled with the opportunity. Yet, even though the people wouldn't be receptive to His message, God reminded Ezekiel that he only had to obediently repeat the message to them (Eze. 2:6-7).

Second, God showed Ezekiel a scroll that was written on both sides (Eze. 2:9-10). If you've ever seen a scroll in person, you know it's constantly unrolled and rolled to reveal God's scripture. It's impossible to read both sides. Some scholars believe the two-sided scroll symbolized the completeness of God's word, while others suggest that the scroll showed Ezekiel that there was only room in his ministry for God's words, not his own.

Third, God commanded Ezekiel to eat the scroll, the entire scroll, before he went to speak God's message (Eze. 3:1-4). God's instructions were for Ezekiel to consume the scroll, to take God's word internally so that it became a part of his being, to absorb the word completely.

God's message, to me, was clear. Obediently teach His word and keep myself out of His way!

Many of our senior adults are struggling with loneliness, with financial difficulties, with memory loss, with distant children . . . the list goes on and on. One senior adult who was a part of my weekly Bible study struggled with knowing what would happen when he died and went to be with Jesus. He said he was sure of where he was going, but wished he understood what would happen there. His need to know became clear as he struggled with a second round with cancer and passed away a few months later.

Our senior adults desire and need a word of hope that comes from God. I'm going to be speaking tomorrow about Daniel at the age of 80, when he continued to faithfully worship His God. It's a word of hope.

What passages would you or have you used to bring hope to our senior adults? Please share the words that God has pointed out to you and pray for our senior adults that they may cling to God's grace and hope during these years.

Margie Williamson

Community Manager

What is the value of a brother or sister, mom or dad? What is the value of a faithful friend? Our society has a habit of placing value on that which is self-serving (cars, phones, houses, etc.) and downplaying relationships. Last night I was challenged with a thought, "How much value does our church leadership place on volunteers?" The measuring stick for this proposition is found in our attitude toward those we work with directly in ministry.

Allen Newell, author of a training ministry called "High Impact Volunteers," suggests that too many church leaders see volunteers as second class ministers. We either look at others as "spectators" of our show or assistants that should serve us and help us reach our goals. Newell even coins a term, "the priesthood of SOME believers."

This is a dangerous mentality for church leadership. First, it devalues the work of God within a believer. Second, it exalts oneself at the expense of others (people don't typically like being "used" for someone else's glory). Third, this method fails to make disciples. For a brief time, it may produce some workers, but people are less likely to excel when they fail to see the positive results of their labor.

Newell is right when he uses the word "partnerships" as a description of the relationship between  believers. The work of God's Kingdom is assigned to all who have trusted in Jesus for salvation. Each has a part to play. We are called to serve one another, not to enlist people to serve us.

Give me your thoughts and be sure to check out www.SpiritLedConnecting.com.

“Prepare your work outside

And make it ready for yourself in the field;

Afterwards, then, build your house.”

• Proverbs 24:27

Recently, after meditating on the words of the Preacher, I was struck by the wisdom of his simple words. The SPIRIT of GOD impressed on me to read and ponder about it again and again. The words carried a very practical approach to a life that would be fruitful in GOD's way. Here is how the SPIRIT impressed the meaning of this proverb:

1.  Prepare...everything in life needs preparation. Whether it is a simple task or a complex project, we need to prepare every step towards completion. I need to ask myself, am I prepared to do the project from start to finish? Do I have what it takes now or do I have to equip myself with the knowledge and skill to accomplish the job excellently? Do I have the necessary resources to complete the project?GOD prepared Joseph for 30 years to become governor of Egypt. It took 40 humbling years for Moses to be ready. Even YESHUA prepared Himself for the ultimate mission for 30 years.

2. Work...am I working the work that GOD has assigned me to? If so, then I am a perfect fit for what I am doing because GOD has equipped me and is equipping me along the way. GOD has a specific work for each one of us and He has tailored it beforehand for us as part of our destiny. No one can do it better than I because I have been commanded to “make it ready”!

3. Outside...the field is our workplace. Do not restrict yourself merely on your immediate surrounding but explore and expand your territory as the LORD leads you. The limit only exists on your mind. It used to be that business is only conducted among people buying and selling personally but since the world wide web opened all borders, we buy and sell any and all kinds of goods in cyberspace. But it all starts in the field of my heart. Unless I am totally sold out and persuaded about my work, about my goals, with integrity, I could not succeed. Unless it was the LORD who placed my work in my heart, whatever I do would not prosper.

4. Now...I have to prepare and do my work now! I may plan my work for tomorrow but I have to translate that tomorrow in my mind and do it now so I can bring it forward and progress. I have to bear fruit now so I have something to provide my family because it is useless to build a house if I have nothing to feed my family at the present. There is a progression in every project and I must follow the proper timeline to accomplish bite-size goals to achieve my ultimate goal. Bearing fruit in the business or work that GOD has given me is the foundation of my prosperity. Work is good and work done excellently is an honor to our great GOD.

5. If I lay the proper foundation of diligent preparation and excellent work, then I am assured that GOD will give me success and I can surely build my house, both on the inside and on the outside. Persistence and diligence are two indispensable ingredients to success.

LORD, help me to make You proud of me in my work!

ἀγγελος

It's been awhile since I've posted . . . life has gotten in my way. I spent last week in New Orleans with my daughter and son-in-law, so I didn't teach my Bible study class last Sunday. When I returned this week, the large marker board in the classroom was covered with notes and a second marker board was beside it with one statement: "And Margie's answer is . . . " I wasn't even sure what the question was until class members began to arrive. The question was about how we see God in control.

The class I teach is made up mostly of people in the 50s and early 60s (my age group). We have couples and singles, and we share the struggles of being a part of the sandwich generation.

Most of us are parents. Some have teenagers still at home; others have kids in college, starting careers and/or marriages, and starting families. We have some whose kids have gone through divorces, marital separations, job losses, bankruptcy, home foreclosures . . .  The hardest thing a parent ever figures out how to do (at least in my opinion) is to parent adult children!

Then, many of us are dealing with aging parents. We've faced catastrophic illnesses, deaths, finding in-home care, the loss of memories, and dealing with hospice or long-term hospitalization. We've struggled with the emotional baggage that comes from trying to take care of those who spent so much of their lives taking care of us.

And finally, most of us are in positions at work in which we are covered up with responsibilities and high expectations. We work more hours than we should, use weekends to catch up, and feel guilty that we're so stretched that we don't feel we're doing anything well.

Sound familiar? It's a constant theme with our class members in prayer requests as we all try to handle this stage of our lives. In the midst of all that, when our lives feel so out of control, the class members were challenged to recognize how God is in control of their lives. I guess it's no wonder that they tried to pass the buck and let me answer the question.

As one wise person told me recently, "I see how God is in control of my life most clearly when I look at my past. It's there that I can see how God has orchestrated my path in a way that makes sense now, even if it didn't make sense at the time!"

That's a good reminder of how God is at work in our lives, even when we're too overwhelmed to recognize how He's at work in our lives. For, "faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" (Heb. 11:1).

Blessings.

Margie Williamson

Community Manager

What did God say to you today? It depends on what you were waiting for God to say. I have a friend who is so intent on seeing - I know, hearing? seeing? which is it? Just bear with me a minute, after all they're both senses we don't often get right - anyway, my friend is so intent on seeing a pileated woodpecker that after a day of birding he, "hasn't seen anything!" But meanwhile my lifelist has gotten longer with warblers, orioles, etc.

My friend wants to "get on" through the forest and "find his" bird. I like to take the sit awhile and wait approach, see what reveals itself to me. When I ask myself, "What has God said to me today?" I realize I'm better at birding than waiting on the Lord. What has God said to you today?

I recommend  Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle (New York: Simon & Schuster [Free Press], 2010). It's the story of a ministry with street gangs in LA. It is very well-written and moving. Here's a quote: "Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe at what the poor have to carry rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it."

One day a former parishioner returns to visit the church on a weekday:

"Then he takes in the scene all around him. Gang members gathered by the bell tower, homeless men and women being fed in great numbers in the parking lot. Folks arriving for the AA and NA meetings and the ESL classes. It's a Who's Who of Everybody Who Was Nobody. Gang member, drug addict, homeless, undocumented. This man sees all this and shakes his head, determined and disgusted, as if to say 'tsk, tsk.'

'You know, ' he says, 'This used to be a church.'

I mount my high horse and say, 'You know, most people around here think it's finally a church.'"