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Archive for September, 2011

When is Helping Hurting?

Posted in intentional living, parenting, tagged , , , on September 30, 2011 | 1 Comment »

A few years ago, my daughter would look at me with a twinkle in her eye and an adorable, slightly crooked smile on her face. I knew that look, and what was to follow. “Mom, because you’re such a kind, loving mom, will you…?” Then she’d bat her eyes and try to weasel an act of service out of me. As a parent, I must continually ask myself: What is best, long-term, for our daughter? When is helping an act of love and when does actually cause harm?

Our daughter’s behavior lasted but a blip because I’d always respond, “Honey, I love you too much for that. I want to train you to have a servant’s attitude, not a serve-me attitude. I want you to be responsible and confident, not dependent and insecure.”

In my opinion, helping hurts when it prevents growth or perpetuates faulty thinking.

About ten years ago I read Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. In the book, one of the authors share a story of visiting a friend. While there, this friend picks up her teenage son’s room. Watching this, the author says he feels sorry for the young man’s future wife. Basically, he pointed out that although the mother thought she was helping, her assuming responsibility for her son would actually hurt him in the long run by creating patterns of behavior that would affect future relationships.

I wrote a story about this very thing on Samie Sisters, a tween E-zine. You can read it here. Through the story, I explore the habits formed during chores, habits that will carry into your child’s adult years. Although I didn’t mention it in the article, I also believe chores go a long way towards strengthening your child’s confidence. Each time we assign a task, then allow our child to complete it without jumping in, we are in effect saying, “I have full confidence in your ability to do this.” Each time we rescue them, perhaps because they throw a fit, get overwhelmed, or don’t do it how we’d like, we say, “I don’t believe you can do this.”

Everything we do, intentionally or unintentionally, forms habits, positive or negative. Our actions always make a statement. Multiply these unspoken statements over the course of 18 years, and you can see this is a big deal.

I adore my daughter. If given the chance, I’d shelter her from every trial and shower her with blessings, but as a mom, my love for her must override my desire for her pleasure. I need to parent from a long-term perspective, always evaluating attitudes and behaviors (I tend to place more emphasis on attitudes, because I believe attitude precedes behavior), in terms of our long-term parenting goals. We all want our children to be compassionate, responsible, dedicated, etc. The trick is helping them develop those character traits. I believe character traits are learned through consistent action.

Okay, so we all want these things for our children, and we love them deeply, but often we’re not sure how to go from desire to game-plan. (Forming a game plan, with your spouse, is essential because otherwise you’ll have a tendency to parent on emotion and the present, not based on forethought, education, prayer, and long-term goals.)

For me, one verse sums it up and ties it all together: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

Notice truth and love must always go hand-in-hand. And what is the goal? Maturity.

Take a moment to prayerfully evaluate your parenting in light of your child’s adulthood and Ephesians 4:15. Make a list of character traits, habits, and attitudes you’d like your child to develop, then review your parenting in light of that. Are you and your spouse moving your child toward those goals or away from them? And what can you do, starting today, to help train the future adult in your child?

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Remember Who You Belong To

Posted in Let's Get Real, United in Christ, tagged , , , on September 28, 2011 | 1 Comment »

In Paul’s letters to the early church, he always starts with an identity proclamation and often closes with a declaration of association.

In Romans and Philippians he is a slave of Christ. In 1 and II Corinthians, Ephesians, and Colossians he is chosen by God to be an apostle. In Galatians, he says, “I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ Himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.”

Each time he penned a letter, this proclamation saturated his mind: I belong to God and am surrounded by a body of believers. This provided an emotional and moral compass with which to sift through the events of his day. No matter what he faced–no matter how painful, frightening, or traumatic, he belonged to God, the all-powerful Creator of the universe. What’s more, surrounded by a family of believers, he was never alone.

How might our day, our lives, look different, if we started each day with that core knowledge: I belong to Christ, the Creator of the universe, and I am not alone. And what if we allowed those thoughts–that core identity–to expel negative thinking that threatens to keep us in bondage.

If we belong to the God of hope, there is always hope.

If we belong to the sovereign God, our lives have purpose.

If we belong to the God of love, we are lovable.

God formed you. God sees you. God loves you. God surrounds you. God is with you. God is in you. God has adopted you and placed you in a family of believers.

Stop and think of the implications of each of those statements. What false identities need to be expelled in light of God’s truth?

On Saturday our daughter went to her first homecoming dance, and she brought a friend. Earlier in the day, I spent hours dolling our daughter up–curling her hair, painting her nails and toe nails, applying make-up. When I finished, she looked in the mirror and said, “I feel pretty.” My heart brimmed with joy, knowing she’d walk into that high school gym with her head held high.

On the way to the dance, we picked up one of her friends who struggles to see her worth. At school, she often hangs on the outskirts, never quite feeling part of the group. Although our daughter tries to usher her in, the girl’s core belief that she doesn’t belong keeps her standing on the outside. Even amidst a group of friends, she feels alone.

As we drove to the dance, I encouraged her to change her thinking–to expel the lies and grasp hold of truth, like Paul did when he wrote his letters.

Although she felt insignificant, she was a radiant child of the King, created anew in Christ Jesus.

Although she felt unlovable, Christ Himself died for her.

Although she felt like she didn’t belong–didn’t fit–she belonged to God and a family of believers united in Christ.

As we talked, and the truth of what I told her began to sink in, her chin raised a bit higher and a smile tugged on her lips.

When we picked the girls up three hours later, they clamored in the van all smiles and giggles. They’d had a wonderful time and that night as my daughter’s friend shared stories and pictures taken on her phone, I realized the girl who felt like she never measured up and never quite belonged, felt beautiful and accepted.

Again I ask, how might remembering who you belong to and who you’s standing beside you change the way you look at your day? And as you focus on your identity in Christ, what false thinking must you let go?

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Take a Cyber-detour With Me…

Posted in Uncategorized on September 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Today I’m at Naomi Musch’s talking about divine detours:

Have you ever felt like you are on a perpetual detour? You know where you want to go, maybe you even feel like God is leading you there, yet somehow you’ve ventured on the “scenic route” loaded with one detour after the next. Are you lost? Has God forgotten about you altogether? Maybe you’ve begun to question whether or not you will arrive at your destination at all. 

That was exactly how I felt a few months ago when God taught me a very expensive and frustrating lesson. And even though I know I often learn best through failures, I couldn’t help but question my circumstances. Couldn’t God have taught me the same lesson in an easier and less expensive way? Sure, He took me from point A to point B, but did He really have to take me to Q, S,W and Z first? (Read the rest here.)

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Who’s the Oppressor? You Might Be Surprised

Posted in God's Authors, Let's Get Real, parenting, Praise, tagged , , , on September 24, 2011 | 10 Comments »

Sweat stings Bertina’s eyes as she toils beneath the hot El Salvadoran sun. The rough bags, loaded with coffee beans, weigh heavy on her sixty pound frame. The muscles in her back and shoulders cramp. She looks first to her parents, then to her brothers and sisters, one of 100 familes trudging through the rows, workers ranging from nine to seventy-two. And for what? If she is lucky and moves quickly, her supervisor might add sixty-cents, maybe a dollar, to her parent’s daily wage. Since there are five of them all together, they may leave with nearly $4′s combined–enough to feed their family for yet another day.

*  *  *

Carlo’s dodges market shoppers making their way from stall to stall, clutching a shiny coin in  his hand. The smells of fried plantains, beans, and rice draw him. He licks his lips, his stomach growling, as he surveys each stall in turn, stopping in front of a collection of cakes soaked in milk, inhaling the sweet scent of cinnamon. Although the moist desert would go down sweet, it would do little to satisfy his hunger. Tearing himself away, he continues on, relishing the feel of the coin in his hand.

After selecting a chunk of cheese, he continues down the street until he reaches a small strip of stores. He pauses outside the window to watch the customers sipping coffee from ceramic cups, and instinctively rubs his shoulder, remembering the weight of the coffee beans pressed down on his eight-year old spine. He glances to a sign posted on the far wall and reads the prices. For $1.00, more than an entire day’s wage, these people sip a single cup of coffee.

*  *  *

Heather moves aside to allow a woman with long gray hair pulled back in a loose braid grab a package of coffee. The woman turns the package over in her hand, reading the back, then returns it to the shelf. Heather sighs, planting her hands on her hips, as the woman does this again and again before selecting one with a Fair Trade label.

Nothing the price, Heather rolls her eyes. Who in their right mind would pay $10 for a small package of coffee? She sifts through the coupons in her purse, pulling out a clipping for a dollar off a 39 0z container of coffee. She scans the prices. $5.92. With her coupon, she’ll pay $4.92.

Her daughter, an eight-year-old with almond shaped eyes and rosy cheeks, yanks on Heather’s sleeve. “Momma, can we have cocoa? Please? Please? Please?”

“It’s too expensive. We’re on a budget, remember?”

“But look, this one’s on sale!” She grabs a canister of cocoa and brings it to her mom. “Only $3.50!”

She doesn’t buy cocoa often, and it is a good deal. “Fine. Throw it in the cart.”

*  *  *

For most of my life, I’ve been a Heather, always looking for the best deal, oblivious to why some products were so much cheaper than others. Never putting two-and-two together, realizing if something was dirt cheap, there probably was a reason.

Then we took a mission trip to El Salvador and I experienced poverty–not, we can’t pay our electric bill this month, but, there’s no electricity or water in the first place. In fact, many families in Central America must walk up to an hour to gather water each day. They work all day beneath the hot sun for what we spend on a newspaper. And according to the International Labor Organization, the total number of child workers around the world could well be in the hundred millions.

Guess who buys their products? Yep, we do. Dirt cheap.

We spend thousands sending our church members overseas to go on mission trips, popping in for a week to build a building, but haggle over an extra $2 at the grocery store.

I think largely due to ignorance. I had no idea the coffee and many other items I bought were produced by children enslaved to daily, hand-to-mouth labor.

But now I know and can take steps toward being part of the solution instead of part of the problem. Every time I go to the grocery store, I have a choice–support child labor by letting price dictate or help create positive change by buying items from companies that treat their workers with respect. Because at the end of the day, money talks and consumers hold all the power.

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)

Last Wednesday, at my church a seminary professor discussed the book of Amos. Nearly three thousand years ago, through Amos, God called the nation of Israel to quit oppressing the poor–to quit living in luxury while trampling on others. I believe God says the same thing to us today. Quit oppressing the poor by always looking for that best deal. Stop and think of the bent backs that brought those products to us.

Before you buy your next candy bar, read this: Hershey Chocolate Linked to Child Labor

Before you buy your next low-cost container of coffee, read this: Honduran Coffee Harvest Relies Heavily on Child Labor

Before you drink your next soda, read this: El Salvador: Child Labor on Sugar Plantations

Did this information surprise you? It did me. Join us on Living by Grace as we talk about ways to live out Isaiah 58:6

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When Desperation Takes Over

Posted in intentional living, Let's Get Real, prayer on September 23, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

If you’ve ever been to Southern California late-summer, you understand the meaning of hot. We lived on the edge of the Mojave Desert where rain evaded us and temperatures often hovered in the 110’s or higher. Being young and stupid, one day I decided to go for a long run—without water. About halfway through and perhaps six miles in, my body started to get chills and my dehydrated tongue clogged my mouth. Dried sweat caked salt around my lips. I needed water. Nearing a very long hill, my survival instinct kicked in, over-powering fatigue. Suddenly…(Read the rest here.)

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Nando’s Bible by Yvonne Blake

Posted in God's Authors, intentional living, Let's Get Real, tagged , , on September 22, 2011 | 5 Comments »

In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus equates the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed, a tiny seed which, when sown, grows into a large tree–a tree that produces perhaps a million seeds. Although I’ve never seen a mustard tree, our yard has plenty of  dandelions. Christians, like those tiny tufts carried by the wind, are meant to multiply, exponentially. Today’s story by Yvonne Blake gives us a glimmer of “grace-ematics.” It also reminds me how privileged we are to have easy access to God’s Word. With privilege comes responsibility for to him who much is given, much is required. May we never take this privilege for granted and may we surrender each gift, each privilege, to the hands of our Father, to be multiplied according to His sovereign grace.

***

Five years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Fernando Angeles, a man who grew up in a small village in the eastern mountains of Mexico. As a child, Nando spoke Tenek (an oral language at that time) and only heard about God in Latin or Spanish.

After he had gone away to school and learned to read Spanish, he was given a New Testament. He read the entire book in ten months and learned that salvation didn’t come from being good and following rules, but by believing in Jesus’ gift of eternal life.

He went to Bible school and later to the United States to learn more. Now, he and his wife, Christy, minister to his own people. They are also translating the Bible into Tenek so others can hear Christ speaking in their own language.

I have written about Nando’s Bible, and I had the privilege of teaching it to our VBS this summer. I am hoping to publish it soon so that young people will see the need to reach out to those around the world who have never heard the Gospel in their own language.

(See an excerpt from Nando’s Bible HERE.)

Pray for Fernando and Christy Angeles, facing the darkness of sin while they strive to reach the Tenek people of Mexico.

***

God has blessed Yvonne Blake with an interesting childhood. She has lived in the deserts of Arizona, the tropic islands of the Bahamas, the rugged hills of New York, the farmlands of mid-Maine. Her husband is her steady rock, loving his Lord and family. Raising a family of eight children, in Searsport, Maine, has been her focus over the last thirty years,which gives her storerooms of material to draw from. Striving to do their best regardless of the opinions of others, they have often lived out of step with the rest of the world. Now that her children have grown, she has chosen to stay home and write, releasing all the stories bottled in her mind. Her prayer is to be used of the Lord, to encourage and bless others with her writing.

Her Blog – My Back Door

The World of Children’s Books – Polliwog Pages

Her Webpage – About Me

My Facebook Page

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Call Me Titus, Please by Laura Anderson Kurk

Posted in God's Authors, intentional living, parenting, tagged , , on September 19, 2011 | 5 Comments »

Do your kids know you’re on their side? Before you answer this question, think about it from their perspective. If all they hear are rules and criticism, they may not. We have to discipline–kids need discipline, but there’s a way to train that communicates, “I’m for you. I’m on your team. I see you, and understand you.” Seeing and understanding our children means moving past the behavior to the cause. It means taking time to connect with them on an emotional level–finding out their fears, struggles, thoughts, and emotions regarding a subject. When we take time to connect, even while in the midst of training, I believe God allows us to catch a glimpse into our children’s heart. And when you start parenting from the heart, you’re more likely to invite cooperation from your kids. Why? Because they’ll know you’re for them, not against them. Today’s post by Laura Anderson Kurk evaluates Paul’s relationship to Titus, pointing out relationship building principles we can apply to our parenting.

Call me Titus please, by Laura Anderson Kurk

Not loner. Or wallflower. Or introverted or shy, even though I am. Just call me Titus.

Sitting in a Bible study last week, trying to become my chair as usual, I heard something that made me smile. Titus, of the tiny book, was “left” in Crete. I knew it already but hearing it that day made me chuckle. I pictured Paul sailing away from the island and then, however many nautical miles away, turning a quick circle on the deck and realizing Titus hadn’t made it onto the boat.

I wonder how often Paul had to look around for Titus, the quiet friend and faithful follower, just to make sure he was still there. Later Paul writes Titus and says, “Oh, by the way, the reason I left you there is because I want you to finish what we started, but, (and this is purely my speculation) maybe make some noise next time so we’ll know where you are.”

Now, you know I’m not serious. I know there was a divine plan that placed Titus in Crete. And, given Titus’s role in the early church, he might not have been a shy person at all. But we all need role models and I’ve chosen to project my personality onto Titus. For someone who has been “left” before because I’m quiet and, frankly, forgettable in social situations, it’s sort of delightful to think of Titus in this way.

I also love that Paul anticipated that there would be questions about Titus. “Who is this guy? Is he actually one of them?” Maybe Titus was one of those rarest of creatures who actually stood back and listened. Who wanted, more than anything, to understand before he spoke. Maybe he, like all wallflowers, got the heebie-jeebies if he had to talk about himself.

Paul knew Titus’s nature. He wrote, “If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ.” (2 Cor. 8:23, New Living Translation) His descriptions of Titus paint a relationship that was deep. He said things like: he is my partner; he has been my companion in travels, and my partner in preaching the Gospel; he is a fellow helper; he is a worker. Together, these two men had faced troubles and persecutions, and together they had communion and fellowship.

I like to think that Titus found comfort in the fact that Paul understood him and was prepared to back him up. In the same way, my one or two close friends prop me up, speak for me when I’m unable, and understand my heart.

It’s like a parent raising a child who needs propping up at times, who aches for someone to understand. I’m raising a couple of those kids right now, one of whom is so full of becoming a teenager that my heart aches when I see her changing. As a mother, I admire the respect Paul had for Titus. It was almost like a father who cares for a son and understands him completely. The happiest kids are those whose parents don’t try to fight the created self of the child. I had that as a child and, in turn, I’m trying to give that to my reticent children.

Jung said, “The shoe that fits one pinches another.” I believe that, and I also believe that a deeply introspective existence leads to greater understanding. Cut out the noise, and you hear simple truth.

So, picture with me, Titus on that island, suddenly alone and fully responsible. He had plans. He had goals. He had a list of things to get done for God. So what if he didn’t want to constantly define who he was. That was all fluff and Paul was perfectly willing to do it for him, if necessary. Now let’s, like Titus, get done what still needs to be done.

***

Laura Anderson Kurk lives in College Station, Texas with her husband and two children. She writes YA fiction and her first novel, Glass Girl, is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. She blogs at Writing for Young Adults (www.laurakurk.com) and in the e-zine for teen girls, KatharosNow (www.katharosnow.com). Find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/writerlaurakurk. 

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Armed for Victory

Posted in intentional living, Let's Get Real, Spiritual disciplines, tagged , , on September 17, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Two weeks ago a seminary professor came to our church and recited 2 Timothy. All of it, from 2 Timothy 1:1 to 2 Timothy 4:22. (You can listen to it here.) Sound amazing? Perhaps even impossible?

And yet, pause now and think about all the songs you sing along to on the radio–those you know word for word. Add to them the commercial slogans and theme songs you know.

When my daughter was seven or eight, the church we went to had a contest. The child who could memorize the most verses won an American girl doll. My daughter memorized 51 verses in four weeks. Sound amazing? Like she’s at superchild? Nope. She just wanted the doll.

See, it’s not that we can’t memorize. We memorize all the time. Our brain’s like a sponge. The question is not do we memorize but instead, what are we filling our brain’s with.

Think back to your favorite song. There was a time when it was new to you, but the more you listened to it and tried to sing along, the more familiar it became until familiarization turned to memorization.

Can we do this with Scripture?

I believe we can, which leads me to my next question: Why don’t we?

I think there’s a couple reasons. First, I think we lack confidence. I don’t think we realize how truly phenomenal the human brain is.

I also think we lack follow through. I’m talking to myself now. Where I tend to pray I have slips of paper with verses written on them–verses I wanted to memorize, yet five months later, I’ve hardly given those verses a second glance. Think back to my song analogy. We don’t learn the songs we don’t listen regularly to, right?

I think we lack focus. Again, talking to myself about those verses in my basement. I started with one that seemed to pop out at me one morning while reading Scripture. Soon, another verse spoke to me, so I wrote it down. Now I have a stack of verses to memorize with no clear plan as to how I’m going to do it. I need focus.

Mostly, I think we underestimate the power of God’s Word and how crucial it is to saturate our brains with lie-combatting-truth. According to the Bible, God’s Word is just that–the very words of God.

2 Timothy 3:16 says, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (NIV).

God’s Word is alive and powerful, speaking to millions, in this moment, in a personal and real way. God uses His word to purify our hearts, revealing wrong attitudes and motivations:

Hebrews 4:12 says, For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (NLT).

God’s word is an offensive weapon against our enemy the devil. At every moment, a spiritual battle rages. Right now, your enemy, the devil, looks for a way to devour you. But greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world, and according to Ephesians 6:10-17, we’ve been given all the armor we need to survive and stand firm. Notice all the weapons listed below. Every one of them but one is a defensive weapon. We have one offensive weapon, and that is the word of God, which is the sword of truth.

Ephesians 6:10-17  10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Notice how Jesus used Scripture as an offensive weapon in Matthew 4:1-11:

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

   “‘He will command his angels concerning you, 
   and they will lift you up in their hands, 
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”

 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him (NIV).

Did you notice how Satan responded each time Jesus quoted Scripture? He gave up and tried a new tactic.

God’s Word is a powerful, offensive weapon, sharper than a double-edged sword, able to expel negative thoughts, anxiety, fear, hatred, bitterness, resentment, discouragement–all emotions Satan uses to keep us focused on ourselves and ineffective in our lives and faith walk.

But if you belong to Christ, Satan can only work by permission. How about we arm ourselves with God’s powerful Word, daily, saturating our brains with truth, so we won’t be like ships tossed about by the waves.

Tomorrow at Living by Grace, we’re going to start memorizing Scripture together. I hope you’ll join us. And pop in today as we talk about the benefits we’ve seen of speaking, memorizing, and praying Scripture,  why memorization can be a struggle, and what steps we can take toward success.

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Knowing When to Quit

Posted in intentional living, Life behind the white picket fence, parenting, tagged , , on September 16, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Fifteen years ago, year one into my marriage, I took great pride in my “home-making” abilities. I always kept our floors spotless, I was the dusting diva, and dinners were timely and creative. Sounds great, perhaps even admirable, right? Except for the fact that maintaining a spotless house left little time for kingdom building. As time progressed and I grew closer to God, my priorities did a 180. Although initially I tried to do it all–led a Bible study, then came home to scour my house. Participated in all those mommy and me programs then tagged on an extra hour to my day to make up for lost time. But running ragged doesn’t leave much time for resting in God’s presence and I soon realized something would have to give. Not that I let my house go from spotless to slums, but I learned to let go and let God, to not sweat the small stuff, and focus each day on leaving the good to aim for the better.

The biggest lesson I learned? Sometimes I need to lay everything aside and pull away. Leave the dishes in the sink, the unread emails in my inbox, and the dirty laundry in the hamper so I can recharge.

It’s been sixteen years and no, our house hasn’t collapsed, my family hasn’t become malnourished, and the laundry did not exponentially multiply. In fact, I’d say the opposite happened.

Join me today at Jewels of Encouragement as I talk about why it’s okay to quit…for the day.

After you read the article, stop and consider how you might put this idea into practice in your life. Staring at our to-do-list, it’s easy to get wrapped up in our daily tasks–to feel like they have the power to make or break us, but God’s bigger. He’s in control, and it’s His responsibility to carry His plans for our life to fruition. Our job is to listen and obey. The two go hand-in-hand. If you’re like me–type A on overdrive–it’s easy to get stuck in “obedience” mode, but if we don’t take the time to really listen by connecting on a heart-to-heart level with our Creator, how do we know we’re acting in obedience?

Listen to God’s heart cry to you:

Isaiah 65:1 “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am.’”

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Good Fellowship/Good Times by Keisha Gilchrist-Broomes

Posted in God's Authors, intentional living, Let's Get Real, United in Christ on September 13, 2011 | 2 Comments »

Good Fellowship/Good Times

by Keisha Gilchrist-Broomes

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ~Acts 4:32

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. ~1 John 3:16-18

I watched a good deal of TV when I was a kid and one of my favorite shows was a show called “Good Times”. This show followed the lives of a struggling low-income family (mother, father, and three children) living in the projects in Chicago. Ever seen this show? Funniest thing ever, but Ozzie and Harriet it wasn’t. No manicured lawns. No perfectly groomed mother opening the door for her perfectly coiffed children after school. No happily employed dad reading his paper in front of the fireplace after enjoying a gourmet meal cooked by his wife.

Uh-uh. In “Good Times” these folks were facing the rough side of the mountain. Threatening evictions. Lay offs. Overpriced and poorly provided food. Gang violence. Electric and hot water shutoffs. Tough school systems. Issues with racism. And while you would think that all these issues don’t lend themselves to a laugh-fest, this show was a comedy. A very good comedy.

My favorite episode ever was an episode from the third season of “Good Times”, titled “The Rent Party”. Here’s a brief description from the Web: While J.J. is in St. Louis at an art show, the Evans family decides to hold a rent party to help out Wanda, a neighbor in the building, whose electricity has just been turned off. However, the party may come to a quick halt when the heartless building superintendent, Nathan Bookman catches wind of it. Meanwhile, Michael, Thelma, Willona and Florida all prepare to provide entertainment during the party.

I’ve always loved this episode. I’ve seen it a million times and now I know why.

The “Rent Party” shows the exact manner in which Christians should take care of their fellow Christian family members. I say “should” because that’s not what I typically see happening today. Let me back track for a second, when the Evans family finds out that a widow needs help, they immediately launch into action, pooling all their talents and resources to get her the money she needs and they even take the money to the rental office to make sure it is received properly. During the whole thing, not once did anyone say “you know, we all need to pray for her”, or “let’s fast and see how the Lord leads us”, or “let’s launch a capital campaign.”

Praying and fasting and capital campaigns are all wonderful things and I’ve participated in all of them. However, the Bible is very clear that when a poor widow is in need, you simply meet the need. And you meet the need the best that you can. Since no one in the Evans family had the means to just pay the rent for the widow, they got their friends together, found a space, sang, danced, provided stand-up, and charged everyone a small fee to see it. They collected the money and met the need. Period.

As Christians, we are called to meet the needs of our family members when the need arises (1 John 3:16-18). In modern day society, we’ve gotten further into being analytical and being concerned about being cheated that we’ve nearly forgotten to drop everything and CARE.

For me, I’d like to grow to be like the people in the Evans family. See a need and meet it. Then, have a party and boogie down!

***

Keisha Gilchrist-Broomes is a technical documentation developer, blogger and Christian fiction writer.

Her work-in-progress novel, Mrs. Jones, focuses on the passion and pain of a husband and wife fighting for their marriage through a year of the biggest trials they’ve ever faced together. Keisha is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. You can find her on the Web at http://redletterwritingdiva.wordpress.com.

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