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Archive for March, 2012

How Do We Hear God?

Posted in Faith, intentional living, Let's Get Real, Living by Grace, prayer, United in Christ, tagged , , , on March 31, 2012 | 10 Comments »

Last Saturday we talked about spiritual vision. (You can read the post here.) Today, I’m talking about our hearing. Last Sunday, after talking about listening to and obeying God, one of my third graders scrunched her face and raised her hand. “Besides reading the Bible, how do we hear God?”

That’s a tough question, isn’t it, with a rather vague answer. And yet, in many ways, the answer is easy.

We learn to discern God’s voice. We learn to differentiate His voice–His will–from ours. The more we draw closer to Him through Bible study, prayer, and worship, the more attune we become to His voice. But I believe the converse is also true. The more we pull away, the harder it becomes to hear Him. Because our voice begins to scream louder, until it drowns out all else.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who’s easily distracted? Who pretends to listen while obviously thinking about everything OTHER than your conversation? What do you do?

You quit talking.

Why?

Because it serves no point.

Often, when praying, I act as if I’ve got a stop-watch in my hand. “Lord, please show me what to do about X. Please give me wisdom in how to handle Y. Please … please … please … Okay, go!”

If I’m not careful, I’ll transfer my impatience to others.

A while back, I had to make some tough decisions. Numerous opportunities came way, and I wanted to move forward with God’s wisdom. After a period of prayer and getting divine silence, I sought counsel. I was told to “make a decision and stick with it,” because, as this person put it, God wasn’t concerned with all these minor details as long as I sought to honor Him.

I disagreed, largely based on Isaiah 35:21 which says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

So, I thanked the individual for his time and decided to let the decision go–until God showed me what to do. And He did, a week later. You see, my answer came not when I asked the question, but instead, later, when I drew near and spent time in God’s presence.

In other words, in His timing and in His way, with clarity and peace.

You see, God doesn’t work according to our schedule, and sometimes He remains silent–for a time. But that doesn’t mean He won’t answer. These moments of delay can be hard, frightening, frustrating.

But God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

It takes trust and faith to practice the patience we need to hear–a trust that says “God won’t let me down. Won’t be too late.”

And yet, I suspect most of us hear God more than we’d care to admit.  Often, we know what God wants us to do, but we make excuses for our disobedience. The problem is, the more we ignore God’s voice, the more we disobey, the harder it is to hear Him.

Notice what Jesus said about the masses in Matthew 13:15-16 “For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.”

This verse appears to imply that dull hearts lead to spiritual deafness. And notice, it says they closed their eyes, which appears to speak of a deliberate choice.

We can’t have His guidance without surrendering to His authority. It doesn’t work that way. Obedience equals intimacy which equals better hearing which gives rise to obedience which leads to deeper intimacy which …. :)

Are you waiting for God’s guidance today?

Or maybe He’s telling you something you’re rather not hear. It can be so tempting to make excuses for our disobedience, thinking it’s really not a big deal if we serve in that ministry or spend time with that friend, or say that kind word to our spouse, but I believe much more is at stake–our very hearing!

Lord, help us drawn near to You, stay near to You, listening attentively to Your voice. And when You guide, Lord, as You will, may we obey with unwavering, instant obedience.

I’d love to hear from you! How do you hear God? Has this been a learning experience for you? How might disobedience hinder our spiritual hearing? When our ears have become dull, what can we do to tune them back to Christ?

Let’s talk about this!

Join us at Living by Grace as we talk about ways to enhance our spiritual vision. :) Then come back Monday as I launch my “Reach Out to Live Out” campaign. Each Monday, I’ll share stories, photos, or videos of people, just like you, heeding God’s voice as they reach out to others. My goal is to make acts of love contagious and to spur our imagination, showing us varied ways we can demonstrate Christ’s love to others. On the last Monday of each month, I’ll provide a brief recap, inviting you to vote for your favorite “Reach Out” story. The winning contributor will receive a gift basket with goodies donated by my writer friends. One lucky reader, chosen from blog subscribers and comments, will receive a free book. (Click here and scroll down to find out more about the campaign and how you can get involved.)

Want to learn more about how to recognize God’s voice? Here are some additional resources:

How Can We Recognize the Voice of God found on one of my favorite sites, Got Questions.

Hearing God’s Voice by Henry Blackaby and Richard Black

I’d love to dive into Henry Blackaby’s book with you. Let me know if you’d like to join me and I’ll set aside a day on my blog along with a FB page where we can chat.

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Enjoy What???

Posted in Faith, grace, intentional living, Living by Grace, Praise, tagged , , on March 24, 2012 | 6 Comments »

I often wonder if God looks at me and shakes his head, saying, “When will my child but learn? When will she fully surrender—stay surrendered—to my good and hope-filled plans?”

He’s certainly given me ample guidance, encouragement, and warnings. In fact, for over a month now He’s been reminding me of the need for praise–commanding me to live a life of gratitude. (You may remember my post, Is Your Attitude Holding You Back. If not, read it here.) So then why does my attitude appear to be bungee cord jumping? One minute I’m singing hallelujah, the next I’m gritting my teeth, stressing over the temporal, the insignificant. Maybe it’s time I started reading my own blog posts. :) I also need to camp out in Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. 19 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. 20 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.”

 Our house has been crazy. We’re in the process of moving, which means rooms need to be painted; tilers, electricians, landscapers, roofers, moving companies, and window-cleaners need to be contacted. Clutter needs to be hauled away; floors, corners, and floorboards need to be scrubbed, and all while maintaining our normal responsibilities. Needless to say, the tension in our home has increased and there’s been a few instances of tears.
 
After almost a week of bickering, yesterday, I finally put feet to my faith by demonstrating grace instead of finger-pointing, grace instead of frustration, and love instead of bitterness.
 
An amazing thing happened. I had fun, and what started out as an exhausting chore turned into a special time with my family.
 
Imagine three people in a cramped bathroom, paintbrushes in hand. Are you cringing or laughing? Envisioning temper-tantrums or giggles?
 
It could go either way, couldn’t it? And thanks be to God for His mercy and grace, I chose to embrace the latter, and as a result, had a wonderful time with my family. A bonding time that ended in hugs instead of tears and laughter instead of frustration.
 
God tells us to enjoy our work. This command is easy to follow when we’re doing something we love. But what about when it’s tedious, discouraging, or wroth with frustration?
 
God tells us to enjoy it anyway, to accept where we are and quit fighting, striving, angsting over what we don’t have. Because here’s the deal–complaining and angsting won’t get you that new job, or pay that bill, or teleport that annoying co-worker to another planet. What it will do is make you more miserable.
 
Looking back over the past week, my misery came from a faulty focus. I’ve been frustrated at how much writing time I’ve lost instead of surrendering my day into God’s hands. I’ve been frustrated at our economy and how that effects our relocation instead of surrendering our check book and future to God. I’ve been angsting over the future–all those what-ifs–instead of enjoying life. I’ve been rehashing the past–past moves, past locations, past frustrations, instead of embracing each day.
 
 But God says let it go. Let it all go and rest in my hands, my plan, my love.
 
As always, freedom and peace comes from trust and full surrender.

Tomorrow, join me at Wielding the Sword of the Spirit Blogtalk radio as I talk with author, publisher, and radio host Donald Parker about throwing off joy-sapping negativity so that we can live lives of gratitude. (I believe he takes call-ins. 347-215-6902. I’d love to hear from you!) The best way to do this is to take our eyes off ourselves and our problems and place them on God and others. Listen at 5 pm CT to find out how I hope to make gratitude, love, and acts of service contagious by launching a “Reach Out to Live Out” campaign in April. I’ll also talk about my “Beauty For the Broken” campaign which launches in June, and Christ to the World Ministries.

Life’s too short to remain consumed with self. Life’s too short for white-knucking. God invites us to embrace the abundant life He promised, but first we’ve got to let everything go–our plans, our desires, our selfishness, our sin.

God’s got plans–big plans–and He invites us to join Him as His ambassadors. The question is, what kind of representatives will be? Those that radiate joy and the love of Christ or those that portray lives of angst and misery? The former is contagious. The latter repels.

Join us at Living by Grace as we talk about the benefits of “accepting our lot” and “enjoying our work.”

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Savoring Life

Posted in God's Authors, intentional living, Praise on March 20, 2012 | 10 Comments »


Life can be crazy-busy. Sometimes the best thing we can do is slow down. Today Lynn Mosher reminds us to savor life, our Lord, and all the blessings He provides.

Mmmm…Savoring!

One of hubby’s and my very favorite restaurants is Romano’s Macaroni Grill. When we are able to treat ourselves to dinner out, nine times out of ten, we will choose to go there.

We order our most favorite item on the menu, Chicken Scaloppine with artichokes, mushrooms, prosciutto, lemon butter, and capellini, or our second favorite, about to push into the #1 spot, Parmesan-crusted Sole, which is served with lemon butter, capers, and sun-dried tomato orzo. These two items are so delicious.

While we wait for our meal to arrive, we delight in a loaf of freshly baked rosemary bread, dipped in olive oil, and a shared Caesar salad.

With the first bite of our entree, we look at each other, roll our eyes, and go, “Mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!” Any meal at an expensive restaurant could barely compare!Mmmm…Savoring

If we split the meal, and still have room for dessert, we share a wonderful tiramisu. We savor every single bite of our meal and we go home with bellies full and satisfied!

There are two others who savor their food: our two youngest granddaughters. They will eat anything. They love to eat! On the occasion that they come to our house after pre-school, they are starved and the first thing they ask for is “pink” or “purple,” meaning the pink (strawberry) or purple (blueberry) yogurt.

The older one would eat three containers (or more) of it if we’d let her. She usually scarfs down two. Both of these little ones (2 ½ and 3 ½ ) will lick their bowls clean. They savor every single bite. And with the other food we give them, they bellies are satisfied.

The word savor also means to delight, enjoy, or relish.

Our hearts should take delight in God and His Word as Paul’s did, “My inner being delights in the law of God.” (Romans 7:22 GNT) The Greek definition of delight means to delight with oneself inwardly in a thing, to rejoice in with oneself, feel satisfaction concerning something.

*We savor steak, chocolate, and homemade bread.

*We delight in vacations, pay raises, and ball games.

*We enjoy concerts, movies, and books.

*We relish being patted on the back, winning a game, and beating out the other guy for that big promotion.

Why is it that we tingle with delight for our taste buds to savor that delectable, warm-out-of-the-oven piece of bread or piece of chocolate, but we cannot tingle with delight to savor God’s delectable Word, that Bread of Life?

As the Bread of Life, Jesus said, “There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach” (Luke 12:23a Msg), and there is more to your inner life than the things you do.

We are to savor the Life within us, filling ourselves with that Bread so our spiritual bellies feel full and satisfied.

My prayer is as David’s, “Blessed Lord, teach me Your rules. I have recited Your laws and rejoiced in them more than in riches. I will meditate upon them and give them my full respect. I will delight in them and not forget them.” (Ps. 119:12-16 TLB) Is it your prayer as well?

Mmmm…I’ve chosen to savor His Word and His presence. Have you? Is your belly full and satisfied?

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Ps. 34:8a NKJV)

From His feet, Lynn

 ***

In the year 2000, the Lord whispered His desire for Lynn Mosher to take up her pen and write for Him. Now, His desire for her has become her passion as she embraces her calling and obediently crafts all types of inspirational works to encourage others in their Christian walk. Visit her online at her blog and website.

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Vision Check

Posted in Faith, intentional living, Kisses from God, Let's Get Real, Living by Grace, Praise, tagged , , , on March 17, 2012 | 9 Comments »

This past month, my husband’s schedule has changed slightly, and he’s spent a few days working from home. In the beginning, each day as I performed my daily chores he’d ask, “Are you in a cleaning mood?” By the third time he asked this, I had to laugh. What was routine for me Monday through Friday seemed out-of-place for him because I rarely do major housework while he’s around. Most likely, he doesn’t give the clean floors and folded clothes much thought. (And I’m sure there are countless things he does each day I’m not aware of.) If left undone, however, I’m sure he’d notice!

I think this is true of God as well. We notice and talk about the big things–a miracle healing, a special verse that pops off the page when we need it most, but each day, God works behind the scenes, watching over us, guiding, loving, nurturing. In Matthew 6:23 Jesus said: “But if your eyes are bad, then your whole body will be full of darkness.”

Bad eyesight leads to distorted vision. If we can’t see God’s hand, the problem lies with us, not Him.

Perhaps it’s time for a vision check. :)

Let’s talk about this. How often do you think we miss God’s blessings because we’re not looking? Throughout the Bible we are told to live lives of praise and gratitude. Do you think negativity can distort our vision? What else hinders our ability to see God’s hand? How might “counting our blessings” change that?

And on a fun note, what are some unexpected or perhaps easily overlooked blessings that came your way this week?

Join us at Living by Grace as we talk about ways to enhance our spiritual vision. :)

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Jelly Beans, Candied Almonds, and Hearts … sigh

Posted in God's Authors, grace, Kisses from God, Romance, tagged , , , on March 13, 2012 | 9 Comments »

How much do I love thee? Let me count the ways ….

My husband is quite the romantic. He rarely buys me glitzy jewelry or takes me to five-star restaurants. He doesn’t read me poetry or take me dancing (perhaps you remember why. If not, you can read the reason here.), but he does buy me candied almonds when he’s at the outdoorsman store. He buys me jelly beans and packs of gum … just because. He sends me one sentence—uh … one word—emails, and calls me with absolutely nothing to say. :) It’s like a trail of love, small actions sprinkled throughout our sixteen years together, easily overlooked if I’m not paying attention, and yet able to penetrate deep into my heart if I am.

If you belong to Christ, you have a husband even more tender, more thoughtful, more attentive than mine. Daily, Christ showers us with love, for no other reason than because we are His beloved. His treasure.

Today my sweet friend  Elizabeth Veldboom shares how God sprinkled tokens of love before her, like hidden rose petals waiting to be discovered and cherished.

***

As I held the small angel ornaments in my hands, ready to purchase them, tears came to my eyes even as a smile touched my lips. I fingered the pretty white lace, and breathed in the words the angels held in their embrace: love, and joy. Yes, I had love. And I had joy, for I was loved.

But let me rewind a little bit. One morning last December in my prayer time I felt as if God were asking me to focus on “love” and “joy.” Love and joy? I thought, crinkling my brow. Could you be more specific, God? That’s kind of general.

If only I knew then how specific He could get.

A few days after that, I came across a blog post about the widespread phenomenon of the “one word for 2012” campaign. Basically, instead of concentrating on a huge resolutions list for the new year, participants were asked to consider focusing on just one word for 2012. They could do this through prayer, journaling, and just by asking God how He would have them apply that word throughout daily life.

The idea intrigued me, and I decided I, too, would focus on one word for 2012. As I mulled on it, my conversation with God a few days earlier came back to me. Focus on love and joy. Could those be the words God wanted me to concentrate on for 2012? I hoped not. They were two very broad terms. Besides, they were just that:two. I needed one word.

A week later found my mom and I at a craft fair. In the first room we entered, a woman selling lace angel ornaments caught our eye. As we ventured nearer, I felt a gentle tugging in my spirit to pay attention. Curious, I tried to listen closely to what God was trying to tell me. But instead of my ears, it was my eyes God used.

Looking up, one angel stood out from among the many. Love, I read. That would have been enough to make me wonder, but then I felt another gentle urging to keep looking. I swept my gaze to the side, and immediately recognized what I was supposed to see: joy, said another angel. I couldn’t believe it.

That was at least two months ago, but the words “love” and “joy” have kept resurfacing everywhere I go. And I’m not a bit surprised.

You see, I serve a God who takes joy out of the little things. Who never overlooks the smallest detail or tiniest trouble. Who orders and plans and organizes our steps. He is a God of greatness, yes-but He is also a God of the still, the small, the silent.

Psalm 37:23 says, “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (NLT.)

Every detail? Yes. Even the smallest: a single tear wetting the pillow; a snowflake drifting from the skies of heaven; the lace in an angel’s skirt.

No one is ever too insignificant for Him to notice. No problem too small for Him to care. Knowing He delights in and takes care of every little detail in our lives, we can rest easy and without fear.

I love that God delights in the details and in the small things. But even more-I love that God finds delight in the details of my small life.

I Hear Ya: In what small ways has God shown that He delights in the details of your life recently or in the past? What one word would you choose for 2012?

Elizabeth Veldboom is devoted to God, a small town girl, and a freelance writer.  She has previously been published in places like Guidepost’s Angels on Earth Magazine and Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Mothers and Daughters. Visit her blog anytime at www.thefearlist.wordpress.com- the place that is for the faint of heart. **And visit her blog today to get in on a fun give-away! She’s giving away a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

And come back here Saturday as we talk about our spiritual vision. God’s always working, loving, speaking, guiding. If you can’t see His hand, perhaps you need to get your vision checked. :)

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Are The “Little Things” Really Little?

Posted in Faith, intentional living, Living by Grace, parenting, tagged , , , on March 10, 2012 | 6 Comments »

(Before you read this post, know this is not a statement on working moms. I believe God has a different plan for each of us–each family. Some are called to stay home with their children. Others are called into the world to become Christ’s healing balm to a hurting world. And still others are called to do both. As moms, the best thing we can do is draw near to God each and every day, find out what He wants us to do, then do it, knowing if we do that, our efforts will please Him.)

I’ve stayed home for just over sixteen years now, and for sixteen years, I’ve struggled with wanting to do more–something that counts, that won’t be undone by the end of the day. This was especially tough when our daughter was young. Most of my days, it seemed, were spent wiping noses, cleaning spills, and picking up toys that would only find their way back to the floor. This doesn’t mean I didn’t cherish my time with our daughter. I did! I wouldn’t trade our snuggle times for anything! But every once in a while, I wanted to do something “significant.” Something with tangible results. But each time, God would remind me, “What you’re doing matters.”

Jesseca Randall and her kiddosMy feelings weren’t unique. In fact, my older sister is struggling with similar feelings right now. With a master’s degree, and following on the tails of a busy, very fulfilling career, the transition from career world to diaper-changing has been tough. Couple this with her deep sense of compassion for a hurting world and her desire to reach out, and it’s easy to understand why she struggles. Intellectually, she knows this is a phase, that God’s not through with her, but there are days she feels tucked away on a shelf.

Last week, these feelings returned in full force. Not far from Baltimore, she’s fully aware of the deep needs all around her–broken children in broken homes, people sleeping on the street, fighting addiction, hopelessness. She attends a church passionate about outreach, and although her family gets involved when they can, she longs to do more!

You can’t live in close communion with God and not feel His pain for the broken, His sorrow over sin.

This sorrow, infused by the heart of the Father, has stirred within her a desire for action. It’s led her to dream big, praying God would go before her and open wide the doors for ministry.

And yet, each day, doors seem to close. She’s not changing the world. She’s changing diapers instead.

“I started to throw myself a pity party,” she said. “I wanted to know why God wasn’t using me. I’d pray, ‘Lord, just place ONE person in my path today, just one, whom I can love on.’”

Nothing. Even the homeless people she once gave lunches to seemed to disappear. And so, she continued on, trudging through, struggling just to keep up with her Bible reading amidst the chaos of raising toddlers.

In fact, one week she didn’t finish her study, and she almost didn’t make it to her small group. She even considered not going. What would it hurt to miss one day?

But God had other plans. He didn’t want to chastise her for her pity party. He didn’t want to guilt her into being more, doing more. He saw His broken child and longed to be the lifter of her head.

“We were reading 1 Timothy chapter five. I’ve read it before. It’s a familiar passage, and one I’ve never paid much attention to. Except today, the words leapt out at me.”

1 Timothy 5:9 (NIV)

9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband,10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

“In this verse, caring for your children is listed with caring for the poor and helping others,” she said.

In essence, God said to her, “What you are doing matters. A lot.”

Often, we want to do grand things for God–run a ministry or go on an international mission trip, and those are great things! But the little things, like caring for your children, sitting with a hurting neighbor, or spending time with a wounded friend, are just as important. Through this verse, God told Jesseca He was pleased with every snotty nose she wiped, every diaper she changed, every patty-cake she played.

God saw it all, every seemingly mundane task, and was saying, “Well done my good and faithful servant. My child.”

Might God be trying to say the same thing to you today?

Join us at Living by Grace as we talk about measuring ourselves by God’s standard, and resting in His love and acceptance. He may indeed call us to international missions, or He may call us to a story book and living room sofa. We may see “results” right away, or it may be years before we see the whys and hows. And that’s where trust comes in, knowing God loves us and is at work in and through us, every day. He’s fully present in the big and the small, and I believe He wants us to be fully present as well.

I’d love to hear from you. What area are you struggling to find purpose in right now? Maybe you’re in what appears to be a no-end job. Maybe you’re looking for a job, and can’t understand why God would leave you in a period of waiting. What might God be doing in your “interim”? And how can you be more present in the now?

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Looking for That Giant Eraser

Posted in Faith, grace, Let's Get Real, salvation, tagged , , , , , on March 6, 2012 | 4 Comments »

I’m so grateful my salvation doesn’t depend on me and my good works. If it did, I’d fail big time. I spend way too many days thinking angry thoughts and gratifying my selfish will. I’m selfish, irritable, and discontent. I long for a servant’s heart, to be Christ’s hands and feet to a hurting world, but more times than not the monster within rises up and says, “What’s in it for me.” Praise be to God His love extends beyond my failings, and His strength extends beyond my weakness.

In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus extends a beautiful invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

In essence, He said, “Quit trying to earn My love. Simply come.”

When I think of a yoke, an image of yoked oxen comes to mind. When carrying the plough, the two must be in step with one another, and the load is much lighter spread between them. When we yoke with Jesus, we fall into step with Him, allowing Him to take the lead. Only He doesn’t ask us to share the load of our sin. He carried it all, and having paid the heavy price, He now invites us to come and rest. Today Kathi Woodall shares the moment this truth became real to her, with the help of a furry friend, Sylvester the Cat. :)

Sylvester & Tweety by Kathi Woodall

On my blog, in my classes, in my books, in my life, I talk a lot about Jesus. I talk about things like relationship, salvation, freedom, holiness, and resurrection. Why are all those things so important to me? Why do I care?
Forgive the child-like simplicity of this story, but, well, I was a child when it happened. Remember the old cartoons? You know, the good ones, like Looney Tunes. Whenever a cartoon character, such as Sylvester the Cat, had to make a decision, two more Sylvesters would show up, one dressed in an angelic robe and one decked out like Satan with a pointy tail and a pitchfork. They would then plead their case as to why Sylvester should or should not pop poor little Tweety Bird into his mouth.

Albeit incorrect, this imagery led to my first understanding of how we enter heaven. In my mind, I envisioned two similar characters in heaven standing by a dry-erase board. Of course it was a dry-erase board because I always thought they were so much cooler than chalkboards. To one side of the board was an angelic being in the white robes and golden halo. Her job was to make a mark each time I did something good or right. Shared my toys – got a mark. Finished my vegetable soup – got a mark. Went to bed when I was told – got a mark. Standing to the other side of the board was a more satanic being, complete with pointy tail. Her job was to make a mark when I did something bad. Yelled at my brothers – got a mark. Didn’t do what mom said – got a mark. Was mean to a friend – got a mark. My thinking was that, when I died, whichever side had the most marks would determine my eternal destination.

Riding home from church one Sunday, in the back seat of my parent’s car, something clicked inside me. It was a fabulous “light-bulb” moment. The marks didn’t matter, regardless of which side of the board they were on. When Jesus died on the cross, the board was wiped clean. The bad wouldn’t be held against me and the good wouldn’t increase my chances of going to heaven. I will spend eternity in heaven only because Jesus made it possible by sacrificing Himself on the cross and resurrecting three days later.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NKJ

***

Kathi Woodall’s passion is to serve God through writing and teaching the truth of His Word, loving her husband, Jimmy, caring for their home, homeschooling their four daughters and serving in her church. To learn more about Kathi Woodall, please visit http://www.growbarefoot.com.

If you’d like to learn more about the Christian faith and how to become right with God, you can read the following:

What Are the Steps to Salvation

Salvation: Yes, You Can Know For Certain

As a side note, I made an error when I announced last week’s book winner. When I went to find the person’s email in my subscribers, they were no longer there. I’m not sure what happened, but as I have no way of contacting that person, I decided to draw again. This time Patricia won. Patricia, I’ll be sending you an email shortly to get your address. I hope you enjoy Eileen Rife’s novel, Second Chance. I did!

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Fan Into Flame

Posted in Faith, intentional living, Let's Get Real, Living by Grace, tagged , , , , on March 3, 2012 | 2 Comments »

When we lived in Southern California, a massive fire ravished the San Gabriel mountains, destroying 1,000 homes and forcing many to evacuate. Rumor had it the fire was started by a cigarette casually flicked. Others said the fire was started by an arsonist. Regardless the source, the initial spark turned exponential until it devoured 90,000 acres, becoming the largest fire San Bernadino County had ever seen.

Fire is a powerful thing. When fed, it grows to unquenchable proportions, its heat radiating for miles. We’ve all heard stories of raging forest fires started by a single match. I’m sure we’ve also all experienced the frustration of trying to set kindling ablaze.

I’ve been on a handful camping trips, and try as I might, I can barely ignite a few measly twigs. I’ll use matches, gasoline and crumpled paper. I’ll blow and fan the air. I’ve tried leaves and straw, which initially catches only to smolder into a puff of black smoke. What’s the difference between my efforts and the 2004 forest fire that raged through Southern California?

Both started with a spark, yet one grew while the other dwindled. The difference, I believe, is the forest was ripe, ready to combust. We’d had little water and intense heat, so it didn’t take much to set the trees ablaze. Then came the wind, fueling the flames with a steady supply of oxygen until the entire forest blazed.

This image came to mind when I read 2 Timothy 1:6. “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

Paul tells Timothy to “fan into flames” the spiritual gift God gave him.

In essence, Paul was saying, “Lay it all on the line, Timothy. Don’t let anything hold you back from full surrender. When others pull away, step up. Burn like a wildfire!”

Note, he wrote this letter to Timothy, a man Paul loved like a son, from a prison cell. During a time of extreme persecution, when many might’ve been tempted to slip into hiding, Paul told Timothy to step it up.

I believe God is calling us to do the same. If we’ve accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we’ve got the spark of the Holy Spirit burning within us. But our heart is much like the trees in a forest. We share the same flame, but some trees are more combustible than others. Some are doused in flame retardants (sin, distractions, and all those temporary fillers that steal our time and dull our hearts), others are ready to ignite.

What’s your heart like? Is it prepared to be set on fire or have you allowed it to smolder? If the latter is true, will you fan your heart and your gifts into flames?

Each time we draw near to God, each time we dig into His Word and spend time in heart-felt prayer, each time we use the gifts He gives to serve others, our flame grows. Every time we squelch our flame with sin, selfishness, and those temporary fillers that distract us from our true need, our tiny flame smolders.

The match is lit. Let it burn, my friend!

Let’s talk about this!

Join us at Living by Grace as we talk about fanning into flame our gifts and our heart so we can live on fire for Christ.

I’d love to hear from you. What do you think it means to fan our spiritual gifts into flames? What are some practical steps we can take to ignite our passion for Christ? What are those things that “douse” our passion?

Oh, and I almost forgot! Barbjan (who entered by subscribing) won a free copy of Eileen Rife’s novel, Second Chance! I’ll contact you by email to get your address soon!

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