Finally Home in ‘Bama!
Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
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What Am I Here For?
Good morning everyone! This morning I was reading in Ephesians chapter 4 and I was reading about the fivefold ministry. Where Paul was talking about the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. Paul says that their calling is to nurture and prepare the believers to do their own works of ministry. As they grow then they are the ones that will enlarge the body of Christ.
That’s what we’re here for, we are here to enlarge the body of Christ! That fivefold ministry is there to prepare you. That ministry of the fivefold is to nurture and prepare you as a believer, to do your own works that God has called you to. So we’ve got to have these people, these ones that are called in these different fivefold ministry‘s, speaking into our lives. They are there to help us grow into strong believers to build up the body of Christ.
It is not your Pastor’s job to single handedly grow the body of Christ. He is there to help you, to equip you, to grow the body. It doesn’t just sit on your Pastor’s shoulders, it is the teachers, the evangelist, the other parts of the fivefold ministry, they work together to help you grow. God puts these people in our lives, to help us grow deeper in our relationship with Him. If you are not connected to the body, then how are they able to do this?
Paul continues on in verse 13 about the grace ministries. It says that they will function until we have oneness. It says it will continue until we experience the fullness of what it means to know Christ. Until the final part, he says that we have got to become one. We have got to mature spiritually as individuals. That is what the body is there for, is to help us grow. We help one another grow. The Scripture says in Proverbs “iron sharpens iron”. We need to be there for one another to build one another up to make one another sharper.
We have got a job to do, to grow the body of Christ. Without one another we cannot do that. Have you ever seen a finger living off of the body? No! That finger has got to be connected to the body. If it does not have connection, blood flow, nerves attached, muscles attached, that finger is not going to be an effective finger. It has got to be connected to the body to be full of life! It has got to be connected to the body to do the job that it was called to do.
He goes on to talk in verse 14 about not being easily shaken by trouble or lead astray by false doctrines and teachings that are easy to listen to or those that are trying to deceive the body. The way that you avoid all of that is to be connected and remain strong in the body. If you’re not connected to the body then you’re not connected to the head which is Christ. You cannot know what the Head is saying to the body to do if you are not connected.
He goes on to talk in verse 14 about not being easily shaken by trouble or lead astray by false doctrines and teachings that are easy to listen to or those that are trying to deceive the body. The way that you avoid all of that is to be connected and remain strong in the body. Because if you’re not connected to the body then you’re not connected to the head which is Christ. You cannot know with the head is saying to the body to do if you are not connected.
I know I am in a different season of my life now. I am trying to find where I fit into a new body. But while I am waiting for Rob to get here, we are both renewing our relationship with the Head of the church and we are going deeper and Him. We are finding that even though it’s a new season, we can still be connected! We still grow stronger.
Just because it’s a new season does not give us an excuse to sit on the sidelines. We have got to be connected to the body so that we can continue to do what we are called to do.
What we are called to do is to grow the church, His body. We are to have oneness in the faith. We are to know and experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God. We are to grow into spiritual maturity. And we are to know the fully developed abundance of Christ.
So today, reflect I will reflect where I am supposed to be in the body. If we are in the right place of the body, then it’s going to be easier to reach those that we are called to reach. Those that no other person is going to be able to reach but us. Let’s make up our minds to be in the body, to be the body part, that we are called to be. We need to be there where we are called to be so His body can be effective upon this earth.
Blessings to you today!
Sweet Home!!
I am finally home but missing my heart.
We did it!! We have our home in Alabama! We closed on it in July and have been in the process of transitioning from Michigan to Alabama and getting things set up. This area that we bought our home in is just beautiful! Our home is amazing! The property…. oh man!
But as I sit here tonight…. I am still not totally here in Alabama. I have part of my heart still in Michigan. My honey has stayed behind and is working so hard to get our building ready to sell. It has been a long, hard, physically draining process for him. We are missing each other something terrible. We are usually together and doing things. We don’t like to be separated but for this short season we are. There were a couple times that it looked like someone was going to purchase the building and then they backed out. We are praying that someone will come along and want to purchase the studio very soon! It will be going in realtor’s hands soon!
So, my heart is home. I know this is where we are to be and as soon as he gets here, my heart will be complete.
So if you are sitting there with your loved one by you, give them a little squeeze and be very thankful. I know that days become routines but we need to stop in the midst of our doing and live. Time with the ones we love is so important to cherish that we need to jump off that proverbial merry go round and really appreciate those we love. Put down the cell phones, video games, and shut the laptops. These times wont be there forever. Your relationship with your loved ones are more valuable than those. I have never found someone that said, “I wish that I would have spent more time on Facebook (or whatever takes your attention) than with my ____.” You fill in the blank.
Embrace those you love and make time for them. Time is fleeting. You can’t capture it and once you spend it, it’s gone. Cherish the times you have together. After all, you only have each other.
PS… to that good lookin’ honey in that picture…. I love you baby!!! Hurry home!!
My devotional I read today! It was so good I just had to share. If you need a boost of love from the Father, take a moment to read. I will be posting later with updates!
Moving Day
It’s finally here folks! Moving Day! Our first load is going down to Alabama here in a little bit.
As we have been preparing for this adventure, there has been excitement, weariness, sadness, joy, peace, and a few more emotions added to the mix. But we are ready for it! God has prepared us for it and He has provided for it so we are stepping into the future ready and willing!
We are so excited for this next step. The preperation though is something that I would like to avoid. You see a stack of boxes sitting here waiting to get loaded, what you don’t see are the piles of clothes we went through, the shoes, the make up, the jewelry, the bath products and so much more. When we removed the couch cushions I told my son to be careful there will most likely be a mess because of little people. He said they have the same problem for the same reason. 🙂
This whole thing has had me thinking this morning. You see, sometimes God needs to clean our house and do some rearranging in our lives to get the dirt out. He wants to clean us on a deeper level so our worship is purer, our love for Him is deeper, and relationships stronger. He has ways that He does this and it can be a major shake up in our life that blindsides us, a move that you didn’t see coming a year ago, a sickness, or a loss. But through this whole process, when you rely on Him and you say, “I trust You Jesus.” and you follow His lead you can be sure you will land in the middle of His palm and He catches you.
So, as we get ready to pull out, for our Michigan friends, this is not goodbye. Rob will be here for a little while longer getting our photography studio here ready to put on the market and I will be back to speak at the conference at The River in August. (If you are interested in that, click on the link)
It is time for a new adventure and we run to it knowing our Father is by our side and we trust You Jesus!
Time to Plow
When I was a little girl, my grandpa used a plow like in the picture here. He would work the ground and get his seed in with it. There were times that when he was working he would really be plowing hard and you could see it was tough work to get the land ready to put the seed in the ground so that the harvest could come. Then there would be other times that it seemed so easy once the ground had been worked some.
I was talking with a dear friend and mentor this evening about this and I said something that was like, “Whoa, where did that come from?” We were talking of how some in the church labor so hard and feel like they have to do everything all the time. There are some pastors that will push some into areas that need filled and yet those that are being pushed are not called. Thankfully, the areas I have served have been areas that have been in my heart.
One thing my friend said was that we are laboring without results and God’s going to take us to that place of laboring in joy in seeing a great harvest. To which I responded, ” It does not have to be a plowing all the time. There are rains and harvest also. If it ain’t your plow, don’t put your hand to it. There are certain plows you are anointed to push.”
I would like to elaborate a little on that if I may. You see, God has anointed each of us to put our hand on our own plow. You were created to carry out certain things in His Kingdom. Jer. 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” So God had plans for Jeremiah even before he was born.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God know what He created you for! I don’t know about you, but to me that is amazingly wonderful news! I was not a mistake. I was a perfectly executed plan! I have a purpose! And so do you! You are a plow pusher. My advise, push your own plow that He has created you to push.
We can put our hands to so many plows called programs and we will have to push and bear down and strive. But Jesus said that His burden is easy and His yoke is light.
There are times of plowing, don’t get me wrong there. But there is also times of rain when Father refreshes you and you are washed and renewed. There are times of growth where you are going to new levels. There are times of harvest where you disciple and win others. And yes, there is a time for plowing as well.
So today, step back and see what plow your hand is on. If you feel like you have too many irons in the fire, just remember, “No is an anointed word.” Sometimes, even if it feels weird at first, we have to say no, even if it is a good cause.
Here is the last point I want to make. If your hand is on someone else’s plow, you are doing the job they were created to do where they will find fulfillment and anointing to do it. I know there are times that we need to fill in to get a job done until the right person comes along to do it but when they come, allow them to step into that place that they were created for.
God Bless and Happy Harvest!
Finally Home in 'Bama 
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