All of us go through situations in our life that are hard. Each day presents a new challenge the moment we awake. Some may see that challenge as trying to find the answer to the tough questions. Such as: “Will God heal me today?”, “Will I be able to find a job to support my family?”, “How will I face the person at work that is tormenting me?”, the list could go on and on. We all have very unique and interesting circumstances.

But I am wondering if maybe we are missing the challenge here. Could it be that the challenge is not in the specific circumstance, but how we deal with what comes our way each day?

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” I Peter 5:6-7

We are encouraged to present before God our cares. Actually, it is stated we are cast ALL our cares upon Him. Are we really taking this seriously? How often do we attempt to take on our own cares? It is the natural inclination, is it not? To say “I need to do this to make things better” is such an automatic response for each of us. But…We have the freedom available to us that enables us to turn from our cares. Why do we not take advantage of the reality that was given through the cross of Christ? Are we telling Him that it wasn’t good enough and we need Him to do more?

There is a situation from my own life that I’d like to illustrate for you. My husband and I have been trying to conceive a child for 3 years without success. Every time we looked into the eyes of a pregnant teenager or of a woman that did not want the child she was carrying, we wondered why this was happening. We questioned ourselves and yes we even tried to find a way to “fix it”. But today, are walking in the peace of Christ. We are traveling through new and exciting experiences. Have we resigned ourselves to the idea of not conceiving a child? Absolutely not. We have chosen to embrace each day as an opportunity to show love to others, in whatever way God places those experiences before us. Right now, that opportunity is the possibility of being foster parents in our community. So, that is what we are embracing at this moment with the knowledge that new experiences could be placed before us as well.

So, I encourage you today to listen to this important advice:

“Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” I Peter 5:10-11

My friend, Amy, has written a great post today called The Wall. Go there and be encouraged. Thanks Amy for rekindling the passion in which I wrote this post!

I have been pondering thoughts about “systems” and have discussed them at length with my husband. The first system that we have discussed is that of the church. We are currently out of the traditional church and are attempting to meet from house to house. (I will discuss my thoughts on other systems in another post)

But I am coming to the point of realizing, it is not about what we create “each week”. It is about being available to do whatever God is instructing us to do in “each day”. Letting go of some of the bondage of what is required according to church structure has been very liberating for us….also very difficult. We want interaction with like-minded individuals, desperately. But we also realize it is not about what we can create ourselves. We must be available to go as God guides us or wait when He tells us to do so.

So, today, we wait…

Alan, at The Assembling of the Church, has some excellent thoughts on how we can step outside of our box and be the church, in his post, The Church Meets Here… His thoughts on this issue have encouraged me today. I am sure they will encourage you as well.

So, today, I ask you. How can we be the church to others? In what ways can we come out of our comfort zone and be uncomfortable in order to love someone else?

What a invigorating feeling it is to spend time with other believers! That is just what Steve and I did this past weekend. We traveled to Wake Forest, NC to attend a conference at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary on Friday evening and Saturday morning. You can read what other bloggers (Lew, Steve, Theron and Alan) have written regarding the content of the conference. I will say this…I went to the conference not having any prior knowledge about the content of the topic discussed and secretly wondered if I would be able to get anything out of it, but I came away from the conference excited about what I had learned and wanting to learn more on an academic level. I do appreciate the tone at which the conference was presented and to quote Dr. Black, ” Regardless of the position we take on the ending of Mark, the important thing is to proclaim the Gospel Of Jesus Christ to all nations.”

When we arrived at the conference Friday evening, we were able to see Alan (and others) briefly before the presenters started speaking. Afterwards, we were asked to go to Rob and Brandi’s for coffee, in which we were able to fellowship with Alan, Rob and Brandi, Mael and Cindy, Leah and Samuel (her 7 1/2 month old cutie-pie!) and Theron and Cheryl ( I hope I spelled everyone’s names correctly!). We had a sweet time with them…until the hour of midnight! Afterwards, Steve and I went to Leah, Ed and Samuel’s to spend the night. Thanks so much Leah, for your hospitality. You are awesome!

The following day, we went to Starbuck’s (of course) and then attended another session of the seminar. Afterwards, we went out to lunch to an Italian restaurant in Wake Forest with Alan and his sweet wife, Margaret, Dr. Black, Dr. Nelson, Lew, Theron and Cheryl, Mael and Cindy, Jay Baird and Ray Clendenan (of Broadman and Holman Academic). It was an awesome time to be able to get to know each other better.

After our lunch, we (Steve and I, Alan and Margaret and Theron) went to Starbucks (yes, that’s twice in one day!). We stayed there until about 4pm talking with our new friends. We also went back to SEBTS to get a few pictures of the campus.

Then, back to Boone we traveled. I have to say that it was very hard to leave. The fellowship that we were able to experience was incredibly special to us. Not to mention that the weather was gorgeous!

Especially when you come home to this

It is amazing what a few hours travel to the western part of the state will do.

Thank you, everyone for a special time together. We were truly blessed by all of you and hope to meet again very soon.

As I was bringing up the idea of highlighting different music, my good friend and fellow blogger, Amy, reminded me of the song, Friend of God by Israel Houghton and Michael Gunger. It is a simple song, but one that encourages us to realize who we are in the eyes of God.

Who am I that you are mindful of me
That you hear me when I call
Is it true that you are thinking of me
How you love me it’s amazing

I am a friend of god
I am a friend of god
I am a friend of god
He calls me friend

God almighty, lord of glory
You have called me friend

He calls me friend
He calls me friend…

Here is a sample of the song and the story behind the song (in the words of Israel Houghton)

When I first heard this song, I was attending a women’s conference. Singing this song, along with thousands of other women, was really one of the highlights of that conference. Now, if we can live as we believe the words that we are singing within this song, the confidence that we have of ourselves in Christ would be astounding! To know that we are a friend of God is a concept that we don’t think of often enough, but that is exactly how He sees us. He wants the intimate fellowship that we crave to be with Him, so that we may share that same intimacy with others.

Do you sometimes feel like you need to apologize for things that Christians (in general) seem to do to others? Do you sense there is an air of hypocrisy coming from the mouths and lives of those (us) that call themselves Christians?

I do.

Sometimes I have thoughts that make me cringe. When I think of things that I have said or done to people in the name of Christ, honestly, I am ashamed. Then, when I see others making that same mistake, I just say to myself: “oh, my, that could have been me.”

Then I realize the grace of God. He forgives us when we recognize, admit and seek to change our faults. How awesome is our Lord!

There are times when I stay focused on life within the safety of my home. I don’t make an extra effort to reach out to others in my community. The reality is that I love to be with people (especially one-on-one) but something keeps me from stepping outside my box to minister to others within my circle of influence (my neighborhood). I realize that to be the church we must make an effort to make ourselves available. So, for this reason, I apologize!

I don’t want to take God’s grace for granted. I want to reach out to others. There is a whole world out there just waiting to be experienced and I want to be part of it! I want to be available to God for His use.

John Smulo has written a post entitled, Sorry. Check out his apology and the apologies of others.

We just had an incredible night in fellowship with friends and believers in Christ. This was a time of enjoying a meal together and talking about God and our life together as fellow believers. We discussed ways that being a follower of Christ would play out in our daily lives, ways we can love those that we come in contact with daily. There was no agenda that we set out to perform…no plan as to when we would end our time together. It was a time of encouragement and edification to each other. I know I was encouraged…I hope that others were encouraged as well.

Specifically, I was encouraged to love, no matter what differences are there, no matter what obstacles seem to be in place. Loving takes an intentional effort. It is not something that “just happens” without trying.

Sometimes loving is quite a difficult task to undertake. Sometimes people have issues (including me!) and sometimes those issues get in the way. Loving in these circumstances takes patience, but more than that, I believe it takes honesty. So often, we want to hide in our shells and not let anyone see what is inside (I’m talking to myself here) either for fear of rejection or because that is what we have experienced in church life. It is so easy to hide in the pews (or in our homes) and not let anyone see the depth of our lives.

Honesty is a character trait that I believe we should have the freedom to experience, whether it is being honest with ourselves or with those that surround us. This is why I am fortunate to have those relationships in a simple church setting, not that it is impossible to be dishonest in that setting, but when you are actively involved in the lives of those close to you, it is much harder to enter into that shell.

Most of the time, evenings like the one we experienced tonight leave me wanting more… more time with fellow Christians, more time talking about the goodness of God, more time loving, serving, living…as the body of Christ.

I pray that there will be more opportunities for me to do so.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

As I was leaving my house today, I looked down to see the flag that we currently have in our front yard. It says “Peace on Earth”. It has a snow covered landscape with a church pictured in the center. I immediately began humming the tune to the song, “Let There Be Peace on Earth”.

Don’t ask me why that particular song came to mind…but I started singing it out loud, listening to the lyrics as I sang:

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me;
Let there be peace on earth,
The peace that was meant to be.

With God as our Father
Brothers all are we,
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.*

Let peace begin with me,
Let this be the moment now;
With every step I take,
Let this be my solemn vow:

To take each moment and live each moment
In peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.

Copyright 1955 by Jan-Lee Music. Copyright renewed 1983. All rights reserved.

I tried to remember when I first heard the song. Was it in my early days in the small Baptist church where my mother took me each Sunday (and Sunday night and Wednesday night…) Was it in Girl Scout Camp? In School? All I know is that I heard it a long time ago and I still remembered each word to that song.

It may sound silly, but today I heard it in a new way…as I sang each line of that song, I realized that it embodied what I want as a member of the body of Christ. I want to live at peace with all people that I come in contact with. I don’t want those words to be superficial. I want to live life with others each moment and each day with the love of Christ as the center.

I have to ask myself the question…Is this possible? Can I be a part of something that is only dreamed of? I believe the answer is “yes!” I believe that as followers of Christ, we can live at peace with one another and even more so, we can share the love of Christ in a very real and tangible way. How I long for that to be a reality in my life!

Has anyone ever had thoughts as crazy as these? If so, would you like to join me in recognizing that no matter what is happening in your life, you can come to the feet of Jesus confidently and know that He will put others in your path that will encourage, edify and motivate you to seek Him more and more each day.

“But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall…” Ephesians 2:14-15

In my last post, I hinted at my thoughts on fellowship with other followers of Christ. This is a subject that continues to be on my mind. I’d like to talk about this in more detail.

The first thing that I tend to do when trying to understand terms that I use every day is to consider their meaning:

fel·low·ship

1.a. The condition of sharing similar interests, ideals, or experiences, as by reason of profession, religion, or nationality.

b. The companionship of individuals in a congenial atmosphere and on equal terms.

2. A close association of friends or equals sharing similar interests.

3. Friendship; comradeship.

This definition could be applied to any church, group or friendship that is developed. As I researched a little further though, the word “koinonia” surfaced. The definition for this word intrigued me:

Christian fellowship or communion with God or with fellow Christians; said in particular of the early Christian community.

This is something that I so desire to be real and alive in my life. Yes, I have people that I share my life with and the relationships are vibrant and touch me in very profound ways. In saying this, I realize that there are relationships that would be better described as forced. This is what causes me to rethink what are we doing as Christians to cultivate the relationships or fellowship that God intends for us to have.

In reading further, I come across some interesting info about the spiritual meaning of the word “koinonia”. According to The Free Dictionary,

“The word has such a multitude of meanings that no single English word is adequate to express its depth and richness. It is a derivative of “koinos,” the word for common. Koinonia, is a complex, rich, and thoroughly fascinating Greek approach to building community or teamwork.”

There are several contexts that this word is used:

“Generous Sharing…When koinonia is present, the spirit of sharing and giving becomes tangible…”

Partnership…The common ground by which the two parties are joined together creates an aligned relationship, such as a ‘fellowship’ or ‘partnership.’

Marriage: Two people may enter into marriage in order to have “koinonia of life”, that is to say, to live together a life in which everything is shared. Koinonia was used to refer to the marriage bond, and it suggested a powerful common interest that could hold two or more persons together.

Spiritual Relationship…koinonia highlights a higher purpose or mission that benefits the greater good of the members as a whole. The term “enthusiasm” is connected to this meaning of koinonia for it signifies “to be embued with the Spirit of God in Us.”

Fellowship : To create a bond between comrades is the meaning of koinonia when people are recognized, share their joy and pains together, and are united because of their common experiences, interests and goals. Fellowship creates a mutual bond which overrides each individual’s pride, vanity, and individualism, fulfilling the human yearning with fraternity, belonging, and companionship. This meaning of koinonia accounts for the ease by which sharing and generosity flow. When combined with the spiritual implications of koinonia, fellowship provides a joint participation in God’s graces and denotes that common possession of spiritual values.

Community : The idea of community denotes a “common unity” of purpose and interests. By engaging in this united relationship a new level of consciousness and conscience emerges that spurs the group to higher order thinking and action, thus empowering and encouraging its members to exist in a mutually beneficial relationship. Thus community and family become closely intertwined, because aiming at a common unity strives to overcome brokenness, divisiveness, and, ultimately gaining wholeness with each of the members, with their environment, and with their God. By giving mutual support, friendship and family merge. Both fellowship and community imply an inner and outer unity. No where in the framework of community is their implied a hierarchy of command and control. While there is leadership, the leader’s task is to focus energy, and align interests, not impose control.”

What this says to me is that the true meaning of koinonia is one of action, not passively meeting with others, but really “knowing” other believers in Christ. Can you do that in your “fellowship”? Can you be known and are you able to know others?

As an aside, the word “know” describes an intimate relationship, one that Christ has with us.

“I am the good shepherd, and I know my own and my own know me…” John 10:14

This is my heart’s desire: that the true meaning of koinonia will be evident in my life, that I will be able to know others and will allow others to know me.

Merry Christmas!

I haven’t posted in a while…it has been a busy month with the Christmas holiday quickly approaching and finding time to write my thoughts has just not been a possibility! Although I do seem to find the time to read other blogs….where are my priorities?

We have had a very nice change of pace this weekend. We were able to have the pleasure of spending time with a few friends (in real life) that we have met through blogging. What a joy to spend time with these wonderful new friends, their family and the members of their church.

Steve had the opportunity to minister to Gordon’s congregation through music at this morning’s service and I was also able to sing a song during the time of worship. What a wonderful church and what an awesome group of people! We enjoyed so much getting to know this family and look forward to many more times of fellowship!

Steve has also written a post about today’s events. So, go check out his thoughts about our time with our new friends in Cairo, GA.

For me, it has been a nice diversion from all the busy-ness of the holiday season to fellowship with others whom we respect. To be able to focus on having relationships within the body of Christ is so much more important than making sure I find all the right material gifts for my friends and family. To be able to make fellowship a priority is so much more important than fitting it all into my work and school schedule….I want fellowship with believers in Christ to be a priority over the non-important issues of life.

Thanks Gordon and Amy for blessing us so much this weekend! We can’t wait to be able to return the favor very soon!