Several years ago I was at church camp with some teens and heard a preacher preach a message called Kill the Spider. It was a great message. I want to use that message I am recalling from memory to apply it to daily life.
The premise is that when you find a spider web in your home, you don't just wipe away the web for the best results...you kill the spider. Otherwise the web will be right back later. How true this is! The preacher back then focused on reminding the teens that they must kill the spiders and not just wipe away the webs in their music choices. You can't just get rid of music that isn't glorifying to God or to you but you must replace it with good music. If you don't replace the music you will just go back to the bad stuff.
Now that I'm older and hopefully a bit wiser, I can see this philosophy in many areas of life. I am taking steps to become healthier. I need to get rid of the spiders in my body. I can't just say I will eat healthier today and exercise today. I must kill that spider of unhealthy foods and couch potato laziness and replace it with better food choices and movement! I must also make healthier choices in what chemicals and harmful things come in contact with my body. Soon I will be wiping away the webs of
toxins that have built up in my liver, intestines and bloodstream. (I will be posting about that in the future) However, if I do not kill the spider of what allowed the toxins to build up in my body I will only have wiped away the web and it will return.
I need to kill the spider of apathy in my ministry. I must bring my thought life under control and replace negative, complaining thoughts with thoughts of gratitude for a place and people to serve and a reminder of a burden to help others in their spiritual walk.
Some people may need to kill the spider of routine. Yes,routine gives comfort but can become monotonous and lead to more webs of mundane living and often depression. Shake things up! Start doing something different each week so you can kill that spider. Don't just flop down in front of the TV after supper...play a game, go for a drive, go for a walk (adding in that exercise!), read a book, etc. Do something different at least once in the week.
I think I have typed enough in this post for you to get the point. Don't just wipe away the webs...kill the spiders!
November 27, 2017
November 12, 2017
Filling Someone's Shoes
I am someone who has always been given much responsibility even since childhood. I was often put in charge of my sister or all my cousins while the adult family members were off fishing as we camped or what have you. I was taught to be a responsible person even at a young age.
I have been reading through a book off and on entitled "Plucked from the Burning" over the past year. I don't get a lot of time being a pastor's wife to just read for my own enjoyment. This book is about a Baptist preacher who was the only survivor of a small plane crash in Missouri which took place back in the 80s. As a survivor of a car/train accident, I can relate to his recovery process although his was much more extensive than mine was. I'm nearing the end of the book and he had a chapter about survivor's remorse. Something in which he dealt for several years after the plane crash. I, too, dealt with guilt over surviving my accident when one did not. The author of the book was the only survivor and there were three other preachers on board which included the pilot. They were flying home from a preacher's convention. The man went on to say that for several years he would hold the newspaper article detailing the plane crash and which also included each man's pictures. He would pray and ask God to help him "finish their ministries". This went on for quite some time but then one night before bed as he prayed that same thing, he felt God burden his heart and seemed to put a new thought in his mind that said "Those men's ministries ARE finished. I want you to focus on what I want YOU to do". The man said he felt instant comfort and release from the burden he had felt for so long.
As I read that at 4 in the morning (because I was having trouble sleeping), my heart was pricked and thoughts flooded my mind of "You are not your mom. Her work is finished on earth since she is now in heaven. It is not your responsibility to be her. You cannot fill her shoes, or replace her in everyone's life to fill the void nor should you try. Be the sister, cousin, mom, niece, and friend that you can be to those you are close with but stop trying to be her. It is not your responsibility to be the glue that holds the family together. It is not your responsibility to take over being grandmother to your child, or for your nieces and nephews. It is not your responsibility to take over being a mother to your sisters.
As those thoughts came, I cried and had such a feeling of relief and burden lifted as I allowed it to sink in to my mind. I have felt for 6 years that I needed to step up and be all the things to everyone that my mom was so that everyone else can cope with life. After all, I am the one who is strongest and I am the one who knows how to handle crisis and I am the one who has always been put in charge to take care of everyone else so why wouldn't I step up to fill my mom's shoes? For the past three years I have been trying to do this long distance as I try to help my husband in the ministry here in our church. I fully believe those thoughts of letting go of trying to be something that's not my responsibility to be, came straight from the Holy Spirit of God.
The comfort and relief I now feel over this realization has brought peace to my mind. It will take a willful intent and determination to act on this new realization and take a stand for myself. It will be hard to gently tell others that I will only fulfill my role to them as is in the natural course of things. I am not even sure that others realize that they have relied on me in this manner. Grief and trials of life make it hard to see things clearly sometimes.
This has come at a great time because I have a need to focus on myself (not in a selfish way) but in a health issue way. Some things have developed that must be addressed and if I do not focus on fixing there, I will not be able to lend myself to others in the capacity God intended. From my research so far, this will not come quickly nor easily. It will take time for answers but I will have to be persistent, diligent and wise.
Are you someone who is trying to fill some one's shoes who has left intentionally or who has passed away? Please give some serious thought to this post and make sure that the shoes you are trying to fill is what God expects you to do. In some cases the answer may be yes but in many it will be no! Live where and be what God has for you!
I have been reading through a book off and on entitled "Plucked from the Burning" over the past year. I don't get a lot of time being a pastor's wife to just read for my own enjoyment. This book is about a Baptist preacher who was the only survivor of a small plane crash in Missouri which took place back in the 80s. As a survivor of a car/train accident, I can relate to his recovery process although his was much more extensive than mine was. I'm nearing the end of the book and he had a chapter about survivor's remorse. Something in which he dealt for several years after the plane crash. I, too, dealt with guilt over surviving my accident when one did not. The author of the book was the only survivor and there were three other preachers on board which included the pilot. They were flying home from a preacher's convention. The man went on to say that for several years he would hold the newspaper article detailing the plane crash and which also included each man's pictures. He would pray and ask God to help him "finish their ministries". This went on for quite some time but then one night before bed as he prayed that same thing, he felt God burden his heart and seemed to put a new thought in his mind that said "Those men's ministries ARE finished. I want you to focus on what I want YOU to do". The man said he felt instant comfort and release from the burden he had felt for so long.
As I read that at 4 in the morning (because I was having trouble sleeping), my heart was pricked and thoughts flooded my mind of "You are not your mom. Her work is finished on earth since she is now in heaven. It is not your responsibility to be her. You cannot fill her shoes, or replace her in everyone's life to fill the void nor should you try. Be the sister, cousin, mom, niece, and friend that you can be to those you are close with but stop trying to be her. It is not your responsibility to be the glue that holds the family together. It is not your responsibility to take over being grandmother to your child, or for your nieces and nephews. It is not your responsibility to take over being a mother to your sisters.
As those thoughts came, I cried and had such a feeling of relief and burden lifted as I allowed it to sink in to my mind. I have felt for 6 years that I needed to step up and be all the things to everyone that my mom was so that everyone else can cope with life. After all, I am the one who is strongest and I am the one who knows how to handle crisis and I am the one who has always been put in charge to take care of everyone else so why wouldn't I step up to fill my mom's shoes? For the past three years I have been trying to do this long distance as I try to help my husband in the ministry here in our church. I fully believe those thoughts of letting go of trying to be something that's not my responsibility to be, came straight from the Holy Spirit of God.
The comfort and relief I now feel over this realization has brought peace to my mind. It will take a willful intent and determination to act on this new realization and take a stand for myself. It will be hard to gently tell others that I will only fulfill my role to them as is in the natural course of things. I am not even sure that others realize that they have relied on me in this manner. Grief and trials of life make it hard to see things clearly sometimes.
This has come at a great time because I have a need to focus on myself (not in a selfish way) but in a health issue way. Some things have developed that must be addressed and if I do not focus on fixing there, I will not be able to lend myself to others in the capacity God intended. From my research so far, this will not come quickly nor easily. It will take time for answers but I will have to be persistent, diligent and wise.
Are you someone who is trying to fill some one's shoes who has left intentionally or who has passed away? Please give some serious thought to this post and make sure that the shoes you are trying to fill is what God expects you to do. In some cases the answer may be yes but in many it will be no! Live where and be what God has for you!
November 8, 2017
The Texas Church Shooting
The shooting that took place at a small church in Sutherland Springs, Texas has the country mourning and scrambling for answers and fighting over the ins and outs of what has happened and for tighter gun control laws.
When I hear eye witness accounts of what took place my heart actually aches over the sheer hatred that can cause such an event. Make no mistake, this WAS a hate crime! In my opinion ALL crime is a hate crime because you see Jesus said that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Only hatred in a person's heart can motivate to steal, to murder, to rape, to lie, to mock and ridicule or what have you towards another person.
I am also proud and excited over heroes that stepped up and tried to intervene and stop what was happening. Praise the Lord such people still exist!
I find it quite interesting that the media and even law enforcement are quick to say that this was not religiously motivated even though the man shot dead or wounded nearly every person present at the worship service in the church. This included infants! Eye witnesses said that if a child or baby cried the man targeted and shot them in cold blood. How does one do that?! Shoot a baby?! He yelled as he ran in "Everyone die!" Now, it is claimed that it was not religiously motivated just because there was a domestic dispute going on between the shooter and some of the church members. Really? Since the shooter is dead, I'm not quite sure how you can make that claim with certainty. Would the media still claim this if the shooting had taken place in a mosque under the same circumstances? --with knowledge of a domestic dispute? - probably not. It would be claimed as a "hate" crime.
I believe if it was just domestic dispute related then the man could and probably would have chosen to go to their home and shoot the relatives. There is a reason he chose their church and church family! We may eventually know or we may never know but it could be possible that he was so angry at his wife or in-laws that he wanted to cause harm to anyone they held dear or it could have been that he hated anyone and anything to do with Christianity. Why did he choose the church setting? Why did he target every person in there he could see, even babies and children?
One thing I believe we can be certain of is that he had no respect for human life. Personally, I believe he had no care of God or His Word. Crimes of passion are not usually premeditated. They are heat of the moment type of settings where anger takes over and crime is committed. This shooting was done with much thought and premeditation.
Now, there are those out there running off at the mouth about Vice President Pence going to Sutherland to offer condolences and prayer to the victims and the town. Really? Can you be less sensitive and compassionate?! Pence and Trump are condemned no matter what action they take. In some opinions it is either not enough or too little too late or wrong timing, etc. I'm thankful our Vice President is a man of prayer and that he's vocal about it! I pray daily for God to give us leaders in this country who truly seek His face and His Wisdom. I'm thankful for the local pastors in the Sutherland area who have stepped in and rallied around the town and the church and lead in prayer on national tv. Prayer makes a difference! Prayer moves God! If you don't believe in it, that's your business but shut up about it when others rely on it for their very existence! Who is Pence hurting by going to Texas to pray with victims? It always seems to be okay for Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton to fly somewhere and stir up hate and keep people divided but let someone in a leadership position go pray and everyone acts like it is a felony. No one is making you stand there and hear the prayer or take part. Leave Pence alone because there are people in Sutherland Springs, Texas hurting and who will be comforted by his coming.
When I hear eye witness accounts of what took place my heart actually aches over the sheer hatred that can cause such an event. Make no mistake, this WAS a hate crime! In my opinion ALL crime is a hate crime because you see Jesus said that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Only hatred in a person's heart can motivate to steal, to murder, to rape, to lie, to mock and ridicule or what have you towards another person.
I am also proud and excited over heroes that stepped up and tried to intervene and stop what was happening. Praise the Lord such people still exist!
I find it quite interesting that the media and even law enforcement are quick to say that this was not religiously motivated even though the man shot dead or wounded nearly every person present at the worship service in the church. This included infants! Eye witnesses said that if a child or baby cried the man targeted and shot them in cold blood. How does one do that?! Shoot a baby?! He yelled as he ran in "Everyone die!" Now, it is claimed that it was not religiously motivated just because there was a domestic dispute going on between the shooter and some of the church members. Really? Since the shooter is dead, I'm not quite sure how you can make that claim with certainty. Would the media still claim this if the shooting had taken place in a mosque under the same circumstances? --with knowledge of a domestic dispute? - probably not. It would be claimed as a "hate" crime.
I believe if it was just domestic dispute related then the man could and probably would have chosen to go to their home and shoot the relatives. There is a reason he chose their church and church family! We may eventually know or we may never know but it could be possible that he was so angry at his wife or in-laws that he wanted to cause harm to anyone they held dear or it could have been that he hated anyone and anything to do with Christianity. Why did he choose the church setting? Why did he target every person in there he could see, even babies and children?
One thing I believe we can be certain of is that he had no respect for human life. Personally, I believe he had no care of God or His Word. Crimes of passion are not usually premeditated. They are heat of the moment type of settings where anger takes over and crime is committed. This shooting was done with much thought and premeditation.
Now, there are those out there running off at the mouth about Vice President Pence going to Sutherland to offer condolences and prayer to the victims and the town. Really? Can you be less sensitive and compassionate?! Pence and Trump are condemned no matter what action they take. In some opinions it is either not enough or too little too late or wrong timing, etc. I'm thankful our Vice President is a man of prayer and that he's vocal about it! I pray daily for God to give us leaders in this country who truly seek His face and His Wisdom. I'm thankful for the local pastors in the Sutherland area who have stepped in and rallied around the town and the church and lead in prayer on national tv. Prayer makes a difference! Prayer moves God! If you don't believe in it, that's your business but shut up about it when others rely on it for their very existence! Who is Pence hurting by going to Texas to pray with victims? It always seems to be okay for Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton to fly somewhere and stir up hate and keep people divided but let someone in a leadership position go pray and everyone acts like it is a felony. No one is making you stand there and hear the prayer or take part. Leave Pence alone because there are people in Sutherland Springs, Texas hurting and who will be comforted by his coming.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)