“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players:  They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts,…”.  

We go through life filling roles that have either been given to us or we have chosen. I personally wear the hat of a wife, mother, teacher, sister, aunt, friend, accountant and the list goes on. I have many roles in my life and some are more important than others.

I left one out intentionally because it is the best hat of all. You see, I wear a crown and it towers over all the rest. I wear that beautiful crown because I am a princess. I am sister to Jesus, son of the most high God. All Christians have been given a crown to wear. We show it to others by how we live our lives. I wonder, if we woke up each morning and physically put on a crown how it would effect the way we live. Would it change how we see ourselves? Would it change how we see and treat others?  

Jesus Christ is our brother. Our Father is Creator of all. Let’s live our lives wearing a beautiful crown that was laid on our head by the King of Kings.

This could be anyone’s story, but it is actually Ruth’s. I am struck by the way God uses adversity to bless us and to accomplish His will. Ruth’s son was Obed who fathered Jesse who had David. Mary was pregnant before she married Joseph. Obed was 12 generations after Abraham and 30 generations from Jesus, Mary’s son. These two women experienced unpleasant circumstances but what faith! I believe they both had the same emotions any woman would have if she were in the same situations. But both were servants of God and put Him first in their lives. I can’t even imagine how difficult the time was for Mary being pregnant before being married and how people looked at her or treated her. Being told you will be with child and give birth knowing you are a virgin and she responds “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” Luke 1:38. 

In a blink of an eye or a day, Ruth and Mary’s lives were changed forever. In Ruth’s situation, walking in faith, she lived out her life probably not knowing her son was in the lineage of Jesus Christ the Messiah. Not knowing how important her life and decision to go with her mother-in-law was to God’s plan-His big picture. In Mary’s situation, accepting what the angel said to her and knowing how her people would look upon her while she was pregnant. Not really being able to understand God’s plan or reason why she was chosen. Looking at these two women, we need to give more thought to decisions in our lives and above all take them all to God, no matter how small the decisions seem.

This verse is very well know to most of us as The Great Commission. A few examples from Webster’s Dictionary reveals that a commission is:

1. The act of committing or giving in charge.
2. An authoritative order, charge, or direction.
3. Authority granted for a particular action or function.
4. To authorize; send on a mission.

There are some Christians who are doing their part to put The Great Commission into practice, and they are teaching other individuals about the plan of salvation as part of their routine or habit of being a New Testament Christian. Some Christians are merely thinking about telling someone about their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but still need to take action. Then there are others still that will just simply leave it up to someone else. Please take a few moments and read the scripture again. What does that scripture speak to you? Are you willing to help someone else become a disciple, so that they too can share in the goodness that the gospel has to offer? Even if you can’t teach, you can lead them to someone within the church that can.

Right where you are in your neighborhood, or at work there is someone who needs to hear the plan of salvation, so that their soul can be saved. Are we sharing the gospel like we would a favorite recipe, a good book we just read, or a movie that is on at the theater across town? It is really not that difficult. Jesus will be with us at the very moment that we decide to approach someone who is in need of salvation. The scripture tells us he will. Every soul is important. Our Lord doesn’t want anyone to perish. I am sure you can remember who made you a disciple. Now it is our turn to reach someone else.

You may want to take some time and study your Bible so that you feel confident in your approach to someone, or look for a tract that has the necessary steps for being saved in Christ. There is a lot of good information online, but you have to be careful to make sure it is Biblical. Team up and teach with a brother or sister within the church if you think that would be easier in your approach to someone that is outside of Christ. I remember the Jule Miller filmstrips that were made back in the 1950′s and were used to teach people about the plan of salvation. They were passed down from one generation to the next for several decades, and were very successful in winning souls for Jesus. We can certainly be the next generation to teach those around us about what we have found in Jesus. Take it to God in prayer and see how the Lord can and will put you to work in his kingdom in 2012.

Steps to salvation:

1. Hear the Gospel
2. Believe the Gospel
3. Repent of Sins
4. Confess Faith in Christ
5. Be Baptized into Christ for the Remission of Sins

My children understand, for the most part, what they are allowed to do and what they are not to do. I always know that they have done something wrong intentionally when they hide from me or when they come looking for me with an “I love you mommy, that’s a pretty shirt and supper was so yummy.” I know that they have done something wrong and they fear punishment from me. They know that whatever they have done wasn’t right. As an adult I don’t have to fear punishment from my mom but I think I may sometimes hide from God when I know I’ve done something that wouldn’t make him proud.

I think I need to go back to basics and judge all of my actions by that simple rule. Is this right? The answer is often much more simple and clear when I step back and stop inventing shades of gray to suit myself. Once again I am learning from my children.

Jesus gave the woman a test. She passed: “Woman, you have great faith.” Her daughter was rescued from demon-possession. Matt 15:26-28. End of story.

For me, this has been a rather puzzling passage for many reasons, not the least of which is demon possession. But, because of something that recently happened during our worship service at Southern Hills, this story of a woman who was not of the accepted religion yet pled for help from Jesus and received an affirmative answer came to my mind.  This started me wondering about the prayer requests we receive or request for others.

Say a young man is killed in an auto accident. He is known to the community. We are asked to pray for his family. I don’t ever recall anyone saying, in such a case: “Are the family members of the church?” just to be sure we should be praying for them. It could be an errant family member who has gone astray and we pray for him or her to return to the fold. If we offer these prayers, we need to have as much confidence in the Lord as that woman did.

If we believe our Lord loves us and we have faith that he hears and answers our prayers, then we would do well to follow the example of the faithful woman and be persistent in our prayers for anyone we are asked to pray for. Prayer is a fantastic gift of God and He does answer in ways and with a speed that might surprise us.

I think sometimes we don’t realize that God in his infinite wisdom planned it all this way. There is a reason that we are who we are and do what we do best. I’m not saying that I am the best mom there is or even the best that I can be. I am saying though that this is what God had planned for me. Before I was knit together he knew that I would be a mom someday and gave me an extra portion of patience and love.  

That night at Wednesday devo the Aggies for Christ where doing their skits. One of the skits was entitled “no time”. It followed this girl through her life and no matter what part of her life she was in she didn’t have time to serve God. The last part was when she finally got married and had kids. She said that now that she had kids she didn’t have any time for God. That struck me because when I became a mom that became my first and greatest mission. I can’t imagine a better way to serve God than to raise my boys to be Christian leaders for the future.  

They are the church’s future. What a humbling thought to know that I have the future of the church in my not so perfect hands. I mess up so many times and know that on my own I don’t stand a chance. With all that goes on in this world, whether it’s movies, tv, radio, books, friends, and the list goes on I can only protect them from all that for a brief time. I have this brief window to instill in them a love for God that will carry them through their lives. To teach them that the here and now is small compared to eternity and that the choices they make now determine where they will spend it. I have to constantly be on guard for them. To help them come into their own faith.  

I love nothing more that to hear my kids say that they love God more than they love me. I pray that that will continue and that they will take action on that love and that it will spur them on to good works(Hebrews 10:24). I pray that they will learn to serve God with all their heart, soul, mind and body(Mark 12:30). I pray that they will love everyone(Mark 12:31) but hate sin. I pray that their lives will be a living example to those around them of a loving, faithful, enduring God(Matthew 5:16).

This is my prayer and I know that with God’s help all things are possible(Matthew 19:26). I pray that this is your prayer too.

I sometimes feel I don’t exactly “fit” in with the people at work or even with my neighbors. They don’t understand why I would rather go home instead of going out on the town after work. They can’t seem to understand why I’m so tired on Mondays (“you mean you go to church twice on Sunday!”) “You are so strange”! “Why do you spend so much time making food for other people, don’t you ever think about yourself”?

This is why I love to go to church to be with people where we have in common the love of the Lord and each other. People at church don’t think I’m strange because I talk about Jesus. They don’t look at me funny when I pray. They understand why I am nice to someone who maybe wasn’t so nice to me. We can sing praises to God without worrying about what people think. We come to be encouraged and to encourage so we can be uplifted. I “fit in”. I always try to encourage someone who is going through a hard time to come to church and be with people who really care. In some ways the church is like the “Island of Misfits”, and that is where I want to be!

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

You may not realize it, but thousands of calls are made to hotlines across the United States during Christmas and New Year’s because of depression with those thinking about suicide.  Thanksgiving can be included in that category.  During the holiday time, problems seem to magnify, so people call to tell about their problems.  Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s is a family holiday.  If a person does not have a family or has unresolved issues in relationships with their family, then stress and tension can escalate during the holiday.

After the New Year, stress levels may expand due to the fact that a person has misled themselves with hopes of a new start, but then nothing changes because they haven’t taken action to put their resolution into practice.  Post-holiday depression can sometimes last through the month of January, and also into the beginning of February.  With the beginning of a new year, the person decides they will start working out, be more involved with their family, start a new friendship, will begin and keep a healthy diet and weight loss program.  Then there is the spiritual side of resolutions, with going to church and being more involved, having a better prayer life, or reading the Bible everyday.  January ends, and if nothing has been done to fulfill their resolution, they start feeling disappointed, and blame themselves.  Hopefully an individual does not feel prohibited with depression for an extended period of time, but can take their life back with God’s help.

This blog is intended to help people realize that they are not alone in their struggle with depression.  We all go through trials in our lives at any given point within the year, whether it is the holidays or not.  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  James 1:2-4.  Keeping walking through your depression, knowing that you will get to a place where you feel more complete.  ”Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”  I Peter 5:6+7.  Once you have turned it over to God, be patient.  But, realize that He may be wanting you to reach out and get help from a licensed professional and/or from your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Galatians 6:2 tells us, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  Please don’t suffer in isolation.  There are many who would love to help!           

 I wonder if the man at the pool near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem felt that way, John 5:1-7.  This man had been an invalid for 38 years and could never get into the pool fast enough to get healed.  He had no one to help him into the pool.  Jesus was in Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews but noticed this man and found out about his story.  Jesus simply asked do you want to get well.  Jesus healed the man so he got up and took his mat and walked.

 Isn’t this really how we are?  Every one of us has our own affliction that makes us invalids in different parts of our lives, not necessarily physically.  We let our earthly desires take control and we convince ourselves we need a new TV, house, car, furniture, phone, more control, more power, more friends, more money, etc.  For those of us in a church family, it can be easy to be drawn into the worldly desires and let go of our family by withdrawing.  We tend to get down and then depressed and this happens without most of us ever realizing it has happened.  We refuse help from our family who are concerned and want to help, “they don’t understand what is going on in my life; they can’t help me.”

 The thing is Jesus knows each of our stories and all he asks is if we want to get well.  I can say sometimes it is hard to remember God can use people to bring us back to him.  I am the one who steps away from God and separates myself-it is not God who moves away.  All we have to do is say yes, I want to be healed-no matter how small the wound is in our minds as compared to God, He wants to heal us. God is waiting on us to decide to come to Him.  Will you be healed today?

Word Vomit

Word vomit. A phrase I heard for the first time while watching Mean Girls in 2004. The best way to describe it is this: the overwhelming,sometimes uncontrollable, sensation to say something you should not say. Something stupid, or something that could get you or someone you love into trouble. I’ve dealt with word vomit a lot in my life, and over the years have learned to control it…mostly. Walking away helps. Smiling, biting lip, changing the subject…all are helpful. Walking away works best, though. But sometimes it is uncontrollable and you say something stupid. Something that, as soon as it’s said you want to put your head in your hands and say, “Why? Why stupid human?” Then you have to do damage control and it’s a big hassle, which is why I’ve learned to walk away. I’ve also developed a sort of mantra that I say to myself when word vomit might strike. I say, “Is it worth it? Will more harm than good come from my saying something? If even only a little harm will come, is it worth ruining this relationship?” 9 times out of 10, the answer is no. A big, huge ‘NO NO NO.’ My word vomit normally comes from someone saying something stupid inappropriate or offensive, and I have to ask myself my questions. The older I get, the more I realize my time is worth more to me than wasting it on being angry or causing conflict about something that I won’t remember next week, next month, or next year. I’ve wasted too much time already. And, of course, when I get really riled up, I can always resort back to the age-old question of “Would Jesus say something, Katelyn?” and the answer is, majority of the time, ‘no.’ A big, fat ‘no.’ Are you a victim of word vomit? What are your strategies for overcoming it?

Posted by Katelyn at 12:40 PM

Angry words! O let them never,
From the tongue unbridled slip,
May the heart’s best impulse ever,
Check them ere they soil the lip.

Love one another thus saith the Savior,
Children obey the Father’s blest command,
Love each other, love each other,
’Tis the Father’s blest command.

Love is much too pure and holy,
Friendship is too sacred far,
For a moment’s reckless folly,
Thus to desolate and mar.

Angry words are lightly spoken,
Bitterest thoughts are rashly stirred,
Brightest links of life are broken,
By a single angry word.