FaithDance

My Earnest Prayer

2011-05-03T11:43:00.006-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

In the quiet morning hours I seek you Lord and you wait for me as always. I seek to love as your heart loves. I long to be able to forgive and forget as only you can do. I seek to learn your ways and manifest your Spirit. May the things that break your heart also break mine but may the heartaches of this world never envelope me so completely that I cannot keep my head above the water. May my eyes always be able to find your face. How dark a world this would be without your peace, your strength and your protection.

Fill me with courage to stand when those around me fall so that your power may be seen to those who do not believe. Give me strength to face my fears and continually remind me that you have already conquered them all. May my adversaries flee as far as the east is from the west because they know that you are forever with me. Through the power of the shed blood of your son on the cross, they will flee from my family members, my friends and my neighbors. They will flee from my home and my daily path. Like water flees a drop of oil, may those who seek to harm my inner circle know that your hedge of protection so solidly shields those I love that not even a hint of darkness may penetrate it.

Open the eyes of my children and grandchildren and protect them. Fill them with holy wisdom to seek your will because they have seen with their own eyes how the enemy seeks to destroy. Teach them that the battles of this world are not of flesh and blood and that you have already defeated the evil in their world.

Until the prayers of another day and until I come into your presence may I bless you with my heart and soul and cause not your holy heart to grieve.

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A New Day - A New Dawn

2010-12-30T22:31:00.010-05:00

By Sharon Chiellini

Life is full of twists and turns. Rarely does a conscious moment pass us by that we are not called to make a decision about something large or small. I have pondered the notion from time to time how different life would have been if I had made a different decision at a crucial time. If only I had done this or said that. If only my relationship with the Lord had been more intimate at that time, I would have saved myself from walking through the fire yet again. It gets to a point where you just get tired of smelling like smoke and you want to stay as close to the living water as possible. So once you've restored yourself into right standing with God, how do you make right what your decisions have made all wrong?

"Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing...Joel 2:12-14

Our church had the privilege of having Evangelist Kelly Green in the pulpit this past Sunday and his reference to the book of Joel gave me one of those "A-ha!" moments that filled an empty space in my theology. After speaking about coming through a long and difficult span of time in the life of his family, he noted that in Joel chapter 2 it says "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten..."
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other." Joel 2:25-27

Now having been a Christian since the age of 9, I have known for as long as I can remember that the Lord forgives us of our sins and washes us white as snow through the blood of Christ. But I have also been painfully aware of the fact that we still have to live with the consequences of our sin even after having repented and been forgiven. But to know that if we return to him with our whole heart he will not only forgive us and bless us but will also give us back the years we have lost? This was huge for me and brought immeasurable healing to my soul. I pray it does the same for you. So stop feeling like it's too late. It's never too late to plant a new crop and harvest a new life for yourself. Now don't get me wrong, you can't go back in time but the Lord can make the years you have left seem like a whole new lifetime.

Until next time,
Strength and Honor in Christ

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The Sun Will Shine Again

2010-11-17T22:35:00.026-05:00

By Sharon Chiellini

Sometimes the Lord presses on my heart to write about a specific topic or subject and I have no idea why, but He is persistent so I obey. I pray that no one reading my blog walks away with the impression that I think I have all the answers because I'll be the first to admit that I most certainly do not. I am no more "together" than the next girl, and my life is far from perfect, but I have chosen to let God use me in my brokenness to make sure that others know how amazing God is and that they are not alone. It is most likely not by chance that you have stumbled onto my blog today, so grab yourself a hot cup of tea, preferably Chai, my personal favorite ☺ and pull up a chair and visit for awhile. We have a divine appointment you and me.

I encounter many hurting people on my life's journey and each one has their own story to tell. Maybe you are reading this and you are brokenhearted because your heart is aching for a lost love or perhaps at this very moment your family is being torn apart by divorce. Maybe you are broken financially and don't even know how you are going to feed your children tomorrow. Maybe your days are enveloped in fear from an emotionally or physically abusive relationship that you feel powerless to break free from. Perhaps you've received a medical diagnosis that has rocked your world and you realize how incredibly precious and short life is. Take heart my friend, I have been to all these dark places and many others at one time or another in my life. I have been there and I have seen it. I have felt it and tasted it, feared it, hated it and agonized over it and called out for deliverance from it. Trust me when I tell you that when the storm passes, which it will, you will see that it served a purpose and with a little faith the clouds will lift and the sun will shine again.

As much as I wish I could erase the painful memories of my past I would never wish to be the person that I would have been without them. The times of deep pain have taught me compassion and given me inner strength. The meager times have taught me how little I needed to be happy. Love withdrawn from me taught me to put my Savior first. Watching loved ones suffer taught me to let go and have faith. Facing death taught me not to fear it and peace amidst the storm taught me that I was not alone.

But for me the real battle has always been in the sheer torture of "Why me?...What did I do to deserve this?...Doesn't God love me?" Of course common sense tells us that we are victims of our own free will and that the choices we make today no matter how large or small, not only determine who we are but also who we will become. So some of the trials we face are because of our own stupidity but certainly not all of them. I assure you, not all of them. We live each and every day in a fallen world.

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 9:11, 12 ....

The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;

but time and chance happen to them all.

Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:

As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times

that fall unexpectedly upon them.

Wow, read that several times to fully grasp it. Sometimes we are just caught in the net and it's not our fault. I have lost track of how many times I have blamed myself for things that were not my fault or felt punished for a crime I did not commit. Let's not forget good ol' Job. Wow, 42 chapters of torture for a man that was "blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil." Talk about bad things happening to good people! But don't forget, God restored Job and blessed him with more than he had in the first place.

So if you are looking for an anchor in the storm, call out to the Lord. He will hear you. I pray that you have not fallen victim to blaming Him for the storm you are in or harboring resentment toward Him. He is the one person that loves you more than you could ever dream or imagine. He is not the enemy, He is the savior who has already fought the fight for us. But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. Isaiah 53:4-5

I have graciously been given wisdom in times of confusion and peace in times of utter turmoil and these things are offered to you as well. You are not alone during these difficult times but you have to reach out and ask for help and He is faithful to impart it, all it takes is a little faith. So swallow that last drop of tea and snuggle up with the Lord and have a nice long chat. He is waiting just for you my friend.

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Until next time,

Strength and honor in Christ

Kari Jobe singing "Healer"
Dedicated to my sweet Sistah Becky.
I love you!

They will turn to the Lord, and He will

respond to their pleas and heal them. Isaiah 19:22

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Falling Flower Petals

2010-10-06T09:49:00.019-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

The once flourishing and vibrantly colorful flowers on my dining room table had begun to lose the fight with death over the past few days and started dropping their petals one at a time like sands in an hourglass. There were now more petals on the table than on the stems and I knew they were soon doomed for the trash barrel. I really hated to see them go. My sistah friend Tracy brought them with her to a get together we had here a couple of weeks ago and they have been a cheerful centerpiece for our family meal table ever since. But their time was up, their usefulness had past and their beauty had faded. Ouch! Hitting a little too close to home for this forty something housewife!

At my age, yes, even falling flower petals can make you tear up. If you are over 40 you know exactly what I mean and if you are under forty, your time will come. Anyway, I had pity on the dead flowers and I let them keep their place in the center of my table even though they were bald and scraggly. I had become attached to them. If I had thought it would actually work I would have glued their petals back on, but get real, who has time for that?

Early this morning as I shuffled into the kitchen and proceded to get my morning brew going, I dumped the old coffee grounds into the trash and was startled to see my dead flowers staring up at me from the depths of the trash barrel. "wimper". Apparently, hubby is not a fan of bald scraggly flowers. Dead flowers in the trash? Yes they made me tear up, but also inspired me to write this post, so all is not lost. It's all about finding your motovation, so if dead flowers motivate me...and you...to be more productive today, then I am thankful for dead flowers.

Ephesians 5:15-17
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

When I picture a flower whose petals are dropping in slow mo, it makes me think of how limited our time is here on earth and how much quicker time goes by the older we get. It gives me a renewed sense of urgency. We all have a limited number of petals and once they fall, you can't glue them back on!

We all have the same number of minutes and hours in a day so how come it seems like some people accomplish so much more than others with the same amount of time? I have been very self conscious lately of how I spend my time and have been trying to make the most of it. But most importantly I have been praying for the Lord to give me direction and focus when it comes to not only my time, but my talents and my heart as well. Sometimes we let our hearts get wrapped up in the wrong things. Not necessarily ugly or yucky stuff, but things that merely distract us from what we really should be focusing on. Whatever the desires of your heart are, that's what your time and talents will get sucked into as well. Just picture a vacume sucking up your flower petals! Ugh! Pull the plug!

Matthew 6:20 & 21

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by my blog and share this moment with me. You are just like a beautiful, vibrantly colorful flower and no matter what lies the enemy has told you, you are precious and priceless in God's sight. He loves you and earnestly seeks to have a closer relationship with you. My prayer for you is that you open your heart to all that He desires to give you, salvation, peace, wisdom, freedom, forgiveness, whatever your heart needs today, He holds the key. He is mighty to save.

Until next time my friend.
Strength and honor in Christ

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Is That Seat Taken?

2010-04-20T11:07:00.014-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

Is there someone in your life that will always save you a seat? When our Women's Ministry Team attended the Beth Moore conference this past weekend at Idlewild Baptist Church we saw a whole lot of seat saving going on, and our group was no exception. Tracy, Rosalie and I were so relieved when we arrived at the church Friday night and Becky had saved seats for us right up front. We had shuffled into the ginormous sanctuary in a herd of 4800 women all with the same purpose, to be filled with sisterly encouragement from Beth Moore and each other and girl were we filled! We had an amazing time, which of course was amplified by the presence of my sisters who were there to enjoy it with me and cared enough to save me a seat!

Romans 12:10 (Amplified Bible)
Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another.

When we returned on Saturday morning, we neglected to get there early enough to get good seats and as we wandered around the sanctuary, row after row after row of seats were all being "saved" for people that had not yet arrived. Ever notice how annoying it is when people are saving seats and they aren't for you? Further and further back in the sanctuary we went, unable to secure a spot for ourselves. There were ample empty seats but they were all being "saved". Eventually we found ourselves in the balcony. We were so relieved to find seats available we didn't even care that we were in the balcony, we just wanted to be there, amidst the excitement and anticipation, enjoying time together. Tracy, Rosalie and I counted out 10 seats and proceeded to save them. Not allowing anyone else to take them, we made phone calls letting all our soon to be arriving sisters know our exact location. Once every member of our little family had arrived and settled into her saved seat, we were able to enjoy the rest of the conference.

Beth Moore proceeded to continue her teaching on family and the importance of having a Christian family as well as not turning your back on your flesh and blood family. She stressed the point that we NEED family, in fact in her words..."family is not just important, you cannot fulfill your destiny without it, because we cannot mature the way God intends us to, without conflict..." or what she calls "family calamity."

Family calamity. Wow, family conflict is something I have always tried my best to avoid. By process of elimination, I was forced into the role of peace maker in our family and I assure you, with 6 kids and a strong willed Italian husband, that is no small task. When it come to family conflict I have valiantly tried to prevent it, squash it, squelter it, run away from it, diffuse it, hide it and even ignore it. You name it, I've tried it but to no avail, it will repeatedly rear it's ugly head.

Is there any honor in family conflict? Absolutely. In order to have conflict there has to be a sense of betrayal and betrayal cannot be felt unless the heart is involved. When two hearts are connected they have become family. Satan will always attack our heart, our family, because that is where he can do the most damage. Honor comes in not letting him have the victory. Never turn your back on your family. As Beth Moore says "A life sentence for a lack of honor is too much to bear." We should always seek peace and forgiveness.

I hear ya girlfriend, it ain't easy! But after all, your family is worth the effort, they are the ones that will always save you a seat, and knowing that someone wants you beside them...priceless! :o)

Until next time...
Strength and Honor in Christ,

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What's That Smell?

2009-12-07T11:18:00.012-05:00

By Sharon Chiellini

Standing on my front porch this morning at the crack of dawn with coffee in hand, I completing a half-hearted yawn and hugged my daughter Bethany goodbye as she hurried to her car to drive to school. I turned to walk back into the house and was greeted with the lingering smell of her perfume. The sweet smell reminded me of her beautiful personality and how much joy she brings to our lives with her sweet spirit and her loving heart. It also made me ponder the notion that we all leave a fragrance behind whether we are wearing perfume or not. In reality, it matters very little how sweet we smell physically if our spirit does not have the sweet fragrance that can only come from the Savior.

Have you ever pondered the thought that your spirit has a fragrance? How sweet do you smell to those you come in contact with every day? Is your fragrance one that others want to carry with them or do you cause them to desire a good scrub after rubbing elbows with you? We all have our good smellin' days and our bad smellin' days, myself included, so is it really that important to be careful how we permeate our world?

The Bible is very clear about how important fragrance is to the Lord. He was very specific about it's uses and the significance behind them. In the book of Exodus, long before Jesus walked the earth, the Golden Alter of Incense is described in great detail and God was very particular and exclusive about the recipe that was to be used to make the holy incense that was to burn continually for Him and replenished twice a day. The fragrance of the incense rising up to heaven is a visual depiction of Jesus interceding on our behalf and carrying our prayers to the Lord in the same way that the sweet fragrance of the incense rises to heaven. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords lifting up prayers to the Father continually on your behalf. What could possibly smell better than that?

A sweet fragrance lingers and stays with you and you carry it along wherever you go...

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. 2 Corinthians 2: 14-17

I wonder how often as Christians we let the stench of the world overpower the fragrance of Christ in our lives to such an extent that His sweet smell is unrecognizable altogether? There are many odor causing attitudes that stink up our witness and cause those around us to wrinkle their nose. An unforgiving heart, anger, jealousy, pride, greed, selfishness, laziness...how are you smelling today? What kind of fragrance are you leaving behind? Are you drawing others to the Savior with the sweet smell of Him?

May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2

There is no better way to start your day than spending time with the Lord and filling yourself with the sweet fragrance of Him before you even come into contact with the rest of the world. I know from experience that when I am neglectful in making my quiet time a priority, I pity those that stand down wind from me. I encourage you to make daily quiet time with the Lord a priority in your morning schedule. Study His word and spend time in prayer every morning and I guarantee you will smell better and better every day.

Smell ya later!

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Until next time...
Strength and Honor in Christ,

We All Have An Isaac

2009-10-09T10:41:00.033-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

As I was thumbing through my Bible recently I found myself re-reading the story of Abraham and Isaac. I've read the story many times and I have always wondered how Abraham could possibly be strong enough to lay his own son down on the alter and prepare to sacrifice him in true obedience to God.

Genesis 22:
Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together...

Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"

"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.

"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

There have been many times that I have faced great heartache from being a parent and I am sure you have your own story to tell as well. I remember the feeling of heart wrenching, mind numbing pain as I handed my 2 year old little boy over to the nurse at the entrance to the operating room. I knew what his little body was about to endure as he looked at me over the nurse's shoulder as she walked away. His innocent eyes were smiling at me for he had no idea where he was going. He trusted us to protect him and it felt as if we had led our own baby to the slaughter. Words could not express how much I wanted to rescue him. But the open heart surgery he was about to undergo would ensure that we would have him with us for many more years. I wished that I could take his place and have the surgery for him, but I had to have faith that God knew best and would protect him and take care of him. Faith is never easy.

When my oldest son, still only a child at 17, sat behind a thick pane of glass as we visited him in jail, I would have taken his place in a heartbeat if given the chance. Arrested and falsely accused of a violent crime he did not commit and being tried as an adult, he faced an undeserved prison sentence if convicted. I had to lay my Isaac down. Two weeks later, the judge finally set bail and we were allowed to set our son free to await trial. Without a doubt, they were the longest two weeks of my life. Each minute ticked by in my head like a pendulum. A multitude of prayers from friends and family went up on my son's behalf and the Lord protected him during his "time in the Big House" as he calls it. Not one fellow inmate laid a hand on him, in fact the Lord sent a few to protect him. Once released, my son endured months of having to wear an humiliating ankle bracelet that monitored his every move. When we finally got our day in court and he was acquitted of the crime, I experienced a small taste of how Abraham felt when he heard the angel of the Lord call out.."Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy!"

But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"

"Here I am," he replied.

"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.

So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

I think we all have many Isaac moments through the years. In fact I think there are many times that we are asked to lay down the things, or people that we treasure most. Sometimes we're not asked, sometimes we have to lay them down whether we want to or not. But I know, for me, it was during the times that it was "do or die" and I had to rely completely on faith, that God's protection and provision sustained me and His glory shined the brightest like a diamond on a backdrop of black velvet.

I believe we are called, as believers, to lay down our cross daily, one Isaac at a time. But do we have enough faith to be an Abraham? Maybe now would be a good time to test God. I have an Isaac or two he wants me to lay down and so do you. But why make the sacrifice?

The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

I truly believe that unless we choose to make the sacrifice we will never know what could have been. We will never know what lies on the other side of obedience. It all comes down to faith, which is a road not easily traveled, but leads to a destination we surely would not want to miss out on. Just ask Abraham.

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Until next time my friend.

Strength and honor in Christ

As the Cookie Crumbles

2009-09-15T17:36:00.023-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

One of my most favorite classic children's stories has always been the one about the gingerbread man. "You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!" There are many things I love about the story, apart from the obvious, the fact that it's about a cookie and, well, I kinda like them...a lot! I like to bake them and I especially love eating them, but the story of the Gingerbread Man is deliciously laden with hidden symbolism. A sad but telling tale that we can all learn a few things from.

Let's take a trip down memory lane and recap the plight of the little cookie. There was a little old woman and a little old man who were lonely because they didn't have any children. The old woman lovingly created and baked the gingerbread man to keep them company but when she opened the oven to see if he was ready, he sprang to life and ran away. The couple chased after him but he was too fast for them, and as he scurried out of sight he called out those famous words "Run! Run! As fast as you can! You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

You have to admit how sad it is that the old couple just wanted to love him, but he ran away from them. That part of the story reminds me of how our Heavenly Father created us to have fellowship with Him but in reality we all start out the story of our lives by running away as well, just like the wayward cookie.

Now we all know the fate of the Gingerbread Man and we want to yell "Go back, Go back!" But the Gingerbread Man ran on. He passed the pig and the cow and the horse one at a time, and they all wanted to eat him, but he would just laugh and say "Run! Run! As fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man. I ran away from all the others and now I will run away from you!" and run he did, until he came to the river.

The cookie was pretty full of himself by this time. After all, he had done very well on his own. He is quite a talented little fella. He's witty enough to come up with a phrase we still remember today and he can even run faster than a horse. Apparently he was also quite attractive. Everyone seemed to want a bite of him.

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

But now came an obstacle he needed a little help with. How does a cookie cross a river? With a little help from his friends of course...or so he thought. Along came the fox who was sly and cunning and he convinced the little cookie to climb onto his tail and ride across to the other side. We all know the little Gingerbread Man never made it to the other side of the river, but where did he go wrong? After all, it wasn't his fault he smelled delicious. How could he help it if the fox was hungry? He just came out of the oven a few minutes ago, cut him some slack! If he had only turned and run back into his makers arms before it was too late how different the tale (tail...fox tail...get it? Ha!) would have been.

I'll be the first to admit that this story is sadly lacking a hero character that steps in and saves the little cookie's ginger butt. If I could re-write the story, I would have the old man row across the river, capture the fox and rescue the Gingerbread Man, but, it is what it is. There is no salvation for our colorful cookie friend. The choice was his to make and he made the wrong one.

Lucky for us our own story was written by a different author and our hero is alive and well and sitting at the right hand of God! Amen? Unlike the old man, our Savior never gives up on us no matter what we do. The fox is no match for Him! But keep in mind, he can only save us if we let him. The choice is up to us.

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Until next time my friend,
Strength and Honor in Christ

I Choose to See Only the Roses...

2009-05-15T10:07:00.019-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

Have you ever really looked at a rose bush? They really aren't very attractive without the roses. In fact, the thorns are quite offensive and the leaves are usually rather sparse and unexciting.

When I was growing up my parents had a vine-like rose bush growing on the side of our house and I remember thinking that it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, in fact when it was in full bloom, I couldn't run past it without stopping to admire it's beauty. I loved that rose bush because all I ever saw when I looked at it were the roses.

When I was in high school my father was working in the yard one day and I heard my mother tell him "While you're out there, can you get rid of that ugly rose vine on the side of the house, I am so tired of looking at that thing!" I was mortified and asked my Mom why on earth she would want to get rid of the rose vine and she told me that she had never liked it, and it had always looked scraggly and she repeated that she was tired of looking at it. I implored her to let it live and was quite pleased with what I thought was a successful attempt to save the rose vine from execution, until I was walking into the back yard a few days later and gasped at the bareness of the side of our house. The rose vine was completely and utterly gone.

Looking at the side of our house where the rose vine used to be is still a vivid memory for me because I was at a time in my life when I was almost grown and knew that life was changing. It also taught me that what was beautiful to one person may be ugly to someone else. Just because something was valuable to me, did not mean that it had value to everyone. When I looked at the bush and saw the roses, someone else saw only thorns.

Not too long after that my brother Gary gave me a laminated card for my wallet that had a poem about the "Rose of Sharon" on it. I only had brothers and no sisters, so I had always been the "Rose Amongst the Thorns", or so that's how I saw it anyway and the phrase was mentioned at our house from time to time.
"The Rose of Sharon" is a Biblical reference that always made me feel special...since my name is Sharon...but I never took the time to actually look up what the real meaning of it was, until now. I discovered that in Biblical times "Sharon" was a lush valley-plain in Palestine where many beautiful varieties of flowers grew but there was one particular flower that was considered the most beautiful and perfect flower of them all and it was called the "Rose of Sharon". In actuality, the original rose of Sharon is believed to have been in the hibiscus family, not actually a rose, but I digress. Some scholars feel that the Bible refers to the "Rose of Sharon" as being a reference to Jesus himself, others disagree and find no support for that theory since there is only one reference to it in the Bible in the Song of Solomon, and Jesus is more commonly referred to as the "Lilly of the Valley" in other scripture references.

Regardless of the origin, I still find it fascinating that the rose, the one flower that is considered the most perfect and beautiful of all and is used all over the world as the universal symbol of love, grows on such an ugly bush.

I am reminded of something I read recently about the splendor of God's Glory. In his study entitled "Angelology - The Doctrine of Angels" J. Hampton Keathley III pens a vivid picture of God's Glory when he writes "...Just as nothing displays the splendor of a diamond in the light more than a backdrop of black velvet, so nothing could display the glory of God’s mercy, goodness, grace, and love as much as the blackness of man’s sin."

I have to wonder if the roses would stand out quite as well if they grew on a beautiful bush rather than an ugly one. Now don't get me wrong, I don't have all the answers in fact I have very few, but I do have many questions and I am looking forward to discussing all of them in great detail when I get to heaven. But one thing I am sure...the thorns serve a purpose, if for nothing else, so that we are able to appreciate the roses.

I know I have many flaws but my husband will be the first to tell you that pessimism is not one of them. I always prefer to see the glass half full rather than half empty and I will always see the roses despite the thorns and I pray that you are able to do the same.

Comments

Until next time my friend,
Strength and Honor in Christ

Accepting Insignificance

2009-04-01T14:32:00.053-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

"It is only when we choose to accept insignificance in this world and embrace how amazing God thinks we are and all that He is capable of doing through us, that we can experience true contentment, lasting peace and immeasurable joy that no one can take away."

Long before we are even able to form lasting memories, we strive for significance. An infant wails for attention as the form of her mother comes into view. "Notice me!" she cries. "Hold me!...Love me!" Our need to be loved and cared about is as much a part of being human as the air we breathe. Our creator did not design us to be solitary. He designed us to love and be loved according to our own free will within His perfect design. We get derailed however when we allow the enemy to deceive us into thinking that others have the right to determine if we are worthy of time, love, respect, significance or appreciation. Our creator has already given us these things and it is not for anyone else to give them or take them away.

Deep in your soul, whether having given it much thought or otherwise, you have always associated being loved with confirmed significance. In fact, if you were not loved enough, or not loved in the right way, you may have a very skewed view of your value in this world. Even as an adult, the smallest slight from another person can make us feel insignificant; an unreplied email or phone call, a forgotten birthday, a snubbed invitation. I ask myself..."Why is being thought of by others so important and why does it bother me when someone makes me feel insignificant? How much significance is enough? How much love is enough? How many people need to love me in order for me to have value... worth... significance?" It is only when we choose to accept insignificance in this world and embrace how amazing God thinks we are, and all that He is capable of doing through us, that we can experience true contentment, lasting peace and immeasurable joy that no one can take away.

I am reminded of a passage of scripture in Luke 14 that tells us about a conversation that Jesus had with the Pharisees:

When he (Jesus) noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:7-11Close your eyes and try to imagine what your life would have been like if the only love you gauged your significance on was the love of the Lord. If you had sought to accept and embrace being insignificant in this world, how many painful moments would be erased? What amount of insurmountable fear would be vanquished in the absence of public opinion? Is it possible to see yourself as God does rather than how the acceptance or rejection of others has molded your self image? Who are you...really? Do you have significance in and of yourself without seeing it reflected in the eyes of others? Yes you do my friend, and so do I.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31The Bible is very emphatic about how significant you are. Even if you were the only human on earth, God would have sent His son to die just for you. He adores you and it is only through Him that one finds true significance. He designed you and knows you better than you know yourself. We are only here for such a short time compared to eternity. He longs for you to let Him lead you through your own personal journey. God is in control, but our pride wants to reject the concept of Divine sovereignty because WE want to be in control and relinquishing that right makes us fearful that we may become inconsequential, disposable, useless and unnoticed.

Why do we feel that way? A simple lack of faith.

Our prayer today..."Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for giving me significance in You. Strengthen my faith in You and fill me with Your peace in knowing that You are all I need and Your love is sufficient. Reveal to me any wicked way in me and give me the courage and strength to overcome. Bless my friends and family, and all those taking the time to read this, with wisdom, strength, courage and love today and for many days to come. Amen."

Comments

Until next time my friend,
Strength and honor in Christ

United Airlines

The Color of Love

2009-03-02T13:15:00.033-05:00

A fictional short story by Sharon Chiellini

Kylie pondered the blank page that lay on the desk in front of her. Yesterday, the teacher had given the class an assignment to ask all of their family members what their favorite color was. She learned that her sister's favorite color was yellow and that her Mom preferred red. Kylie also called her Dad at his apartment the night before and discovered that his favorite color was orange. Her own favorite color had always been blue.

The assignment today was to paint a water color picture of her family. Each family member was to be painted their favorite color. Kylie picked up the paint brush, dipped it in the water and started with the color yellow, then she moved on to blue, then red and finally orange. She painted her heart out knowing that her Mom would put the picture on the fridge when she brought it home. She managed to put the final brush stroke on the page just as the bell rang ending the school day.

She hoped her Mom would like the picture and that it would put a smile on her face. She hadn't been able to spend much time with her Mom since her sister got sick. Mom spent a lot of time at the hospital these days and was always tired and worrisome when she came home. She wished her Dad was there to help Mom take care of her and Amanda but Mom had made Dad move out. The stress of the mounting medical bills and the sadness over her sister's illness made her parents fight too much and her Mom didn't think it was healthy for her and her sister. Kylie missed her Dad and she missed the days when her family was happy.

Once the doctors let Amanda come home from the hospital she never really regained her strength. Amanda had to spend most of the day in bed, so Kylie would spend her afternoons in Amanda's room. She would sing silly songs and dance for her sister. They would read books together and watch TV. Amanda would help Kylie with her homework and Kylie enjoyed the time she spent with her sister. It was her favorite time of the day.

The watercolor painting graced the fridge for many weeks. One day Mom came into the kitchen and saw Kylie standing in front of the refrigerator.

"What are you looking at honey?" Mom asked.

Kylie replied. "Is it OK to change your favorite color?"

"Why, sure it is. What would you like your new favorite color to be?"

Kylie lifted her tiny hand to point to the exact spot that her blue hand was holding Amanda's yellow hand in the picture. The colors had mingled there. "My new favorite color is green! Because yellow and blue makes green!"

Mom held her hand to her mouth and was silent for a moment, then she carefully took the picture down and handed it to Kylie. "I think your sister would love to hear about your new favorite color." Kylie skipped to Amanda's room, picture in hand and disappeared from view.

One morning as Kylie rose and dressed for school, she heard her Dad's voice in the kitchen. She popped her head through the neck of her sweater and bounced down the stairs as fast as a 6 year old could muster. She ran into the kitchen and plopped onto her Daddy's lap and looked up into his face. Daddy hugged her and kissed her forehead, but didn't seem happy to see her. Kylie looked at her Mom and she looked tired and sad. "What's wrong Mommy?" Kylie asked. Her parents tried to explain that Jesus would be taking Amanda to heaven soon and that Daddy will be moving back home just until Amanda went to be with Jesus.

A week later, Amanda was gone. Kylie had cried as if her heart would break when they told her that Amanda had gone to be with Jesus. A week after the funeral, Mom once again walked into the kitchen to find Kylie staring at the watercolor painting on the fridge. She gently told Kylie that it was OK to keep green as her favorite color. Kylie replied. "I know Mommy, but I'm looking forward to making purple my favorite color." And with this Kylie turned and started to head out the door to the school bus.

Mom looked at the painting and saw the color purple clearly where the paint from her red hand mingled with Kylie's blue hand. "Purple is a very fine color indeed Kylie. I like it very much."

Kylie turned with a smile and said "Not as fine as brown Mom! When I was done paintin' the picture, the water was brown cuz it had all our favorite colors in it. Brown is the best color of all. I 'specially think Daddy would change his favorite color to brown if you would let 'im Mommy."

As Kylie closed the door behind her, Mom dropped to her knees, poured her heart out to God and asked Him to heal her heart, heal her family, give her the strength to pick up the pieces of her life ...and help her to see that brown was the color of love.

Comments

Until next time my friend,

Strength and honor in Christ

A Champion Can Be A Child...

2009-02-07T19:13:00.007-05:00

By Sharon Chiellini

When I took Nico to the park today I was overwhelmed by the number of children scattering about. The weather was beautiful and as I released Nico from his seat belt and his feet hit the ground, he took off running as fast as he could go with his stuffed friend Bert from Sesame Street dangling at his side. The big handicap swing was the first place he always headed to first. Just as we approached the special swing, a Dad was getting his daughter out, and Nico swiftly climbed in. He snapped the harness in place, tucked Bert into the crook of his arm and popped his thumb into his mouth and waited for me to give him that first big push that he loves so much.

As Nico enjoyed the ride, children would walk by and stare. When he gets excited, Nico drools a little more than usual and he makes funny noises when he's happy, which prompted one little boy to ask "Why does he make that noise?" I simply replied. "Because he likes to." Nico never minds when people stare. He never even seems to notice. But I notice, and it hurts. Sometimes it hurts a lot.

When Nico tired of the special swing he motioned for me to get him out. Off they went, Bert and Nico to the next adventure. As Nico approached the jungle gym and decided which slide to go down, again children stared as he made his happy noises. One little girl asked "Why does he drool like that?" I replied "because he can't help it." I heard the child mutter "Ewww" as she made a face and scurried away. After 7 years of answering questions from curious children, I've noticed that my answers have gotten shorter and shorter. Why couldn't people just see Nico as I saw him? As Nico gleefully slid down the slide, I noticed a mom use a tissue to wipe off the seat where Nico had sat before she allowed her child to sit down and go down the slide. She glanced at me with no emotion, not appearing to care that I had seen what she had done.

In a few moments Nico took off again. As he gingerly walked across a bridge that bounced around, he lost his balance and fell over as some larger children bustled by. Before I could come to his aid, a little girl about 6 or 7 years old bent down to help him up and when she noticed that Nico was "different" I expected her to quickly walk away. Instead she exclaimed "Awww you sweet lil' thing! You are SO cute! You wanna play wit' me?" She valiantly protected Nico as other children flew past them on the bridge. When the coast was clear, she gently bounced the bridge until Nico smiled and laughed and then she gently took him by the hand, not minding that it was wet and slimy, and led him to safety and over to a nearby slide. She patiently helped him go down the slide and up the stairs several times.

The girl lifted her head as a woman yelled "Annie! Time to go!" Then she bent down and gave Nico a kiss on the top of the head and ran to her mother. Too choked up to respond, I smiled at the girl and waved as she turned to make sure Nico was OK. She had been Nico's champion that day and didn't even know it. She had been my champion too.

On the ride home from the park, I recalled an encounter with a little boy with Down Syndrome when I was pregnant with Nico. I was browsing around one day at Beall's Outlet and out of nowhere a little boy popped his head out of a nearby clothing rack, his face inches from mine and exclaimed in a loud voice "MAMA?!"

Startled, I looked around for the boys mother and saw no one. Again, he asked me earnestly "MAMA?!!" with a big smile on his face and I thought "Where is this boys mother and why is she allowing him to go around annoying people?" As I tried to ignore him he obviously decided that I was not his mother and disappeared into the next clothing rack. I thought of my unborn child and shuddered at the thought of having a child....like that.

That little girl in the park put me to shame. I had been just like that Mom who wiped off the slide where Nico had sat, not seeing the little boy for who he really was... adorable and loving, inquisitive and happy.

Within just a few weeks of meeting that little boy, I would be standing in my kitchen, holding the phone extension to my ear as the pediatrician told my husband on the cordless that he had some bad news...Nico's Kareotype results were in..."I'm sorry to have to tell you this but Nico has Down Syndrome...won't look like his brothers and sisters.....developmental delay...genetic testing..." His voice would trail off as I collapsed to a chair and the phone clattered to the floor.

I wouldn't have been nearly as upset if I had known who Nico would be today and how much joy he would bring to our lives. Of course, for Nico's sake, we wish he didn't have any extra chromosomes but for us, having Nico in our lives has taught us to look at life from a whole new angle and has raised the bar on the simple things in life...joy, compassion, understanding, love... I would never want to go back to being the person I was before. Knowing Nico has changed me, and change is good.

But oh how I wish I could go back in time and give that little boy in the store a hug, help him find his mother and tell her how beautiful her child is. Unfortunately I can't go back in time, but one thing I can do, is take a little more time at the park, or the store, or anywhere else that Nico stands out in a crowd and help people understand a little bit better that different can be a good thing and that God doesn't make mistakes.

I hope you have time to watch the following video. The song was written by Steve Moser, the father of a little girl with Down syndrome. Nico has his own video too at http://adowniediary.blogspot.com/

Comments
Until next time my friend,
Strength and honor in Christ

Heart Graffiti

2008-12-05T18:45:00.039-05:00

By Sharon Chiellini

Our words can bless or destroy. Whether verbal or written, once they have been expressed and received they can never be taken back. Why is it then, that people so carelessly throw them around as if they are temporary, trivial and inconsequential. The words of others somehow become like indelible tattoos written on the walls of our hearts. Graffiti that someone else placed there with or without our permission. Heart graffiti can be good or bad depending on the painter's intentions and the motive behind the words. The Bible tells us:

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19

The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:6

Ron Hutchcrafts of Ron Hutchcraft ministries compares words to bullets in his devotional entitled "Bullets You Can't Take Back":
"We've all felt the wounding power of someone else's reckless words. Then why do we all do the same thing - often to people we actually care about? Our angry, or reckless, or critical words are bullets - and it's all too easy to pull that trigger. In fact, it takes the help of God and our personal discipline to keep from firing off a round of wounding words. But once you pull that trigger, there's no way to get that round back. Long after you've forgotten what you said, that person is still feeling the hurt of it, still hearing it over and over again in their heart. The words take a moment; the wounds can last for years."

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

I'm sure by now you are recalling a recent hurtful comment you either made or received or you are thinking about the words ...good or bad that you may have easily absorbed, even as a child, that played a part in molding you into the person you are today. Well, I will quickly leave the subject of hurtful heart graffiti behind as I have no more desire to dwell on it than you do, but promise me that you will always remember that Christ died on the cross so that our hearts could be clean again, and that includes graffiti. Do you recall having a toy called an Etch-A-Sketch? You could draw something and then move the
eraser thing from one side to the other and the picture would magically disappear leaving a clean slate? I think you get the picture. Allow god to move the eraser on your heart's Etch-A-Sketch.

I would like to move on to the real reason for my post and I have my friend Rosalie to thank because she inspired me last Wednesday. Words can edify, heal and bless even easier than they can wound because our hearts sooooo long to feel good. Don't they? My friend Rosalie is so appreciative of everything you do for her, or even the fact that you make time for her, and she is such a blessing to me. Wednesday night at choir she turned to me and said "You know, I really didn't feel like coming tonight, but I knew if I did, that I would see you, and I would be encouraged." How sweet is that?

All of my friends are an an encouragement to me each in their own special way. A couple of weeks ago I was feeling very discouraged, emotionally tired and tearful and I could feel Satantrying to get a stroghold. I emailed my friend Helen and asked her to pray for me. She replied that she would be more than happy to meet me for lunch if I wanted to talk. I responded telling her that I knew she had a very busy week coming up trying to prepare for her vacation. She replied "Sharon, I always have time for you! When can you meet me for lunch?"

"I always have time for you" ...those are words we could all use written on our hearts over and over. "I knew I would see you and I would be encouraged" I always have room for that one on the wall of my heart! I have found over the years that encouraging words work quite well at camouflaging and eventually erasing the heart graffiti you would like to forget. Over time they can make it disappear completely if you are willing to let it go. But it is important to fill your life with people that freely give encouragement and limit your time with those that have the opposite effect.

I'll admit I have a bad habit of being a little too sarcastic and I am convicted as I write this that there may be some heart graffiti out there that I am responsible for that I wish I could erase. My prayer is that I will put more effort into being conscious of the words Iwrite on the hearts of others and choose my words wisely. I also pray that the Lord continue to bless me with a life that is full of friends and family that are an encouragement to me and bless my heart. I pray He does the same for you.

So grab a colorful can of heart paint and get out there and do some good!
Comments

Until next time my friend,
Strength and honor in Christ

I May Be A Princess But I Still Have to Slay My Own Dragons

2008-10-24T07:57:00.040-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

Since I am a child of the King I consider myself to be royalty, as should you if you have invited Jesus to be Lord of your life. After all, our Heavenly Father is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, so it is only fitting that I should be living the life of bliss and bon bons right? As a princess I am entitled, am I not?

Tell me...did Cinderella live happily ever after without learning to take abuse while maintaining her dignity?

Did Sleeping Beauty live happily ever after without trauma and drama in her life?

Did Rapunzel live happily ever after without first experiencing loneliness & grief?

Didn't the Little Mermaid have to compete with perfect sisters and a Sea Witch too? Yikes!

Poor Snow white had to choke down some poison just because some witch was jealous. I can relate. Luckily our dwarfs were there to rescue us.

Even Belle had to pick herself up in her darkest hour and find it in her heart to see the Beauty in her Beast.

Why is it that we so easily forget that happily ever afters are so much sweeter if we have earned them and suffered to get there? To quote author Brenda Wilbee "For when we look at Fairy Tales we find it's not the absence of dragons-but the taming of dragons-that ushers in our happily ever afters!"
I don't know about you, but I have a basement full of tame dragons that helped me earn my happily ever after, but some of those dragons put up quite a fight and left a truckload of bruises for me to remember them by. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have allowed so many dragons in my life in the first place. Some dragons sneak into our lives uninvited while others we unwittingly welcome in through the front door because they look so innocent and friendly. I personally would consider anything in your life that hinders you from fulfilling God's purpose for your life, a dragon. It may be a person, an obsession, a situation, plain old discouragement, or maybe just something you fill your schedule with that takes time away from the Lord. Whatever your dragons are and no matter how they got there, you need to tame them or get rid of them, but please keep in mind that you should never face a dragon without being prepared for battle.

Ephesians 6:10-18 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

I don't ever want my fairy tale to be over, so I will be fending off the dragons until my dying day, knowing that I don't have to wait until tomorrow to enjoy my happily ever after. I face my battles of tomorrow knowing that I stand in the shadow of my King. My Prince has already come to save me. He has already won the fight. He has conquered the grave and is preparing my castle as we speak. My Prince of Peace is Jesus Christ, and I am proud to be a princess of the King.

Comments Until next time my friend,
Strength and honor in Christ

Feline Faith

2008-10-05T19:50:00.052-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

If I had to name the one thing that I remember most about my childhood it would have to be my obsession with cats. I loved every imaginable kind of cat God created. Big cats, small cats, wild cats, domesticated cats, long haired, short haired, fluffy or bald, I loved them all. I spent many hours drawing cats and reading and writing about cats. My mother would embarrass me by telling people how my cat's paws were bald because I used to suck on them when I was little. As disturbing as it sounds, the thought still brings me comfort. I guess he was my security blanket. Oh how I miss my Tiger.

We don't currently have a family cat right now. I guess you could say we are "in between" cats. Our last cat, Tiger II, died a year ago but his sister lives next door. Her name is Pandora and she follows me around when I work in the yard or when I go for a walk. She will follow me faithfully, carefully from a distance without seeming to worry about where I am going. She just follows. She makes me think about my faith dance. I long to be able to follow my Savior without worrying about where he is taking me or what his plan for me is when I get there. If only I could just follow...quietly...faithfully...peacefully.

There is just something about the way cats behave and maneuver that intrigues me. They are so quiet and agile, yet strong and quick. They can be brave and dangerous but soft and cuddly at the same time. When I reflect on my former cat obsession it is sobering to realize that the reason I loved cats so much was because to me, they were everything that I was not. They were beautiful and graceful, and I was not. They were smart and cunning and I never felt that I was smart enough. They were brave and fearless and I possessed only a vapor of courage that quickly vanquished in the face of adversity. Oh how I longed to grow up and be cat woman! But God had other plans for me.

As I grew in my faith, my savior taught me many things. He taught me that he created me to be exactly who I am and that no one else could possibly be a better me, than me. He doesn't want me to try to be someone I am not or someone that others want me to be. Quite frankly when I try to pretend to be someone I'm not, I just feel kind of sad and pathetic. I just gotta be me. That's what God wants for you too, to simply be the best you that you can be. Don't worry, He'll be with you every step of the way. I have learned that the me I thought I was is nothing like the me that God designed. Satan's lies can cause us to have such a warped opinion of who we really are. God knows you better than you know yourself because He designed you and He will show you who you are in Him. It's an exciting journey, so be sure to dig your claws in and hold on tight.
Psalm 24: 4, 5 says...
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.

In order to make strides towards being all that God intends for us to be we all need a good cleaning now and then, and trying to wash up on our own isn't going to cut it, we need a good God scrub. If you really want to draw close to God and feel His power and presence in your life you need Him to reveal to you all the things that are stinking up your life and all the garbage that's tripping you up in your faith dance. I challenge you to pray today for a spiritual scrub down and you will be amazed at what He reveals to you and how much closer you will walk with Him when you are all cleaned up.

I have also learned that my God thinks I am beautiful...and smart. He imparts wisdom to me whenever I ask, which makes me feel as smart as I need to be. There is no limit to the courage that comes from letting go and letting God do His thing. What a liberating feeling to know that we never have to walk one day on this earth without being completely, unequivocally, hands down eternally...LOVED. It doesn't matter if anyone else sees our worth or not. God thinks we are priceless and because of his unconditional love for us, we can hold our heads up and be as fearless as a mountain lion, as cunning as a cougar, as agile as a jaguar or as soft and cuddly as a Himalayan no matter what anyone on earth says or thinks.

Deuteronomy 31:8 says...
The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

One last word of feline wisdom I have learned over the years...LET GOD CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS! He can do a much better job than you can. In fact he may choose someone quiet different than you would have picked and that can be a very good thing. Some of my best friends are more canine than feline but that's OK. I like the fact that they are very different than me. God chose them just for me because He wanted to bless me, protect me, encourage me and teach me and I love them all very much! I pray He does the same for you!

I would like for you to take a moment to close your eyes and picture what a cat looks like when she takes a little cat nap. She is curled up in a ball, usually laying in a sunny spot. Her eyes are closed and her mouth looks like it is turned up in a peaceful smile and if you listen carefully you can hear her purr ever so peacefully without a care in the world, as if she is praying. The tip of her tail goes up and down slowly, tapping out the rhythm of a song only she and God can hear. Wouldn't it be great if we all took time for a little cat nap now and then. I think we should all strive to have a little bit of cat woman in us.

So...after your cat nap, strut your feline (or canine) faith girlfriend and I'll meet you at the water bowl!

Comments
Until next time my friend,
Strength and honor in Christ

Should A Cactus Have Flowers?

2008-09-05T07:40:00.037-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

As I walk Nico down my street in the morning to take him to the bus stop, I pass a house that has a huge cactus, taller than the house itself, in it's front yard. I had first noticed the cactus when the current home owners first moved in because they removed every scrap of landscaping except that cactus. Personally, if it were up to me, the cactus would have been the first thing to go. They created a huge landscaped area complete with tons of mulch but no plants except...you guessed it..that cactus. Now keep in mind, gardening is one of my greatest passions. (I know what some of you are thinking if you've seen my yard, I said I was passionate about it, I didn't say I was good at it. Besides, the lawn is not considered part of the garden, that's Mike's responsibility.) I had already designed in my mind what plants I would have planted in my neighbor's yard and how I would have arranged them. Low and behold, there would have been no room for that ugly cactus. I actually considered how nice it would be to live in a deed restricted community where ugly cacti were banned and pretty plants were required.

Over time a plant would appear here and there in my neighbor's landscaping. I don't know how they got there, because I never saw anyone in their yard and they never seemed to plant more than one plant at a time but I started to like my invisible unknown neighbors because the new plants were starting to take the focus away from the ugly cactus.

Normally when I would ride past my neighbor's house I would ignore the cactus out of principle, but just last week Nico started riding the bus which meant I had to stroll past my neighbor's house on foot everyday. One morning I happened to glance up, and it was almost as if the cactus was smiling at me. It didn't seem as ugly as I had remembered and then I noticed that it had huge pink and white flowers on it. They were absolutely beautiful! I couldn't stop staring at them. The cactus was still ugly but the flowers made it beautiful. Then I could swear I heard the cactus laughing at me. I spun around to make sure that we were alone, and then Nico and I stood there in silence, holding hands, looking at my beautiful new friend the cactus and his gorgeous flowers.

Later in the day, when it was time for me to go back to the bus stop to get Nico, I was disappointed to see that my cactus friend's flowers were all closed up. I assumed that they were like morning glories or something and that they only opened in the morning, so I decided that I would bring my camera and take a picture of the flowers the next morning. That was last week. The cactus has not opened his flowers since then. Stupid cactus.

It became obvious to me that the cactus had no intention of being my friend, he was only mocking me...teasing me. I wanted to climb up his spindly branches and open those flowers myself, which I probably would have done if it wasn't illegal, and if the cactus didn't have bazillions of sharp 4 inch spikes all over him. Besides I had already decided that anyone who liked having a big ugly cactus in their yard probably didn't take kindly to trespassers.

It was in that moment that I prayed "Lord...I have a sneaking suspicion that there is something you want me to learn from this. I have enough wisdom to know that this cactus is not really trying to hasten my realization that my brain is aging faster than I would like." and then I recalled a verse that I had used on the last screen saver I had designed.

For, "All men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." 1 Peter 1:24

I only got to enjoy the flowers for one morning, and in reality, our time on this earth is like a vapor that passes quickly. It made me not want to miss an opportunity to enjoy God's handiwork. It made me want to take every opportunity to make sure the people I love know that they are loved, by me and by God. It made me want to stop...and take the time to smell the roses (or cactus flowers). It made me think about all the people I know that have yet to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It made me want to make a difference....today, not waiting for tomorrow because tomorrow may never come.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14

The cactus flowers made me think about losing Simeon. I thought about the people I love and how I need to spend time with them and enjoy their beauty and talent while I can because I have no way of knowing how long they, or I, will be here or how long we will have to wait to see each other again in heaven.

I want to live every day as if it is the last day that my flowers will be open. I guess I could start by knocking on my neighbor's door and introducing myself. Ya think?

A Becky Carey Commentary:

I’ve been thinking about your question about why that cactus would bloom at night. Life experiences have taught me that in dark times our real beauty is revealed, but only when we focus all of what we do for one reason and one reason only…and that is to glorify our Creator.

In the secret and dark places, God sees us…even though others may not be able to appreciate or even see our worth. Sometimes the beauty that often comes from the roughest and stickiest of circumstances should not be exposed to the light for others to see because exposure could cause it’s host to wilt and be drained of the energy it needs to be beautiful, OR perhaps those who see the beauty in the light might credit the host instead of the creator that designed and brought forth the beauty in the first place.

Time to Dust for Fingerprints

2008-08-25T09:28:00.035-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. Psalm 8:3-5

I often wonder just how many times through the course of a day, God leaves His fingerprints for me to see and I fail to notice. To be perfectly honest, I have a terrible habit of not noticing things. My daughter was walking around with a monstrous barbell earring in her ear that stretched from the hole on the side of her ear all the way up to the hole on the top of her ear, and from within the fog that was obviously surrounding my brain, I had failed to notice for several days. When my sister-in-law, Sandy, walked into the house, she took one look at Bethany and exclaimed "Ewww! What's that hideous thing in your ear?" After the initial shock of wondering how I could possibly have not noticed, I went directly into disbelief that my daughter could actually think that having an ugly silver barbell in her ear could in any way be attractive, I came to the realization that, last I checked, she only had two holes in each ear, not 4! Needless to say she's back to having 2. I may be slow but I'm not soft.

My poor husband has repeatedly suffered from the painful realization that I am a little slow on the uptake. Just last week he shaved off his entire goatee, which has adorned his face for years, and even after asking me if I noticed anything different about him, I was still oblivious. Not only did I fail to notice the absence of his goatee, I also failed to see the huge mole that had been hiding beneath it all these years and was now exposed to daylight!

Have you ever experienced a time when you felt completely invisible? I vividly remember a time when my family left church to go home and didn't realize that I wasn't with them. I sat on the sidewalk for what seemed like an eternity waiting for their inevitable return. It took them considerably longer than I would have liked. I guess I should be thankful they came back at all. Strangely enough, what went through my mind as I waited was how bad my Mom was going to feel when she realized I wasn't there. I couldn't wait for her to see that I was OK. I didn't want her to feel bad. I still hate making people feel bad. Mike affectionately refers to this as my "bleeding heart". (However it goes without saying that he does NOT suffer from this affliction) I especially hate feeling that I have grieved the Holy Spirit by ignoring Him or making Him feel invisible in my life.

My prayer today and every day is that I don't miss the things that God so desperately wants me to see. I know His fingerprints are all over my life, from my birth, to the day I sat on the sidewalk waiting for my family to come back, to today and every day in between. All we need to do is pray for a little dusting powder from the Holy Spirit to dust for His fingerprints.

Why is dusting for God's fingerprints important? If you don't know what God had His hands on in your life, you won't know the difference between what was important to Him and what He had no part of. Trust me, there is a world of difference between the two! Also, since we are supposed to be Jesus with skin on, that means he'll sometimes use OUR fingerprints, right? I pray that my own fingerprints are directed by the Lord and show up in all the right places and none of the wrong ones. Amen?

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Until next time my friend,
Strength and honor in Christ

Are you Sponge Worthy?

2008-08-13T16:19:00.027-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. Proverbs 15:30

My mother always taught me that worry is a sin. If you allow yourself to dwell on the negative events or circumstances that may or may not transpire, you are not exercising your faith that God has a plan and He is in control.

Since worry is not something I regularly struggle with (thanks MOM!) I have challenged myself a step further. In my own faith dance, grasping hold of my joy and not letting go is my greatest challenge. When I turn on my cell phone in the morning, the words "Got the Joy?" appear at the top of my screen to remind me to make sure I hold on tight to my joy at the crack of dawn. (Not that I get up that early, but it sounded good.)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galations 5:22&23

Being joyful is far different than being happy. Happiness is fleeting, but joy comes from within directly from the Holy Spirit. Joy cannot be taken from us unless we allow it. We all know from experience that worry can rob us of our joy, but the one thing that is a joy "delete" button for me is being around people with a negative attitude. I come in contact with many people during the course of my day, by phone, email or in person, whose attitude whether good or bad is like a liquid that I am required to either absorb like a sponge or repel like a windshield.

Good attitudes from positive people replenish our joy juice. We need to constantly discern those people in our lives that are sponge worthy and those that are not. It is also important to point out, that if you have been robbed of your joy today even though you have been surrounded by people who are sponge worthy, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but YOU may be the one who is spewing the joy killing venom. Time to regroup and spend a little time with the Lord. Joy comes from the Father.

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. Psalm 94:19

I pray that those I come in contact with feel that I am worthy of bringing out the sponge in them and not the windshield. I also pray that God fill me with plenty of "Joy Juice" to share with the sponges around me.

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Until next time my friend
Strength and honor in Christ

Strap On Your Stilettos Girls!

2008-08-07T13:51:00.039-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galations 6:2

I'm going to take us back a couple of decades to my college years. When I was a student at Moody Bible Institute, anytime one of us sisters was in need of some serious prayer, my girlfriends and I would say "Strap on your stilettos girls!" We coined the phrase during an all night meeting of the sisterhood. We all agreed that it would be beyond fantastic to be able to physically stomp all over the devil. Strap on some high heel shoes as a bonus, and we're ready to have a holy hootinanny all over his face!

That's impossible you say? Well allow me to explain the finer points of devil stomping. Just envision in your mind how ticked off the devil gets when brothers and sisters in Christ pray for one another, take up each others burdens, or when a believer shares their faith with someone and that person comes to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

We are called to be Jesus with skin on and my God is no light weight! My God can move mountains through me, and you too, if only we have faith the size of a mustard seed.

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

Well what do you do now that you've strapped on your stilettos and you're ready for the fight? There are a myriad of ways to stomp on the devil and be Jesus with skin on. Take a burdened sister out to breakfast or lunch. Get a group together to meet intentionally to pray with or for someone. Meet someone else's need either physically or financially. Share your faith with a coworker. Have someone over for dinner, even if you just order pizza. In today's fast paced world there is no greater manifestation of love than taking time for one another. Drop a note of encouragement in the mail for no reason at all. You get the idea, random acts of sisterhood.

I meet my accountability partners one morning every week in the prayer room at my church to strap on our stilettos and pray for one another and our loved ones. We have seen prayer after prayer answered in miraculous ways. So get out there and get your stomp on girl! God honors intentional obedience, but don't forget your stilettos! Trust me when I tell you my shoes have no dust on them and yours shouldn't either.

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Until next time my friend,
Strength and honor in Christ

Life in the Compost Heap

2008-08-01T18:40:00.028-04:00

By Sharon Chiellini

Several years ago I made a valiant effort to "Go Green". I set up recycle bins for everything. I even had labels on the kitchen cab

inets to instruct my barely willing family members as to which bin their trash should go. To say the least, I was quite proud of the effort I had made to save the environment! I even went so far as to set up a collection bin for all of the garbage that could be composted, complete with a detailed list of items that were welcome in the compost bin and those that were not.

Everyone was quite compliant when it came to putting bottles and cans in their proper bins and even made a decent effort to remember to put raw fruits, veggies and paper towels in the kitchen compost bin. However, when it came to the nasty job of taking the compost bin contents out to the yard and putting them in the compost barrel, everyone insisted that it was someone else's job. I can't say that I blamed them. There was no telling what kind of varmints or critters were feasting just inside the lid of the compost barrel until you actually took off the lid. Not to mention that it was usually dark outside at the time. It still makes my skin crawl to think about it. I embrace my bug phobia with a passion.

We had two compost barrels. One contained older contents that were done decomposing, and the other one was the home of the newer effervescent rotting material. The latter of which being the one that the kids had to open to put the garbage in every night. One day, as I was digging in the first compost heap that contained my beautiful finished compost so that I could put some of it's contents around my garden, my son Luke, who was about 12 at the time, came outside to talk to me. As he walked up and saw the contents of the barrel that contained the beautiful composted soil, he said "Wow! That's awesome! All that garbage we put in there turns into dirt? It really looks like dirt! Really good dirt! That's awesome!" Suddenly composting took on a whole new meaning and Luke and I had a great talk about it.

Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Isaiah 61:11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

I've often recalled that conversation because it reminded me so much of my walk with the Lord. When I looked into that compost barrel, I was always reminded of how awesome and creative our God is. It also made me think of all the "garbage" I had allowed into my life and how our sin is a stench in God's nostrils.
My God is the only one who could take all of the proverbial "garbage" I have accumulated from 42 years of life on this earth and turn it into rich fertile soil for Him to cultivate and use for His good!

Praise Him for His mercy, grace and forgiveness in Christ Jesus. He longs to take all of the "garbage" in your life...the hurts and hard times, poor decisions and wasted opportunities and clean them all up and make fertile soil out of them so that you can see what He can produce through you, for His glory. I guarantee He will AMAZE you!

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Until next time my friend,
Strength and honor in Christ

FaithDance - Never Dance Alone

2008-07-24T11:46:00.021-04:00

The Origin of My Blog Title
By Sharon Chiellini

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30:11 & 12.

I can only speak for myself, but in my little corner of the world it is impossible to be full of joy and not want to break out and dance. When I am singing in my church choir I have to be on the front row so that I have room to dance. I am, however, painfully aware of the fact that grace and coordination were woefully under-emphasized when I was created, so I try to limit my dancing to a level that won't rob others of their joy by the sheer torture of having to witness mine. But I imagine that everyone's soul has it's own rhythm and wants to dance. The kind of dancing I refer to in my blog title is something that goes on deep inside, deep inside your soul, where the Holy Spirit dwells. This kind of dancing is never something you do alone. The savior is there with you. He plays your own special song and patiently, ever so patiently teaches you to dance if you follow His lead, and teaches you to recognize His voice. All you have to do is listen...

Dancing With God
Adapted from a poem originally written by Rowland Croucher

When you meditate on the word Guidance,

You see "dance" at the end of the word.

Allowing God to show you His will is a lot like dancing.

When both dancers try to lead, nothing feels right.

The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and feels awkward and clumsy.

When one person relinquishes control

and lets the other lead,

both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back,
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one, moving beautifully together.

Anyone can dance, but to dance well takes surrender,
willingness, and attentiveness from one person,
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

If you draw your eyes back to the word Guidance.

You see "G": for God, followed by "u" and "I"

God, you, and I dance.

My prayer for you is that you hear the music God is playing...
your own special song God wrote just for you!

May you abide in God, as He abides in you.

Dance together, trusting Him to lead.

You are special to Him and He desires nothing less

than for you to dance

through each and every season of your life.

Dance my friend! Dance!

I consider it joy to dance beside you!

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In order to dance with God you have to be a child of God.
Start your Journey of Joy today!