Voice From the End Of Town

I'm Done With Life

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 22:47:00 +0000

"I'm done with life! Don't get me wrong, I don't want to die

but I wouldn't mind a good coma right about now."

Yes, those words actually came out of my mouth just recently. I didn't flinch at the matter-o-fact way I just blurted out my inner-most feelings, although it hadn't been my intention.

It wasn't until later the next day I began to realize just how bad off I was and still am. I knew I'd been in a bad place for a while but knowing and getting a glimpse are two different things.

I'm in a nowhere land and I'm biding my time till something happens in my life.

How did I get here you may ask? I'm asking too.

Frustration. Despair. Unfulfilled expectations?

Yeah. That's a pretty good start.

I love my husband and my kids but my role in their lives has changed and while I've willingly changed with it and attempted to find a new role in my life, I'm still in limbo. I've lived my whole married life taking care of others and their needs and placing mine on the back-burner. But now that I've got a chance to do for me, it seems all doors are closed but not just closed, they're locked and I'm without a key.

Along with the locked doors is a body that seems to be in revolt. Sleeping is enough to make me hurt the next day. Yet restful sleep alludes me many nights so I cope with long hours awake till my body concedes and I rest for just a night.

Without medication my body and joints hurt all the time but a rheumatologist says no arthritis. I wake with headaches, low O2 saturation, mental fatigue and concentration issues but no sleep apnea. There's no cancer, no blood disorder, I just hurt with no justifiable reason say doctors except my weight of course. But the doctors that understand PCOS, insulin resistance and diabetes understand that losing weight is extremely hard. But no matter how hard I try, there's no success.

So I had stopped dressing up, fixing my hair, caring what I looked like. I stopped interacting much with others. I became more and more antisocial, withdrawing from social gatherings almost altogether. I knew I should care about those things but I had no answer when I asked myself why. As far as I was concerned I had no power to make any changes. I could try as hard as I could but nothing would change so why expend the energy with no results.

So WHY am I even writing this?
It just seems very depressing and to just say, "hey! I was down and then poof I came out of it and you can be just like me!" is so wrong. It would be a lie from me.

I'm NOT out of it!
Right now I'm struggling every day but I wanted to share my small steps with you because it's important not just to say, "hey I came through this thing and I can show you how." Sometimes, it's just as important to say, "hey, I'm going through this thing and it hurts. I don't know how I'm coming through it but I have this little bit of hope that hasn't yet been totally extinguished and these are the little rays of light I have."

My Small Steps

❶ My oldest daughter grabbed my phone about a week ago and downloaded Snapchat on it. It's that app with crazy filters that can glam you up or give you animal ears and silly stuff. I started using it just to be silly but really I wanted to bug my daughter for downloading it onto my phone. Funny thing is, I've been laughing and smiling more.

❷ I found out that while it's fun to do Snapchat, it's even better if I take just a few minutes to make myself presentable before I pull up the app. The end result is that after almost a week I find myself making better choices first thing in the morning that make me feel happier about myself all day.

❸ While still fighting my way though this wet blanket of malaise and indifference, and with me having a desire to look better and be happier for me,... on the spur of the moment, I went and got my hair cut. I did something that was for no one else but me and in many ways it made me feel lighter. And lighter made me feel better. I know that is such a small thing but even the small things matter. They build upon each other.

I'm not out of this thing, whatever it is, but I'm not as ready for that coma right now as I was.

If you're reading this and you know what I'm going through because you're there yourself, understand this, we're in this together and somehow, with God's help, we will pull through. It's important that we realize we do have power to change things even if those changes seem small, insignificant and inconsequential.

It is important to not give up

This is not a place we were ever meant to abide in.

Why My Twitter Feed Became Political

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Sat, 06 Oct 2018 04:45:00 +0000

With the confirmation process surrounding Judge Kavanaugh my twitter feed suddenly became extremely political a little over a month ago. This was never my intention but I don't back down from it.

There are times in our lives where we must stand up and be counted. Right now, the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is a highly intense moment in history with high emotions on both sides. I have been honest with my friends and honest on social media about where I stand.

I may have lost Twitter followers and I may have gained others. Neither of those matter to me. What matters is that I spoke up in the medium that I thought I could be heard in.

I can't just pack up and head to DC to protest or support someone. I don't have the finances to up-end my life to harass congressmen and women in order to be heard. I don't have money to support one candidate over another but what I do have is the pulpit that social media has given each and everyone of us.

On Twitter over the last month I have tweeted and retweeted. I have laughed at something I tweeted and yelled angrily as I shared others. Many tweets that I retweeted have been pointed towards democrats as a whole or screaming protesters acting like spoiled children. While this may not seem like it comports with someone who has stayed out of the political by trying to be uplifting or encouraging, -- I have to remind that I also attempt to challenge my readers as well.

So why did I tweet such political stuff?

I'm a conservative who has grown up being called a racist because of the color of my skin and yet to those of color who have met me and gotten to know me they know their skin color means nothing to me. I love and treat everyone the same.

I'm a conservative who has been told that because of my Christian faith and my conservative politics that I'm a bigot, a homophobic, who hates those who are part of the LGBTQ community. Yet those from that community that have met me and gotten to know me know that their personal choices don't matter. I love and treat everyone the same.

I'm a conservative who believes in the Bible. I believe in the innate worth of each human being and I've spent my life being ridiculed for my faith. But it is from that faith that I find my strength.

I tweeted the political stuff I did because I could not stand the spectacle that this whole process had become. I could not stay quite for one more moment.

I was raised in a democratic home with democratic parents and surprised them when I registered as a republican not long after turning 18. My parents had raised me to listen and make up my own mind and I learned that emotional arguments tended to be used when someone could not debate on the merits of an argument.

This is exactly what I saw happening. Instead of debating Kavanaugh on the merits, I heard demagoguery....a whipping up of emotion and passion that was shutting down any form of deliberate and reasoned deliberation. With the demagoguery in full force, the fear-mongering and exploitation of the ignorance of Kavanaugh's judicial rulings, the allegations of sexual misconduct surface at 5 minutes to mid-night.

At this point the foolishness went into high gear. Just the mere accusation was considered as proof of his guilt. Without attempting to verify his guilt or innocence....he was guilty! As a mother and a wife that was the last straw. It was unacceptable! I listened to Prof. Ford testify and had extreme gut reactions to her. I listened to Judge Kavanaugh and wept.

This touched me on a very personal level.

I had trouble sleeping. It felt like I was wrestling with a gorilla every night. This had brought back memories I didn't want to remember about being grabbed as a pre-teen and pulled into a dark room where I was told this would be our little secret while a grown man my family and I knew started kissing me. I remembered where it was, what building, what room, the exact spot, the time of day, ie...that it was after dark not long after the sun had gone down...I knew where my mother was in the building.....and the fact that it's been close to 40 years since it happened hasn't made me forget any of the details.

I also remembered the severe gut punch that I experienced months before I met the man I later married. I had been the butt end of a joke...a bet between boys about how soon one of them could get me in bed. When that didn't work out they lied about me and spread rumors that destroyed my reputation. They were in a higher socioeconomic status than I was and the crowds they ran in pretty much ran things. I was devastated especially because this didn't happen in the public school or some other such place but in the church. My church. The church I was born and raised in. The one where pretty much everyone had watched me grow up. I had no recourse! It was the word of two "upstanding" young men against mine....I was labeled a whore but thankfully it was only whispered....usually by the pastor every time he walked past me telling me he "knew what I had been doing."

So, in case you don't understand -- I have been on both ends of this and the only people that I blame are those that did me wrong.

I don't blame people who didn't victimize me and I won't blame people who don't believe me for victimizing me again. I don't want a sacrificial lamb who has done nothing to me to pay for what another person did. I've been victimized and wrongly accused and smeared.

It is time that we stop demonizing people in order to have our grievances heard. If you've been sexually victimized, the perpetrator is your enemy not Kavanaugh. If you've been falsely accused, the false accuser is your enemy not the protesters.

I have personally been extremely hard on the democrats and I will very likely continue. I do this because I truly do not believe that the democrat party as a whole really cares about making things better. I have watched as election after election they have used the practice of personal destruction and lies to emotionally whip up an electorate that is not informed on the issues but instead is screaming back the propaganda they have been fed.

It sickens me to see a party that says it is for tolerance yet shows extreme intolerance for anyone that does not conform to their dogma. They say they are for everyone having a voice and being heard but truth is they are only for those having a voice that agree with them. Everyone else is demonized and must be marginalized ..and until this changes I will continue to be hard on the democratic party ...while not hesitating to spend time in my personal life with those of every persuasion and political bent.

So, if you're a democrat please understand...

My extreme 'dislike' of your party

won't change how I treat you

unless you treat me like your party does.

You will still get my respect as a human being with innate value and worth but it doesn't mean that I will trade my valuable time to listen to someone who wants and desires a level of treatment for themselves that they would refuse to anyone they disagree with.

Idolatry, Social Injustice and Religious Ritualism

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Sun, 16 Sep 2018 15:00:00 +0000

What the Prophets Said and Application to Today

This post is adapted from an essay required for BIB105 Old Testament Survey with Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. It has been edited for emphasis as it attempts to answer the questions below within a 750 to 1000 word word-count.

In what manner do the prophets speak to the following 3 issues: idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism? Cite examples of the prophets speaking to each of these issues. Knowing what the prophets had to say about these issues, what practical applications can be drawn from those teachings for today?

Through the centuries, the peoples and nations of the world including God’s chosen people have made images and idols for worship. Though “all nations relate to God under the terms of the Noahic covenantestablished after the flood which stipulated that judgment would fall on those who practiced violence and bloodshed,”[1] they did as they pleased anyway. They abused the poor, orphaned, widowed and needy. Some nations were so cruel in their treatments of others that they were both hated and feared. God’s people themselves had forgotten God in their hearts though they continued to ritualistically carry on their religious rites and exercises. The prophets spoke to both God’s chosen people and the Gentiles.

They spoke of many things but

judgment to come on those who practice idolatry, social injustice and religious ritualism as introduced above

is a common theme.

In the Ten Commandments God made it clear that “You shall have no other God’s before me”[2]and “You shall not make for yourself an image…. And bow down and worship it.”[3] In spite of this, all throughout Jewish history we see the Jews walking in direct disobedience to these commandments. Isaiah prophesied “As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria – shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?”[4] In 2 Kings chapter 17 it explains that the Assyrian exile of Samaria was God’s judgment on his people for turning from Him, worshipping other God’s and following the religious practices of the nations the Lord had driven out.[5]

Proper care and concern for the poor, the orphaned, the widowed, and the needy were addressed in the Mosaic Law. The wealthy were given the responsibility of care for them. Instructions were given as to how they should be treated. However, as God’s people turned their back on him, they turned their back also on those they were to care for. The prophets called this social injustice.

In Isaiah, he foretold “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning?”[6]

Amos prophesied “They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Now then I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain. The swift will not escape.”[7]

Throughout the history of the Jewish nation,

apathy towards God and therefore his laws and commands, brought about blatant disobedience.

In religious rituals explained and taught over the centuries, the Jews knew the right and proper way to conduct themselves. However, their disobedience brought about disregard for what was accepted. They ritualistically practiced religious rites in disobedience to how they should be done because their hearts were turned away from God.

For example, through Malachi God spoke and said “It is you priests who show contempt for my name… You offer defiled food on my altar.”[8] “You offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong?”[9] God went so far as to say through Malachi “Oh that one of you would shut the temple doors so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I will accept no offering from your hands.”[10] In essence, the prophets exposed God’s heart in reference to obedience.

God considered half-hearted partial obedience

the same as complete disobedience.

It was not good enough that they continue the Jewish practices but that they do them with a heart of reverence and repentance towards God.

The prophets spoke the word of God to the peoples and nations of their time but their words clearly apply to us today.

We as a society do not cut down trees to carve our idols but we allow things and people to become more important than God.

We worship athletes and movie stars instead of Him.

We make perfect bodies, wealth and status our idols.

We love things and use people

instead of loving people and using things.

Also, as a people we tend to think only of ourselves with an expectation on the government to care for the needy, the orphaned, the widowed and the poor. Yet God directed us, the body of Christ, to take care of them.

And lastly,

we carry on in religious rituals that have no meaning to us.

We go to church because we know we should

while living a life in direct disobedience to Him.

We praise God by singing songs

but those words are a lie as they proceed from our lips.

The prophets showed us that it really is not a matter of ritual or religious practice. The warnings were not necessarily about practices but about their attitudes towards God.

(Isaiah) ^{^[11]}

In all of our understanding we need to hear and take to heart the words of Paul when he said

“These things happened to them to serve as an example,

and they were written down as a warning for us

in whom the culmination of the ages has been attained.”^{^[12]}

[1] (Hindson and Yates 2012, pg386)

[2] Exodus 20:3(New International Version Study Bible 1985)

[3] Exodus 20:4(New International Version Study Bible 1985)

[4] Isaiah 10:10-11(New International Version Study Bible 1985)

[5] 2 Kings 17:6-8(New International Version Study Bible 1985)

[6] Isaiah 10:1-3(New International Version Study Bible 1985)

[7] Amos 2:6-7, 13-14(New International Version Study Bible 1985)

[8] Malachi 1:6-7(New International Version Study Bible 1985)

[9] Malachi 1:8(New International Version Study Bible 1985)

[10] Malachi 1:10(New International Version Study Bible 1985)

[11] Isaiah 29:13 (New International Version Study Bible 1985)

[12] 1 Corinthians 10:11-14 (New International Version Study Bible 1985)

Need A Good Soaking? I Do

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Sun, 29 Jul 2018 21:42:00 +0000

Soaking…sounds like a bath doesn’t it. Something you need to get into to make your stressed body relax and let your mind take you out of the real world to some imaginary place. You expect to hear “Calgon…. take me away!!!!” …. but that’s not the soaking I’m interested in.

The word soak or a variant of it is found in Psalm 65:10 in the Christian Standard Bible version, it states:

You soften it with showers and bless its growth,
soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges.

This scripture is speaking of the earth, the land. It’s easy to understand that this soaking is such that it changes the very landscape. Furrows and ridges are brought down. However, many have probably not heard of the Christian Standard Bible version so let me assuage any concerns. Whether you look to the King James, the Amplified, the American Standard, the English Standard or the New International Version, you will find drench, and soften with such an understanding that the furrows and ridges are settled by an abundance of water. So, for my purposes I have no concerns over using the word soak for it means to slake the thirst of, to satiate, to satisfy, to water abundantly. A land that is softened by showers and whose furrows are soaked to the point of leveling the land is truly a land whose thirst for water has been satisfied.

So, let me ask the question that this is pointing towards,

Are you satisfied?

Has your thirst been slaked?

Satiated?

Do you feel abundantly watered?

Or do you feel like a land that is waiting for that rain,
waiting for those showers to fall?

There have been many times in my life that I have felt like my life was a dry desert, a wilderness in which nothing grew well but weeds. Where I felt I was either deaf and incapable of hearing God or else he just wasn’t speaking to me.

The problem is, I would never shut up!

It was ingrained in me that prayer was just me talking to God but that is so wrong! Prayer is a conversation, a dialogue but we have turned it into a monologue. When we are done talking we shut down, walk away and then wonder why God isn’t talking to us.

Truth is – God doesn’t have a problem talking to us…. we have a problem listening.

Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10) comes to mind and while that scripture in context comes out of a revelation that God is our refuge and strength, there are other scriptures that also speak of getting still or being silent. Ecclesiastes 3:7 tells us there is a time to speak and a time to be silent, Psalm 37:7 says to be still and wait patiently, Psalm 62:5 says to wait in silence, Job says, teach me and I’ll be silent.

I think the scripture I would turn to most here is Psalm 131:2,

But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

This is what I see when I think of soaking. This is what my spirit, my soul, my mind, my very being needs.

BUT, where is there and how do I get there?

“There” is a place of contentment, in the arms of my provider, totally and fully dependent on his care for me.
“How” do I get there is dependent on me, so for the rest of this post I’ll tell you what I do and how I got to this place of “soaking.”

For me, silence on my part is of the utmost importance as is the lack of distraction. I will go to a place where I can be alone or with a small group of others of like mind. I choose Christian songs that bring me a sense of peace and calmness so of course no upbeat music but I don’t want to go to sleep necessarily either. The music is loud enough to give a buffer to everything outside the place I’m in or at, but not loud enough to demand the whole of my attention.

I sit or stand or lay down or lean on or up against something, whatever will hinder distractions at that time and is comfortable. I then begin to think about the words of the song that is playing, how it lines up with the word of God. I may pray ‘in my mind’ never speaking out loud unless I’m moved to do so. But, for the most part, I silence my thoughts, asking God in silence to speak to me however he chooses. I ask him to help me hear what I’ve been to busy to hear and then soak till I’m sated in the presence of God.

Most of the time I close my eyes but not every time. I’m not looking for a feeling, I want to silence my flesh. I want to spend time in God’s presence where I’m not constantly asking for what I can get from God. It’s not about money, healing, or provisions, it’s not about what I can see, taste or touch… etc.…. I just want to crawl up in His arms and hear His heartbeat till I no longer hear my own.

For me, this soaking originally began with a few women of the church coming together for a group prayer but none of us felt stirred to immediately begin praying so we sat in silence, but my mind kept going everywhere else. To corral or to take captive my mind and my thoughts I played some worshipful songs off my phone and as we were moved under the unction of the Holy Spirit we vacillated between sitting in silence and praying out loud for issues and people in the church we didn’t even know about.

There have been times after that where a few ladies and I agreed to go to the church sanctuary and “do the same thing” for an hour, like that first time, only to find three and a half hours have passed. I and others have “lost” ourselves as some might say and it didn’t take long before we started calling it “soaking.” It just seemed the right word to explain what we experienced. Some were healed, some walked away with peace, others with God ideas for business, church or personal issues, some with scriptural understanding but each walked away drenched to the core with God’s presence. They walked away changed…. even if it was just the landscape of their minds, the furrows and ruts of physical, emotional and/or mental habits broken and remolded in His presence.

I have heard some talk of this as a new age ‘thing’ that can open you up to bad “things,” such as demonic influences. Others have tried to say it comes from eastern mysticism or it is all about feelings and sensations you get. But that’s not it.

It has never been about sensations or feelings, at least not for myself. If you have concerns over this, I’m not going to tell you what to think but I will say this. Early in my life I was extremely concerned about hearing the word meditation in the church and it really bothered me every time I heard it. It bothered me because I grew up with only one understanding that those who “meditated” were involved in New Age religion, eastern religions or cultish and/or mystic rites and rituals. However, the bible repeatedly tells us to mediate on God’s word which is to ponder, reflect, think about and study. I eventually came to the realization that we make a big mistake when we let the world take away and re-invent in its own image gifts given to us by God. Meditation on God, His word, His actions, His demonstrations, is one of those gifts and we should use it with care as anything can be abused and twisted.

For me, this “soaking” is not an emptying of my mind but a filling of it with God. It is not about controlling my breathing but giving up control to the one who gave me breath. It is not about mindlessly floating on a ‘stream of consciousness’ but mindfully focusing myself on God. I don’t do yoga, burn candles, repeat words, or empty my mind. I do quiet my heart and mind so that I can focus on God, on scripture, on what He has done for me, on hearing from God what I have been too busy to hear.

Whatever you chose to do, a good “soaking” will do you good. A saturation of your ground with showers so bountiful they change the landscape of your life and satisfy your soul is needed. How you get there is between you and God, but I would begin, music or no music, by quietly pondering all that God has already done for you, what He has done for others, what His word says about you and how He sees you. As you reflect like this you will begin to encourage yourself, to strengthen yourself and find guidance from God as David did in 1 Samuel chapter 30 when his family and the families of his men were taken captive.

How God leads you is between you and God, but it is my hope that you will come back here and tell me your experience and what God has done for you.

Wise and Diligent or a Lazy Man of Folly?

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Wed, 04 Jul 2018 18:54:00 +0000

Have you ever just stopped in your studies of the word and reflected on a word or two? Have you ever done a word study? It can be very powerful and enlightening to do so. Word studies allow us to carefully uncover the meaning of a word but not just for its overall meaning but its specific meaning in the context we find it. This allows us to find parallels, words with equivalent meanings that open the scripture up to us.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Teachings of Hebrew Wisdom On Diligence and Laziness

The dictionary defines diligence as “steady application in business of any kind; constant effort to accomplish what is undertaken; exertion of body or mind without unnecessary delay or sloth; due attention; industry; assiduity.”[1] It also defines laziness as “the state or quality of being lazy; indisposition to action or exertion; indolence; sluggishness; heaviness in motion; habitual sloth.”[2] Laziness is different from idleness in that idleness is “a mere defect or cessation of action, but laziness is sloth, with natural or habitual disinclination to action.”[3] Hebrew literature is therefore filled with praise for the diligent and warnings for the lazy and slothful. The Bible states “The diligent will take control, but the lazy will be put to forced labor.”[4] In this passage it tells us that those who are hard-working will gain control but the lazy will end up as slaves. Proverbs also tells us that “Lazy hands bring poverty, but hard-working hands lead to wealth.”[5] In essence, the hands of the diligent are blessed with the fruit of that diligence and the hands of the lazy are cursed by their laziness. “The lazy person craves, yet receives nothing, but the desires of the diligent are satisfied.”[6] Hebrew literature teaches us that the lazy and slothful person may want but can’t get anything because he won’t work for it but what the diligent desires he can have.

In comparison, wisdom is “The right use or exercise of knowledge; the choice of laudable ends, and of the best means to accomplish them. This is wisdom in act, effect, or practice. If wisdom is to be considered as a faculty of the mind, it is the faculty of discerning or judging what is most just, proper and useful, and if it is to be considered as an acquirement, it is the knowledge and use of what is best, most just, most proper, most conducive to prosperity or happiness. Wisdom in the first sense, or practical wisdom, is nearly synonymous with discretion. It differs somewhat from prudence, in this respect; prudence is the exercise of sound judgment in avoiding evils; wisdom is the exercise of sound judgment either in avoiding evils or attempting good. Prudence then is a species, of which wisdom is the genus.”[7] Folly is “weakness of intellect; imbecility of mind, and want of understanding.”[8] God’s word tells us that a fool will scorn wisdom when he hears it so we shouldn’t attempt to speak in the presence of a foolish person.[9] According to our textbook “the Jewish sages infused their literature with an understanding that all wisdom, even things related to everyday practical matters, begins with the fear of the Lord.”[10] And, “In ancient society the ability to make wise decisions in all of life’s practical matters was highly esteemed.”[11] Therefore, we can speculate easily how much folly would be despised just as is laziness or slothfulness.

Corresponding Contrast Between Wisdom and Folly

The correlation between diligence and laziness and wisdom and folly is found in the fact that they are parallels. Diligence is a sought after character trait as is the ability to walk in wisdom. In Proverbs scripture after scripture praises these two virtues. Those of a diligent heart with diligent minds are prophesied to stand before kings and rulers, to reign over others, and to create wealth and profit. And those who speak with wisdom will be praised, blessed and already have something of far more profit than gold or silver. On the other hand, laziness (slothfulness) and folly are character traits to look down upon. They are something to be despised. In Proverbs we see that laziness and folly are seen in the same light. A lazy man and a man of folly both think more highly of themselves than they should. They are so wise in their own eyes that it’s a waste of time to try to reason with them. Both the man of folly and the lazy man bring harm and lack on themselves through their own stupidity. They have wants, needs and desires but will not put forth the effort to gain it through the right means.

In conclusion, the lazy man of folly and the diligent man of wisdom are portrayed together in my opinion in Proverbs 1:7. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”[12] The diligent man portrays himself as a man of wisdom as he bows his heart and mind to the fear of the LORD in proper reverence to him. However, the lazy man shows himself time and time again to be a man of folly and in that lifestyle he despises all wisdom and refuses discipline.

References

Hindson, Ed, and Gary Yates. The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2012.

International Standard Version. ISV Foundation, 1996.

Webster's Dictionary. 1828.

[1] (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

[2] (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

[3] (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

[4]Proverbs 12:24 International Standard Version

[5]Proverbs 10:4 International Standard Version

[6]Proverbs 13:4 International Standard Version

[7] (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

[8] (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

[9]Proverbs 23:9 International Standard Version

[10] (Hindson and Yates 2012, pg259)

[11] (Hindson and Yates 2012, pg 259)

[12]Proverbs 1:7 International Standard Version

I Called Her Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 17:00:00 +0000

My mother holding our first child.

On November 17, 2003, my mother went home to be with the Lord. This November it will be 15 years since she died. I started this post two years ago but could never find the right words until today.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the church building where her funeral was held I was asked if she had been an important woman in the community or the city because her funeral was attended by ~300 people. My mother wasn't a councilwoman or mayor or anything that society would have thought important. She was just….my mother.

She began to take me to church when I was three months old because she made a promise to God although she did not become a Christian until 5 years later. She eventually did just about every job you could do in the church. The only thing she didn't do was pastor the church, but I suspect she could have done that too.

Everyone else that knew her knew her as a soft-spoken sweet woman but that’s not the woman I knew. Her standards for me were high, too high as far as I was concerned. The list of things that I could not do were higher, and the correction never seemed to end.

Sit up. Put your knees together. Stop slouching. Don’t rock! Don’t bite your nails!

These were just the normal kids stuff. But the correction went beyond that. Bad grades were unacceptable, and F’s were terminal, so I got the belt. Back talking was not even remotely going to be allowed but it seemed that anything beyond ‘yes ma’am’, ‘no ma’am’ would get me popped too. I’d be lying to say that I didn’t know the back of my mother’s hand VERY well. I can still hear her voice saying sternly, “don’t look at me in that tone of voice!” I truly believed that I was adopted. I could see that my parents loved my brothers but while my father lived in the home, he was non-existent, and my mother was a tyrant! As far as I was concerned, I had to be adopted, they wouldn't treat their own child this way. My school years were littered with more evidence as my brothers learned to drive, and get jobs while mine consisted of school work and housework.

When I started dating my husband to be in my senior year, it wasn’t but two weeks later that he ask me to marry him. I knew he was the one and said YES! (how I knew is a story for another time.) A few weeks later when my parents met him they fell in love and my mother told me later that night..."if he asks you to marry him, say yes." He was eleven years my senior so I knew better than to tell either one of them he had already asked and I had already said yes.

When they did find out I heard the exact opposite of everything they had said especially from my mother. We married two weeks shy of a year from when we met and all the way up to the moment I left my room for the last time headed to the church, my mother tried to talk me out of getting married. She gave me one last chance to back out with the threat that if I did go through with getting married, she would throw my bed out. I could not come home.

Well…..my bed went out the next day.

It was hard for her and my father to make the transition from parent of a child to parent of a married adult and I think it was harder for them because I was the only girl. Things finally came to a head one night when my husband had to inform my parents that while I “had been their child” I was now “his wife” and they needed to treat me appropriately. While this may ruffle some feathers, I think it was necessary and forced my parents to adjust.

My mother made the adjustment and she became a friend. I grew up both loving and hating her and as an adult, for the first fifteen years of my marriage, I carried that over. She drove me nuts when she wasn’t being the only person who I could really talk to about anything. It took us moving away for the second time out of state before our relationship solidified into a better one.

I didn’t feel loved growing up. I felt like I could never be or do enough. She made some bad mistakes with me and said some hurtful things. She made mistakes that she would not apologize for. But as an adult I had to realize she was answering my calls. She was listening to me and talking to me not at me. She prayed for me. She believed in me and what God was doing in me.

She wasn’t perfect, she made mistakes that hurt....But in spite of everything

and more than anything... I know she tried her very best to keep a promise to God

concerning me and my future while she was here even when it hurt.

Looking back, I think I can now see why I was asked if she was important.

The things she taught me are still in me today. If it’s worth doing, do it right the first time. Have faith and confidence in yourself. Carry yourself as a woman of God. Make sure of your convictions, they lead to decisions that can change the trajectory of your future. Know your own self-worth and abilities. Stick to your principles and be ready to defend them. And when you make promises, keep them no matter what.

Did she plan on teaching me those specific things? No. I don’t think so. I think my mother was winging it the best she could, but she gave me a foundation in Christ that I would not have had without her. With this foundation God could reveal to me how my mother, even in all her mistakes and imperfections, molded me into the woman I am today.

I suspect that mild-mannered soft-spoken woman that everyone else knew taught them the same things. Those that came to her funeral spoke of her in glowing terms. She was their light, their laughter, the bright spot in their day. She encouraged them, always made them smile. She helped them so much before the cancer forced her to stop working. It didn't matter whether it was a boss from a job she hadn't had for twenty years, a child she taught at church, a niece or nephew she told about Jesus or a fellow employee she just met. They all came because she had touched their life far beyond what she would have believed.

They called her friend.....I called her mom.

What Does the Time of Samuel Teach Us?

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 15:30:00 +0000

During my Old Testament studies, I was required to write several essays for an Old Testament Survey course. As part of the overall dynamic of this course, we were always to look for and consider the value of the Old Testament for our lives. This essay was confined to four specific questions that must be answered:

During the time of Samuel, why did the people of Israel desire a king? Why was Saul chosen, and, ultimately, why was he rejected? What attribute did David display that made him a better king than Saul? What sin did Solomon commit that ultimately led to the division of Israel after his death?

Israel desired a King

During the time of the Judges the Bible states that “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.”[1] As you read further in the book of Judges you see that the people of Israel had truly turned away from God and “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”[2] By the time that Samuel was old enough to step into the station and position of Judge, Priest and Prophet the people of Israel had already gone through multiple repeated cycles of “apostasy, distress and deliverance.”[3] Israel’s heart was no longer after God. The elders of Israel told Samuel that he was getting old and the sons he had appointed as leaders were not following his ways. This was therefore a good reason for him to give them a king when in truth all they wanted was to be like all the other nations.[4] In this statement they rejected the Lord God of Israel who had brought them out of Egypt, who had parted the Red Sea, the one who had made them a nation. Even after being warned what this king would do, what he would take and how he would oppress, they still desired a king. Israel wanted someone to lead them and fight their battles. They turned their backs on the covenant and on God. Samuel prayed and was instructed by God to give his people what they wanted.

Saul: Chosen and Rejected

Samuel was directed to the right place to meet and anoint Saul the one the Lord spoke of who would lead and govern his people as their king. Saul was handsome and stood taller than everyone. On the outside he looked impressive and when introduced to the people they agreed with the choice. However, he was not God’s true choice
for God desired one from the tribe of Judah not the tribe of Benjamin.

Though Saul was warned by Samuel to follow after the Mosaic covenant Saul did not do so. He repeatedly acted in rebellion and disobedience to God. His final act of disobedience that caused God to reject him as king came when instructed to “attack the Amalekites and totally destroy them and all that belongs to them.”[5] Saul in his own wisdom decided to spare the life of King Agag and the best of his sheep, cattle, fat calves and lambs. But when confronted by Samuel he arrogantly states that he did obey the Lord.[6]

David: A Better King

In comparison to Saul, David was a young man who knew God. He had faith in God as proven when he faced Goliath of Gath and stated “the battle is the LORD’S and he will give all of you into our hands.”[7] Though anointed by Samuel during the reign of Saul, David honored Saul as God’s anointed and would not raise his hand against him. David showed real character and honor in spite of Saul’s many attempts to kill him. Once Saul had died David mourned his passing and had the man killed who took Saul’s life because he had “killed the LORD’S anointed.”[8] As king, David “established justice and righteousness, and installed trusted public officials.”[9] But greater than anything else was how David responded to correction. When David did wrong in the sight of God he came back to God with a repentant heart. David had to cope with the “outworking of the curses” spoken upon him by Nathan for breaking the covenant.[10] However he never lost his faith or belief in God’s unconditional covenant with him.

Solomon's Sin

Before David died he installed his son Solomon on the throne. Solomon followed his father’s instructions to “purge the nation of those who pose a threat to his power and the covenant.”[11] Solomon’s obedience to the covenant produced the successful unification of the nation. As king he went on to build and dedicate the temple. However, in all of his wisdom he took as wives and concubines women from the peoples that God had told the Israelites not to intermarry with. God’s word says that Solomon had “700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines, and his wives lead his astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been.”[12] Solomon went so far as to build a “high place” for Chemosh (the god of the Moabites) and Molek (the god of the Ammonites) as well as for the other gods that his foreign wives burned incense and offered sacrifices to. When Solomon turned away from God, God in turn turned away from him. He spoke the coming division of the nation as a judgment against Solomon's sin.

What Does the Time of Samuel Teach Us?

In all of this we see how God honored those who honored God’s covenant. We also see how “Israel’s external condition was inextricably linked to her spiritual condition”[13] or the condition of her leaders. We can understand how this can be applied to our lives when we understand the lesson here that God desires obedience.

Reference

Hindson, Ed, and Gary Yates. The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2012.

New International Version Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008.

[1] Judges 2:10 NIV

[2] Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25 KJV

[3] (Hindson and Yates 2012, p138)

[4] 1 Samuel 8:4 NIV

[5] 1 Samuel 15:3 NIV

[6] 1 Samuel 15:20 NIV

[7] 1 Samuel 17:47 NIV

[8] 2 Samuel 1:15-16 NIV

[9] (Hindson and Yates 2012, p169)

[10] (Hindson and Yates 2012, p170)

[11] (Hindson and Yates 2012, p180)

[12] 1 Kings 11:3-4 NIV

[13] (Hindson and Yates 2012, p148)

A Genesis 1-11 Worldview

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 19:00:00 +0000

Have you ever looked at Genesis and considered what it says about the natural world, human identity, human relationships or civilization? Have you contemplated the worldview it represents or how that does or should affect your worldview?

Genesis chapters 1-11 take us from the Creation event through the death of Abel, at the hands of Cain, to the tower of Babel. In those eleven chapters a strong biblical worldview is laid out if we are willing to examine it.

While working towards my AA in Religion back in 2013 during a survey course of the Old Testament, I was required to really examine the book. Once examined I had to write an essay regarding Genesis chapters 1-11. I was required to identify what Genesis 1-11 taught regarding the natural world, human identity, human relationships, and civilization and then to address how this teaching affects or has affected my worldview. I had to attempt to be concise and yet careful to address each topic within certain time and word count restraints. Below I share with you the product of my examination with no edit of content and only the addition of sectional headings.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Introduction

Genesis chapter 1 begins with the creation of all things including the creation of man in the image of God. It is the “beginning of the human race and the beginning of the Hebrew race.” (Hindson & Yates, 2012, p 51). Through the intervening chapters we are immersed in the revelation of God's great power and humanities depravity. God shows us how willing he is to bring mankind back into a right relationship with himself. By the end of chapter 11 we come to the account of Terah who became the father of Abram. In these chapters, if we will look closely we will see and understand what God would have us know about our natural world, human identity as well as human relationships and civilization as a whole.

Natural World

Through these chapters God shows us that our world was truly created for us and for our use. This natural world around us shows us that there is a creator and he has a plan for everyone and everything. Genesis 1:11 explains to us how God called forth the seed bearing herbs, grasses and fruit trees to yield after their own kind. In Genesis 1:21, 24 & 25 God created water, air and land animals all to produce after their own kind. He placed a light in the sky for daytime and a minor light for night. Our natural world displays order at all times whereas mankind following evolutionary

belief systems not only denies it but is bent on chaos.

Human Identity

In our world today, due to a lack of relationship with God, many find their identity in their occupation, their family, their accomplishments and any recognition they receive. Yet, throughout the first eleven chapters of Genesis it is easy to see and understand that our identity should be found in God and God alone. We carry the role of being his “image bearers” (Hindson & Yates, 2012, p 55) for human kind was made in his image and his likeness. He created this world and placed mankind in charge of it giving us dominion and a command to “subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28) “We owe our existence to him.” (Hindson & Yates, 2012, p 55) No matter how far we try to run from God, to claim our life as our own, we can never get away from the fact that we have “made by God” indelibly etched in our soul.

Human Relationships

God, through the beginning chapters of Genesis, proves that he desires an ongoing relationship with us. He created Adam and Eve with relationship with him in mind. Once sin entered the Garden God proved his desire for relationship by not destroying man but instead “providing for their redemption.” (Hindson & Yates, 2012, p 56). And yet, human relationships are always in flux. As we work on or fight in our relationship with God so goes our relationships with others. Human relationships since the fall of Adam have been fraught with jealousy and greed. As we see in Genesis 4:1-8, it was Cain’s disobedience to God in giving a right sacrifice and God's subsequent lack of favor for his sacrifice that propelled him forward in his actions. Cain chose jealousy and greed over obedience to God which led him to murder Abel. Throughout the first eleven chapters of Genesis we see how the wickedness of man only grew. It is obedience to God and his teaching that brings us into not only a right relationship with God but also with others.

Civilization

Civilization as a whole walks in rebellion to God. When given up to their own devices, civilization is divisive and violent in nature. When there is unity, as in at the Tower of Babel, (Genesis 11:1-9) it is not for the glory of God but for the glory of man. So, while God may use people groups and nations to do his work, (to bring his judgments and correction), he will always come down through the civilization, through a nation, through a people group to an individual. He will call on a man or woman to follow him, to do his will.

Affect on My Worldview

From before the time I was old enough to understand the song “Jesus Loves Me” I was immersed in the word of God. I was raised in the church from the time I was 3 months old. All my life I've been surrounded and enveloped in this same teaching that I'm receiving at this time. So the teachings that I have received concerning these first eleven chapters of Genesis have bolstered and strengthen my Christian worldview. They have made my faith foundation more sure and more deeply rooted in the knowledge of God's perfect love for an imperfect creation.

References

Hindson, E., & Yates, G. (2012). The Essence of the Old Testaments. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group.

(New International Version Study Bible, 2008)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

What do you think?

I challenge you to sit down over the next few days and examine Genesis chapters 1-11 and answer the same questions. Write down a paragraph per topic of what your studies uncover. Don't be surprised if the way you answer each topic differs from myself and others. It's okay. We each perceive and need to receive slightly different things from the Holy Spirit at times because of where we are in Christ. Gods word is true and it never changes but our perspective and our needs are individual and God will show you what YOU need. God bless.

Smyrna: A Fragrant Offering Before the Lord

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 18:31:00 +0000

While I've been away from my blog, I have been pursuing a bachelors in Biblical and Theological Studies. As part of my work recently, we've been discussing the letters to the angels of the seven churches in the book of Revelation. During a discussion board one of my classmates chose to discuss the church of Smyrna and below you will find an edited version of my reply. I share this with the hope to do two things. First, I hope to make you think about what true persecution looks like as I recently had a classmate refer to having their faith questioned as a matter of persecution. Sadly, I believe that many who say they have a saving faith in Christ relate many petty things to an "environment of persecution" they feel they are under.... when, in truth, there is no such "environment" around them. Secondly, I hope to encourage those who truly are undergoing persecution for their faith that the opposite of what the persecutors want will happen.

Smyrna, the persecuted church, is likely one that many today do not want to take a closer look at even though they received praise with no rebuke from Christ. I think this has everything to do with the idea of persecution. I believe a quote that would be useful in application to the church of Smyrna compared to today’s church is in the book, "The Book of Revelation Unlocking the Future." Hindson, the author, said, “It is difficult, if not impossible, for most modern Christians to comprehend what it must be like to risk all you have for Christ. Most of us struggle with concerns about public embarrassment or social rejection. We know little or nothing about laying down our lives for the gospel.”^{^[1]} This statement clearly speaks to our current struggle in the church today.

In reference to persecution, it occurred to me how perfect the name Smyrna was for the town/church. According to Hindson, “Ancient Smyrna was named for a perfume

whose aroma was released by crushing the resin of a small thornbush.”^{^[2]}

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 says, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…”^{^[3]} The church at Smyrna was literally a perfume or fragrant offering before the lord. As the world attempted to crush them, it only spread their fragrance farther and wider. You would be correct in saying, as they are attacked from the outside, it causes the Word of God to flourish.

Bibliography

Hindson, Edward. The Book of Revelation Unlocking the Future. Twenty-First Century Biblical Commentary Series. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2002.

[1] Edward Hindson. The Book of Revelation Unlocking the Future. Twenty-First Century Biblical Commentary Series. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2002. p. 37.

[2]Ibid. p. 36.

[3] English Standard Version. Crossway Bibles. 2011.

Integrity, Faith and the Word of God

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 16:30:00 +0000

Integrity- It means honesty, truthfulness, honor, veracity, reliability…basic uprightness…etc. Do we as Christians understand what integrity means in regards to the Word of God?

I believe the answer is no.

I’ve spent the last year in deep study of the word of God in pursuit of my degrees and the one thing that I keep coming across within Christian circles is a lack of integrity when it comes to the Word of God.

Don’t misunderstand…it’s not a lack of integrity with the Bible. Its integrity is intact. No, I’m talking about the very people whose responsibility to the Word of God shows a lack of integrity not only in how they conduct themselves but more so in how they represent Him and specifically His word.

The Word of God IS GOD’s WORD.

It is infallible. It is unbreakable. It is unstoppable.

It is VALID, UNCHANGING, AND UNCOMPROMISING.

Is this how the church has been representing the Word of God? Is this how you as a pastor or layman in the church has been representing the Word of God?

CAN YOU SAY THIS HAS BEEN YOUR WITNESS?

Yes, we are human and to err is human but is that to be our excuse? Yeah, sometimes I don’t represent the Word of God correctly, so what? I’m not perfect and God understands that. But should our expectations to be so low? Didn’t Jesus, the one and only man of perfection, call us up to His level?

Yes. He did.

The very reason why this is important is because what we believe about the Word of God affects everything else about our relationship with God, our Christian walk and our witness.

Let’s take another look at the meaning of Integrity and then look at how Jesus approached the Word of God.

Integrity: (noun)

1. The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness

2. The state of being whole and undivided

a. The condition of being unified, unimpaired, or sound in construction

b. Internal consistency or lack of corruption in data

If you study the life of Jesus Christ and investigate Him, you will come to find that He held the scriptures in high regard. Now before I lose some of you, let me acknowledge that the scriptures that Jesus Christ was referring to were the scriptures of the Old Testament as the scriptures of the New Testament had yet to be written. However, the Old Testament pointed to God and prophesied of Jesus Christ and the New Testament consists of the life story of Jesus Christ and the life history of the church He founded through His apostles. Therefore, they are inextricably linked and consequently inseparable.

So, either the whole Bible is the Word of God or none of it is.

And this is where I find the lack of integrity in the church today. Jesus believed in the veracity of the Word of God. Although He was God made flesh He did not put himself above the Word of God. He did not correct the Word of God when asked about it but instead, He corrected wrong interpretations. He unearthed the heart of God’s word to unscrupulous men who deigned to put a set of laws upon others that even they could not maintain.

And we, 2000⁺ years later condescend in all our knowledge and wisdom to parcel out the word of God as to what is true and what is not, what is a story to make a moral point and what is scientifically impossible and therefore never meant to be taken literally.

2000⁺ years later we supposedly have “a better understanding” of what God was saying than Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Let me show you what I mean.

Was King David a real man, a real king? Or how about Moses? Jonah? How about Lot’s wife? How about Adam and Eve? How about the big fish? The pillar of salt? The creation event and Noah, the Ark and the flood?

In Matthew 22:43-44, Jesus refers to King David as He quotes from Psalm 110 when He says, “How then can David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord’ when he says, ‘The Lord told my Lord, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet?”

In John 5:45-47, Jesus refers to Moses as He says, “Do not suppose that I will be the one to accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope, because if you believed Moses, you would believe me, since he wrote about me.”

But those are easy references. Those acknowledge that someone of historical significance lived and influenced the lives of those Christ was speaking to. So, let’s get more intense.

In Matthew 12:40 Jesus references Jonah. Now this is more important that you could imagine. He not only references Jonah but uses it to reveal His coming resurrection. In answer to the scribes and Pharisees He tells them, “A wicked and adulterous generation craves a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Now, some have tried to say this story of Jonah is a tall tale told about Jonah to speak about obedience to God (Jonah’s bad example) and the willingness of God to forgive (the repentance of Nineveh). However, to teach and believe this is to undermine the resurrection of Christ. Why do I say this? Do you normally use references to fictional or imaginary stories or characters as a basis for the greatest events in your life? No? Then why would you believe that Christ would? He wouldn’t and He did not because Jonah was real and the event happened. We may not know how to explain it but that does not mean it’s not true. (I mean, really? If you’ve got to be able to explain things for them to be true, then you’ve got a lot of problems!)

And how about Luke 17:26-27 where Jesus speaks of Noah. “Just as it was in Noah’s time, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage right up to the day when Noah went into the Ark. Then the flood came and destroyed all of them.” Jesus speaks of Noah as a real person, the Ark as a real thing and the flood as a real event.

So, let’s see if I can make this tougher. In Luke 17:31-32, Jesus Christ explicitly refers to Lot’s wife. “The person who is on the housetop that day must not come down to get his belongings out of his house. The person in the field, too, must not turn back to what’s left behind. Remember Lot’s wife!” Now, in case you don’t remember, Lot and his family were told not to look back as they were being moved to safety as God was preparing and began the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. But Lot’s wife did look back seemingly in regret for what she was leaving and was turned into a pillar of salt. It’s kind of cut and dried. Either it happened or it didn’t. Can I explain it? No. But that doesn’t undermine the Word of God, it shows my lack of understanding of what God did. There is a difference.

And let’s not look over Jesus reference to Genesis and Adam and Eve when, in Matthew 19:4-6 He answers, “Haven’t you read… that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh? So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together let no one separate.” Jesus Christ mentions the beginning, the Creator and the creation of Adam and Eve. During the whole ministry of Jesus Christ, we see every evidence that He speaks and discusses these and more as historical people, events and facts.

So, the question I have for you is:

Does your faith in the Word of God have integrity? I am asking not only does your faith have the quality of honesty, strong moral principles and moral uprightness but is it whole? Unified? Unimpaired?

Is it internally consistent? Or is there corruption in your data?

I know that things can shake our faith at times. The world comes at us with a hundred million reasons why we are wasting our time believing in the Bible. Doubts can come when we do not understand everything we read and at times sincere preachers and pastors have misinterpreted His word and misled their congregations. But that stilldoesn’t touch the Word of God.

Is it true? Can I believe it?

Well, that’s for you to decide but let me see if I can help. Jesus believed the scripture was unbound and unbroken. He believed that not one Dot nor an Iota would pass away without being accomplished. He believed it was historical history. He believed that what scripture said, God said. He believed in the inspiration of all of it. He believed in its legitimacy. He believed its divine authorship, its human authorship, and its bearing on all our lives. He believed in the Word of God to the point that He submitted Himself fully to it even to the point of death.

So now it’s up to you to decide for yourself if your faith has integrity because it truly comes down to this:

Either the Bible is a lie, the stories within it are falsehoods

and Jesus was a raving lunatic

those things really happened, those people really existed

and Jesus was and is the Son of God and the Lord of all.

You don’t have to be able to explain it. All you must understand, if you choose to have faith in God’s word, is that everything that pertains to life and salvation are found within its pages.

Are You Being Asked to Make Changes? To Step Out in Faith?

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 08:45:00 +0000

Have you ever thought what it must have been like for Abram when God spoke to him and told him to leave all he knew and go to a land that God would show him?

God told him to leave his father's household, his people and even his country. God wanted to bless him and through him bless the whole world but to do so it was necessary that he be separated from all he was familiar with.

Abram was to be breathed on by God and in the process not only would his name be changed but his destiny would be also.

We kind of gloss over this part of his story and tend to go straight to what a man of faith he was to take his son up on a mountain and prepare to sacrifice him but his faith didn't start there.

As far as we can tell, Abram's faith walk started the day he started packing up his family to leave. What did his family think? His kinsfolk? His community? How many doubts crossed his mind? How many doubters spoke to him?

We don't get a clear view of all of that. We see Abram receiving instructions from God and acting upon them. And this is where the rubber meets the road. He was well to do. Successful. Prosperous. Just picking up everything and leaving wasn't going to be easy.

Leaving was risky! Obeying God would be risky!

Abram likely never saw those family members again in his life. He likely never saw that community or his country again. God was moving him out.

In so many ways this is our life. God wants us to move out, get away from the comfortable, the long standing cozy relationships, the familiar.

He says I'll bless you and make you a blessing to others. If you will obey me and move when I say move then I will change your dead circumstances and bring new life.

When we look at Abram we see that he answered God's call with a step of faith. He obeyed and God changed him and then used him to changed the course of history. That should get you excited!!!

What has God called on you to do? It may not be as big and drastic as Abram but it's still important. Does it feel dangerous? Risky? Are you concerned about the problems you may face? The things that will be out of your control? The sheer uncertainty of it?

Consider this: the step of faith that God is calling you to take may be totally for you. You see circumstances and environments are not what's important to God....you are. So what is it really that God is wanting to change by asking for that step of faith?

Spiritual Blindness: From the Pulpit to the Pew

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 17:30:00 +0000

Anyone that has paid attention in the last 30 years has heard or seen the issues that have made headlines in regards to pastors and their pulpits. It seems we can't get through a few years without a man or women in places of leadership doing something that dishonors Christ's name. Books have even been written explaining the pastoral culture issues, the symptoms and giving solutions. I'll refer to one below and then we'll see how this is really an "everybody problem."

Paul Tripp, in his book Dangerous Calling Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry, says we have some major problems.

Pastors are letting their ministry define their identity

Pastors are letting their Biblical literacy and theological knowledge define their maturity

Pastors are confusing their ministry success with God's endorsement of their lifestyle

So what are we seeing because of this?

Well, according to Tripp it's :

spiritual blindness,

theological self-righteousness,

dysfunctional personal relationships to the word of God,

lack of personal gospel neediness,

impatience with others,

wrong perspectives on ministry,

and no living communion with Christ.

So why are we seeing this in pastors?

According to Tripp, it's happening because:

Pastors are ignoring clear evidence of problems
Pastors are blind to issues of their own hearts
Pastors ministries are lacking in devotion
Pastors are not preaching the gospel to themselves
Pastors are not listening to the people closest to them
Pastors are living in silence with their own sinfulness

BUT... these are not just issues with pastors.
These issues go from the pulpit to the pew!

These are issues within the whole church body no matter whether you are a pastor, deacon, or choir leader, nursery worker, greeter or just someone sitting in the pew. It doesn't matter whether you are adult, teenager or child. Each and everyone of us, fight with these in some way, shape, or form.

The biggest problems?

We place unrealistic expectations on the gift of salvation. When a person asks Jesus Christ to forgive their sins and become their Lord and Savior, they do not suddenly become a different person. How do I know? YOU DIDN'T ! You still had all the same issues, problems and hang-ups you had before you prayed. Your personality didn't change. Your history didn't change. You are still living out the choices you made previously. The only difference is that you now have the Holy Spirit working inside of you to lead and guide you into the things of Christ.

Those unrealistic expectations on the gift of salvation then can give you unrealistic expectations on the pastor. When he stands behind the pulpit we think he has arrived! The pastor doesn't have the same issues we do. He doesn't get angry with people, he doesn't get ugly, he never cusses, he doesn't look at things he shouldn't, he doesn't treat people wrong. For real? And you wonder why over time Pastors begin to believe they have arrived too and don't NEED what their church members need.

We also make unhelpful assumptions on the abilities of the pastor. Sometimes this is because of their age or experiences or degrees. We assume (and so do they) that they are capable of doing so much that over time they are unnecessarily burdened with responsibilities many of which should have been delegated. Those assumptions also include the home life and family relationships such that we isolate the pastor and his family. We insulate them in such a way and lift them up on such a pedestal that they cannot be open and honest about the true state of affairs in their home life.

And when someone falls, we dig their grave...and bury them...alive.

We don't tend to our wounded. We don't use the antiseptic of God's word and the oil of the Holy Spirit and tend them back to health with unconditional love. No. We complain about how we were hurt, we gossip about how they fell from such great heights and we puff ourselves up because WE would never do what they did.

Spiritual Blindness.

It's all spiritual blindness. There is only one who was ever perfect and there will only be one who ever walks this planet perfect until God takes us home. His name is Jesus Christ. He and only he is the head of the church and all others no matter how high or how low are the body. We all live in a wretched and sinful world and because we all have a sin nature we all must daily work out our sanctification. None of us have arrived.

Each and every one of us are in danger of these same stated problems. It's not just a pastoral ministry culture issue. The temptation to get our identity horizontally through what we do, who we are with and what others think of us instead of vertically by virtue of the fact God is our father is an everybody problem. So is the temptation to think that knowledge of the word of God and spiritual maturity are synonymous. If they were then the DEVIL would be more spiritually mature in Christ than YOU because of the depth of knowledge he has about the word of God. And lastly, when things are going well, we are all prone to the temptation to think that God's blessings on our lives are an approval of our lifestyle. We all need to realize, God honors his word no matter your relationship to him. Therefore, God honoring his word is not the same as a stamp of approval on your lifestyle.

We all need Jesus, we all need the same message, we all need to remember "there is NONE righteous no not one" and that is the attitude and realization that we need to keep in front of ourselves.

Spiritual blindness will cause us to ignore our neediness

and we are all in danger there.

3 Spring Cleaning Ideas To Help Your Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 17:30:00 +0000

Clutter has a negative effect. You may not realize it but some of your clutter may be negatively effecting your blogging.

Here are some places to deal with clutter:

Email
Facebook
Blogging space.

As bloggers we deal with emails on a regular basis. Over time we can begin to let things slide and end up having a bigger mountain than we desire to deal with. If you use Facebook the clutter there can hinder your productivity and suck precious time with parasitic time wasters. Your "Blogging Space" is an important space whether it's a desk in a separate room, a table in the family dining room, a spot on the living room couch or even a little corner closet. As you organize your thoughts for the post(s) you're writing it's highly beneficial that you have some organization to your space too.

Spring Clean your Email

Over the years of blogging you have probably subscribed to a number of sites that you no longer pay attention to. Take some time to revisit the newsletters and posts evaluating their value to you at this time. Purge anything that is just taking up space.

Remember all those sites,

for example, Staples, Books A Million, Office Depot, etc... (enter yours in the _____). How many unread emails do you have sitting in your emails? I just purged unopened emails from companies like that from 2014 ! Yikes! Even if you have an account like one from Google and they're not taking up "space" you have to pay for, get rid of them!

If your email system allows you to employ a filtering system, do so. Take the time to make a filter that shunts mail from all your junk mail sources straight into your trash folder. From here you can set your trash folder to delete everything once it is 30 days old. This gives you time, if you're concerned about accidentally deleting something that wasn't actually junk.

Spring Clean your Facebook

Unfriend/un-follow/block/mute - you pick! There are people, pages, games and groups that are time and creativity parasites. It's time to deal with them. Facebook gives the ability to unfriend, un-follow and block. They also give you the ability to make lists to group people and pages together so you don't have to wade through your news feed to find what you want to see. Use it!

If you're in a group and don't want to leave but can't handle the influx of posts in your news feed, or notifications for them then adjust your notifications to only see highlights, only your friends posts or turn notifications off.

And take the time to Hide All Posts from _________ (fill in the blank) when you come across nuisance posts or notifications. You can always go back and un-hide them later if you so decide. Taking the time to do so when it first arrives in your feed or notifications will reduce frustration and distraction now that you will immediately begin to benefit from.

Spring Clean Your Blogging Space

Wherever you blog from it helps to reduce the distractions. Move the mail, the catalogs, the menus, bills, and the kids school work. Give yourself a space of reduced distraction and maximized creativity. Whether you're at a desk, the kitchen table or the couch, organize any physical inspiration you are using for your writing to be within easy reach. Unless you love to work with sticky notes, take notes for other ideas for posts that come up in the moment with a program like Microsoft's OneNote. You can always just refer back to your OneNote notes and see your inspiration at a later time while not cluttering your space. (I did that just a few minutes ago - an idea hit me for another post and I picked up a sticky note and wrote it down. As I write this I'm having to search my desk for that sticky note...so from personal experience, do this! oh! found it! It's going in OneNote....brb.......)

...and this is what it looks like !!! Easy !!!

So what other ways can you think of to spring clean

to help your blogging? I'd love to hear them !

Can I Take A Break From My Blog ?

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 03:51:00 +0000

This is a question that many bloggers ask.

Will I lose followers? Will my readership go down? Will taking a break hurt me in the long run?

Maybe you will lose followers and readership but what's more important is why you're thinking about taking a break.

As bloggers, we have to remember that we have a life outside of our internet persona. This is sometimes hard to remember because the "Blogging Guru's" drill the message in that you must keep consistently blogging multiple times weekly in order to be and stay successful. When you have no inspiration you are advised to curate content. This means searching the internet for content from another site to share on yours. You don't steal it or plagiarize it. You bring something to your audience that they don't have to search for that you believe is of value to them. This helps with search engine optimization and it connects you with other bloggers and website owners. This is all well and good and there is nothing wrong with curating content however, this doesn't apply to every blogger. So, if you don't curate content then maybe you can have a guest blogger or search the internet for other possibilities.

Before jumping on the bandwagon of common advice within the blogging community, take the time to ask yourself some questions.

Why am I blogging? What is my purpose? What am I doing this for?
Who is my audience? How do they interact with myself/my blog?
Am I also running a Facebook page, Google+ account, Twitter account, or Instagram account for my blog?

If I take a break from blogging will I still be active on any of these?

Why do I feel I need to take a break?

Family issues? Health issues? Financial issues?
Getting burnt out? Writers block? Lack of inspiration?

What would I consider as an acceptable loss with my blog if I take a break?

In essence, you need to get the facts out in front of you to make an informed decision. For most bloggers, taking a break is not going to be a life or death decision for their blog. Sure, you may lose some followers but those who you have truly connected to will be dedicated to you. And that's what we all desire in the long run, the dedicated followers...the ones that comment, interact and appreciate your content.

If you take a break and lose some followers the best way to look at it is as a form of pruning, taking away the dead branches so you can grow bigger and stronger.

The pro's of taking a break can include:

Getting refreshed - like coming inside after a hot day at work and taking a long drink of your favorite cold beverage... "ahhhh" it doesn't get any better than this!
Renewed creativity - sometimes all you need to get the creative juices flowing again is some time away not trying to figure out what to blog about next, not fighting to meet deadlines, whether self-imposed or not.
The stress of deadlines, even self-imposed ones, can stress your body out and literally make you sick. A break can give you a chance to de-stress, getting more and better restorative sleep, helping to combat depression and anxiety and reducing physical tension.

If blogging has become harder, you are posting more of everyone else's content than your own, its harder to develop a post than it used to, your creativity seems stunted, you're tired, your schedule is too full, you don't feel like you have any time for yourself anymore, your family needs you more, you're dealing with health issues..... then maybe you need to ask yourself --

Can I afford NOT taking a break right now ???

My Reaction to "My Big Fat Fabulous Life"

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 21:11:00 +0000

Last night I watched a show called "My Big Fat Fabulous Life" and before I knew it I was holding back tears. I found someone else who has experienced the same problems as me.

Now I'm going to be blunt, most people would think, oh, you found someone who understands what it's like to be fat, but no, that's not it. I found a person and a show that is speaking to the medical problem called Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome that I have with all it's complications AND a show speaking to the last totally acceptable group to be discriminatory and totally ugly towards.

You see, in our society today, it is totally acceptable to be rude, ugly and nasty to so-called "fat" people. If you are overweight & considered "fat" then it seems to be acceptable to be called a whale, Shamu, pig, or cow in public by total strangers. It seems to be acceptable to be told by total strangers that you are disgusting and should start exercising and stop eating. It's totally acceptable to devalue and dehumanize us.

Consider how you would feel walking from the parking lot towards the entrance doors of a restaurant only to have someone you don't even know yell out that maybe starving children in Africa would have food to eat if you would just stopped eating. Or having kids in a playground tell your child I'm glad she's not my mom, I'd be afraid she'd fall and squash me. Or how about being told to wait for another elevator because you're so big you'll put it over it's weight limit. These things (and much worse) are said to people everyday and no one blinks an eye....worse than that, most people laugh and go on thinking nothing of it.

You see, if you are one of those "fat" people, you're considered to be lazy and a glutton. Basically, it's assumed that your weight has everything to do with your inability to stop putting food in your face. In most people's mind there is no way you can be eating a good healthy diet and being active or exercising AND be fat. Society has decided, and most people believe, that those people who are "fat" got there by bad eating habits and laziness.

What most people don't take the time to consider is

circumstances outside of your control.

During the first 6 months that I was married I gained 30 pounds. I had grown up on a diet that included a lot of carbs with veggies on the side. As a newly married woman I had to change my eating habits since my husband desired more meat/protein in his meals than I was used to. For years I blamed the change in diet for the weight gain but others blamed laziness.

Funny thing was, all my life I was told I was fat and ugly and needed to lose weight. The day I got married I felt so blessed that this man, soon to be my husband, loved someone as fat and ugly as me.

It made no sense for me to be called fat or told I needed to lose weight though since I was ~120-130 pounds when I got married at 18 and wore a size 12 wedding dress.

What no one knew until I was 21 was that I had PCOS and something had triggered the weight gain. However, many blamed the PCOS on the weight gain not the weight gain on the PCOS. You see, PCOS is an endocrine disorder*...

*The endocrine system influences how your heart beats, how your bones and tissues grow, even your ability to make a baby. It plays a vital role in whether or not you develop diabetes, thyroid disease, growth disorders, sexual dysfunction, and a host of other hormone-related disorders. (WebMD)

That means hormonal imbalance leading to more male hormones being produced than would normally be and an imbalance of the female hormones leading to uncontrolled weight gain among other things.

Over the last 30 years I've gained more than that 30 pounds I picked up in my first six months of marriage and have had some really horrible experiences with people, but especially doctors who did not understand PCOS and have preconceived notions about weight. One in particular had me tell him what I was eating and what exercises I was doing and keep track of it. He could not accept that I could possibly be doing the exercise I said I was and eating what I said I was and not losing weight. He treated me so badly including calling me a boldfaced liar and shutting my daughter up when she demanded I was being truthful. I left his office crying that day and never went back.

About six months ago I saw a new physician and after looking at my medical records and tests I was told that my weight was not my fault. The doctor told me point blank there was nothing that I could have done to stop my weight gain. PCOS has controlled my weight all my life. He indicated that without getting balance in my adrenals as well as female & male hormone production that I won't be able to get the weight off. So much for the comments that say "You're that weight because you want to be!"

Mine is not the only story like this but most people don't care to know the truth. The common belief is that "fat" people deserve the hell they get. "Fat" people can be treated like second class citizens, like they have no feelings, like they're stupid and undesirable because they're "fat." If they didn't want to be treated that way then they should lose some weight.

The real problem is....you don't know who a person is by their weight, you don't know their problems by looking at the scale. So the next time you come across someone who is "fat" to you...consider that they may have a medical issue you know nothing of.

And remember, "but by the grace of God, there go I..."

because one day...that might be you.

What Do You Do When You Lose Everything?

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 03:15:00 +0000

I've been asking myself this question each and every day for the last 19 days. Whether my family thinks about it, this is the question in the back of their minds too. Loss is a devastating thing and no matter how many times you go through loss it's just never the same. So I guess you can just sit back, be a fly on the wall, as I curl up and ask this question out loud. I may sometimes talk to you, sometimes to myself and sometimes to God as I find my answers.

On June 8th, 19 days ago, my family lost our home to a fire. It totally destroyed what I have always called the "boys room" even though two of the three "boys" in that room are grown men. (23 and 25) All of their possessions, clothes, books, trinkets, valuables... all gone.... turned into ash. The girls room blackened severely with soot. Things close to the ceiling were burned, things on shelves were melted and everything else permeated with soot and the stench of smoke. Their dance clothes destroyed. The smell of burnt wood, plastic and vinyl permeates everything. In the living room old VHS tapes are warped and/or melted from the heat as are DVDs. The TV is destroyed. It's frame is warped and the front is torn and melted. In my bedroom the heat actually evaporated water out of the water bed and damaged (hopefully didn't destroy) the dresser that used to belong to my husband's grandmother. Everything is blackened throughout as if you walked into utter darkness. The only light coming in is what you bring with you or the light coming in through opened or broken windows.

It is a devastating thing to lose everything, to lose your home and belongings. I have to remember, it happens to people other than us probably just about everyday... so what do you do when you lose everything???

First off, I need to take a breath. It'll be alright. God has never left us. He's never abandoned us and he won't abandon us now. It's time to remind myself of all that God has done, of his faithfulness. It's time to encourage myself in the Lord.

I need to give myself and others grace. Losing everything is like having a death in the family. We all deal with it, we all grieve that death differently and not on anyone else's timetable. Even as God, through people, bless us with better than we lost, it doesn't stop the grieving. It doesn't change the fact that what we had was suddenly and irrevocably taken from us. I need to remember that others don't know how we are feeling at any given time and they are only trying to help even if they say the "wrong" thing at the "wrong time." I need to give them grace.

I need to take things slow. Don't make any sudden decisions. Sudden decisions are usually the ones you regret because they're made in the midst of all the pressure and uncertainty. Don't let emotions make decisions as emotions change from moment to moment especially in these situations. We have time to sort these things out.

Don't let others pressure me into getting rid of the damaged stuff without looking through it. If I let others pressure me to just throw everything away, I may decide later that something was worth trying to salvage after the fact and the emotions of feeling pushed to get rid of everything now will haunt me. That would set me up with the temptation to be angry with them and they only intend to help.

Be humble. Being used to doing for others and not asking others for help can set up a prideful arrogance of self-sufficiency. That is not helpful in this situation. With humble thanksgiving ask for what is needed and show your thankfulness for all that others do for you. Remember that the good that you have done for others over the years is like a plant and this may be your harvest time.

Remember that our safety, security and comfort comes not in a home but in the Lord. Don't let the situation, the loss, the emotions undermine your relationship with God. While a home can give you comfort and a sense of safety and security, lean on the fact that it truly is God and God alone who is those things for us and to us.

Give myself permission to have good days and enjoy myself. Sometimes you can feel guilty because of thoughts you've had or conversations you've had that almost make it sound like you're glad bad things happened. You're allowed to enjoy yourself, to be thankful, to have fun. Losing everything doesn't take away your right to be happy. You need to get away from those who think you are supposed to be sad all the time.

Make sure not to over-do it and don't skip meals. Rest is necessary to deal with the emotional, mental and physical stress of losing everything. You will be no good for your family, who is also dealing with the loss nor yourself. Stress has a bad way of messing with your health and rest is your secret weapon. Just as rest is necessary to deal with the stress of the situation so is eating well-balanced meals. Your body needs proper nourishment now more than ever.

Find a balance between taking time for yourself and being with others. You need some time alone to think but don't isolate yourself. Find the right balance. Time alone with your own thoughts is good and necessary but too much time alone can be very detrimental.

Support each other. Remember in the midst of all you are feeling, good, bad and otherwise, that you are not the only one who needs support. Sometimes, the best thing to do is help someone else. Your spouse, your children, your family --- they all need support. This time, more than any other, you need to become a tighter knit family. While you need to think of yourself, you do not need to center totally on yourself to the exclusion of everyone else. This helps no one but does start building walls between everyone as each person feels that no one cares about them. As you support others you will find you are getting the support you need.

Thy Kingdom Come ?

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Fri, 22 May 2015 17:29:00 +0000

Have you ever really thought about what you're praying when you say the Lord's Prayer?

We say ...

"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."

.... but what does that really mean?

Are we really asking for God to bring a kingdom, His kingdom down onto the earth? That seems so abstract as to not really have a meaning that we can pin down. We know it's a good thing to pray but do we really understand what we're asking for?

Today I've been studying the word "kingdom." I think we're trying to understand a Biblical word from 2,000 years ago with a modern definition. As such we really don't get it.

In the Old and New Testaments, the word kingdom, when it relates to the kingdom of God, is not talking about a place or a realm. It's talking about the rule and authority of God. So basically we're asking God to rule and reign in His authority on earth as he does in heaven. Now think about it, doesn't that make more sense???

Now take that same understanding to some other scriptures. In Mark chapter 10 verse 14, we see the disciples trying to stop the parents from bringing their children to Jesus for him to touch them. Jesus rebukes his disciples and tells them to "suffer the little children" to come to him.

This literally means to "send" the little children to Him!

At this point Jesus not only touches and blesses the children but picks them up and holds them close. He then tells his disciples that "of such" is the "kingdom of God." Jesus shows them that this is what the kingdom of God looks like. So exactly what was Jesus saying?

Well, in the next verse, Mark chapter 10 verse 15, Jesus says ...

"Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein..."

Well that definitely doesn't fit the idea of a place or realm as the definition of kingdom does it? How could we, as little children, receive a place or realm which is the kingdom of God???

We can't!

The 1965 Bible in Basic English says it this way...

"Truly I say to you, Whoever does not put himself under the kingdom of God like a little child, will not come into it at all."

The Contemporary English Version says...

"I promise you that you cannot get into God's kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does."

And the Easy-To-Read Version says...

"The truth is, you must accept God's kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it."

Consider how a little child readily accepts the rule and authority of those over it. A little child doesn't buck authority but submits to authority. And this is what Jesus says that we must do if we are to be a part of the kingdom of God.

"Thy kingdom come" is a declaration to God that you want Him to come and rule and reign in his authority on this earth. You are specifically asking God to display his rule and power over YOU! That's why you follow that phrase with "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

The kingdom of God, his rule, reign and authority, is what I want in my life. How about you?

Let's pray the Lord's prayer with a new found sense of the personal request we make for God to display his rule and authority in our lives as we strive to submit to his authority as a little child.

So You Got Me Teaching Dance : Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 06:41:00 +0000

Praise dance is about expression.

The best way to express yourself is to find a song that truly touches you ...then dance from your heart.

That sounds simple doesn't it ?

Only it's not that simple
especially when you are trying to teach kids.

Kids these days are getting mixed messages all the time even in the church. They see mom and dad and know that they ain't perfect and they see the "fakes" at church. Parent's tell kids one thing, live another and threaten the kids if they don't keep up the charade.

And people in the church wonder what is wrong with kids...

I'll tell you what's wrong..... WE ARE !!!

We want our kids to be in a relationship with God, we demand they act right and we threaten them with HELL ... all the while our relationship with God ain't all that good, we don't act right and we seem to have no fear of going to HELL ourselves. And we think they are going to listen???

You may ask, what does all this have to do with praise dance ???

EVERYTHING !!!

Kids praise dance is not about kids dancing
and parents being proud.

Praise dance comes from praise in a persons heart for the God their praise is glorifying.

And praise dance from children is no different.

So, why am I speaking so strongly? ... Because the majority of kids that I have dealt with are kids from the streets with street smarts. They have learned to look straight through the "masks" we try to wear and get to the true you. They don't trust easy and they despise "fake" Christianity. Don't be mistaken though, the kids in the church can see straight through too but they are more likely to not speak about it.

So how do we bring the two together? Let me answer that in the next section.

So, Lord, you've got me teaching praise dance, now what?

Some of the kids I was teaching clearly did not want to be there. How was I supposed to reach them? Still others had skills but no respect for anyone, especially not a short, overweight "white" woman. They didn't trust anyone and they tried everything. Talk about a tough crowd. These kids could be ruthless with their verbal jabs at one another and everyone wanted to correct everyone else.

LORD HELP !!!

I needed to start off with upbeat music and the choreography had to be their age or better. I was going to have to push them but always remember to praise them for any positive changes I saw in them. Before I could get them to express a praise for God, I had to teach them how to take praise and eventually how to give it. But most of all......... I HAD TO LIVE IT. I had to live a genuine walk to the best of my ability and when I failed I couldn't hide it or excuse it away.

These children got the benefit of my practice for I had to do these very things with my own children. I had to be willing to tell my own children I was sorry and truly apologize when I was wrong or out of line. I had to teach them how to let go of the hurts of the past and realize that God has never mistreated them. I had to teach them how to see God's presence around them at all times. I had to break down walls I'd been taught to hold up and open up myself... they had to know that God and God alone deserved their praise. They had to know that I would fail them but God who loves them more than I ever could will never fail them. In essence, I could not teach them what I did not know.

I had to walk the road before them,

letting go of my past and taking hold of God and not letting go.

From this place their praise began to flow.

As an example I'd like to share with you "Still Her Little Child", a Ray Boltz's song performed by Kathryn. This is my oldest daughter, who is now 23. She choreographed and danced this song. It gives me chills and brings me to tears every time I watch it. Here she shows that she has learned to express her inmost feelings in a way that honors and glorifies God.

BUT GOD ...I Can't Dance !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 23:42:00 +0000

What do you do when God has called you to teach kids ...

how to praise dance in the church...

AND YOU DON'T DANCE ?

Well..... it's like this....ummmm...Ok God....

Really, I just have to laugh about the whole thing.

About 5 years ago, we had just left a big church that the kids had basically spent their life in up to that point. Spiritually, they were disconnecting from everything, "church" and "God", so we had to do something.

We left and found a small church that seemed to fit. It went through some changes while we were there like starting out as a small church in its own building to merging with another church. A year later the two churches split and it finally ended up as a church meeting in a hotel meeting room looking for a more permanent building.

As it went through its changes and variations we ended up at one point with a teen led dance group. They did a lot of really good dances but the work to get a dance ready for every Sunday was grueling. By the time we got to that last transformation of the church, the dance team was defunct as it's teen leader and their family were no longer there.

Both my daughters had fallen in love with praise dance by this time and had come out of their shells. Praise dance is something that they had never had a chance to do before. In the church they had just come from, praise dance was something basically only done by those who were taking ballet and they were not ballet girls. My youngest son was just beginning to get into dubstepping and now they had no outlet.

I could see the desire in them to dance but no one felt let to step up. My heart was being torn. These kids were putting aside cartoons, tv time, video games and such to dance and work on choreography. I wanted God to do something!

That's when I realized that it was strong on my heart because God was tugging on me to step up.

BUT GOD... I Can't Dance !!!

Don't we all find ourselves in this kind of situation at one time or another? There is a need that we see and it is burdening us so much ... but it is clearly outside of our "expertise." So we beg and plead God to send someone to take care of "this important thing" only to have Him tell us... I'm sending you. So we sit down and tell God every reason why there is no way that WE could possibly do it. I mean, what on earth would make God think that a short overweight little white woman with no formal dance training could possibly teach these kids how to praise dance. I mean, God needs to get real! Doesn't He see how "closed in" my praise is??? Doesn't He see how little I express myself during praise even when I am extremely moved by it???

But that's when God just shakes His head and says to us,

"REALLY?"

"You're going to tell ME what you can do???"

And then I'd SWEAR, he just sits back and laughs. He's not laughing at us though. He's laughing because HE knows just how far we're gonna go when we start trusting HIM.

So, I started coaching praise dance.

When the Lord led us to another church, my daughters were immediately able to stand confidently in front of a new audience and dance for the glory of God with no fear. My son blossomed in his dubstep style of dancing and found a new confidence.

And, I...... well, I grew.

You see, I had to come out of MY OWN shell to get these kids out of theirs. I had to be willing to make a fool of myself in front of them and show them that it was alright. I had to show them that praise dance is not about perfect bodies dancing choreography in perfection. It's about dancing to the best of your ability for the glory of God.

In the end, I came to realize that my cry to God really wasn't...

BUT GOD...I Can't Dance !!!

my cry was...

BUT GOD... I can't do this....My body isn't perfect !!!

Without Breaking the Silence

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 14:19:00 +0000

You'll never really know how golden silence is in the busy hustle and bustle of every day.

It's those rare times when you truly find the noise gone, ...

the voices pushed away ...

and silence surrounds you, that you understand.

Silence is a gift,

an opportunity to just commune with God ...

no detractors, no one demanding your time....

it's a settled peace.

Don't try to talk, just listen, settle in...,

wrap that silence around you
like a warm blanket on a winters night...

as you allow yourself to become silenced too,
something wonderful will happen.

God will speak without ever breaking the silence.

Lay It Down

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 17:48:00 +0000

There is something so inherent within us, so hidden in many ways, that even when we give our lives to Christ and grow and mature in him, we still have to root it out at times. What I'm talking about is self-centeredness. Even as we grow and mature in Christ, the need to look to your own wants and desires first is there.

In my many years in the church and in ministry I have seen more than my share of examples of this. At first it starts off as simple concerns for yourself above others but as you grow and mature as a Christian it changes. We think that we've dealt with and overcome this temptation and then God gives us a ministry. This is when it begins to sneak back in. Many a church has had issues with different ministries within it's walls because self-centeredness has crept in.

You may ask, how? How do you see it creeping in?

I'm glad you ask!

When God gives you a ministry/anointing, he gives it to you not for your edification but for the edification of the body. If you bring that ministry/anointing into the local church then God expects you to submit it to the head of that body. As Christ is the head of the church and we submit unto him, the pastor is the head of the local corporate body and Christ expects our submission to him concerning the corporate body.

This is why it's important not to hop from church to church hoping to find somewhere where they will let you do what you want. It's important to truly find the local body of Christ where God wants you. Bring yourself into submission with the head of the corporate body and submit your ministry/anointing to the vision/mission of the church. Then you can move forward in one accord and God's work cannot be stopped.

Too many times though, this is not what we do. We find ourselves a church that we think will let us do what we want. We start our ministry there and then fight with the leadership because we want to do things our way. We never come into unity because we are always calling it "my ministry." However, if you "have" a ministry, it is not yours... it has been given to you by God for a reason and that reason is not your glory. God is a jealous God and will, if necessary, take it away.

It's time we change our view on ministry and anointing. As soon as you find yourself wishing that others would just get out of your way so you can do "your ministry".... lay it down. Find your altar and ...lay it down. Love and ministry and anointing are all things that are meant to flow through us to others. Self-centeredness even in how a ministry is run can divert and contaminate what comes out of us.

When Relationships Fall Apart

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Sat, 31 May 2014 23:58:00 +0000

One of the hardest things in life to deal with is when our relationships fall apart. It's natural to question everything. Who's right? Who's wrong? Why is this happening? Did I make a mistake? Were there warning signs? Should I have seen this coming? What now? Can I trust anyone? I've experienced this on numerous occasions in my life. I've had friendships come apart at the seams after years of being close.

I've seen many people go through long drawn out seasons of doubt, depression, anger, low self-esteem and loneliness due to the "breakup" of a relationship. Personally I've gone through those same issues and I was given little to no good advice. Many times the advice given is to "just forget" that person. The impression is that you get someone in your life to replace them. After my experiences, I definitely don't think like that. I believe when relationships fall apart you should do a little soul-searching. I don't think you should try to take your mind off of the broken place you are in emotionally and try to find another relationship to get into. That mindset only perpetuates pain. Nothing is gained and so much is lost.

*What I write here can be related to more than just friendships however I 'm specifically dealing with friendships below.

For me, there are three things that help bring healing and peace when a relationship falls apart. The first is
Acceptance. Coming to a place of acceptance allows you to stop fighting something that is outside of your control. Acceptance brings you the opportunity to concentrate your time on you and you're healing. The second is Releasing. To handle the breakup of a relationship you must release the other person from your expectations upon them and your past experiences with them. And lastly, is Understanding. It's important to understand that some people are meant to be in your life for years, some for months, others for weeks or days, some for only hours, minutes or even just seconds. The "time frame" is ordained by God who seeks only for your good.

ACCEPTANCE: You are only in control of you. When relationships fall apart we lash out in anyway we can to control the situation and manipulate it to make ourselves happy. However, we need to accept that there are things outside of our control and stop the power struggle. In reference to relationships, two things that are out of our control are how others feel about us and their desire to be in a relationship with us. Attempting to control others feelings and actions will only bring frustration and unnecessary stress. Acceptance allows us to put our faith and trust back on God and uncloaks our mind so that we can reflect on ourselves. Although the breakup of a relationship does not mean that we have done anything wrong we should still reflect and ask God to show us areas needing growth. Take time to reflect on who you have been and who you want to be.

Have you made the mistake of putting someone in a place in your life where God is in competition with them for your time and attention? I've done it. For many years I had my husband in the wrong place in my life. He was literally in-between me and God and I put him there. I depended more on my husband than I did on God. My relationship with God was dependant on my relationship with my spouse. When I wasn't getting along with my him I wasn't even capable of praying or praising God. I have also been in friendships where my friends got the majority of my time, my family got their smaller slice and God had to get the scraps of my time. There is nothing wrong with spending time with friends but remember to keep priorities in their right order and God in His right place.

Have you allowed others to "control" the relationship or have you been a "controller?" I have been in several relationships that were controlling. I've also been accused of being a controller. Have you tried to control the other person? To make sure that everything went your way? To force your wants by coercion, threats, or other forms of manipulation? Have you allowed yourself to be controlled for fear of "losing" your relationship? Whether you are the controller or the one being controlled, these are issues that must be dealt with. Control is a desire for power to exercise over others to get your way. You need healing whether you are the victim or the perpetrator or the cycle will only begin again.

RELEASE: Release the other person. Too many times we refuse to release the other person. We keep them bound to us through unforgiveness. We keep them bound to us by negative memories that we play over and over in our minds. We must remember that in every relationship we give a little of ourselves away. It's a part of our "heart" that we give away. The "hurt" keeps our heart wounded and broken.

Start off by forgiving them. Forgiveness is the first part of releasing someone. It may take more than just asking God to help you forgive them. Pain such as the pain of feeling betrayed, lied to, or just being blindsided when you thought everything was fine are deeply entrenched. You may find it necessary to write out and verbalize to God what you are choosing "by an act of your will" to forgive them for. I say "by an act of your will" because as you start writing out what you need to forgive them for you will likely come across some things you don't want to let go of yet. Sometimes it makes you feel good to hold some of that unforgiveness so you can remind yourself of how you were hurt. In those instances, you will have to forgive them as an act of your will because your emotions will tell you to do the exact opposite.

Pray a prayer to cut soul ties. Your soul consists of your mind, your will and your emotions. A soul tie is an emotional connection or link that keeps you tied to another. Soul ties can keep your mind, will and emotions tied up in your experiences with another person and will keep you influenced by them. Until about a year or two ago I had never heard of soul ties. At first it sounded like some New Age mumbo jumbo. However, soul ties goes back to that comment I made about giving a part of yourself away. Praying a prayer to cut soul ties is praying a prayer to call back to yourself every part of you and releasing the "hooks," the "negative connections," the "negative emotions," the "negative experiences" that keep you tied back to them. You are praying a prayer to release yourself from them which in turn releases them. I have personally witnessed the power of this prayer as I released those whose history with me was of a negative and ultimately parasitic nature. I ended with asking God to bring me back to a place of wholeness and completeness in Him.... nothing missing.... nothing broken. This is the place God wants us to be.... finding our wholeness and completion in Him and in no one else.

UNDERSTAND: Relationships are for seasons. Just as there are times and seasons for everything under the sun, there are times and seasons for the people in your life. Some people will be in your inner ring. They are the people closest to you. They see your ups and downs, they know how you think and have seen your best and worst. Then you have your second ring. This group is a little bigger. These people are well acquainted with you but not as closely as the first ring. They know a lot about you and see more than just the "public" you. Beyond that ring is the last one. This is where everyone else from the man you pass on the street to the person you chat with online but have never met belong. However, God will shift and move people according to His will and His timing. According to the "season" you are in, God may move people from one ring to another. He may even move them totally out of your life.

Understand that these "rings" change over time. No one but God is forever. People change, environments change, relationships change. What may feel like a falling apart may be a part of that process of change... of God moving in your life. Trying to hold onto someone when it's "time" for their position in your life to change will only cause you to be filled with resentment. Pray that God would keep your heart in tune with His so that you can understand and accept when someone walks away.

Understand how to graduate or let others graduate. In some relationships you walk hand in hand but there are others in which you may be the teacher or the student. When you find yourself as the student, remember that at times God will move you on. He'll graduate you to another level and that may cause someones presence and influence in your life to lessen or even stop. As they step back it may feel like a betrayal but they are only stepping back so the person God wants in your life to lead you further can step up. When you find yourself as the teacher remember that the most selfish thing you can do is try to hold onto them. If you truly desire what is best for them to grow as God would have them grow then you must step away as God instructs and in his timing. Don't allow yourself to get in the middle of their relationship with God. Move in His timing or get removed.

You can choose to fight to keep relationships, friendships....

but when you can't make it work, you can't make it stay together, what will you do?

Peace is available to you! Every relationship that "falls apart" is not a reflection on you, your faults or frailties. Instead of asking Who's right? Who's wrong? Why is this happening? Did I make a mistake? Instead of going through doubt, depression, anger, resentment and loneliness...

Accept that you are only in control of you

Release the other person

Understand that relationships are for seasons

then...

"wrap yourself in HIS peace and ask God to show you the season you're in"

Who is GOD?

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 04:23:00 +0000

So many times as we walk through life with all it's many ups and downs -- all the problems we face -- we tend to not elevate ourselves towards God but instead bring HIM down to our level.

We start believing that God feels the same way about people that we do and vice versa... In our minds, God becomes judgmental, erratic, unloving, only interested in a list of DO's and DON'Ts. We think God is vindictive, mean, withholding good from us. Or worse, we see HIM as totally ignoring us as if we don't exist. We see HIM confined and restricted by the same faults that humanity is confined and restricted by.

BUT GOD is GOD.

HE is SUPREME.

There is NO ONE who is EQUAL to GOD.

There is NONE OTHER like HIM.

GOD is PERFECTION.

That means that HE can become NO BETTER than he already is.

GOD is ALL KNOWING.

That means that HE ALREADY knows everything.

If at anytime HE needed to know something more it would mean HE COULD NOT BE GOD.

HE would CEASE TO EXIST because HE would not be PERFECTION.

HE is present EVERYWHERE.

If there is anywhere where GOD is not present then HE CANNOT BE GOD.

GOD IS NOT LIMITED BY TIME AND SPACE!

GOD is ALL POWERFUL.

BUT HE CANNOT do EVERYTHING.

GOD CAN ONLY DO WHAT "IS IN HARMONY WITH HIS NATURE AND PERFECTION."1

This means that ALL the POWER that GOD wields
HE holds in check.

HE cannot sin, or lie, or change HIS nature.

HE cannot do absurdities.

HE cannot be unjust or unrighteous or unholy.

HE cannot make laws that are unjust, unrighteous or unholy.
Therefore HIS judgments and actions are just, righteous and holy.

HE cannot stop loving because GOD IS LOVE.

HE CANNOT CHANGE!

When we can begin to get a true grasp of WHO GOD IS, when we can wrap our hearts, our minds around what we know of HIM -- oh the peace and security!

1: (Towns 2008)

2013 & the Changes It Brought

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 01:39:00 +0000

2013 started off just like any other year for me.

We were struggling to make ends meet and unsure how the year would turn out. My husband, who has worked in the construction industry for as long as I've known him, was being used by his employer. I really shouldn't explain it that way because he really was a sub-contractor not an employee but I don't know how else to put it right now. No matter how hard he tried to get another company to use him, he could find no one else but the builder he worked for. The company kept dropping the price on what they would pay for the different kinds of work done till it seemed that my husband was working for just enough money to get to the next job. Bills were stacking up and frustration was mounting.

When people look at us, it sounds crazy. Most people wouldn't think from looking at us that things were rough. Most people assume we live an easy life but it was so bad that we were back on food stamps yet again. Now there is nothing wrong with being in need and having to go on food stamps however, there is a stigma attached to food stamps. Most people don't even think about their attitude it just comes out. Unless you're dressed in raggedy clothes, when you swipe that EBT card, people look at you like you're cheap skates just trying to scam the system not honest folk having a hard time making ends meet.

Then things started turning around. My closest friend did something for me that most people would never dream to do. She went online and registered me for classes with Liberty University....AND THEN SHE TOLD ME WHAT SHE HAD DONE! Crazy !!!! Right? Funny things is it was exactly what I needed. It was exactly what I wanted. I honestly had to thank her. She was also my husbands accountant so she had all the information to quickly do my financial aid once I knew about it. So I went back to college on top of continuing to home-school my youngest son. Not long after I went back to school my husband dropped off his resume at a store that does patio doors, windows and rooms while driving between construction sites. Within days he was called in to meet with the boss and he became a service technician for them. Things were looking good. The pressure was lifting and his income was enough to severely reduce any food stamps we were getting so we ask them to stop the food stamps. That felt good. That felt really good.

Mid-year we changed churches and I found the place I was supposed to be. I began to grow spiritually like I needed to grow and before too long I started teaching the kids and the E.W. Dance Team was created. Through out all of this I was working with my friend (the accountant) to get our business in an office. Finally, around August we found the right place and began to prepare the space for our office needs. We worked through till the middle of November before we were able to have our Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Because we are newly opened and are slowly building our clientele, we are making no money yet. (We are building the business with our first goal to get to our break even point. Then we can finally get paid ...lol) A week later my youngest son (Joel,) my husband and myself were in Atlanta preparing for open heart surgery. My son had been in need of surgery to replace his aortic valve and ascending aorta and we jumped on the chance to have it done before Thanksgiving when the opportunity rose. The surgery went well but was 10 hours long and he didn't recover as quickly from the surgery as they expected him too. Two days later he needed a transfusion and we've been dealing with issues from the transfusion and slow recovery since then. As we came into December he was running fevers, I was working my schoolwork and trying to take care of business while my husband worked. By mid-December my schoolwork ended and I got a little break, Joel stopped running fevers and his recovery sped up some. In the business, we started moving on several clients work to prepare them for the new year. THEN...

The week before Christmas, my husband got laid off.

So here we are getting ready to end 2013 and walk into 2014 and there is no income. It's bad enough right now as this year ends that I need to go and reapply for food stamps. 2013 began with at least an income coming in although it was not good enough to meet our needs. 2014 is going to begin with NO income coming in and yet, crazy as it may sound, I feel better off than I did a year ago. I had no hope as 2012 turned into 2013 but I have hope now... as 2013 turns into 2014. In 2013 we accomplished so much! Things happened in 2013 that I had wondered when and if they ever would. 2013 changed my life. No matter how it ends, no matter how we come into 2014 I'm only taking the good forward and believing 2014 can't help but be better.

Happy New Year!

Just Deal With It

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Townsend) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 03:23:00 +0000

Lately I've been having memories of painful events and times in my life. These memories have found their way back into my mind. I've broken down crying without explanation just straight out of the blue. These memories are ones that I didn't get or didn't take the time to deal with. I pressed them down, corked them and set them aside. The only problem is that when I did that I set myself up for a time like this. A time when there is nothing I can do to stop these memories from coming up. I can't just push them down anymore because they won't go away.

In the midst of this (with some help) I've come to the realization that it's time to just deal with it. The emotions and the hurt that I've tried to hide from has found me and it's time for a confrontation. Over time, as we don't deal with our hurts and hangups, we set up a domino effect and the effect grows. All it takes for us to blow up or break down is for the right trigger to be tapped.

If you, like me, have unhealed wounds, let me give you a word of advice. Just Deal With It! Deal with the emotions. Deal with the hurts. Deal with your hangups. God has so much more for your life than for things in your past to always haunt you. God can bring you healing. That healing is going to start with forgiveness. It's time to forgive yourself for the wrong things that you KNOW you've done as well as the wrong things you THINK you've done. Are you a murderer? Are you a liar? Are you an adulterer? Are you a thief? God took a murderer of Christians named Saul and changed his heart...then he changed his name to Paul and sent him out to teach his Word. All throughout the Bible you'll find imperfect, fallible men and women that God forgave and used. If he can forgive them then he can and will do the same for you.

Then it's time to forgive all those people that have done you wrong. How long do you want to continue to carry them? How long do you want their words to have an effect in your life? How long do you want the choices that you make in life to be decided by what someone in your past has done to you? It doesn't matter what is in your past. I personally know people who have gone through some of the worst abuse possible... child sexual abuse, and rape. Most people would expect them to be incapable of having a normal life and ever letting go of what was done to them. However, they have overcome their past and God has helped them forgive their perpetrators. They walk in the freedom that comes through forgiveness. They no longer allow their past experiences to direct their attitudes, actions or future. You can do the same. You can let it all go. You can forgive. With God you can let go of your past and start with a clean slate. When you start with a clean slate, let those that have hurt you have the same. Give them the same forgiveness that you want when you do wrong. Give them the same forgiveness that you want when you say the worst things you could say. Give them the same forgiveness that you want when you do the worst thing you could possibly do.

Set yourself free by forgiving those who have done you wrong.

The time is now to Just Deal With It!