The Season is now: You’re up!

 God works in seasons. Made famous by Footloose, if not the Bible, Ecclesiastes so very clearly tells us so:

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

(and a season to cut footloose)

On a serious note…

We all go through those seasons. Our personal life, our family, and church all go through seasons. We may go through a season of unemployment and then a season of the best job of your life; a season of being a leader and a season of being a follower; a season of being in the military followed by civilian life; a season of giving and a season of receiving. And the list can go on and on.

My church back in England went through very distinct seasons. I think they were so evident because we were such a small group but transparent before the Lord. I can pinpoint to the month and events in those months when our seasons changed. We would be in a season of healing, Holy Spirit baptisms, peace, struggle, warrior spirit, giving, serving, and much more. One of those seasons was intercession.

Our area of England was is farm-town so we had villages, not towns or cities. We were in deep prayer for our villages. “God of This City” by Chris Tomlin had become our anthem but instead of singing city, we would sing whatever village we were interceding for or our own village. I am sure we sounded like a bunch of fruit loops to others but to the Lord, it was all he could ask for. I didn’t witness any huge revivals during my time there, a Great Awakening, but I know there was change, we knew it was happening. We fully believed that God was softening the hearts of those in England. Because of the power of prayer marriages could be saved, families restored, addictions broken, strongholds tore down. Who knows but God! We were called into a season to pray and intercede for those who were not praying on their own. For those who had turned their backs on God, who did not know who God was, who called themselves Christians but did not know God, for those who hurt too bad to see the good in life anymore. We were praying for them.

Intentional Worship: Part 1: When Busyness Gets In the Way

Do you make plans to go out with the girls?

How about to watch the game or fight with the guys, wings, and cheese dip?

Do you make plans to go out to eat as a couple, finding a babysitter and all? 

...what about praise and worship? Do you make plans for that or do you sing a few songs on Sunday and maybe Wednesday?

...what about reading your Bible? Again, Sunday, Wednesday and maybe a few other days when you have free time or start to feel convicted?

...And prayer? Before a meal, bed, or when things get bad in your life? Do you ever just purposefully sit on the couch and talk to God about your day or say nothing at all, waiting for his still small voice to appear? 

Think long and hard about that. Figure out what your priorities are right now. You may be thinking that you are to busy to have 30 minutes a day to sit down and read. I used to be one of those people, being told I need to re-prioritize and put prayer and Bible reading first but I seriously could not find the time between my commute back and forth to work and day care for my son, carting a baby to every errand I had to run because my husband was deployed, and then the demands of a mom and the large amount of work I had to take home. Where was I to cut back? Not go grocery shopping so I could read my Bible? Not get my work ready for the next day? Or maybe God wanted to cut back on my already 5-6 hours (on a good night) of sleep I was getting a night. 

So when I say that I know how you are feeling, I truly know. It is hard. You can't spare anytime. But the enemy is tricky like that. I once heard a pastor say, "If the devil can't make you bad, he will make you BUSY!" 

Boy ain't that the truth?! I had a solid foundation Christ and I was very careful to not be 'bad' (although, yes, I sin everyday) but one thing I failed to protect myself against and the busyness the enemy would throw my way. 

So instead of my telling you that you need to really consider your priorities, I will ask something of you. Please say a short prayer. Can you take the time to do that, please?

Lord, forgive me of my business. I know now it is a scheme of the enemy. Help me to fight against this attack. I want more of you. In you I find rest.

Say that prayer daily, hourly if you need to. I said that prayer for a long time until I finally realized that my business was a state of mind. Yes, I am (for only 3 more days!) a stay at home mom now and have been for over a year, but it was before I made the transition from working full-time to momming full-time that I found an even balance in my life, that God helped me find time. I had to decide that enough was enough and I was going to be devoted to God. Was it easy at first? No. But boy was I blessed by it. God recognizes your sacrifices and He will bless you for it. Don't believe me...give it a go. :)

Keep a look out for Part 2 on how to be intentional with your worship. Better yet, subscribe so you won't miss it!

Are you busy? Does your life relate a lot to how mine used to be? Or maybe you have found way to overcome the busyness. Let me know!

Are You Worth the Anticipation?

(Original photo from http://www.rollsscaffold.com/)

While waiting for that release of the sequel to your favorite movie or book, what/how were you feeling? How about wait for the arrival of your first child? Anticipation right? I drove through a small city last week and I saw many new buildings with scaffolding all around, just waiting for completion, the grand reveal. 

Perhaps you have created a product, put together an activity, or planned an event and you are waiting for the launch of it. You are giddy with excitement right? Growing up, I remember waiting each year for summer to arrive not because of the break from school (I liked school. I'm a nerd :)  but because the snow cone stand would open. As we drove by that sugar inducing shack day after day I would imagine standing in line and smelling familiar smell of fresh ice and sugar toppings. I could feel the cool air coming out of the small shack. I could feel the cold sensation of my first bite. I was anticipating the day I could once again get a snow cone. And who am I kidding, I still get excited to get one when we visit home in the summer time so I can get a snow cone!

Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed you in your mother's womb I knew you..." When God created Adam and Eve He knew that one day you would be born; He knew of the things you would accomplish, every time you would need comfort, every tear you would shed, and all the laughter you would produce. You know that excitement and anticipation you had for your child, summer vacation, going to pick up your new puppy? God has that same excitement and anticipation for you, ya...YOU!

The idea for this post came to mind right after I drove through city and saw the building  being constructed. During that time the song "Architecture" came on and it was like a light went off in my head. Here are the lyrics to the song:

                                               There are a million mountains that I'd like to climb 

to get a glimpse at the heart of your design

so here I stand here I stand on what you built 

you are surrounding me and the walls

will never ever ever come down

The Message of Christ is Urgent.

I would like to welcome my guest Vanessa Lumby! She has a fantastic message and I wanted to help spread the word. She writes a weekly devotional for Daughter of Delight (you can read all of their devotionals here) and has a blog of her own at www.vanessalumby.blogspot.com.

I think I’m the only one who listens to the flight attendant's safety demonstration on airplanes. I’m a nervous flyer, so  as soon as the cabin door is sealed, I’m on high alert. So you better believe that when the flight attendant requests my attention for a safety demonstration, they have got it.

A big pet peeve of mine is when the flight attendant is standing there, giving passengers information that could save their lives, the other guests are texting, already asleep, or reading.

But not me. I don't care how many times I've seen the safety demonstration. I will definitely know what to do if the plane goes down. Most of the time I want to get everyone's attention. I want to wake them up, snatch their phones, and slam their books shut. I want to say, "Don't you see? The attendant is trying to save your life!" But, I don't. I listen, take mental notes, and prepare to be the only passenger that makes it out alive.

But what I definitely  don't do is say anything to those rude passengers. If I did, I'd look crazy. I'd appear to be overreacting. No one would understand my urgency.

Doesn’t this sound like our evangelical lives? There are people standing up and teaching others how to be saved, but the world pays no attention. They’ve heard this message a hundred times and have grown numb to the instruction.

I Know Who Goes Before Me...

In your best Bob Marley Impression, sing with me:

'Don't worry...about a thing,

Cuz every little thing

Is gunna be alright'

And it's not just Bob Marley saying that. Luke 12:22-26 says:

“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”

And Deuteronomy 31:8 says: 

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

With that said I present to you some amazing news.....drumroll please........

Must Read of 2015! Continued...

So I am back again with another Must Read of 2015! The first book I reviewed was Unstoppable (which you can find here). While that book was a motivational book I bring to you a Christian fiction story. 

Summer is halfway over, meaning that prime reading season is halfway through. If you are looking for another book to cram in this last half then grab Reservations for Two. I will admit, I am the kind of person who judges a book by its cover. With that said, I was a bit reluctant to choose this book as it looked a little too sappy for me, I can't do Nicholas Sparks book. However, when I began reading I was proven wrong. Yes, there is a love story involved but this book is a story within a story. For you thrifty folks, you're getting two books for the price of one! This is the second book of three but it can be read without reading the first, although now I am itching to get the first. The third book is released in 2016 and you better believe I will be purchasing it!

It took me less than 48 hours to complete this book, not because it is short but because it draws you in and you don't want to put it down. Of course, I only got a few hours of sleep the first night and read my the light on my phone but I just had to figure out what happened next. I have read some books where I tend to get bored or can guess what will happen next but this book is a drama, mystery, and love story all on one. Juliette, the main character, brings you back in time of World War II as she reads letters from her family's past to figure out who her family really is. Right when you think the big mystery is going to be solved, you're pulled right back to the present time with Juliette's anything but normal life, love life, and family.

Reservations for Two: the two being myself and this book!

*Note: This book was given to me for review by Blogging for Books. 

5 Ways to Stay Connected to God while on Vacation

I am gearing up for a 12 hour road trip with my toddler to my parent's house for a week. (Please say a pray for me!) This is my 'vacation' for the year (as we have recently moved from England back to the states). While on vacation, no matter the location or length, it can be tough to stay connected spiritually while you are trying to disconnect from the rest of the world, from your work, social media, texts, phone calls, grocery lists, laundry piles, and to-do lists. 

When you are relaxing on the beach or in the mountains it can be easy to let your 'spiritual duties' slip and while I believe some of that is ok, we need to discipline ourselves a bit more on staying connected to God. God knows that we need to take a break sometimes. I mean, why would He have created the beautiful scenery if He didn't want us to sit back and enjoy it? Here are some of my tips to stay connected to God while on vacation:

1. Know things are going to be different: Know that your daily schedule will be thrown off. Your Bible reading, journaling, devotionals, and prayer time will more than likely be at different times of the day or you may not get to them on some days. And that is ok because there are other ways to stay connected to God than these.

2. Pray: The easiest way to stay connected is through prayer. I get a lot of prayer time in while I am away. It may not be deep, spiritual prayers and I may not hear back from God like I would when I am in my quiet place but He is still listening. Vacation is a great time to give God constant thanks. If you are able to take a break from work and life then you are truly blessed! If you woke up and took a breath, you are blessed and have a reason to give thanks to the Lord. Even if it is for a night one town away...you are blessed! Thank God for everything that you see, tell Him how awesome He is, tell Him of His splendor

3. Worship music: Play worship music any chance you get, in the car, on your phone while you are getting ready, before you go to bed. Being able to squeeze those few minutes in here and there to worship the Lord will pay off.

4. Bible App: If you are in the majority and have a smart phone or tablet, download a Bible app. Most are free so it will not cost you anything. Having the Bible on your phone or tablet allows you to access your Bible at any time, at any place. Taking your Bible with you is not always the most convenient thing to do while on vacation so having it on your phone is perfect...because I mean, who goes anywhere without their phone nowadays! :)

5. Spread the love: This is one of the easiest things to do. Simply share the love of God where ever you go. Be the light in someones life. Make someone smile, give them a complement, lend a helping hand. Taking a break from your day job gives you more time to focus on the work of the Lord!

That's it! Those are my tips for staying connected while getting disconnected. You don't need to feel guilty for taking a break from a Sunday church service to go away. God doesn't tell us to go to church. We  are the church, not a building with pews and a pulpit. 

(But that's another topic for another day:)

Are you going on a vacation soon? Or maybe a staycation? What are your favorite way to stay connected?