Whispers of Truth

Psalm 31:1-6 in The Message  reads like this: "I run to you, God; I run for dear life. Don't let me down! Take me seriously this time! Get down on my level and listen, and please--no procrastination! Your granite cave a hiding place, your high cliff a place of safety. You're my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide. Free me from hidden traps; I want to hide in you. I've put my life in your hands. You won't drop me, you'll never let me down. I hate all this silly religion, but you, God, I trust." That's how I feel today. Actually, that's how I feel a lot of days. I need a safe cave protected by a great God to climb into. Often, I walk into hidden traps--I really want to act in a way pleasing to Him, but I fall so abysmally short and feel woefully inadequate. It is very easy to play "church," but it is very difficult to live like a "little Christ." The older I get, the more I truly unde...

Early Friday morning, a young man by the name of Kevin Teague came to the school where I teach to speak to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes or FCA as the club is known. Kevin, who is 22 years old, suffers from cerebral palsy, yet he came to encourage others to trust God and not to quit when things are hard. His mom had to help him with his speech because he has limited control of his movements and is confined to a wheelchair.  As he spoke, it made me think of how many times I grumble and complain about very minor things, which God hates. I don't stop enough to think how much he despises this in me. These things laid the Hebrew people low in the desert. It cost them an entire generation. Philippians 2:14-15 remind us to do everything without grumbling or complaining. I like the way the message puts it: "Do everything readily and cheerfully--no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted societ...

I recently had an experience that made me question some things about my life. As I do each year, I went to have a routine medical diagnostic procedure completed. Unfortunately, a few days later, I received a call that I needed to come back for some follow-up testing necessary in order to determine whether I had cancer or just some benign cysts. The minimal imaging I had originally was not enough to determine exactly what the radiologist was seeing on my scan. So after a week of praying and trying very hard not to be anxious, I took a day off from work to go have these tests run. The first one didn’t reveal what the masses were, so I had to have yet another test—an ultrasound this time. That test finally allowed the doctors to determine that what they were seeing was benign. They then measured the cysts, documenting their sizes and locations for future reference next year. . . because each year, I faithfully go for tests that are expected when one turns a certain age. Like many, I want...

We have been experiencing some of the hottest days of the year here in the Deep South this week. It is easy to be comfortable if you are sitting inside with the air going full blast, but step outside and the blast of heat that assaults you is withering. After a few minutes breathing becomes labored (at least for me--a confirmed indoor sort of girl). Recovering from physical activity outside takes some time as well. The body just doesn't bounce back easily from such stress. Similarly, our lives can sometimes be scorched by blasts of heat that rush in and leave us tired and bewildered, if not in pain. The Tuesday night Bible study group has been studying 1st Peter (Ch. 1) this month. In this epistle Peter writes to believers in what is now modern day Turkey to encourage them as they encounter persecution, hardships, and trials related to their faith in Christ. He reminds them that they are strangers or aliens in the world and encourages them to hope. When we are faced with physical...

     Have I mentioned before that I like words? Maybe that I like to follow words down trails...? Today I came across the word "continually" in Acts 1 in relationship to the idea of prayer. The verse reads as follows: "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer..." The verse led me to the explore the Greek reference in the back of my Bible via a Strong's NT Dictionary, which directed me to Strong's 4342, and I found the word abundance , which is a transposed participle of Strong's 3257 meaning "shovel." Ok! Now, I was really excited because the idea that came to me is that the early church abundantly "shoveled in" prayer as they waited in the Upper Room for their baptism with the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised.  This is a concept I need to understand and grab hold of....and I need that, truly I do...but really, I can't see very well early in the morning and the numbers (and letters) are small, so what it...

 Often we expect perfection of ourselves, and it is a heavy burden to bear. I am a sinner...saved by grace...but still living in the flesh and fighting it daily. One thing I continue to learn is that God can use my brokenness. Psalm 51 is a beautiful example of brokenness. Written after Nathan the prophet came to David and confronted him with his own sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband and his hypocrisy, it reveals why David is described as a man after God's own heart. Even though he had committed gross sins, David flings himself on the mercy of God and asks Him to be gracious to him not on his own merit, but on God's lovingkindness and compassion (v. 1). Like most of us when we sin, David's sin was "ever before" him (v. 3), but he realized that God was the one he had offended and held the right to judge him (v. 4).  He acknowledges that we are ALL born sinners (v. 5), but God desires for us to see ourselves as we are (i.e. "You desir...

As I shared in my last post, I recently had the opportunity to go with a group from my church, FBC Tallassee, on a mission trip to Ecuador. We returned a week ago today, and I have yet to post anything, which might seem rather strange for someone so excited about going. But I have to say that each time I have been on a mission trip, it takes me a while to process what I encountered. Ecuador is a beautiful country full of beautiful, generous people--many of whom are hungry for Jesus. We had the privilege to share in the market places, and I found that the thing I was most scared of doing became the thing that I enjoyed the most. God reminded me that getting out of my comfort zone is good for me. He stretched me, and I will continue to grow from the experience...for me, it was a neat experience to go where the Elliots had helped to lay a foundation so long ago among the Quichuas. The following report shares some of what we did while there if you're interested: On Saturday, Jun...

I think it is really cool that I get to blog on a regular basis about spiritual things and people all around the world can read what God puts on my heart, but tomorrow, I have the privilege of going to Ecuador as part of a missions team through my local church, First Baptist Tallassee. We will be conducting VBS, teaching some basic English skills, and doing marketplace evangelism while our pastors train the church leaders there. Jesus says in Matthew 28:18-20,   " All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.   Go therefore and  make disciples of  all the nations,  baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,   teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo,  I am with you always, even to  the end of the age.” How cool is that? Global evangelism and the Great Commission. God is good to let me be just a small part of it, and I am so excited! Please pray for the Spirit to open hearts.

      Do you ever struggle with having the "want-to"? You know you wan t to do something, but not quite enough to put forth the effort to make it happen right that moment...it can be anything from cleaning the house, cooking supper, getting up to exercise, or even the most important thing for a Christian each day--reading God's Word. I struggled with even writing this today because don't all Christians naturally want to communicate with God?       At least that's the thought that came to me as I struggled to get going. Tonight is Bible study night at the Cafe. We have been studying Malachi, which concludes the first part of our study on the minor prophets. It has been a wonderful, unexpected journey for many of us, but it has also been hard. It is not always easy to pick up God's letter to us and see our own sin exposed through the sins of His chosen people. It is not always easy to want to leave our families behind to go back out after a long day to gathe...

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:14 NASB) Have you ever felt the whisper of the Spirit waken you with he impression to do something specific? Twice in the past week, I have awakened to the Spirit's urging me to action. The first time was simple, and I obeyed. Easy enough, right? The second time I felt the urging to pray, as I often do when awakened in the wee hours of the morning. This time was different though, as I had no distinct impression to pray for anyone specific. So I asked, "Who, Lord?" He whispered, "You." I was surprised and prayed rather reluctantly and weakly for strength for the day without putting together the idea that I would face testing. As soon as my feet hit the floor, it began. One stress after another led to anger, regret for my anger, and feelings bubbling up that didn't even realize I had...and finally, I got it. God through his Spirit was warning me that I was to be tested, and I ar...