Chapter 7 of the Book Winning the War on Worry by Louie Giglio

 Do you remember who was the first person who ever taught you about "thank you" being one of the magic words?

I really do not remember. The concept of saying "thank you" has been so ingrained in me since my first consciousness that I could not pin-point who was the first person who ever instilled that rule in my heart. And yes, we also think "thank you" is one of the "magic words" in the cultures of the people who speak Spanish. We have adults telling us in very stern voices and with raised eyebrows, something like: "¿Cómo se dice?" or "what do you say?" every time we are supposed to say thank you. So early on, we learn.

The question is: WHY??? Why do societies place such an importance on making sure children grow up knowing how and when to say this expression of gratitude? Why is it so crucial that we learn it? 

Did you know that expressing thanks is not as universal as we think? In some cultures, it might even be considered rude and/or a sign of vanity to say something like "thank you." That blows my MIND!

More interestingly, did you know it is within the Judeo-Christian world where the concept of gratitude is most deeply rooted and practiced? 

Look at these trivia bits: in China, they don't really say thank you because they think the favor will come back around in the future. In other Asian countries, they view saying "thank you" as distancing, insincere, rude or even too sarcastic to be appreciated. Some indigenous languages don't even have a word for "thank you." In Hebrew, however, expressing gratitude is key...especially when praying. Check this out. As I was reading about these things, I found out that the very word for a Jewish person (Yehudi in Hebrew) has the same root as giving thanks – which is hoda’a in Hebrew. So, instead of calling the Jewish people – People of the Book, linguistically it would make more sense to call them “the Grateful People”! It is no wonder then, that regions of the world where the principles of Judeo-Christianity have had a great impact, would place such emphasis on being grateful. 

Pastor Giglio in chapter 7 of his book Winning the War on Worry brings up a ton of important ideas to ponder. One of them is the role of a grateful heart when waging the war against worrying. He brings the point home by citing Philippians 4: 6-7,

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"

Did you notice the little phrase "with thanksgiving"? Pastor Giglio wants us to really pay attention to that little combination of words tucked in the middle of this powerful piece of Scripture. He wants us to realize that a grateful heart is instrumental on this battle against worry, which in essence is the battle for our minds. When worry attacks, we literally lose our minds. We lose control over our minds and we spiral down into a pit of negativity and despair that is very difficult to climb out of on our own. The best course of action is to not allow ourselves to descend down those depths of darkness. Sometimes, however, the weight of our circumstances is so heavy that we slip and fall. It is then that we must recover our minds and remember God's Word that encourages us to pray and to be thankful..."in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5: 18). Notice the call is to be thankful in... it doesn't say for all circumstances. So in our darkest hour we recall the Goodness of God and His enduring love, and all His attributes and all He is and all He has done for us and how He has rescued us before so He will rescue us again, and we thank Him in advance for all of that and we dwell in Him, seeking His Light and trusting He is holding us as we continue to thank Him in our hour of worry.

See, the devil knows gratitude pulls us out of the pit...that's why he doesn't want us to remember to be grateful in every circumstance. He feeds his lies to us telling us "really? You are thankful for this??? What kind of a cruel god gives you garbage and then asks you to be grateful for it? But it is "in" it...not "for" it so don't listen to the enemy, listen to the truth, and the truth is that "gratefulness is a torpedo that sinks worry," like Pastor Giglio says. "Gratitude opens the doorway for praise, and praise dispels fear. Worry and worship cannot be in our mouths at the same time. One always displaces the other." (96)

So, I encourage us to try this together. Next time we are either descending or already down there, in the darkest corner of the pit of worry, let's start thanking God. Let's start recalling our blessings, naming them one by one...maybe we should have a list of blessings written down so we can read them out loud at this moment...and let's see what happens. What do we have to lose? Nothing. We have nothing to lose and a whole lot to win. Although we do have one thing to lose: worry. For, as we praise and thank God for our blessings, worry will begin to lose its power in us and the peace that transcends all understanding will begin to flow like a river.

Even though I can't remember who was the first person to teach me about saying "thank you," I'm so glad I grew up in a culture where they teach kids to be grateful. It is a most crucial weapon to win this war, indeed!

Let's wrap it up with the prayer at the end of chapter 7:

Father, I just want to say thank You. thank You for saving me. Thank You for seeing me when I was far off. Thank You for the power of Your cross to overcome every bit of darkness and despair. thank You for being able when I am not, for being awake and alert and mindful of me. You are infinite and intimate, and I bow in adoration of You. Amen!

Chapter 6 of the Book Winning the War on Worry

 I. LOVE. HOME. RENOVATION. SHOWS!!! Some may say I'm addicted to them.

I just can't get enough of those shows. I love them so much that we had to get rid of our HGTV subscription because nobody could remove me from my favorite chair in front of the TV...so, I'm happy to say that it has been a couple of years since I have watched any. I went cold turkey and I haven't been back. I finally realized I had wasted enough time watching (also, Dan cut me off since he realized where the "leak" in our finances was...)

Anyway, I still dream about home renovations and redecoration, and relocation, etc. I just get so excited with the prospect of seeing something completely gutted and then put back together in new and fascinating ways. I picture it in my mind and it looks beautiful...then, when I see it completed it usually is way better than anything I imagined. One of the things I love the most is the opportunity to fix problems that could have been hidden behind the walls and we didn't know anything about. We remodeled our bathrooms a few years ago and since then our drains have been working so much better! In our old house we remodeled the kitchen and the bathroom and the back patio. I hated to leave since we finally had gotten everything to work like clockworks! The patio remodel was total insanity. They found boulders buried underneath! Literally, the contractors had to rent a crane to pull them out! It was so weird. I wish I could find the pictures. I can't wait until we remodel our kitchen in our current house since everything is falling apart in there. But I digress...

The reason I started thinking about this was because Pastor Giglio in chapter 6 of his book, Winning the War on Worry, talks about "putting a dagger in the heart of worry" by using the metaphor of undergoing a "home renovation." Actually, he is not talking about just like a kitchen, bathroom or patio remodel. Nope. What he is encouraging us to do is to totally demolishing the house! (75) That is serious stuff. Can you imagine? How long have you lived in your current home? I haven't lived here very long, but I think of Dan's homestead...it has been in his family for over 100 years. He doesn't really know any other home, "home." I cannot imagine his family ever considering the passing thought of demolishing that old house...unfathomable. Yet, that is precisely what we must do if we want to stab worry in the heart and finally defeat it. We have to completely tear down the house we have built for it to dwell for as long as we have been worried.

It is discouraging to think that we built that house of worry. But the encouraging thing is that since we built it...we can demolish it. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, by the strength of Jesus and the Word of God, we can tear it down. Like Pastor Giglio says, "the wrecking ball that turns this house of lies into a pile of rubble is the power of the Name of Jesus." (76) The same way the spiritual warfare is not of this world and we have to battle it with weapons that are not of this world, we demolish the house of worry using the tools and strategies provided to us by the Spirit. And the first one is: a new way of thinking.

Pastor Giglio says that in order to drive the dagger through the heart of worry we must think about different things than the things that are causing us to worry. He uses Philippians 4:8 as the basis for this strategy:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about such things.

I LOVE this verse. I always have been drawn to it as a way to help me achieve the renewal of the mind that we are commanded to do in Romans 12: 2. But I can say I have never put it in the context of a total house renovation manual to get rid of worry. But it is so clear now that he points it out. Worry is all about a state of mind. The way to eradicate it is precisely by achieving the renewing of the mind...but how do we GET to that renewal? Well, by doing what Philippians 4: 8 says: "think about such things!" What things? whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. 

What an "AHA!" moment. 

It's all about being aware. Pastor Giglio says, whenever the thoughts of worry begin to creep up into our minds and hearts, the first thing we need to ask ourselves is: "where did that thought come from?" He suggests we ask the question out loud again and again. The answer will come to us and it will be that the thought came either from God or from somewhere else. And the way to confirm if it was from God is by going back to Philippians 4:8. We ask ourselves, is it true? Is it noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and/or praiseworthy? If the answer is no...then...the thought came from somewhere else and we must combat it, take it captive, by thinking about such things in the list.

One of the practical exercises we see in this chapter is to take one of the words Paul encourages us to think about and write out a list of thoughts that relate to that word. I suggest we take a word a day, and create a list for each of the words...so...when we are attacked by worry, we can go to our lists and think about the things we wrote down. 

I know, it all sounds way too easy. And it is NOT. But the most important thing we need to remember is that it is not by our power that we will accomplish any of these things. It is by the power of Jesus living in us. "Through Christ we are resurrected, a new creation, no longer under the power of this world and its ways. We are free and perfectly loved, and as such, we can take back our minds, eliminating worry and accepting the easy and light yoke of our Good and Gracious Savior!" (83)

So let's gather our tool box. Let's gut the house of worry. Better yet, let's tear it down. Let's fix the hidden problems, replace the plumbing, open the drains, find the leaks, pull out the buried boulders and rebuild. By the Power of Jesus, we can do this! Be with us, Lord. Be Our Cornerstone! In Your Hands we place our efforts. Amen!

 

Chapter 5 of the Book Winning the War on Worry by Louie Giglio

 "Do you believe God loves you?"

Pastor Louie Giglio asks this questions on page 68 in chapter 5 of his book on Winning the War on Worry. This chapter talks about how the power of God's perfect love for us is the key to winning this war. The problem is...do we believe God loves us?

Is there a person in your life you truly love? Not just because of what they do for you...not just when they behave well or perform to your satisfaction...a person you truly love despite all of that. The closest to this kind of love I have experienced is the love I feel for my sons. They can't do much for me. They don't always behave well. The rarely ever perform to my satisfaction (shhhhhh...don't tell them I said this. I'd deny, deny, deny!!). But it's true. They are great kids, but they are not perfect and they do disappoint me TONS...but I'd die for them. The depth of my love for them goes deeper than I ever knew it was possible. But I still want to punch them on the face often. Pastor Giglio tells us to ponder our very imperfect love that we feel for our beloved and realize that it is nothing compared to the love God has for us.

The only reason we know how to love in our imperfect ways is because He first loved us (John 4: 19). He loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. What kind of a love is that? It is incomprehensibly perfect love. It goes beyond everything we can imagine. And that kind of love is the one He has for us. Therefore, we have nothing to worry about! If we who are weak and imperfect are able to keep our children safe for the most part...how much safer is God able to keep us? Like Pastor Giglio said on page 66: "If God already gave you His best, He has no reason to withhold the rest." If God has already given me Jesus and the Holy Spirit, why should I worry that He might not take care of me? It's absurd, when you look at it this way, isn't it?

The depth of God's love moved Him to send Himself in the person of Jesus to be our Savior and in the person of the Holy Spirit to live inside of us until He calls us home. Why should I be afraid? If He has already done all these, why would He deny us to help us overcome fear and worry? Yes, we still live in a broken world and the enemy is still prowling like a hungry lion seeking to devour us. Therefore, we must still stay on guard, but we are covered by the most perfect love that ever existed, so, regardless of the reality of the struggles we face, we have already won! So why worry?! And the greatest news is: nothing can ever separate us from His love! (Romans 8: 31-39)

No matter what we do or don't do, He "absolutely and unequivocally" loves us no matter what! And if we believe this truth in our hearts and minds, we have the greatest and only weapon we will ever need to put a dagger through the heart of worry. (68)

So, let's make sure we meditate on this essential truth: God does love us with an everlasting love. Once we get that tattooed into our brains, the enemy would have no power over us.

May we respond with humility and awe to the great power of God's love. He has done what we could never do, so we worship Him. He is the Only One worthy of all our worship and praise and affection. Reveal Your perfect love to us as we move away from worry and break our chains of fear, Lord. In the Precious Name of Jesus, the One Who Breaks every chain, even mine! Amen!

Chapter 4 of the Book Winning the War on Worry by Louie Giglio

 I love disaster movies. I just enjoy watching them because they usually contain great examples of human ingenuity and resourcefulness. God's marvelous design comes in full display when we are pressed from every side as our brain goes on full alert mode and fires up options to consider when in mortal danger...well...some people's brain, at least. My brain goes straight to panic. So I'm afraid if you are stuck with me in a dangerous situation, you're going to have to be the one with the impressive display of brain power, because me...I'm going to be hysterically and blindly screaming my lungs out, paralyzed in fear, curled into a ball. 

Anyway, that's another reason I like watching disaster movies, because I'm hoping to learn something useful. Like, for example, I love to watch and re-watch the movie San Andreas, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Yes, I also enjoy watching that movie because of The Rock, I know, you got me. BUT, my favorite part is when the earth starts shaking again, and The Rock moves all the people to lean against the side wall of the stadium. Once the earthquake stops, everyone is safe even though there was much collapsing of structures, then the one person asks him, how did he know what to do. The Rock's character, who is an emergency helicopter pilot replied something like, "you find something sturdy to lean against and brace yourself." 

Well, chapter 4 of the book Winning the War on Worry by Pastor Louie Giglio talks about how it is key to invite God into our worry. To illustrate this, Pastor Giglio quotes Philippians 4:6, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. This is a command, but beyond that, it is a guide to handling worry. I know, hearing the first part is like, "sure...do not be anxious...do not worry...yeah...that'll happen." But if we keep reading, it tells us what to do instead or when we feel the sting of fear and worry on the back of our spine: PRAY! And what is prayer? It is our invitation to God to be a part of our lives, good and bad and ugly. 

The best part is the result of this invitation: PEACE! 

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 7

What a blessing! Countering worry with prayer results in a peace so amazing that it is incomprehensible. And this peace is promised if we abide/dwell in Our Great God. If we disconnect from our distractions and remain close to the vine that is Jesus, turning our attention to Him in prayer, worry turns into peace like water turned into wine by the sole presence of Our Lord in the room. 

A practical and effective way that Pastor Giglio offers in his book to staying connected to Jesus especially in our times of worry and fear, is a simple breathing exercise. He tells us to exhale/breathe out a lie caused by worry, whatever it is, and inhale/breathe in an affirmation or a promise of God. For example, he says, we can exhale, "I am alone." And then, we can inhale, "God is with me always." We can customize this to fit our situation and try it whenever the cold shivers of fear start creeping up and down our soul. It is a good way to refocus our attention on the One Who Calms the Storm as supposed to keeping it on the waves and the winds. It is a way to remember that God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46: 1). It is how we find our "sturdy" place when the earth begins to move.

As I walk through valleys filled with the darkness of worry and fear, I will try to remember the triangle of life, Our Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the sturdiest place ever available for us to lean against in our times of earthquakes and storms. 

Thank you, Lord for reminding us that You are bigger than anything that afflicts us in this world. You have overcome, and so shall we by Your grace, presence and strength. In The Precious Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!

Chapter 3 of the Book Winning the War on Worry

 I cannot believe that it has been almost 3 months since the last time I posted anything. It has been an eventful summer, both good and not-so-good. I've enjoyed many blessings but I have also been immersed in deep worry. And today, as I was, once again, falling into the trap that fear sets in front of me every time, I remembered...All things are possible with God! (Matthew 19: 26) ... even winning the war on worry.

So let me pick up where I left off: the beginning of chapter 3.

Author and Pastor, Louie Giglio reminds us in this chapter how control and fear are at the root of worry. I think, the fear of losing control is significant here as well. If you think about it, we just like life to go the way we plan it. And when it doesn't, or when it seems like it won't...we begin to worry because we fear the unknown. Unknown means out of our control...therefore, we worry.

I am not a big planner. I know it is hard to believe, but I do not spend countless hours scheduling the minutia or even the big things of life. I'm too lazy for that. I do plan, don't get me wrong, but I have seen what real, hard-core planners are like...and I am NOT one of them. Dylan is. He is obsessed with detailed planning. For example, when we go on vacation, he plans every single outfit he will wear every single day. One time I had to yell at him for using all my gallon-size Ziplock bags to organize his daily get ups. I was sooooo mad when I went to look for ONE and there were NONE left in a box I had recently purchased. Me on the other hand, I throw in my suitcase a bunch of pieces that I know go together and hope when I'm there, I can concoct a few basic outfits that look presentable and comfortable (while making sure there is a washing/dryer combo at the place where we're staying at, 'cause I tend to under pack).

Anyway...Dylan gets terribly upset when plans change. Back to traveling, he makes me repeat over and over and over again what we have planned to do at the place we're visiting, until he memorizes it. I even have to tell him when we have planned, nothing...so he can mark it as "free time" in his mental calendar. The year we took him to Guatemala, we were not in control of the itinerary so a couple of months in advance I had to start the conversations with him about the need for him to grasp the concept of "going with the flow." I thought it was super ironic that I was the one promoting the idea of "going with the flow" when I am notoriously the least "flowy" person anyone around me has ever met (I am just filled with contradictions).

At any rate, Pastor Giglio says that we are called to be good stewards, which in turn means, we are supposed to plan. Good stewardship/planning, however, does not need to include a microscopic analysis of every "what if" scenario that could possibly happen in the future. We consider some of them, perhaps the most obvious, and we let the rest go to God's hands, where ultimately every plan must reside. He mentions how getting stuck on the "what ifs" will actually paralyze us with fear because we realize how ill-equipped we are to deal with all of them...therefore, we get "stuck on a stream of worry." (35)

Giglio says:

It's not wrong to admit that the occasional "what if" can be helpful...every so often when you're building a plan, you need to look ahead. But you can't live there. You can't fixate so much on the ideas of tomorrow that you cease living in the realities of today. Not only is detrimental to your spiritual health, but psychology and sociology have proven that it's actually a large waste of time and effort...because most of the "what ifs" that we project and dwell on don't ever happen." (35) Later he continues, "planning well and steering clear from worry means that we embrace the mentality of I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." (37) He adds, "planning focuses on the present and on what is in your hands, while occasionally looking ahead to factor in what is to come. Worry fixates on the future, while occasionally circling back to work on what is currently in front of you." (34)

And that's why worry gets me, not because I am a frantic planner who needs to schedule even her visits to the "el baño," but because the toxicity of worry gets to me due to the fact that I keep looking at the future, crossing bridges ahead of time, fixating on the fact that I won't be able to handle the eventualities and the realized "what ifs" because I'm not strong enough (or even because I haven't planned accordingly). I believe the lie that says we are alone in the storm...so when it hits...I KNOW I'm going to perish for sure because I know I am not strong enough.

The truth is, we ARE NOT ALONE. 

We do not have to face the storm all on our own.

We don't have to rely only on our puny strength.

God, the Lord Almighty is with us always. (Isaiah 41: 10) and so is Jesus (Matthew 28: 20). Not only He controls the storm (Mark 4: 39) but He speaks to us out of it (Job 38: 1)...and even though with man things are not all possible, NOTHING is impossible with God, (Matthew 19: 26). And He also doesn't give us more than we can handle. Pastor Giglio points out beautifully how this is present in the parable of the talents, when in Matthew 25: 15 Jesus says, "to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability." How did I miss that last part? I can't believe I never truly saw that last phrase, "to each according to his own ability." I just love the Word of God and how it becomes new every day.

He also sends His angels to guard us (Psalm 91: 11-12)...and I don't just mean the celestial beings...I mean, God puts people in our lives to do His work in us as well. He sends His every-day-angels to minister to us and to walk with us and to lift us up...

Pastor Giglio's closing words in this chapter are most powerful:

"God puts things into your hands according to your ability and His power to work in and through you. If He's entrusted it to you, you can carry it. If He's calling you to it, He will be faithful and help you through it." (38) Even if we mess up and believe we are failing...He who began a good work in us will see it to completion. (Philippians 1: 6)

God is Good and Merciful...so I know that whether we want to plan every detail to make sure we have fashionable outfits for every occasion, or just want to make every day an adventure, He's got us covered and His patience is limitless. All we have to do is remember to place all our plans, tight or loose, at the feet of the Cross and trust He takes care of us.

PRAYER:

Father, I bring to You the things I am concerned about. Help me make wise choices to bring about the best outcomes in every situation. Give me the grace to place what I cannot control into Your hands with confidence and peace. In the Precious Name of Jesus! Amen!

Continuing the Reflections on the Book Winning the War on Worry by Louie Giglio

 What's at the heart of worry?

I never considered this question. I never really "worried" about what's behind "worry." I just do it. I worry. However, reading through this little book by Louie Giglio, Winning the War on Worry I got to page 20 and there was a statement that made me hit the brakes: "at the heart of worry is our need to be in control."

Pastor Giglio takes the readers back to Adam and Eve and how that one decision to disobey God was all about control. They believed the lie of the enemy that told them, "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3: 5).  The key phrase in this lie is:  "you will be like God..." That was it. Eve and then Adam wanted to be like God. The funny thing is, they already were!

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1: 27

We already are made in the image of God. That's what Adam and Eve forgot. They allowed the lies of the enemy to enter their minds, clouding the truth. So they gave up paradise for the twisted promise of knowledge. This reminds me of when Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew. I mean, what is it about food that makes us forget and causes us to fall in the traps of manipulators? Whether delicious cake or a magnificent fountain of chocolate fondue or fruit or lentil stew, food is one of those double-edged swords that nourishes us on one side and on the other entices us to err.  It is no wonder food is used as a control item. Oftentimes, people who worry because they feel like their lives are out of control use food as a tool to control what little they can. They would either eat in excess or not eat at all as a way to say to others and to themselves, even if subconsciously, "I can control this." So...could Pastor Giglio be onto something here?

In my own experience, if I'm honest, I will probably get to the same conclusion: at the heart of worry is my need to be in control. I don't think I do it consciously...but it is there. One of my greatest worries in life is the fear that I will get sick and die too young and leave my family on their own. Therefore, every time I am facing medical testing and health issues, my worry level goes on red alert. Why do I worry? Because illness usually means I am not in control and my life is not going to unfold the way I had planned it. Health issues usually have a habit of altering everything. So the plans and goals we had so carefully designed go out the door very quickly. And I. DO. NOT. LIKE. THAT!

I tend to believe that my life goes better when it flows according to my plans. I even tell my kids more often I'd like to admit: "If you'd just do what I say, your lives would be SO much better!!!"

I know...I do say that quite often.

The thing is, that's a lie! What they have to do is what God says in His Word! So de enemy makes me doubt that God's promises are not really true or at least not for me AND that life could be perfect if I get to direct my path and the paths of my loved ones. But like Pastor Giglio reminds us, God's promises and His love are 100% true! He became flesh to die for us so we would not face eternal separation from God but eternal life with Him! What more proof we need of His love and care? And as for the "life would be perfect if it all went according to MY design," well...look how it turned out for Adam and Eve...we are still reaping the consequences of them deciding they wanted absolute control. I don't really have to go that far to realize I am doomed when I try to take full control of my destiny...just ask those around me. They'll be able to tell you what happens when hurricane Gisela passes by...

So what to do? Relent. Let Go. Submit. Surrender.

"Jesus' resurrection puts the brakes on our need for control because we can fully trust that the One who overcame death, hell, and the grave loves us and gives His victorious life to us through Jesus Christ. He promises to care for us. Guide us. Protect us." (page 24) And all His promises are true!

We can trust Him because,

...he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53: 5

What a marvelous truth, spoken to us 700 years before the birth of Christ! And it came to pass and we are living proof of it.

"Jesus can carry what is worrying you because He has already carried what was meant to kill you. He has already carried your sorrows and buried them in His grave." (page 24)

And for that we praise You, worship You and thank You, Lord. We have no words to express our gratitude for what You have done and for Who You are and for the gift of Christ in Me. To You all the Glory, My Lord and My God...My King of Glory! Amen! 

Facing the Enemy

 Do you have a 911-prayer partner group? You know what I mean, don't you? The people you reach out to and contact when you are in need of emergency/urgent prayers? If you don't, I invite you to start praying that the Holy Spirit leads you to a small group of godly women that can become your prayer warriors at a moment's notice. Before I continue, I just want to clarify that by "godly" women I don't mean perfect. By NO means. No way, no how. The perfect prayer partner does not exist. By definition, the only requirement of a prayer partner is that the person prays. That's it. So, if someone reaches out to you for prayer, for the love of anything worthwhile in the world, just pray. Don't think about it, just pray.

Anyway, I just felt like I had to say that...but I digress...

When King Jehoshaphat of Judah heard that their enemies were on route to attack him and his kingdom, guess what he did? He prayed! But besides praying, he reach out to his people...and I mean ALL of his people. He proclaimed a nation-wide fast for all the people of Judah, which means that he basically called them to prayer because that's what fasting meant...that you were replacing food with prayer. An guess what the people of Judah did? Yes, they  "...came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him." (2 Chronicles 20: 4) Can you believe it? a whole nation coming together, unified, in prayer, seeking the Lord.  Boy, wouldn't that be nice to see today?

All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord. (2 Chronicles 20: 13)

The King reached out to the people and they responded in mass. And guess what? Something just marvelously miraculous happened: the Lord spoke to them through those He empowered to receive and communicate His message by the Holy Spirit. He answered their prayers in a most amazing way.  He said to the people of Judah who were all gathering together in and outside the Temple:

‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” 2 Chronicles 20: 15-17

What an incredibly reassuring reply! God knew what the people and their earthly King needed to hear after seeking Him and honoring Him...and He said exactly that:

1. He told them not to be afraid or discouraged.  Of course, that's the first thing we need to hear when entering a battle of any kind. But when God says that to us, He means it! He backs it up with action for He is Faithful and He means what He says. Then...

2. He confirmed that the battle was actually not theirs. It was His. Therefore, He would fight it. And you know what happens when we let God fight the battles, right? Well, of course, He wins! He delivers us.

However, that's not all. There is one more thing:

3. He reminded them that even though they would not have to fight this battle, they still had to be ready, march, take up their positions and stand firm to see their deliverance. They still needed to "go out and face them tomorrow." God did not magically stopped the approach of the enemy or their attack. The people of Judah still had to go and face the enemy with courage and confidence...because He was going to be there with them.  He didn't promise to dissolve the advances of the enemy. He promised to be there to face it and to defeat it for His honor and glory and for the benefit of His people.

There are some good applications for our lives, here don't you think?

When problems, trials, struggles, difficulties, battles are seen in the horizon, with vast strength and no intention of stopping any time soon:

1. Go to the Lord.

2. Send a 911 to your prayer warriors so they can lift you up in prayer and stand with you.

3. Listen to the Voice of Truth. Take time to "be still and know that He is God" and to listen to the whispers of the Holy Spirit. Quiet your heart and let Him speak to you through Scriptures, through the words of your prayer partners, through a magnificent sunset, through the cold rain, through the roar of the ocean, through the caress of a soft breeze.

4. And trust Him. Even when fear threatens to take over, recall His promises, especially the promise that He will be with you. Recall His faithfulness and all the times He has been there for you and how His promises are true and how He is the same today, yesterday and forever so we can count on Him now again.

5. Then, get ready to march on and face the enemy, to watch him be defeated.

6. Praise Him through it all! Worship for He is Worthy, like Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah did,

Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20: 18

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow

Praise Him, all creatures here below

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen!

Thank you for Your Faithfulness, Lord. Thank You for Your saving grace. Thank You for Your deliverance. In the Precious Name of Jesus, our Redeemer who lives! Amen.

 

I'm In The Lord's Army!

Remember that fun song we probably all know from Summer Bible School and/or Sunday School? "I'm in the Lord's Army!" Just thinking about it makes me want to stand up and salute as I say: "Yes, Sir!" I remember my kids marching to its tune and doing the best they could to pretend to be soldiers...

O boy...the truth is, I honestly don't know anything about being a soldier. Nobody in my family has ever served in the military. In Dan's family, only a couple of uncles served, but it was such a long time ago and we see them so very rarely, that it is not a topic of conversation that ever comes up. Neither it is something that comes up in casual conversations with our friends who have served. So, I really don't have a clue what it is like to be a soldier. I have no clue what it really feels like. I'm so removed from that entire reality of life that my only knowledge comes from the occasional rom-com movie here and there which might portray a person in uniform.

At any rate...why am I pondering these things, you may ask...well...yesterday at church and all around me lately, really, thoughts of putting on the full Armor of God in reference to Ephesians 6: 10-18 have been surrounding me. And that got me thinking how I really don't know the first thing of how to go about it...and that got me thinking it is probably because my frame of reference is so limited. Then, this morning, I read 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and something began to click.  

In this portion of scriptures, King Jehoshaphat of Judah defeats Moab and Ammon.  King Jehoshaphat is one of the Kings in the long succession of rulers after David, whose throne was in Jerusalem, but who faced a divided Israel and the constant sin and idolatry of God's people which often caused their defeat and state of separation from the One True King, the Almighty God. In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat gets word that his enemies are coming to wage war against him with vast armies, and are getting nearer. Then, to my surprise, instead of approaching the problem filled with false pride and overconfidence, or instead of calling all his allies to muster a potentially bigger and more powerful army, or instead of trying to appease the the enemy, or instead of consulting the hundreds of false prophets of Baal and other idols, Jehoshaphat, in his distress and concern actually resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. (2 Chronicles 20: 3-4)

WOW! Mind-blowing!

The first...the very first thing King Jehoshaphat did as soon as he heard about the imminent threat was to turn his eyes to the One True God...to inquire, to fast and to pray! And he didn't do it alone. He urged his entire Kingdom to do the same and they followed his example! How marvelous! Finally a King that knows what to do!!

Listen to his prayer:

“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20: 6-12)

There is so much in this prayer that it would take days to unpack...and maybe we should and will...but today, what hits me hard is the King's humility in recognizing that they are powerless without the Almighty. He cries out in the middle of the distress of all of his kingdom, and trusts that the Lord will deliver them. I particularly love verse 12 when he admits that they have "no power to face this vast army that is attacking us." And they "do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." 

Isn't that the key, here? We don't know what to do...BUT...our eyes are on You, Lord, because the only thing we do know is that You are the ONLY ONE who can deliver us from whatever enemy is attacking us.  Our eyes are on You! That is the ONLY WAY to win. I don't know anything about going into battle.  I don't know the first thing about putting on my uniform or handling weapons. I have no clue how to go on the defense or offense. All I know is that I must keep my eyes on the One Who Knows. The instant I take my eyes off Him...I've already lost.

So, regardless of how impressive the enemy may seem...or how inadequate we may feel about our ability to fight it, or how poor our chances seem to be...or of how little we know about going into battle, we know what to do: pray. Go to the Lord in prayer and fix your sight on Him. Paul tells us that too, and I never really noticed it until today. In Ephesians 6: 18 right after he gets done giving us what I always thought was the last instruction on putting on the Armor of God, Paul tells us the one thing that will assure our victory in this world and the next: pray. 

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6: 18

I'm in the Lord's Army! Yes, Sir!

And before I get deployed into a battlefield for which I am not prepared, I'm going to make sure I get ready by letting my knees hit the ground as my eyes search the Heavens. In the Precious Name of Jesus, the One Who Goes Before Us...it is His battle, and we trust His Mighty Hand. Amen!

Reflections on the Book Winning the War on Worry

Do you work out? Well, congratulations! I admire you! Because I do not. I try to walk. I've been pretty good at keeping up with my daily walks, but, often, the weekend comes or something disrupts my routine so a few days go by without walking, and when I try to get back on the treadmill, it  feels as if I have to start all over again from zero. I mean, really? Why is that? I guess the name of the game when it comes to staying active is consistency. I have a hard time staying consistent with anything. I'm lazy and I quickly go back to my default: inactivity. 

I notice this tendency not only in my "workout" routine or lack of thereof, but also in other areas of my life. For instance, finishing a book on helping me get my worry under control. I have left the book behind instead of finishing it, and instead of being consistently applying the principles in the book...I have forgotten and gone back to what I always do: worry.

Today, for instance, has been a day of worry.  I'm worrying about medical test results. I'm worrying about my sons. I'm worrying about work. I'm worrying about the future. Worry, worry, worry...I worry I'm forgetting the lessons of this book and how I spent a good amount of time reflecting on the 4 lies of the enemy which fuel our worry...and that I'm falling back into my default: worry.

Well, I decided to take the book and read a few more pages, and this quote called my attention: "fighting back against worry is like any other training regime or discipline." There is the problem! Like with any other training regime, I lack consistency and I forget. My lazy nature gets me back to what I'm used to, so when I attempt to get back on the treadmill of training to fight worry, I feel like I have to start from the beginning again...and it is exhausting. But I have to do it. I don't want to spend my entire life worrying about what could happen. I want to feel reassured that no matter what happens, God IS GOOD! I want to rest in the knowledge that God takes care of me in every situation, and that Heaven is the goal...eternity with Jesus is my victory!

"God is Loving, Kind, Mighty in Power, Holy, Healer.  He is, and because of that truth, I can have assurance no matter what comes against me." (page 12)

So tonight, I drop my worries at the foot of the cross and I pray for consistently trusting that God is who He says He is! And that I am His Child...His Daughter...and that He is going to deliver me from worry and carry me to a place of peace, where I can consistently trust Him and put my Hope in Him who is HOPE! In Christ Name I pray.  Amen!

Praying for Autumn

My favorite stories are those that involve characters who survive the greatest of challenges against all odds.  I especially love survival stories based on real life events when actual people have endured natural or political disasters, war, violence, corruption, and all kinds of destruction, obtaining deliverance ultimately through God's grace.  Edge of my seat movies where the hero is a little David archetype facing a Goliath of a challenge are my absolute favorite!  I often imagine myself as that small person, completely defenseless, making a run for it despite the high waters, the stormy winds, the raging fires, a blanket of bullets, a tall mountain or a dark valley...making it through, guided by the Light of the Holy Spirit and protected by the cover of Heaven's Angels.  The thrill of the adventures, experienced all from the safety of my living room at home, of course, leave me with a heart full of hope on the power of good over evil.

Have any of these types of stories come to life for you? Have you experienced these events in real life? Did you ever actually need to escape danger?  Do you know anyone, personally, who has ever been that real life character trapped in a dangerous place/situation from which the alternatives were to make a break for it or perish? Do you know people who have lived through the stuff of movies, and survived to talk about it afterwards?  

Have you or anyone you know encountered those moments when the Word of God that speaks about passing through deep waters and fires goes from being a powerful image to becoming painfully real...the times when finding the hiding place where He will protect us from trouble points to a literal need for God to surround us with His deliverance?

I cannot say I have experienced anything of that magnitude. Have you?

Today, there is someone I know who is living through one of these stories. The dire circumstances of the place where God called her so many years ago, and where her heart resides, have made it impossible for her to stay and the decision to flee was the only alternative to live.  She is a daughter of our church for whom seeking the will of God and obeying His call has taken her to a most forgotten country that is currently in shambles, where chaos, utter disorder and confusion reign. She took a leap of faith and trusted He who brought her there, to deliver her back into safety.  For days, we have prayed for her safety, and will continue to do so without ceasing until she is home again, securely, out of harms way.  We hang on to His promises and claim them for we trust that all His promises are true!

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46: 1

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. Psalm 138: 7

The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. Nahum 1: 7

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3: 3

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41: 10

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrew 13: 6

My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me. 2 Samuel 22: 3

May the Divine Shepherd lead this young woman and her companions back to safety...may His army of angels keep watch over them and bring them home soon.  We Praise the Lord that the most dangerous portion of her journey is completed, and we continue praying for a happy ending to this most compelling, real life story.

Psalm 57

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.


I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.
He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[c]
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.


I am in the midst of lions;
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.


Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.


They spread a net for my feet—
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.


My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.


I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.


Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

Reflections on the Book Winning the War on Worry. Lie #4

 "I have to worry.  OF COURSE I have to worry!!! If I don't worry, who will??"

This is my stance every single time that something slightly problematic may seem to be spotted in the distant future.  I worry and panic as if by worrying I could stop it from happening or control how things would turn out.  Reading the book, Winning the War on Worry is teaching me, however, that this attitude is not just a part of my dysfunctional mindset when facing problems.  This posture is actually the result of me believing a lie from the enemy that is designed to distance me from my Heavenly Father.  This position stems from lie #4: I can control the outcome by worrying.

Author Louie Giglio says that this lie from the devil tries to convince us that if we think about the situation long enough, we can control how it turns out.  Therefore, we obsess!  We think, and we concoct, and we mull over, and we visualize, and we machinate, and we ruminate until we believe we have covered all the angles and chewed it all over into a swallowable, sweet compote that goes down easily and to our satisfaction.  In reality, however, nothing is further from the truth.  By God's grace, says Pastor Giglio, the only thing we can control is how we react to things.  That's it!

Remember what Jesus asks us in Luke 12: 25-26

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

All outcomes are up to God's plan.  Worrying, on the other hand, does not accomplish anything other than the devil's plans.  Is that what we want to be doing? Helping the enemy accomplish his evil plans for our lives? Of course not! So why do we worry? We worry because we have fallen into the trap of believing that worry is useful.  And if you are like me, that mindset has been sculpted into your brain on granite!  It's our default mode.  We do it without even thinking about it.  And now, we are left with the hard work of changing our reaction to problems...which is the only thing we can control.  We have to replace worry with something else...but what?  What is strong enough to sledge hammer that granite and pulverize it? 

Pastor Giglio says, the first step is to recognize that WE. ARE. NOT. GOD!

Once we go into the worry mode and we smell the first stench of the obsession bottle opening up (remember that cologne by Calvin Klein in the 80s...sorry, I digress), we need to recognize it and pause...and say: I am not God.  I am not in charge.  I am not in control.  I don't run the show. I am simply a part of God's plan.  Yet, I know He loves me.  So I will pray, trust and obey...and release...

We pause, pray, trust and release.  OVER and OVER and OVER again.  Yes, this is not a one time deal, my friends.  You know it.  We do this once, and then we go back to our default.  So it requires us to be very intentional and to pay a lot of attention to our reactions.  Remember, we have built a granite statue to worry, like the ancient Israelites who built those Asherah Poles and statues of Baal we see in Kings 1 and 2, which they could not, for the life of everything beautiful in the world, get rid of!  No matter how many prophets God sent and how many times He spoke to them...Kings, after Kings, after Kings just could not bring themselves to destroy such idols...that is basically what we go through when trying to destroy the idol of worry that we have safely built in the high places of our inner being.

The labor is arduous and it requires constancy but most of all, it requires prayer and surrender.  Prayer that the Holy Spirit would direct our path towards a life in which worry is not our first instinct.  Prayer that Christ will give us His strength to surrender to God's plan, which, though inscrutable, it is, indeed, perfect!  Prayer that we forgive ourselves when we fall back on our worry routine, and not experience that guilt that separates, but enjoy the mercy that draws us back to the Heart of Jesus that is ALL MERCYFUL!  Prayer that we can continue to try to attempt this over and over an over again.  This is how we can open the door to the peace that Jesus promised, so it can enter into our hearts, souls and minds like a hurricane, or a gushing current, cleaning up all the gunk we've built up over the years, destroying our idol of worry...to finally allow us to breathe...and let go...and be free.  

"Of course I have to worry!"  No I do not.  Nobody has to.  It's in God's hands, whatever "it" is...He already has it worked out.  I am NOT God.  So I'm going to step down and let Him do His thing! In the Precious Name of Jesus.  Amen!

Would we say no to love because it hurts?

 Would you willingly choose to do something that you KNOW is going to cause you hurt, pain, and heartache? 

Well, the answer is yes and no.

Often, when we are absolutely certain that a decision, or an action is going to give us a most piercing affliction or unsurmountable hardship, the answer is no way! Our self-preservation instincts kick in...or should kick in, ideally, right? Sometimes I wonder, though... However, there is one thing...one decision...one action...one decision to commit to an action which we willingly embrace fully knowing it will, at some point, shatter our hearts...and that is, the decision to commit to loving someone.

The reason for this seemingly irrational determination is that otherwise, choosing to say no to love would make us part of a different species...more like a piece of furniture or a kitchen appliance...an amoeba, at best.

We choose love over and over and over again regardless of how much it may hurt, because we are humans and we need love like we need air.  Love is what sustains us and gives us well-being because He who made us is Love Himself, and when He selected us to be His, that was an act of unsurpassed love that demonstrates He loved us first and at that moment, He instilled His love in us rendering us incapable of not loving despite our "better/worldly/rational" judgment and knowledge. Easy! Not mind-twisting at all, right?!

Anyway...but seriously, how else would we ever know we even have a heart if we never get it broken?

The pain we feel when our heart aches or when it is deeply pierced due to love is what reminds us that we are alive...the deeper the hurt...the stronger the love.  Losing someone who we consider only a passing acquaintance, for example, does not destroy us the way that losing a most beloved person does.  Hearing the news that something bad happened to a kid at some distant school many miles away from us, doesn't disturb us anywhere near to the way it certainly annihilates us when that kid is ours.  The distress we experience when we are aware of the hardship of people we know of through second-hand connections is not even close to the excruciating agony we feel when the hardship falls onto a dear, dear friend.

Deep in our hearts we know, the day we decide to love someone, that it will crush us if we ever lose them.  We know with absolute certainty that the instant something horrible happens to our children (even a papercut counts here) we are going to feel it worst than if it'd happened to ourselves.  We know when our dear friends go through seriously rough patches, we travel with them and experience their pain.  We know it...we feel it...we fear it.  

When we say the vows, it is for better or for worse, until DEATH due us apart.  We walk into that union knowing death will be a part of it.  When we hold our children in our arms, we know our hearts will break, just like the heart of Jesus' Mother Mary broke, because we realize our hearts don't belong to us anymore, they are in possession of the children God blessed us with.  When we first meet our best friends whether it be at a school yard during recess when we were in Kindergarten or at a small group in college either because we were paired together to do a project or we were randomly thrown together as roommates, or met at a crazy party (not that college students ever go to parties, let alone crazy ones), or at a Bible study group at the home of a Pastor on Sunday evenings when we were starting out our Christian walk...we know that someday we will journey through the valleys of the shadows of tears with our loved ones...still...does knowing all this would ever make us turn our backs and say: no...I cannot commit to loving you because I know it will one day break my heart and I cannot have that kind of pain in my life?  

Would we say "no" to love because it hurts?  

No second thoughts. No second guessing. No regrets.  Tears and all, we willingly dive into the adventure that it is to love someone because choosing otherwise would mean traversing through life empty and barely alive.  After physiological needs, the need to belong... to love and be loved, is the most basic need of humankind! So, a life devoid of love, is not much of a life at all.  And like the song says: love hurts.  It hurts, indeed.  But that's how we know we're alive. That's the human perspective.

From a Christian perspective, it works too.  Suffering is the evidence we are walking with Jesus!  Sharing the road with Christ means sharing in His sacrifice...sharing His Cross (Galatians 2: 20 and Matthew 10: 17-20). To be a part of His Glory we must be also part of His agony...that's just the way it works. Love hurts, but without love, there is no joy...there is no glory.  Therefore, we offer our suffering back to Him to participate in His Glory at the appointed time.  

The Cross is not the goal...the goal is Christ's Glory.  Heartache and agony are not the goal...the goal is joy.  May the One Who is LOVE guide us in our necessary walks through calvary so, when the time is full, we can also partake in the joy and glory of true Love.

Have you ever met such a human?

 Have you ever met someone universally liked?

I mean...there are some people, I guess, who because of their achievements can potentially claim the title of being universally admired...maybe...I know I'm going to say something controversial here, but it is only an illustration (please try not to dislike me too much): I could, perhaps say I sort of admire Taylor Swift...but I do not like her.  However, finding people who are liked by everyone they meet along the path of their lives...that is very rare.  Not even Jesus was liked by everyone He ever met.  On the contrary, right? He was put to death because some people didn't like what He said, what He did...who He was...and He is Perfect!  Imagine us...imperfect, wretched, sinners...of course we are NOT going to be liked by every single person we meet (trust me, I know what I'm talking about here).  Once in a while, however, there comes a person...a human, flesh and bone person, who can honestly (and usually humbly) walk around knowing that most of those who meet him or her are not going to hate their guts.

This kind of individual is typically characterized by a few traits.  Among those traits or virtues, rather, we notice first a big heart so full of love that it overflows. Their hugs are tight and abundant.  Their approach is genuine and caring.  Then we see a cheerful personality as another commonly present feature among this person's virtues, meaning, others can most certainly count on a smile, a belly laugh, a funny comment usually self-deprecating and/or sarcastic, and a silver-lining type of attitude.  They are, therefore, fun-loving, but also fun and loving.  This person is empathetic, feels deeply about others and exudes generosity.  They are generous with their time, money, talents, efforts, laughter and tears.  In a world where so many of us feel invisible, this person makes people feel seen.  The universally liked human is also smart.  Behind a seemingly goofy exterior there lies a thinker whose insight always would leave you pondering...their musings always would bring about a perspective that makes those listening, pause, reconsider and wonder.  They get it and they help you get it too.  This combination of qualities (plus others that you may add as you think of them) make it impossible for anyone to truly dislike this individual.

Have you ever met such a person?  

Does anyone's face or name come to mind to illustrate this beloved character?

Yes.  Without fearing oversimplifications or false idolization, I believe that I can honestly answer yes to these questions. I had the honor, privilege and blessing of meeting someone who was not terribly disliked by anyone within the universe in which he lived.  That does not mean that sometimes we might have not rolled our eyes at his comments or might have occasionally wanted to punch him on the face once in a while...but always in good fun!  Not only he wasn't universally hated, he was actually deeply loved...so much so...that Jesus called him home way too soon because he couldn't spare him any longer. And now, though we rejoice he is enjoying his rewards as he has already heard, "well done good and faithful servant," we are left wandering in this valley of shadows and tears with one less shining light in our world to guide us.  The voice, words and laughter are silenced, the jokes have ceased, the hands are idle.  The memories, however, remain.  The legacy of faith, love, integrity, joy and selflessness lives in the hearts and souls of his family and in all who knew him on this side of eternity.

Our loss is great, but his gain is bigger.  We just pray in confidence that the same Jesus who saved him, redeemed him, inspired him, guided him and loved him has already welcomed him into His glory as He gives us acceptance, peace, strength and hope to continue on in this life without our friend and brother in Christ until we too, are also called home.

In memory of our beloved Sam Jones...lifting his dear wife, children, grandchildren and the rest of the Jones Clan in prayer as we mourn together the passing of someone who represented the spirit of our church.  In Christ we wait.  Come, Lord Jesus, come.

Reflections on the Book Winning the War on Worry - Lie #3

 My Mother and Father were both major-league-worriers.  They spent all of their lives while I was around, worrying about something.  My Mom was afraid of everything, which caused her to worry constantly.  My Dad never really made much of a distinction between a big problem and a little problem.  To him, all problems were equally bad and required an equally extreme reaction.  Worry framed his face.  Neither of them really knew how to relax.  Every single afternoon after dinner, they would both sit on a swing on the front porch of our house and ponder the day's issues.  To the regular passerby, they looked as if they were chillaxing.  We knew, though, that they were quietly mulling over problems and worries.  I don't think either of them ever heard anyone say to them anything like:  give it to God.  He is in control.  Let it go.  Trust Him.  Worrying won't solve anything.

Sigh...

I grew up in that environment.  It never occurred to me to think that there was some choice involved in worrying.  I never thought about the fact that there are levels to problems: some are big and some are little...what? no way...a problem is a problem, is a problem and I need to worry no matter what.  I can't choose not to worry!  That's crazy?  Who could possibly control their emotions in such a way? NOBODY! Once a worrier, always a worrier, especially if you were born that way and into a family of worriers.

Well, apparently, that way of thinking was forged by a tradition of believing a big lie the enemy wants to spread on unsuspecting people like me.  As stated by Pastor Giglio, the devil's #3 lie is precisely, "I have no choice-I'm born a worrier."

OK...I guess my lifetime of blaming genetics for my inability to exercise self-control in the arena of worrying is coming to a very abrupt end...because if Pastor Giglio is right...I've just been duped into believing that I was born this way and there isn't anything that I can do about it.  In reality, even though we might have a genetic tendency toward worry...we are born again into a family whose Father does not worry or has ever worried or will never worry EVER!  Like Pastor Giglio says, "there's no doubting the fact that He is concerned for us..." but He does not worry in the same sense we do.  We belong to a new family where worry is a sign of mistrust.  

The truth is that God's got us and all our problems.  He is in control and our job is to surrender and to trust His plan and His will.  HE IS ENOUGH!

When we indulge in worrying, we fall for the enemy's trap that tells us we are the ones in control.  He knows we are NOT enough...so he deceives us and manipulates us into believing we are in charge because he knows we will fail and be even more miserable than when we first started worrying.  The enemy knows we will forget we are not enough and will dupe us into buying the idea that we can take care of things on our own...and the vicious cycle starts and never ends...or it ends with us defeated.

Pastor Francis Chan said something similar:  "Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is Big Enough, Powerful Enough, or Loving Enough to take care of what's happening in our lives." Therefore, instead of wasting our time worrying and circling around our fears over and over and over again in a most inefficient way...let's make sure that at the first sign of worry we start moving closer to the Word so we can be under the protection of the Most High as we focus our energy and efforts on surrendering and trusting on the Center of Life, Power and Love that is Our Great God.

No matter how long we have been believing this lie, we can change our mind frame by the Power of The One Who Makes All Things New! Let's put our faith in Him and start believe the truth!

Reflections on the Book Winning the War on Worry: Lie #2

I have been watching many crime-style-movies lately.  The "who-done-it" hooks me, and before I know it, I'm playing homicide detective.  In these shows, "motive" is always an important key.  The detectives are always looking for it. Until they find it, they can't build a solid case around a suspect.  In many of these shows, we find out at the end, the motivation to commit the crime stems from a lie.  The culprit ends up usually not being a serial killer, but a misguided individual who told a lie and has to cover it up or was told a lie and believed it...which caused him/her to an extreme reaction...usually a murder.  Even serial killers' motivation and M.O. are often linked to some sort of lie in their past.  

At any rate, as I continue my careful reading of Louie Giglio's book Winning the War on Worry, chapter 1 tells us "worry is a liar."  And the second lie the enemy uses on us is: "the more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."  So, "the motive" for worrying is to avoid or keep "it" (whatever "it" might be) from actually happening.  At first glance, this statement didn't seem to apply to me all that much.  But then, as I started to look at worry in terms of a "crime" I started to look at what my motivation for worrying might be.  And the funny thing is, many, many times, I just worry for the sake of worrying.  It's my M.O.  I don't even know why I do.  I just worry because if I'm not worried, I start worrying that there's something I need to be worried about, but I'm not sure what it is, so I start digging around until I find something I need to worry about and then I'm like, "see? I knew it!"

However, what if my incessant need to worry emerges from the fact that long ago, longer than I can remember, I believed a lie from the enemy who made me think that the more I worry, the less likely it is for that worst case scenario to happen.  Therefore, I began to worry motivated by this lie I had believed in, and worry became my M.O. and it has been my habitual way of acting ever since.

How diabolical...

The truth is, worry doesn't keep anything from happening.  In fact, worrying only makes things worst.  It makes us panicky and when we panic, we can't think rationally.  Fear makes us act erratically, and mistakes are made because we go on "survival" mode.  And I don't know about you, but my survival mode is terrifying, especially to those around me.  I become hysterical and destructive.  I can't think and I often hurt everyone I cross paths with.  The enemy knows that about me.  Hence, the lie.  Making me believe this lie will ensure that I am in a constant state of fret and disarray, unable to calm down and think...and pray...

What to do?

First step, like Pastor Giglio says, "become adept at spotting the lies worry tells you" so you and I can become experts at dismantling them, rendering them ineffective. Then, "lean in and trust God." Pastor Giglio continues on page 6, "one of the greatest tools to help counter the temptation to worry is recalling the faithfulness of God"...the faithfulness of God tells you, "today I will do for you what I did yesterday, and the day before, and the days before that.  Faithfulness is the fuel of peace for today."  Remembering God's Faithfulness and recounting all the instances in which He has delivered us and blessed us is the antidote against worry and the key to regaining His peace.  

I know it is hard for someone for whom worrying is the default reaction to life's hurdles.  That's why we need back up.  Just like in the crime-style-movies, detectives who have the presence of mind to call for back up before engaging in something that is potentially going to end in harm, usually survive violent encounters...we worriers need to make sure we reach out to our back up at the first tingle of fear.  And the first one to call, the one on your #1 spot in your speed dial is:  The Holy Spirit.  A quick 911 to the Holy Spirit to make His presence manifested in the situation will make the difference between succumbing to the weapons of the enemy or staying firm on solid ground.  Then, reach out to your prayer warriors.  Establish a small circle of sisters in Christ to whom you can always place emergency calls or texts and recruit them to lift you up in prayer and serve as a sounding boards on your struggle.  And of course, go to Jesus in Scripture.  Stay in the Word always.  The same way the enemy does not rest or get distracted on his mission to disrupt our lives, we must stay in the Word every day, making it part of who we are, memorizing and praying without ceasing.

Well, I guess it's time to go find out who's done it this time in my current movie I have on pause :) but before that, I pray that we can stay connected to His promises of peace like a river, beyond our understanding, trusting He is the Faithful One who walks with us and tells us, fear not.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, The One Who Has Overcome Every Trial for me.  Amen!

   

Reflections on the Book Winning the War on Worry: Part 2 - Lie #1

 "You always have to go to the worst possible case scenario!"

Boy, have I heard that often in my life...sigh...I always attributed that nasty quality of mine to my negative nature.  I never thought it was something I could control.  I mean, how much can you force yourself to be a positive thinker, really? To me that would be like me forcing myself to be 4 inches taller than I am.  I mean, how do I do that? I guess I could fake it by wearing 4-inch-heel shoes and pretending to be able to walk on those.  At the end of the day, though...I'm still not 6-foot tall.

Pastor Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry tells us how worry is not from God.  Worry is a tool of the enemy and he uses it to manipulate us and to make us drift away from The Almighty.  When the enemy uses worry to enslave us, he employs 4 lies, and the first one is:  "something really bad is going to happen."  It's not that bad things don't happen.  They do.  We have experienced that reality.  We live in a fallen world and of course bad scenarios are often unavoidable.  However, the trick is to remember that not because we are facing something seemingly terrible, the worst possible thing is actually going to be the outcome.  Sometimes it will be and what we fear most will come to pass.  But, more often than not, the horrible thing we fear might happen, does not happen.  

The point is, why worry? I remember one of my first bosses a thousand years ago, used to say, "keep calm and do your job.  There's plenty of time to panic later."  And if we think about it, it's true!  We don't know what the future holds.  We may have a sense...a feeling...but we don't really know for sure.  God's plan is perfect, and He has a way to make everything work out in the end.  We might have to go through some tribulations for a while, but we know how the story ends: we running to the arms of Jesus...so, come what may!

There is a supernatural peace that comes to us when we surrender our fears to our Lord...and as such, precisely because it is supernatural, it doesn't come naturally.  It comes by allowing the Holy Spirit to take over our thoughts and by filling our minds with Scripture.  So when the hard times do come, we are prepared and we trust that Jesus will equip us to face it, and above all, that He will be going through the fire and high waters with us.

I don't know how effective I will be at modifying my perspective from worst-case-scenario to "I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength." But I am glad to hear that by being aware this is a lie from the devil, I can recognize it when it threatens to overtake me with its darkness.  Once I recognize it is the enemy trying to defeat me, I can invoke the Holy Spirit to guard me and lead me back to His Light.

In the meantime, I cling to the hope that is Jesus.  And as I learn to immerse myself into His Word and trust it more and more each day, I know He will rescue me.  In the Precious Name of My Lord and Savior Who is Truth.  Amen!

Reflections on Book Winning the War on Worry

 "You worry too much.  Just enjoy the ride!" 

Someone told me that many years ago.  To tell you the truth, I had no idea what that meant.  I still don't think I'm 100% sure I understand the idea of seeing life as a "ride" which I should enjoy and not as a valley of darkness and fears that I must constantly fret about.  How does one even begin to approach life like that?  I have no idea.  I guess, maybe, looking more closely to the analogy of a "ride" could bring some light into this matter...let's see...a ride...a ride...

Well, I don't ride horses or motorcycles or skateboards. I have not been on a bicycle in decades.  I do, however, ride in cars...but better yet, my mind just went to rides at amusement parks.  I do enjoy those very much!  We didn't have amusement parks in Panama when I was growing up down there so I never really experienced the thrill of a good ride until I was in my early twenties.  I still remember the first time I rode in the Steel Phantom at Kennywood!  WOW!

I think I passed down my love for amusement park rides to my sons.  They practically grew up riding them.  I remember pushing Grant and then later Dylan on our little umbrella stroller around many parks, and as soon as they were tall enough, they began to ride.  One of my favorite memories was of the first time we took them to Disney.  Dylan was only 5 years old.  We were in line to ride the Tower of Terror and Dylan asked Dan:  "Daddy, are we going to die?"  Poor child...it was terrifying, indeed, but he did it and we all survived.  It was exhilarating! We still continue to go to amusement parks as much as we can.  Last year we went to Universal and we stood in line for 2 hours to ride the new Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.  It was probably the best ride I've ever been in.  It was surprising and unique.  Not much like any other.  Of course, now I have to take something like Dramamine or Bonine to keep my lunch steady inside my tummy...but I enjoyed every bit of that ride...hmmm...

Why am I able to enjoy these crazy rides without worrying one bit about anything?

Let's see...I don't worry about a thing because I trust that the amusement park has taken every precaution to make sure the rides, while scary, are totally safe.  I trust that even though the climbing is steep, the turns are crazy, and there are many bumps along the way, at the end, I will land without harm.  Well...I wonder...if I can trust the corporations that own the amusement parks (which only care about profit) to keep me safe...why can't I trust My Amazing God, who wonderfully and carefully made me and loves me so much that He sent His Only Son to save me?  

Perhaps the reason I can blindly trust Kennywood, Disney, and Universal but have a hard time fully trusting the God of All Creation is because I'm believing the lies the enemy feeds me about God and His Goodness.  

Louie Giglio in the book, Winning the War on Worry points out something in chapter 1 that really got to me.  He says:  "We've already established that the root of worry is fear.  And fear doesn't come from God.  Thus, at the heart of worry is the devil.  And Scripture is clear - the devil is a liar." (page 1)

He adds:  "worry isn't just a bad habit.  Worry is an enemy tactic - a strategy built on lies that are designed to rob you of peace and tear your mind to pieces." (page 1)

There you have it.  I don't think I ever heard this message any clearer.  Worry is NOT from God.  On the contrary.  He wants us to trust Him completely to the point that we worry about nothing because He is in charge...our lives are in His Hands...the most capable and trustworthy hands ever.  But we do worry.  We worry because the enemy is skillful and he knows how to infiltrate our defenses in ways that are often imperceptible to us.  And if we are not aware of this truth, or we allow ourselves to forget it, we begin to believe all the lies he feeds us and worry takes over.  

Well, I am deeply grateful to the Holy Spirit for guiding authors like Pastor Giglio to write about this topic.  And I'm deeply grateful to my dear friend for bringing this book to my attention.  And, above all, I'm most gratefully delighted for the love of My Lord and Savior, whose patience is inexhaustible and whose care is unending.  I pray that as I read this little book I can finally understand that it is possible to worry less and enjoy the crazy ride of this life more.  In Jesus' Precious Name, the Name that deserves all of our trust.  Amen! 

Struggle with Worry? Maybe the Next Series of Posts Can Help

 Struggles with worry? Me? 

Nah!!!

HA!  I don't struggle with worry.  I embrace it...I look for it.  I worry even when there's nothing to worry about thinking, why...thinking, maybe I should be worried about something.  Yep, worry is me, alright...deep sigh...

When my dear friend brought up the book Winning the War on Worry by Louie Giglio, my first thought was..."yeah right? like that's a war I can win...sure..."

I'm ashamed of my inability to trust God's power completely.

But, I bought the book.  I've read the introduction. And I'm ready to put on the Armor of God to fight in this war, because I'm sick of being oppressed by fear and worry.  It's about time I stop my defeating attitude and dive into the arms of Jesus, the One Who Has Defeated evil and exposed all his tricks.  It's about time I surrender to Christ, trust His promises, and let Him scoop me out of the pit I've dug for myself.

As I read this little book, I'm going to try to use this space to process my reflections and sort my thoughts.  I hope it is useful to whoever is reading my musings and maybe we can walk together on this road to freedom, guided by the Light of His Presence.  In the Precious Name of Jesus we pray.  Amen!

Fellowship: 2024 Word of the Year

 I'm not sure what happened, but I blinked and 2023 was over.  The last few months went by so fast that my head is still spinning.  In the whirlwind of things, I have not had very many moments to sit down and write...and I'm not sure as to why...but there's no time for regrets, right? So here I am...on the second day of 2024 talking about my word for the year.  And the word is:  fellowship.

My word for last year was "genuine."

Unfortunately, I have to admit that I was not able to keep to it 100% of the time.  However, I can honestly say that I did have very special moments of genuine fellowship which made me realize the importance of this practice.  The moments that stand out the most revolved around book chats.  I was blessed with being a part of two book chats, one over the summer and one in the fall, which gave me plenty of opportunities to fellowship with dear sisters in Christ and see friendships blossom as we grew closer to one another and to Christ.  I also had chances to fellowship with my own family as we shared super special moments driving through Arizona, surrounded by a beauty so intense that moved us to worship.  

But, what is fellowship, and why is it important?

Well, briefly, the word fellowship is derived from the Greek word koinonia. Koinonia can be defined as “holding something in common” and is specifically used 20 times in the New Testament (e.g. Phil. 2:1-2, Acts 2:42, 1 John 1:6-7). Koinonia describes the unity of the Spirit that comes from Christians’ shared beliefs, convictions, and behaviors. When those shared values are in place, genuine koinonia (biblical fellowship) occurs. This fellowship produces our mutual cooperation in God’s worship, God’s work, and God’s will being done in the world. (Grace Theological Seminary)

Fellowship is an integral part of Christianity and it is a tool that the Holy Spirit uses to help us grow in our faith.  Through that unity that emerges when Christians gather together and share their beliefs, convictions and way of living, the body of Christ, the church becomes stronger and so do individuals.  Think about it.  Has it happened to you that sometimes you are at a Bible study or maybe even just casually having a conversation with some sisters in Christ and there is a discussion of a topic or a passage of Scripture that you thought you were very familiar with, and all of a sudden, you hear insights on that topic or particular passage that you never thought about before, making the whole thing completely fresh and new?  That is the gift of fellowship.  

There is a reason the Bible calls us to fellowship with other believers.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1: 9, "you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."  We are invited to partake in the divine fellowship of the Trinity between Jesus, The Father and The Holy Spirit, our most perfect example of perfect Koinonia.  It is in this unity that we experience a glimpse of paradise here on Earth.  

Well, 2024 is here, and it is my prayer that I can be intentional about participating more intensely in Christian fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  May we all walk in the Light together, as 1 John 1: 7 says,

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

And as we walk in the Light, may we encourage one another, bear each other's burdens, and make each other better, as iron sharpens iron.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith.  

Happy New Year!!!