Ice Cream and Doubt

"Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour."  Matthew 15:28

“I don’t want {sob} you to leave, mommy {sob}.”

 It was the second time in 4  days I’d heard this tearful plea from my youngest.


First, just before my trip to Atlanta for a Women of Faith conference and now, again, as I tried to leave early to help out with the Law Enforcement Summit.

“Sweetie, I love you so much.  But you know who loves you more?  Who will never leave you, even when mommy has to?” I said, hugging her tightly.

“God,” answers my oldest, who’d been listening from across the room.  “Yes, that’s right.  God.” I affirmed.

“But I can’t see Him,”  Her eyes were honest and pleading and filled to overflowing with tears. 

Rewind to 4 days ago at 3:30 am…

“Mom, you’re gonna break my heart if you go,” she cried as she clung to me.

“God is with you, baby, and He will comfort you and be with you, even when mommy isn’t.”

We prayed and as God's peace eventually settled over us we were able to enjoy the sweet treat of having the next couple of hours together, just she and I ~ exactly what both of us needed.  {But God is just awesome that way, isn't He? Always providing for our needs, often in unexpected ways, when we pray and ask for it.  I love having a Heavenly Father who lavishes us with his blessings. Tweet this!} 

Fast forward to today...

"We are doing this, again?" I internally question.  The same tearful plea to stay.  The same gracious God whose peace settles us down, again.  This time, though, her honest question of doubt resonated within me:  "But I can’t see Him…”

As part of the reward for her settling down, I made a promise to join her for lunch.  So when work obligations caused me to leave a little later than expected, I became impatient.  Then encountered an unmarked police car on the interstate and became frustrated.  So much so that I ended up missing the intended exit.

Doubt kicked into full gear:  “I’m not going to have any time with her.  I’m going to miss her whole lunch hour.  I might as well turn around.  {Lightbulb moment!}  God, what should I do?“ 

“You should trust me.  Don’t you believe that I am with her always?  That I can be trusted to care for her and comfort her when you aren’t around?  Isn’t that what you told her this morning?  Don't you believe it?“ 

Surrender and peace washed over me.  I slowed down.  And railing against my sinful, doubting instincts…I stopped for ice cream!  What a joy and freedom I felt in surrendering to God’s truth, the knowledge that He could do anything, that He was with Bella to comfort and protect her.  Tweet this!  In that instant, I'd moved from doubt to belief and the realization that I didn't need to know all the details of how or why.    

Arriving at the end of her lunch period, with she and her classmates getting ready to depart the lunchroom, I honestly didn't know what to expect.  Was God going to teach me that his grace was sufficient when missing a promised lunchtime visit with my daughter?  Would He turn back the hands of time? Nope.  Neither of those. 

What He did was, nonetheless a miracle.  He prompted the teacher to offer to allow my child to stay past the normal lunch hour in order to enjoy an ice cream with me, the late-to-lunch mom.     

As Bella and I enjoyed our special, divinely provided time together, I thanked God for the big scoops of faith He always provides me with peace sprinkled on top.

"The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace."  Psalm 29:11

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14:27

 "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."  Deuteronomy 31:8

The {Word} Wednesday, October 30: BELIEVE

The {Word} Wednesday, October 30: BELIEVE

At the Women of Faith conference I attended this past weekend, the theme was "Believe God Can Do Anything."  I'd like to share with you just a few points from Max Lucado's talk about how we can consistently renew our faith and belief in God.

1. Lay claim to the nearness of God.  Heb. 13:5 (NIV)  Feelings are immaterial and irrelevant.

2. Cling to his character.  Set your thoughts on God not the problem.  Don’t give way to toxic thoughts.  Just because you think it doesn’t mean you have to meditate on it.  Meditate on what is true and good about God.  His faithfulness and that He never changes.

3. Pray your pain out.  In a faith crisis, be honest with God.  You can shake your fist at Him and tell Him and complain and talk to Him. He knows it anyway.

4. Lean on God’s people.  Don’t isolate!  This is the time to be IN church.  Matthew 18:20.  They are the body of Christ on earth.  The devil knows it and if he can keep you away from church {God’s hope distribution center}, you will become hope starved but God delivers!  Lean into Him.

Definition: Believe ~ to trust in; to hold a firm conviction about; to accept as true, genuine, or real (See also - Faith, Trust)

What does the Bible say about believe?

John 14:12-14  ESV  “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 20:29  ESV Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 3:16  ESV “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Mark 16:15-16  ESV And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Romans 10:9-10  ESV Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Mark 9:24  ESV Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Romans 10:14  ESV  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

1 John 4:1-2  ESV Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

Questions for discussion:  Do you agree with the statement that doubt is an emotion and that belief is a choice?  Why or why not?

Faith "&" Works

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”  1 John 5:14-15 (ESV)

Jesus continued from there toward Jerusalem and came to another village. Martha, a resident of that village, welcomed Jesus into her home. ³⁹ Her sister, Mary, went and sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him teach. ⁴⁰ Meanwhile Martha was anxious about all the hospitality arrangements.  Martha (interrupting Jesus): Lord, why don’t You care that my sister is leaving me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to get over here and help me.  Jesus: ⁴¹ Oh Martha, Martha, you are so anxious and concerned about a million details, ⁴² but really, only one thing matters. Mary has chosen that one thing, and I won’t take it away from her.  Luke 10:38-42

Poor hardworking Martha.  Being a Martha-type myself, more of a doer than a thinker, I’ve always related better to her than Mary. 

Need a volunteer at church?  I’m your girl.  Co-room mom?  Sure.  Girl Scout Co-leader?  Of course.  Finances tight?  I’m on it.  Fill in for a coworker?  Absolutely.

Recently, my bestie and I went to my friend’s Semi-Annual Women’s Clothes Swap Event. I normally detest shopping for clothes but the lure of next-to-free clothes and a girls night out proved more than I could resist. 

Before the event, we visited the vendors' tables set up around the church gymnasium.  With tight budgets, we were hesitant to waste anyone’s time, but we soon found that the ladies were happy to just talk.  Pretty bags and bows over here.  Hair and skin products over there. Interesting things to look at as we passed the time.

So the Holy Spirit is the only explanation I have for what happened next.

Glancing around the room to ensure I hadn't missed anyone, I was drawn to lady who seemed to radiate peace.  Was it her kind eyes, gentle smile? No, something more.  I could literally feel the sweet spirit surrounding the table pulling me towards it.  As I got closer, the items on her table became clearer. 

A puzzle card?  That’s neat.  Children’s books.  Cool.  Serving dishes and cups.  Okay.  Though a wide variety of items, a common theme became obvious...these were faith-based pieces, infused with scripture.   

Penny shared with me her story of Mary & Martha, the company for which she consulted.   She expressed gratitude that proceeds from her sales had funded cancer research, adoptions and mission trips, her husband being a pastor.  How she still got chill bumps when she thought about how each shipment is prayed over.  And it was just her story, not a sales pitch.  No pressure, just a feeling of peace.  I could almost envision her, a Mary, at the feet of Jesus, listening intently.

Days after the event, I was still thinking about Penny and Mary & Martha.  Though I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to call her, I resisted. 

No time.  No energy.  No resources.  I don’t know enough people. I've never done anything like this before. My plate is so full already.  In an instant, old familiar worries and excuses rose up like flames, threatening to consume me. Tweet this!

Like so many times before, I was at a cross roads.  Which path would I take?   

Memories of His goodness rushed in like flood waters, filling me to overflowing with His peace in an instant.  He reminded me of His command to go and tell the world about Him, the Good News.  He reminded me He would be my helper and hadn't I been praying for just this thing? 

For Him to use me, give me more opportunities to share about my faith and encourage others in theirs, provide a way for our family to continue rebuilding our financial security and freedom, to help us provide some of the basic needs for the newest member of our family, Olga? 

His words of comfort reminded me of what He had told Martha over 2,000 year ago, “Oh, Patty, Patty, you are so anxious and concerned about a million details, but really, only one thing matters. Choose that one thing that will not be taken away from you.“

So I am choosing obedience to Him in traveling this new path He has set before me at Mary & Martha.  And I'm so excited to be a part of a faith-based company where we are encouraged to live in the "&" - that place that brings together our faith and our works.  Tweet this!

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

 “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”  James 2:25 (ESV)

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God;…”  Psalm 46:10(a) (NIV)

"The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?" #justtrust #faith

— Patty Mills (@UpForTheJourney) August 23, 2013

Mentoring and Being Mentored

Mentoring and Being Mentored

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”  Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

 “I’d like to talk to you about the Apples of Gold event coming up this Fall.  Do you know about it?,” said a sweet church lady as we were passing in the hallway.

 

“Yes.  That’s the mentoring program, right?” I replied.  She smiled and nodded her head as she continued right down the hallway.  Which left me more than a little confused… 

 

Fresh out of individual Biblical counseling, I began my search for a mentor.  A mature woman with whom I could build an honest, deep, spiritually-satisfying relationship.  I didn’t know many women at my church, yet, so I prayed for God to guide me to the perfect woman.  And He did.  

“I’m really busy right now.  How about sometime next month?” she said.  “And I don’t particularly like the word mentor.  How about encourager or prayer warrior, instead. ” 

With diminished enthusiasm, I marked an agreeable date on my calendar and continued to pray but this time, “God, are you sure that she is the one? “ 

“Trust me, she’s the one,” He reassured me.

With the spiritual gift of encouragement, you will find that people are naturally drawn to you.  Don’t get the big head, though, because it isn’t really YOU they are drawn to at all…it is your gift. 

And it isn’t always a good thing.  For example, one of my dear friends had begun to come to me on a regular basis to vent about all the bad things going on in her life.  Time and again, I encouraged her to find a church home, to pray and seek God in all things, to turn them all over to Him, but she seemed to just tune me out. 

I began to feel overwhelmed as I watched her life continue to spiral out of control.  My heart ached for her.  Her situations were very real and very bad but nothing that God couldn’t handle.  But…there’s the rub, because I couldn’t MAKE her call out to God.  I began to feel emotionally depleted, used up and frustrated.  Taking my own advice, I prayed and turned my friend over to God and, in turn, He provided me with the insight and words to finally help her. 

“I am your friend but I won’t be your counselor anymore.  That’s not my job title.  Counselors are specially trained to listen to problems and then file them away in their cabinet along with all their other patient’s files.  As my last piece of advice to you, I’m going to recommend that you find a biblical counselor.  And I'm so excited for you because I know God has awesome things planned for you and I can’t wait to hear all about those things.  I love you and am so grateful God has put you in my life.” 

Sometimes, unknowingly, we can get in the way of the Holy Spirit doing His job.  Tweet this! Or maybe we try to be the Holy Spirit, Jr.  We feel we need to fix situations or people.  But they don’t need to be fixed by us.  They need to hit rock bottom so that they don’t have any other option but to call out to God to help them. 

 

And I am reminded of a time not so long ago when I hit that bottom myself. 

 

And though I am grateful for the people who tried to fix me along the way, I am most grateful for the many who made the heart wrenching decision to pray for me, instead, to hit bottom and do it quickly. The ones who knew that by hitting that bottom it would allow me to find out that Jesus was my granite underneath it all.

At our first meeting, my encourager (as she likes to be called) told me about her walk of faith which was so eerily similar to mine that it raised chill bumps all over my body.  “I told you,” God said.  And though she and I don’t have that typical mentoring/mentor relationship (whatever that is), she has been and continues to be one of the most influential women in my life. 

She tells me about classes I should take, events I should participate in, women and organizations I should connect with, credentials that I should check out.  We’ve gone prayer walking around our neighborhood together and we have plans to share the Good News at a booth at the upcoming fair.  And words can’t describe how grateful I am that God put her in my life. 

And I have a sneaking suspicion that she told that sweet church lady to invite me to be a part of the Apples of Gold event coming up in the Fall but I’m still left wondering…did she mean for me to participate as a mentor to others or to be the one receiving the mentoring?

Because God reminds me that I am, and always to be, both.          

“Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.”  Proverbs 25:11 (NLT)

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers of slaves to much wine.  They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”  Titus 2:3-5 (ESV)

“The godly give good advice to their friends, the wicked lead them astray.”  Proverbs 12:26 (NLT)

Free Pass and Chaos

 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.“ James 1:2-3 (NIV)

“If you need a minute to yourself, feel free to take it,” said my husband cautiously from across our living room. 

I had come in late from work, full of stress, and with expectations that no one had met. Not a thought about dinner, school stuff and empty chip bags littered the house, the T.V. was too loud, husband in a comfy chair and children glued to their electronics. 

“Chaos!,” I thought (and might have actually said). Why am I the only one here who sees the need here for dinner...structure...order...routine!!?

My girls, my husband and myself are Christians. We’ve even been baptized (and myself - rebaptized) as public professions of our faith and loyalty to Christ as our Lord and Savior. Why is it, then, that we all still encounter what seems to be endless problems? Tweet this! Isn’t our salvation supposed to be our free pass to a less troublesome, more joyful life? Why are we still constantly faced with communication problems, selfishness, anger, depression, anxiety attacks, physical ailments, addictions, financial problems, marital strife, friendship heartaches, family issues, fear, and worry?

God gave Adam and Eve a perfect environment. A place that contained everything they would ever need where they walked and talked with God each day. But was their perfect environment a free pass to a trouble free life? Nope. 

What about Jesus? He was the Son of God, fully God and fully man at the same time, perfect and sinless. But did that guarantee him a free pass to a problem free life? Nope. 

So does that mean we are doomed to joyless life here on earth? Nope.

Listen close...we DO have a free pass – good for one entry into a sinless, pain free dwelling place with Him for eternity. Too often we focus on the problems and not the hope Tweet this! – the hope that there is more to come than this temporary world and its problems and brokenness – the hope that even though we will have to endure problems in this world, that we have a God who is with us through all of them – the hope that every one of those problems had to pass through His hands to get to us and that He allows them because He intends for it to refine us, strengthen our faith, draw us closer to Him. Tweet this!

My oldest tentatively came back in the room – after having promptly exited at the first opportunity after our makeshift dinner - and said, “Mom, I wanted to apologize for whatever I did to upset you.” My heart broke a little. “It's okay, baby. You didn't do anything that I can think of. I apologize for being so fussy. Do you forgive me?” 

My next apology went to my youngest, who was peeking from around the corner, wondering if she was still in time out for having twice interrupted my “talk” with my husband earlier. “I'm sorry for being so fussy earlier, honey. Do you forgive me?” 

And I will say, in the midst of our talk, I apologized to my husband for hurting his feelings but the real apology came after a good night's sleep, prayers and the realization of how hurtful my behavior and words really were to him - I hadn't even noticed he'd cut the grass in the back yard. 

I asked him to pray for me, told him how much I needed him and loved him. And we “hugged it out,” as he called it. And I thanked God for His free pass of salvation to me and the free pass of forgiveness that my family gives me on a daily basis.

“Many adversities come to the one who is righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all.“ Psalm 34:19

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.“ Romans 12:12 (ESV)

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.“ 1 Peter 4:12 (ESV)

Church Speak and Doors

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path the take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

Tight groups have a kinda short, coded, almost secret language they talk in sometimes.

Professionally, we scribble stuff like ASAP or FYI on our very important papers. It saves a little time and looks cool. But if you don’t know what that stuff means, you’d better ask because my boss emailed me the other day that he needed something by COB - which I found out means by close of business - and, so, cute or not, it needed to get done quick, you know?

Church speak is like that.


One of the first Sunday School classes I showed up to - after my 20 year sabbatical from church - someone asked prayer for “travel mercies.” I found out that meant prayers for safe travel. Check!

They said God was “the Great Physician and Healer” and “Yahweh.” Oh, okay, those are other names for God. Cool!, I thought. 

They mentioned grace and how God was sovereign and talked about how God opens and closes doors and I’m like, wow, I’m really gonna have to study up on all this stuff.

And it’s not like I’m a novice or anything….I went to a private Christian school from K-9th grade and my mom had me at church every time the doors were open, so maybe I just wasn’t listening or something? But if you don’t know what this stuff means, go ahead and ask because it’s pretty cool stuff.

God has been opening so many doors for my family lately that I’ve been a wee bit concerned that one is gonna hit me in the face!

And the thing is, when God opens one of these doors, He doesn’t expect you to gather your stuff together, do a lights off check, and survey the weather outside before you walk out it. No, sir. You know what He expects? You to go running through it like the house was on fire, in your pajamas, and leap out of it like a gazelle! Tweet this!  And you might free fall for a bit before He catches you but, hear me when I say this, He ALWAYS catches you. That, in Church speak, is called taking a leap of faith, my friends.

Just a note, though. God closes doors, too. Tweet this!

So look out for those because the last thing you want to do is get your hand or toe slammed in a door that God is closing. So pray for wisdom on which way that door is actually swinging, for sure. But our God is not in the business of trying to trick you or hurt you so He’ll let you know.

“The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'” Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 (NIV) 

“Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow." Psalm 5:8 (NLT)