One Thousand . . . and more! . . . Gifts

By Laurie Ness

November!  Again!  How did it come back so quickly?  Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it seems so appropriate to give some extra thought to gratitude this month.

Really, though, we should always be thinking of things to be thankful for.  It should be a natural part of our everyday lives.  After all, God supplies us with each breath we take, each opportunity to serve Him, each smile someone bestows upon us, not to mention provision for our every need.  There is always, always something to thank Him for, even in our most troubling times.

Earlier this year, I read Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.  It's one of the most beautiful books I have ever read outside the Bible--maybe because it contains so much of God's Word and teaches/reminds us how to apply it.  Ann Voskamp is a farmer's wife, mother of six children, a survivor of deep wounds, and her words are poetic, moving, heart-wrenching, and joy-filled.

In her book, she writes about eucharisteo, the Greek word for giving thanks.  She challenges readers to start a list of 1,000 of God's gifts and to add to it every day.  What are you thankful for?  The sound of the crunch of leaves under your feet?  The five dollar bill you found in the laundry?  That your car started this morning?  Write it down!  He blesses us in endless ways, big and small.  I started this list immediately after I read the book (or maybe even during the reading of it), and it was an amazing experience!  Unfortunately, I allowed busyness to be an excuse to slack off on it--not a good thing.  I'm longing to return to it, and invite you to ask me if I have done so! ;)

The other day I heard Ann Voskamp speak (on a video) for the first time, and her voice is absolutely as beautiful as her written words.  There's nothing I can say on the topic of gratitude better than she can.  She is one of a kind.  So, my friends, I am going to treat you to a symphony of spoken words based on her written words, by sharing this video with you.  It's 22 minutes of wonderful.  Grab a mug of tea to warm your hands around and take the time to warm your heart with Ann's words.  Hear them!  Soak them in!  Live them!

Enjoy!  Be thankful!  Experience eucharisteo.

If the video isn't showing up on your screen, try clicking here.

If You're Free and You Know It . . .

by Laurie Ness

Everybody wants freedom, right?  Who doesn't want to be free?  No one wants to be a slave to fear or sin or past mistakes.  Right?

Maybe we would be surprised to realize how often we as believers choose that very thing:  Slavery.  Christ-followers are indeed free, because "...if the Son has set you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36), but do we always live as though we are free?  Sadly, the answer for probably everyone at one time or another is, "No."  Some maybe never choose to walk in the freedom that is theirs.

I've been thinking so much about "Satan's slavery vs Christ's freedom" in preparation for writing this devotional, and my mind keeps going back to something that has already been written.  I heard these words read at my sister's church years ago, and they often come back to mind.  I remember the tears rolling down my cheeks as I recognized the ways these words applied to me.  I simply can't say it any better, and I think the Lord may wish to speak through someone else in this column this month!  Enjoy . . .

Dr. Neil T. Anderson* writes:

Slavery in the United States was abolished by the 13th Amendment on December 18th 1865.
How many slaves were there on December 19th 1865? Well, in reality, there should have been none.  But many still lived like slaves, because they never learned the truth. Others knew and even believed that they were free but chose to live as they always had.

Several plantation owners were devastated by the Emancipation Proclamation. "We're ruined!"
they said. "Slavery has been abolished. We've lost the battle to keep our slaves." But their chief
spokesman slyly responded, "Not necessarily, as long as these people think they're still slaves, the Emancipation Proclamation will have no practical effect. We don't have a legal right over them anymore, but many of them don't know it. Keep your slaves from learning the truth, and your control over them will not even be challenged."

Once a cotton farmer asked, "But what if the news spreads?"

"Don't panic," was the reply. "We have another barrel in our gun. We may not be able to keep them from hearing the news, but we can still keep them from understanding it. They don't call me the 'father of lies' for nothing. We still have the potential to deceive the whole world. Just tell  them that they are going to be free, not that they are free already. The truth they heard is just positional truth, not actual truth. Someday they may receive the benefits, but not now."

"But they'll expect me to say that. They won't believe me," came the response.

"Then pick out a few persuasive ones who are convinced that they're still slaves and let them do the talking for you. Remember, most of these free people were born as slaves and have been slaves their whole lives. All we have to do is deceive them so that they still think they're slaves. As long as they continue to do what slaves do, it will not be hard to convince them that they must still be slaves.  They will maintain their slave identity because of the things they do. The moment they try to profess that they are no longer slaves, just whisper in their ears, 'How can you even think you are no longer a slave when you are still doing things that slaves do?'"

Years later, many had still not heard the wonderful news that they had been freed, so naturally
they continued to live the way they had always lived. Some heard the good news but told themselves, "I'm still living like a slave, doing the same things I have always done. My experience tells me that I must not be free. Everything is the same as before the Proclamation, so it must not be true. I must still be a slave." So they continued as if they had not received freedom!

Then one day, a former slave heard the good news and received it with great joy. He checked out the validity of the Proclamation and discovered that the highest of all authorities had originated the decree. Not only that, but it personally cost the authority a tremendous price so that slaves could be free. The slave's life was transformed. He reasoned that it would be hypocritical to continue living as a slave, even though his feelings told him he still was. Determined to live by what he knew to be true, his experiences began to change dramatically because he realized that his old master had no authority over him anymore, and he did not need to be obeyed. He was free, and he gladly served the one who set him free.

 Anderson, Neil, T. Victory Over Darkness, Ventura, CA, Regal Books, © 1990 and 2000, p. 86, 87

*Note:  As with any writer or speaker, we need to be comparing what we hear or read with what is in Scripture to make sure we are not blindly believing anything contrary to God's Word.  While I found this particular passage of an earthly author to be moving, I don't know enough about him to recommend (or not) his books in general.

Peace Beyond a Summer Breeze

By Laurie Ness

"Peace" is such a beautiful, tranquil word.  It causes me to remember quiet summer afternoons in my childhood, lying on the soft, fragrant green grass and watching fluffy white clouds lazily amble across an ocean-blue sky.  Even in my grown-up summers, there is still nothing like feeling the gentlest of warm breezes soothing my skin and moving through my hair to bring a sense of peace.  Sometimes I literally stop whatever I'm doing and just bask in the moment and thank the Lord for such a lovely blessing.

There are times in our lives, though, which are NOT so ideal.  We aren't children anymore, with endless summer days of freedom.  We aren't so innocent, so untouched by life's circumstances, so unaffected by the events of the world.  Now we are the ones who are trying to allow today's children to BE children, shielded as much as appropriately possible from the hurts and hardships, just like older generations did for us.

Can there possibly be peace in our hearts when we go through gut-wrenching trials in this life?  The world only seems to be spinning more and more out of control as we, humankind as a whole, focus less and less on God and live more self-centered lives.  Then there are the very personal struggles, which, to us as individuals, have nothing to do with the rest of the world.  When our loved one is so ill, or our child is in serious rebellion, or we don't know how we will make ends meet, or someone has betrayed us . . . the rest of the world's problems fade into oblivion as we experience our own very personal pain.

Is there any peace to be had?

Oh, yes, my friend, there is!

Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble.  Psalm 119:165

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.  Isaiah 62:3

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

So much of it starts in our own minds . . . in our own acts of obedience . . . in our own choice of attitudes.  Peace comes more naturally when we prepare ourselves  to choose it.

Last year at this time, my heart was breaking for my husband.  I mean, sometimes I felt like I couldn't bear the pain of what he was unjustly enduring.  The ache was always so very present.

But so was the peace!

No, I didn't choose to walk in peace every moment.  I allowed fear to creep in and begin to take root more than once!  I was truly afraid!  But God's Spirit was at work in me.  I had His Word in my mind and heart, and continued to drink it in.  Peace.  I had past experiences, awful ones that God had redeemed, to remember and cherish.  Peace.  I was making an effort, when I remembered, to choose joy in the midst of pain and to wholeheartedly trust God to do what He knew was best.  Peace.  We had family and friends who prayed faithfully and took time to encourage and support us. Peace.

We had the Truth on our side.  Sweet peace!

Sometimes peace is a feeling that all is perfect in a single moment, like on a quiet, cloud-watching summer afternoon.  We should enjoy and savor those times!  But real peace comes when it's the hardest to choose it.  That's when we need it most.  But we need to prepare for it before we need it!  Filling our minds with God's Word, praying earnestly for peace, and choosing to live peacefully day by day, minute by minute, will prepare us for experiencing peace in the hardest of times!

The Very Words of God

"For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.  They are ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."  Jude 4

One of the several things I have learned the hard way over the past few years is that heresy is rampant, including in places you wouldn't expect to find it.  A typical American can probably not go through a day without witnessing it in one form or another.  It isn't new to us.  Maybe we even become a bit "immune" to its effects after awhile.

What has shocked me to the core is some of the sources of false teaching.  People I know personally, people I don't know but have trusted in the past (I mean "famous" Christians, I guess) . . . formerly solid-in-their-faith individuals, or seemingly so, who have wandered into dangerous territory.

Now, before I go on, I want to assure you I'm not talking about anyone at SGC.  It's very important to me that you know I'm not talking about anyone you probably know personally.

But maybe you have your own acquaintances or famous people whose opinions you respected in the past but seem to have gone off the deep end theologically.  If not, you and the people in your life are extra blessed!  But let us remain vigilant . . .

And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. Psalm 12:6

The heresy flying here, there, and everywhere is one of the main reasons we need to keep learning.  It is not safe to take our eyes off the Word of God.  Satan often begins his deceptions subtly, and we can slowly become swayed from the path if we allow false teaching to go unchecked.  Pretty soon we could be so deceived that we become heretics ourselves, not even seeing our errors.  My heart aches to even think of being in that state.  May it never be--for any of us!

First Corinthians 5:6 reminds us that a little leaven affects the whole lump of dough.  In other words, if we tolerate sin and/or false teaching in small amounts, it will affect the whole local church where it isn't nipped in the bud.  Or, as many of us have probably witnessed, it can take over one person's life, spilling over onto his or her family, friends and acquaintances, poisoning those who don't know or aren't paying attention.

The only way to recognize the counterfeit is to know the real thing.  The Truth.  The Bible.  And the only way to know it is to read and study it faithfully!

There are so many excuses not to.  Believe me, I've used quite a few of them over the years.  "I don't have time."  "I can't decide what part to read or where to start."  "It's hard to understand, so why bother?"

An awesome opportunity to throw away the excuses and dig in to the Word is through a group Bible study.  Sugar Grove Church has several times and studies available for women in the fall and again after the holidays.  There's something for everyone!  Participating in a group study provides us with accountability, inspiration and help in understanding what we're studying.  I have been attending the Precepts study for years and love everything about it.  One great thing about meeting together with other believing ladies after we have done our homework is that the discussion helps me understand things I may have had trouble with on my own.  There's no shame in asking for help or learning from others!

If for some reason you just can't make a Bible study group, maybe there's one person you can pair up with.  But, in any case, we need to be studying our Bibles, even if it's alone.  There are tools online (one of my favorites is e-Sword) or available for purchase that can help us understand and get the most out of what we are studying--the very words of God!

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17

Are we Really Devoted?

God wants our devotion.

That's probably not news to most of us.  And we know He is the most deserving of anyone we are acquainted with to ask of us and receive our devotion. While praying and reading our Bibles are vital in growing our devotion, living out our faith day by day, minute by minute is what He asks of us as well. An often overlooked part of walking in our devotion to Him is to be devoted to the imperfect human believers who walk Planet Earth with us.  Yes, He asks this painfully difficult thing of us:

Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.  Do not be wise in your own estimation.  Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.  Respect what is right in the sight of all men.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. --Romans 12:9-18

God makes it clear that all believers are to be devoted to one another.

That means those who have more or less money than we do.

That means those who irritate or annoy us.

That means those who prefer different kinds of music or different styles of worship services.

That means people we deem as too loud or too quiet, having too many or too few tattoos, too opinionated or too wishy-washy, having "too many" children or "not enough," etc., etc., etc . . . unfortunately, the list could go on and on.

Every person who trusts Christ as his or her Savior is a part of the family, whether or not he or she sees and experiences the world just as we do. Love and devotion are great when those on whom we bestow them are similar to us.  Love and devotion are proven real when they are genuinely bestowed upon people who drive us crazy in one way or another.

This devotion, of course, does not mean accepting sinful behavior from believers without attempted accountability.  No family will be fully functional without loving reproof and correction when necessary, and it's no different for the church family.  The key to this, of course, is the love and adhering to biblical methods of accountability.

Wow, the Romans 12 passage above is packed with ways to show our devotion to one another.  A few of the highlights:

• Give preference to each other
• Contribute to the needs of others
• Practice hospitality
• Bless even those who persecute you 
• Rejoice with those rejoicing, weep with those weeping
• Do not be haughty--associate with everyone!
• Don't take revenge
• Respect what is right
• Live at peace with everyone as much as possible

Friends, it's a tall order, but God doesn't ask us to do the impossible!  Or, maybe a better way to say that is God makes the impossible (on our own) possible (with His help).  Prayer, along with reading Scripture and putting aside self-centered ways, will be powerful in helping us as Christ-followers to be devoted to one another, which points to our devotion to our Savior!

Shine Your Light!

By Laurie Ness

Photo by Kay Hartman

The ladies of SGC were blessed to have the beautiful (inside and out) Miss Indiana, Jackie Jerlecki, speak at the Christmas breakfast in December.  Even without the sparkling crown on her head, one surely can't help but notice her in a crowded room.  The warmth of the light within her shines all around her and touches those who are blessed to be in her presence.

The topic of "warmth" was chosen for January's WoW Connect! long before I had even heard Miss Jerlecki's name, but when the time came to start thinking about writing a devotional about warmth, she immediately came to mind.  She had a wonderful and inspiring message that chilly December morning, about letting our light shine instead of putting it under a bowl.

No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl.  Instead, they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see its light.  Your eye is the lamp of your body.  When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light.  But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.  See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.  Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.  Luke 11:33-36

I don't remember now Jackie's exact words, but I still feel the general inspiration to look around me during times that are easy to be absorbed in my own thoughts.  I've always tried to act kindly toward people, but that day, after the breakfast, my mom and I went Christmas shopping, and I found myself trying to pay more attention to the people around me, making eye contact with strangers more often and offering a smile, instead of pouring over my list of Christmas gifts and scouring the store shelves so intently.  I mean, we all have things to accomplish while we're out and about, but why not lift up our eyes more often to meet those of others who might need a connection of kindness, even if for just a second?

In the verses above, the word "healthy" is referring to generosity, and the word "unhealthy" points to stinginess.  Does the word "stingy" paint a picture of warmth?  Absolutely not!  Generosity, though, is a warm word.  With what can we be generous?  There are the obvious things, like money and material objects.  That kind of generosity definitely meets needs, but what about those less tangible things, like our time, our encouragement, our smiles, our conversation . . . our eyes off ourselves?  Our warmth?  Sometimes these can be more difficult to offer than money or material possessions.

And what about the people we are closest to?  It can be easy to take them for granted and maybe forget the warmth we might show to someone else.  Those we see every day (like our families, for instance) ought to be greeted and treated warmly always.

True warmth shines from the light of the Spirit of God living within and is not hidden under the "bowl" of our irritation, grumpiness, sadness, self-centeredness, or any other emotion.  True warmth does not ask anything of the one being warmed, nor attach itself to conditions that the "warmee" must meet.

Look up, loved one!  Smile!  Even if we are in the middle of a period of sadness in our lives, if we truly want to be pleasant anyway, God will help us to be pleasant if we ask Him!  It's what He wants of us--to shine His light.  You never know what that kindness toward a cashier on an ordinary shopping trip might lead to.  Our own children will be more likely to take us seriously if we make the effort to show them what a blessing we think they are, in simple ways like cheerfully wishing them a good morning when they awake every morning and giving them smiles and encouraging words throughout the day.  Our husbands will find home to be a haven if they are treated with warmth there.  Our friends and acquaintances will be warmed by our light if we allow it to shine.

And the message of Jesus will be communicated most effectively to everyone around us when it is preceded and accompanied by His warmth exuding from us!

JOY: Not Just for Christmas!

by Laurie Ness

We hear a lot about joy this time of year, though some may find it difficult, impossible even, to feel like they are experiencing it.  Does joy elude you this time of year?  You're not alone!  Or maybe this is the one time of year joy seems to come easily, but it's a struggle at other times?  You're not alone, either!  I personally have been in both those places at different times in my life, and I know many others have as well.  I've learned some things about joy along the way, and, though I'm still not always consistent in walking in joy every second of every day, I'd love to share with you some ways to make joy real in our lives.  We can encourage each other! :)

Differentiate between joy and happiness.  Is it possible to be unhappy and joyful?  Absolutely!  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds . . ." (James 1:2).  James goes on to describe why we should consider our trials pure joy (great reading!), but my point here is that James's God-inspired writing tells us that trials are a cause for joy!  See, happiness is an emotion.  Joy is an attitude.  Our emotions are random and unreliable, while our attitudes are chosen and nurtured by us!  Joy and happiness may coincide at time, but they are not equal.

Take our eyes off ourselves.  Some of the most joyless people around are those who think only of themselves.  There's little room for joy in the life of someone busy protecting her own wants, her own needs, her own dreams.  There may be a momentary sense of satisfaction in getting her own way, but those closed fists and hearts are not open to grasp true joy!

Live obediently.   "Light shines on the righteous, and joy on the upright in heart.  Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name."  (Psalm 97:11-12)  If we choose to give up our own foolish ways and obey the one, true, wise God, there is such joy to be found in that obedience.  When we glorify Him in our actions, words, thoughts and attitudes, we can't help but to experience true joy!

Focus on Him.  However our circumstances look or feel to us, they don't change the fact that God never leaves us nor forsakes us, that He has a plan for our lives, and that He is the only One seeing the big picture.  The things we can't figure out are no mystery to Him, including the reasons He allows upsetting events in our lives.  Spend time praising Him for His sovereignty and constancy!

Practice contentment.  Count your blessings, start a gratitude journal, tell everyone on Facebook what you're thankful for . . . whatever it takes to help focus on the silver lining.  Sometimes the "only" thing we can muster up is that God is still there and that He loves us and is in control.  But what an awesome truth to cling to!  There's no silver lining that can beat that.  If everything on earth is falling apart around us, God is our rock, and He wants us to be content in Him!

So, whenever we are struggling to find joy, whether it be during the holidays or any other time of year, we need to examine our lives and see what we are doing, or not doing, that snuffs out that joy.  The joy is always there--we just need to exercise it!  And none of us needs to go it alone.  Share your struggles with someone and allow them to bless you with prayer support and encouragement.  Then do the same for someone else! :)

Additional Reading:

The book of James (or at least 1:1-8)  :)
Psalm 30:11
Psalm 118:24
Psalm 40:16

Life is Tough, but God is Faithful, by Sheila Walsh
Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow