Breath

Have you ever wondered if God really is doing anything in your life today? Have you felt alone? Have you felt like God is sitting back watching you trip and fall and not intervening? Do you feel like the only things that are getting accomplished are the things you are doing all by yourself with no help from God at all? Let’s test your theory for proof…

Whatever you are doing, right at this moment, large or small – hold your breath.

Counting…1…2…3…

4…5…6……

...Don’t take a breath…keep holding….

…keep holding…

…keep holding…

…keep holding…

Now BREATHE before you pass out!

Genesis 2:4 – 7 speaks of the creation of man. Verse 7 says: “the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

From the first breath you took on the day you were born until now, God has been with you. In all your work, in all your life, God makes you physically able to accomplish the goals He has set for you. If God were not present with you, if God were not concerned for you, if your work was not important – all He would have to do is take away the breath of life He gave you and it would be finished.

If you are still breathing – there is still important work for you to do.

If you are still breathing, God is still with you – you are not working alone.

Sometimes our life’s work lets us breathe rested and easy like a sleeping child, sometimes it leaves us short of breath and struggling for the next step. But God always breathes easy and it is He who supplies our very breath.

Acts 17:25 -28 says:

²⁵And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. ²⁶From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. ²⁷God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸'For in him we live and move and have our being.'

So don’t grow weary in your work. God is with you. If things seem impossible, perhaps you are trying to live, move and have your being in your own strength. It is true that on our own, without dependence on God, there is much in our life and our work that is impossible. But, as it says in Luke 18:27, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

So when things get “impossible” in your life and work, take a moment…take a deep breath…and remember – God is in you, God is with you and what is impossible for you alone, is absolutely possible through Him. With every breath you take He is living and moving and making the impossible – possible in you.

Do not grow weary, rest in Him. Breathe easy and rest.

Recipe for a Rainbow

The other day I was pleasantly surprised by the sight of the most beautiful double rainbow I have seen in some time. Normally when I see a rainbow, I am in the car and it seems very far away, but the other day it was right there in my neighborhood. We were literally right under the rainbow. To be able to get the rainbow framed in the camera lens, I had to almost lay on back or get on my knees. It was so beautiful, and so big!

Just this Sunday we had a word of encouragement – not to give up on our dreams. Many of us in our church have dreams of ministry. Some have had these dreams for years. It was said that if God gives us the dreams, they are really His promises and He will make them come to pass. He says in His Word:

"For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable."
- Romans 11:29

He will make us able to accomplish all that is needed for those dreams.

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus".
Philippians 1:6

Standing there, looking up at the rainbow, I was reminded of those words.

The first thought a rainbow always brings to me is “a promise kept”. The first rainbow was set as a sign in the clouds when the flood was over and Noah and his family came out of the ark for the first time in over a month. God promised never to destroy the earth by flood again. (Genesis 9:8-16). He has kept His word to Noah and I know He will keep His word to us as well.

I learned something else about rainbows that day. I know the science behind a rainbow is based on: the elements of water vapor and a setting sun and the natural law of refraction - all created and set in order by the hand of God. (Psalm 89:11) But here are a few scientific observations I had never made or received before that day:

• It was drizzling a fine mist of rain when I saw the rainbow. If I had not been willing to stand in the rain, I never would have seen the rainbow.

• Depending on where I was standing to take the picture, the rainbow was either crisp, clear and brilliant, or grainy and faint, or not even visible. Physical position determined my perspective and my perspective determined what was visible to me.

• I and my family were the only ones on my street who even saw the rainbow – everyone else was either indoors or not at home. Even some of my family were aware it was there, but not nearly as interested or excited as I was.

I soaked in the expressly childhood joy of seeing that rainbow. My whole day of work and play just melted in comparison of that one moment of taking in the rainbow.

For three days, my spirit has been soaking in these things that the Lord taught me about dreams and goals from that one “rainbow moment”.

• The promises of God are true – whether things are good or bad in my life at the time. When things seem dismal and dreary, if I simply look up to my heavenly Father – He will remind me of His promises and His faithfulness and I will have the joy and encouragement to keep moving on. Only God can put a rainbow in the sky and only God can make a promise and keep it.

• Faith is the position that determines my perspective. The rainbow exists, whether I can see it or touch it, or not. God’s promises are true whether I can see it or feel it or not. If I can’t see God’s promises clearly and I feel that it doesn’t exist, I need to change my position in faith. Many times that means getting on my knees to put myself in a position to capture the reality of God’s promise and His faithfulness.

• When God makes a promise to you – it is personal. No one else (your church, your friends, your family) will receive it with the same measure of faith, joy and excitement that you do – unless God makes the promise to them personally as well. Just as you have a position of faith, so do those who surround you. If you can see the rainbow clearly, but they cannot. It doesn’t mean that God does not exist and that He is not faithful to the word He has given you, it simply means they are not standing in the same position of faith that you are about this particular promise. Depend on God’s promises to carry you through – His position, faith and promise never changes.

So today, I encourage you to ask God – “What rainbow, what promise, do you have for my life? If You already gave it to me, am I still in the right faith position to see it clearly? If not, help me get on my knees until I can see You, your promises and your Word clearly. Then let the joy and excitement of your "rainbow moment" of God's call on your life and His promise to complete it carry you through to the end of the work God has called you to do.

Linville Caverns & Humpback Mountain.

Standing outside Humpback Mountain, you see a mountain that never moves. Unless you have already been inside the mountain, you cannot begin to imagine what exists inside Humpback Mountain: an always growing, always changing Linville Caverns and a constant running stream. The caverns are no less real when you are standing on the outside of the mountain than they are when you are standing inside the mountain. While there is much beauty on the outside of Humpback Mountain, if you only look at the obvious on the outside of the mountain and walked away feeling you understood it completely – you would have missed the most glorious part of all.

When I look at the outside of Humpback Mountain, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness, how BIG He is, how dependable He is. But just like the mountain, if all I ever knew about God was his faithfulness and how BIG He is, it would not begin to describe all of who He is.

God is speaking to us today – to search for more of Him. Knowing God from the outside is not enough. Jesus invites us to have a personal relationship with Him. Get to know Him “on the inside”. Knowing God means knowing more than who He is and what He does – it is spending time to develop a deep relationship with Him.

Don’t accept that you know God because of what you see in the world, what you have been taught by others, or what you have experienced. Get to know God from the inside. Open the door to your “mountain” and let Him speak to your heart.

Seek God with all of your heart….

Psalms 139:17 - 18 it says that the thoughts God thinks towards us are more than there are grains of sand. Not just sand on one seashore, one riverbank, one “swimming hole”.

More than all the grains of every shore, every sand dune, every desert – that is how often God thinks of us.

In Jeremiah 29:11 He says, “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome." (Amplified Bible).

How good to know He thinks so many good thoughts towards us.

Waterfalls

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: You can't pull yourself up by your own bootstraps without falling on your face.

Have you ever noticed that though a waterfall looks the same, it is always changing? Though it looks like it simply "is" there is so much more going on. The waterfall may look the same, but the water flowing over the rocks is never the same water. There is no recycling pump. Each wash of the water over the rocks is water that has never been there before. It could be water fed from another river, water from melting snow in the spring or refreshing water of the many spring and summer showers we have here in North Carolina. And while the falls never seem to relocate, they are constantly bringing change. Don't believe me? Next time you go to a creek or a river, find those little "falls" and rub the rock under the "falls". You will find that they are worn smooth with the constant flowing of the falls.

Life is like that too. It may seem that a year is just a constant flow of days and things don't change much, but the events of our lives are just like the water - ever changing, ever new, ever fresh. And we like the rocks change with them. The question is, how are we changing? Are we becoming smoother or just falling apart?

In recent months I have been experiencing a constant "flow" of events among my family and friends. I tried to "hold my own", survive the emotional torrent and pull myself together on my own, but found myself breaking apart under the pressure. My heavenly Father spoke sweetly to me and reminded me: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."

What a word! I so needed it. It is true that apart from God we can do nothing. I am the prime example of stubborn pride and the "I can do it myself" mentality. Thank God for His grace that reminds me that I was not created to live apart from Him. I have since repented and now with great joy and peace I fall back on His broad shoulders and loving embrace and allow Him to carry me through these troubled waters and I float along rather than wearing myself out swimming against the current.

My prayer today is that as you go through life and experience "turbulence" in your life, that you bring yourself to the feet of Jesus and let Him guide you and take care of you. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." I am living proof that what He says is true. If you find yourself weary, come to Jesus - He will carry you through every time!

Tornado Trust

For those of you who aren't aware, my yard was recently visited by a tornado while my husband was at home. Thanks to my heavenly Father, my husband, our pets and all of our belongings were safe - no destruction other than some sunflowers blown down. We didn't even lose power! Thank you Lord for your blessings.


The week before this tornado hit, we felt like we'd been hit by a financial tornado. As you know John and I are children's entertainer. For at least the last year, we have also been training young people to entertain with balloons (table to table) in restaurants. About 6 or 8 months ago, I showed up to Bob Evans restaurant on Wendover for my "gig" as a balloon artist - only to find that there was no more Bob Evans. The chain closed the location with no notice. I was greeted by wire nuts sticking out of the ground where the Bob Evans sign had been and windows boarded up and doors chained shut. Due to the local economy, the store had closed. The week before the tornado, 2 more restaurants discontinued the entertainment and more "promised" restaurants declined new contracts based on the economy. Suddenly, we lost 25% of our income. The challenges of booking more restaurants seemed impossible and daunting. Bills kept coming in, but no more restaurants at the moment.


The day after the tornado, I was reading my Bible and praying. I was thanking God for His protection and praying for His provision. He let me know that His protection from the tornado was a sign to us that He would protect us from destruction of any kind. He reminded me of the school children who were in the hallways at school, curled up against the wall for protection from the storm. He said, when storms come (physical, financial, emotional, etc.), that we are to trust in His protection. Just like the children who went to the hallways and curled up close to the wall in the storm, we are to pull in close to Him when danger comes. He gave me this verse:

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ^[a]

2 I will say ^[b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

So now, when worries settle in, I think of the tornado and the school children and I go to my Heavenly Father in prayer. As I pray, I can feel His strength and His love. I know that I love Him and that I am His child. I know that He cares for me and will protect me and keep me safe. Even if things around me were to be destroyed, I know that His presence is with me - I am not alone. My husband, my family - all are in His care. Who better to care for me than the maker of heaven and earth? Who else would I go to in the storms of life than the one who commanded the wind and sea to be still and it obeyed? Who else would I trust besides then one who gave His life for me? No one. Jesus is the only one for me!

If you are going through a "tornado" today, try putting your trust in Him. Pray and ask Him for guidance and to reveal His presence in your life. You will not be disappointed!

Leaf Change

Right now in the Piedmont the trees are parading their beautiful fall gowns. The drive to work every morning is breathtaking. It is still one of the truly magical things that happen every year. In our instant society, it is one of the things we cannot make happen faster, or to our liking. I love it! Have you ever wondered what makes leaves change colors? Well, if you ask my four-year-old niece, she will tell you that they are putting on their Halloween costumes. LOL. However, I was able to enjoy several articles on www.visitnc.com this fall from Howard Neufeld, the "Fall Color Guy". He explained the science behind how the color changes take place. He also gave links to other articles which include an index of which trees change to which colors. Here is a list of trees and their colors that you may see on your drive in to work today: Red, brown or russet = Oaks Golden bronze = Hickories Golden yellow = Aspen and Yellow Poplar Purplish red = Dogwood Crimson = Sourwood Brilliant Scarlet = Red Maple Orange-red = Sugar Maple Glowing yellow = Black Maple There has always been one part of leaf change that has sparked my curiosity. Have you ever noticed that the whole tree doesn't change colors all at once? Many things affect leaf change including: temperature, moisture, length of night and more, but they affect the whole tree the same way. The only variable in how the leaves on the same tree change differently is - sunlight. If you look at trees along the woodline, or for that matter, on the side of the road as you drive in to work today, you'll notice that if a tree has not completely changed color, the part of the tree most exposed to the sun will change colors first. Along the edge of the highway, the side facing the highway will turn first while the back side of the tree will turn last. That is because there is nothing in the highway that blocks the sun. If you look at trees farther into the woods, you'll notice the tops of the trees turn first, while the bottom of the trees turn last. That is because the tops of the trees get the most exposure to the sun while the bottoms of the trees get less sunlight. Romans 1:20 says "...since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse". When I look at natural wonders, like the changing of the leaves, I am indeed aware of God's eternal power and divine nature. No one other than God could display His power and presence in such an awesome and breath-taking way - and that is only what He has created! The splendor of who He is far surpasses what He has made. We are like the trees - we respond to God just as the trees respond to the sun. We go through seasons of change, just like the trees - growth in the spring, strength in the summer, change in the fall and cleansing in the winter. However, just like those trees that are not yet completely changed, only the parts of us that we expose to the Son will change into a greater glory for His glory. We are also the "trees" of our world that "proclaim the existence of God". Whether you are aware or not, the world is watching for the change from glory to glory that we as Christians show in our daily lives. So my question today is, are you fully exposed to the Son? Are you stepping out of the shadows of your every day life and placing yourself in the full light of the Son? Are you allowing God to change you on a daily basis? Are you a saint that is being perfected? Are you being changed, from glory to glory? I admit I get comfortable where I'm planted - my routine, my reputation, my self-perspective. But I need to cut away those things that keep me shadowed from full exposure to the Son. My prayer today is from Psalm 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Lord, I pray today, that You shine your light on the shadows of my life. Show me the things that must change so that I can become more like You. Show me how to let go of the things that stand between me and your Son so that I can release them and stand closer to You. Likewise, help me to be more aware of the changes you make in me from day to day that I may glorify You with all that is within me. Let my life shout Your existence that others may be drawn to You. Amen. Happy fall y'all!