The Time is Short

Something terrible has rocked our community, or at least the part of the community that reaches me and my family. People are shocked. Sentiment that I hear reflects disbelief. Tragedy abounds.

I don't know the details. I don't know the "how's" or the "why's" and I will never know. It's not my business any way.

The question that haunts my mind right now is "where was the hope that is only found in Jesus?" And I wonder if I have allowed Jesus shine in my life every day in such a way that it would have made a difference to people that are now grieving and confused.

Of one thing I am certain: the time is simply TOO short for me to not live every day with Jesus leading me, directing me, and guiding my every thought and action.

Somebody needs Jesus today. God, please let Him be seen in me.
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Lead A Worthy Life

I was reading Ephesians and I was reminded by Paul of how I am to live each day.  In Ephesians 4:1 Paul writes, "I  . . . beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God." (NLT)

A number of words and phrases have lately encouraged me that I am to be different from the world, that people are to see something in me that they want in their own life, something that reflects God and not me.  We're begin a new series Wednesday night called The Sacred Echo and the premise of this study is that God repeats Himself because He loves us, He wants a relationship with us, and He wants us to hear what He has to say.  Based on this I can say that God is gently reminding me that  I am to live a life worthy of my calling in Him.  

Christianity is free to us.  Jesus died on the cross and by God's grace we are saved.  However, Christianity is not cheap.  It is not a calling that I am to take lightly or treat with the same regard that I treat my digital discount-key card to the local retail store. 

This week my prayer and my plan is to take a good look at my daily activities to make sure that I am living a life that is worthy of the calling.  I'm praying that God will help me to hear His voice so that I take the extra minute and think before I speak and pray before  I act.  

I encourage you to make this your prayer and your plan this week also.  Let's live a life worthy of the calling of Christ.  When we do this we  will no longer be immature like children . . . instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and  more like Christ (Ephesians 4:14a, 15)

Hallelujah!  

Fw: Perry Noble: What Is Holding You Back?

Forwarding Perry Noble's blog from today; it's great and very timely.

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From: "Perry Noble | Leadership, Vision & CreativityPerry Noble | Leadership, Vision & Creativity" <hello@newspring.cc>

Sender: noreply+feedproxy@google.com

Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:34:45 +0000

To: <michellejchastain@gmail.com>

Subject: Perry Noble: What Is Holding You Back?

Perry Noble: What Is Holding You Back?

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What Is Holding You Back? Posted: 26 Aug 2010 04:09 AM PDT I don’t think people fall short of what God has for them because He isn’t revealing Himself…I think many do so because He does reveal Himself, but in Him doing so we are forced to face several things that MUST be overcame if we are going to achieve what He has for us…such as… Fear People…never listen to people who are not doing anything tell you that you cannot do anything Lack of faith…Jesus will never ask you to do anything easy Procrastination lie #1 – Fear If you don’t say “oh crap” when God reveals what He wants for your life…then you probably didn’t hear from God! We will never become who God has called us to be and do what He has called us to do if we do not face our fears. David faced his fear and stepped out to face Goliath. Moses faced his fear of not being able to speak and went before Pharoah. Noah faced his fear of not knowing how to build a boat People that accomplish great things for God MUST fight through their fears because reality is than God has never asked anyone to do anything that was easy (other than receiving Christ!) #2 – People When you want to do something great for God there will always be LOTS of people who try to tell you why you can’t do what HE said you can do!  My advice…never listen to anyone who is not doing anything tell you that you cannot do anything.  OR…in other words, NEVER take dance instructions from a person who just stands against the wall and does nothing but criticize those who are trying to stay in rhythm. #3 – The Procrastination Lie I know so many people who swear than “one day” they are going to do what they “know” God has called them to do…but…”one day” for most people NEVER comes…because in their minds “one day” is when everything is in place and doing what God has called them to do does not require any step of faith at all. “I will do it one day” is a lie that we tell ourselves in order to justify our disobedience.  God doesn’t speak to hear Himself talk…His word is not to be considered but to be obeyed. #4 – Underestimation of Him Working Through You! If God has called you then He has also equipped you and will sustain you.  Of course the task at hand is large and seems “impossible,” that is why Zechariah 4:6 says it is by HIS Spirit and II Corinthians 12:9 says that HIS power is made perfect in our weakness!!!  He didn’t call us because we are “able,” we are nothing more than common jars of clay (see II Corinthians 4:7) that He wants to use for HIS glory…and He has a history of take ordinary people (Acts 4:13) and doing extraordinary things through them!

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Do Over

In the first grade I was a leggy little girl with dark brown hair, big brown eyes., and the glow of summer still on my skin. And I loved to talk.  At Easter that year I had a beautiful dress in baby blue and it had a crenelin and I knew that I looked fancy and grown up in my dress.

After Easter, I wore my beautiful, blue, snazzy dress to school I was convinced that I could not possibly get in trouble for talking that day. I looked too good! Alas, before I could say "back to school" I was in the corner.  How did I end up there?  I looked the part of a well behaved girl but I hadn't changed my habits and my talking was still my talking and it landed me in trouble.

Fast forward to today.  I promised you that I would give you an update on my direction from God to be quiet and I have to tell you honestly that so far, I've been a dismal failure. Oh, I celebrate victory in the first day or two but then as the directive has become commonplace I've slid back back into my chatty old self.

Thank God for do-overs.  

Just like my first grade teachers (there were actually two of them) didn't make me stand in the corner forever and they didn't berate me for talking too much, God doesn't give up on me.  He takes me in His gentle yet firm hands and lets me know that He has given me a direction and that He will be best served if I pay attention to it and put it into action in my life. 

Do you need a do-over today?  If you do, tell your Father about it.  Be open.  Be honest.  Let Him know that you have messed up and you are willing to do it again on His terms this time. 

Your do-over day could be the best day yet of your life.  I know I'm finding that mine is! 

You're in Good Hands

(This is for Amanda - I owe her so many apologies for my fledgling attempts at parenting!  I have more love for her today than the day that they placed in her in my arms and thankfully she still loves me, too)  

AllState insurance will tell you that, "You're in Good Hands with AllState".  The message?  That you can trust them.  They have what it takes to walk with you through accidents and disasters and they are going to take better care of you than anyone else could ever imagine doing.  


This is the message we need to let our children know.  We need to tell them that they are in good hands. 

Point 3 from this week's message is:  Remember your child being able to trust you is more important than you being able to trust your child.  I have known this for a long time; my daughter is 21 and through our trials and victories this is a lesson that has been hammered home.  Sometimes I was good at it, sometimes I failed miserably.  However, thanks to God's grace and mercy, we have reached the point of her adulthood with a strong and trusting relationship. 


Don't get me wrong - your children and my children can be trustworthy people of great integrity.  However, they deserve to know that when they mess up (and mess up they will, no matter how small or large the egregious choice may be or what consequences this will bring) they need to know that they can find safety in the arms and hearts of their parents.  They need to know that  we'll be parents, that they can be kids, and we'll see whatever comes their way together, with God, in love. 

Today, find a way to let your children know that they're in good hands with you. 

Love Changes Everything

Pastor Jeff said something today during the sermon that made me really stop and think.  He referenced Deuteronomy 6:5 which reads "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" and then he said that we have to love God first and then serve Him. 

Don't let the instruction in this verse pass you by unnoticed; process it.  Love God first and then serve Him.

Jeff said during his sermon [my paraphrase] that when we don't love God we begin to resent the things that He commands us to do.  When we don't love Him first there are all kinds of emotions and feelings that we have that are not good. Bottom line is that love is what motivates us to serve God and obey His commands.  Love  changes everything.  God will most effectively use us when we offer ourselves in love.  Love is what motivated Jesus to die on the cross.  Love changed our lives. 

I'll close with some of Paul's most famous words; these phrases remind us what love really brings to the table in our lives.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.  I Corinthians 13:1-3

God is HUGE

We've been studying the names of God on Wednesday nights and we're drawing to the close of this interesting time together.  I will tell you openly that I thought I had a concept of who God is but studying His names has brought out so much to me that I had not taken the time to learn about my Father. 

We have talked about God our healer, God our peace, God our banner, God who supplies my needs.  We have discussed the strong names of God, the caring names of God, and even our Master/servant relationship with God.  All of these studies have been fascinating to me. 

Last night, though, we learned about Elohim, the Strong Creator, and it was incredible.  As I prepared for this class my mind was racing but discussing it with my brothers and sisters in Christ really blew my mind!  Some of the things that we discussed are

God is life:  He is not only the source of all life, He is life.  Everything exists because He is in it.  Sounds simple, doesn't it?  Think about it for a minute, though.  Everything that we know is because He is.  Wow. 

God is self-existent:  He was around before anything, even before the beginning of creation.  No one created God. 

God is bigger than space and time:  God has no boundaries, no limitations, by space or time.  He's bigger than either of those because He created them both.  I'm a self-proclaimed calendar junkie and scheduler extraordinaire.  To think that God doesn't have to be limited by 24 hours in a day and 7 days a week is a lot for my mind to digest. 

I hope that these tidbits have whetted your appetite to learn more about God.  Check out the concordance of your Bible or go to this link My Father's Names.  God is fascinating and He wants us to know Him more. 

Check Him out for yourself today.  He's change your life!!!