No Half Measures

 "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

Wow, what a promise that our Lord God has given. He will meet all our needs -- we will be taken

care of and given the things we need. "According to his glorious riches in Jesus Christ" refers to those who believe and follow Jesus Christ. He died for us this we know. What we have a hard
time grasping is that He provides for us and while we struggle here on Earth, He is there with us
and waiting for us to call out to Him. Our will and pride are our downfall -- are too proud to ask
for His help and too stubborn to admit that we need Him.

There have been times when I have been so down or broken and so stubborn that I suffered in
silence for a time (sometimes a very long time) before falling to my knees and asking the Lord
God to step in and help. Once I humbled myself and asked for help, He stepped in and took
care of my needs. 

One example I would like to share is when my daughter was about three years old. I was driving an old minivan, and I knew I needed a newer vehicle. I was diligently saving my pennies. One day, when I turned the van on, smoke started filling the van, and sparks could be seen coming from the vicinity of the radio. I shut the engine off and barreled out of the van, snatched my daughter from her car seat, and called my dad. 

I was in a shopping center parking lot with a crying toddler and a smoking van. I was on the verge of tears. When my dad got there, he pulled the radio out and looked at the wiring behind it—all the wires were melted together! He drove the van home that day, and I drove his car. 

But because I still did not have enough pennies saved to get another dependable vehicle I still had
to drive this van; a fire extinguisher now rode shot-gun. One month after this incident I got a call
from a family friend who had just passed a minivan that was for sale and that I needed to call on
it. So I did, the price was right and the mileage was low so I went to look at it. I test-drove it and
knew God had provided me with a much-needed dependable vehicle. I bought it on the spot and
to this day I still have that minivan, it is getting less and less fuel efficient but getting me to
where I need to go without having to keep a fire extinguisher handy. 

I praise the Lord often for my little minivan. I know I would never have been able to afford it without Him beside me.

Trust is Such a Small Word

Trust in yourself.
Trust in others.
Trust in the Lord.
 

All three are scary statements. It has taken me a very long time to pull myself up from the rubble of my past and put one foot in front of the other. My steps led me straight to the base of the cross where I fell to my knees and thanked my God for never leaving me, even when I was stubborn and turned my back. 

I set my burdens before the cross and handed control to the Lord, only to stand up and snatch it all back again when I felt He was moving too slowly or just did not care. I failed to hear His soft whisper, "Wait and trust." 

When your world begins to crumble, the first thing you do is look for someone to blame. Am I right? You look at your boss, co-workers, spouse, child, parents, friends...everyone but yourself. You may even raise your eyes to the heavens and shout at God, blaming Him for your troubles. I know I have been guilty of this. 

Instead of sitting in silence and speaking with God, I railed at Him, pleaded with Him, and then simply ignored Him and plowed ahead with some type of plan I created on my own (doomed for failure, mind you!). When I would fail yet again, I would lose all trust in myself and my abilities. Those failures also led me to lose trust in those around me because they could not stop my fall or lift me up out of the ashes. 

Learning to trust again is one of the scariest things a person can ever do. It takes baby steps and for those of us used to standing up and sprinting toward the finish line, those baby steps can be terrifying and irritating. Spending a few minutes in prayer before opening yourself up to trust a situation or person will give you the answers you seek. The Lord will speak to your heart, you have to TRUST that He will guide you. 

By opening your heart to the Lord, you are saying "Please help guide me. I trust in You." 

Spend 10 minutes in the morning, before your day becomes hectic and life pulls you in all different directions, and ask the Lord to keep His hand on you and guide your steps. Then trust that He will do just that. 

At the end of the day, before you close your eyes at night, give praise to the Lord for all the small things He did to help you through the day. Your trust in Him will grow with each passing day, and your trust in yourself and those around you will also begin to grow until you become the amazing person God created you to be.

Teach By Example

 Sometimes in the craziness of life, we forget what is truly important. Taking the time to sit quietly with the Lord and building your relationship with your Father is as important as the air we breathe. We lead by example and when we forget to stop and pray, our children see this. When we fail to strengthen our relationship with Jesus through prayer and meditation, our children see this. 

Show your children that your strength comes from God, not from your own power. Teach them the importance of fighting battles on your knees rather then by running your mouth or using your fists. Beat anxiety away by lifting your arms in praise. 

~Rev. Micki

Harassment Through Text Messaging

I never thought this would happen to me. I am an adult woman, educated, ordained and kind. Therefore, when I started getting text messages from a number I did not know I politely told them they had the wrong number and thought that was the end of it.

How wrong I was!

I began getting more and more messages from this unknown person proclaiming that I am some man named Gabe (after dealing with this irrational person, I actually feel very sorry for this Gabe). This unknown person keeps vacillating between pleading with the Gabe guy to love her and to take her back to cursing and proclaiming that Gabe had given her a disease. She then claims that I must be Gabe's new girlfriend named Rebecca and she curses even more.

It is vulgar and rather disgusting that someone is so willing to send these types of rants through text messaging to someone they have never even met! I hate to put her number on here but feel that if she sees this she might realize that she is pleading with the wrong person to come back to her...the number that comes up is 636-524-9679.

I have time and again told her she has the wrong number but she persists in sending messages. Being a minister, I have tried to reason with this person and explain that she was wrong. However, nothing seems to work.

Therefore, I am turning to my Prayer Warriors.

Prayer Warriors, I am requesting that you add this lost soul to your prayers. She is confused, hurt and vulgar...but she is still one of God's children. I feel that the Lord has put this lost soul in my path for a reason and it is my hope that she realizes that she is sending these rather vulgar text messages to the wrong person. Prayer for peace in her life and that she reaches out for our Lord and Savior is much needed. Also, prayer for me as I navigate this rather interesting situation. I do not know the girl's name, but the Lord knows.

Thank you, my Prayer Warriors.

Yours in Christ,
Rev. Michelle

Kindness Instead of Rudeness

Something that I saw and I was convicted...there have been a lot of instances in the recent past where my flesh has risen up and I have had to go and ask forgiveness from my brothers and sisters in Christ as well as my Lord and Savior. There are times when I can be testy and for that I must continue to work!

~Rev. Michelle

I'm A Christian

I could not have said it better...

Without Him, I would be lost! He is my rock, my strength, my Father.

1 Chronicles 28:20

"Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished." (ESV)

Dear Lord, I know that You are here with me and that You are guiding me through this difficult time of hurt and confusion. Lift my heart, Lord, and give me the strength to raise my head and speak confidently. You are my rock, You are my courage. Guide my steps, guard my tongue and lift my heart while draping your shield of protection around my family. Amen.

Be blessed my fellow Christian brothers and sisters!