The Prince of Peace - Part I

Sunday evening I was invited to be the speaker at a service our church hosts once a month at a local continuing care retirement community.  There's a group of church members who regularly facilitate the service, providing musical accompaniment and structure for the time, but individuals rotate in to give a message.  I don't post much here these days, but since I have the content all typed up anyway, I thought I'd share it with you.

The Lord directed me to speak about peace, specifically the Prince of Peace.  How did He direct exactly?  Well, it went something like me thinking one morning, God, what should I talk to these people about?  I am feeling clueless and have no specific direction other than thinking it's December, so it should be Christmasy or Adventy or something.  Then later as I was praying (I journal my prayers, by the way, because, well, focus, you know), I called God the Prince of Peace, and it was like a light bulb went on.  I felt 100% positive that was the trail I was supposed to follow for the folks at St. Andrews.  Fancy, right?  Ask God for direction and He gives it.  And yet, I am still always amazed He does.  Grace upon grace!

Aaaaaanyway.

Christmas is a time when we think a lot about peace.  We long for "peace on earth" and receive Christmas cards with the phrase, and probably an image like the one above, maybe with an outline of the world, as well.  I have a Peace decoration I put above my kitchen sink this time of year, in fact.  But what the heck is peace?  I mean, what are we talking about, and do we all think of the same thing?

The dictionary defines peace as:

• freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility
• freedom from or cessation of war or fighting

That sounds good, right?  A life free of disturbance and a world free from war.  Sign me up!  I really, really hate conflict.

But the Bible calls Jesus the Prince of Peace, which makes me think that maybe peace is something more that mere tranquility and the absence of war.  Maybe peace is not about my personal comfort, my plans coming to fruition without difficulty, or all nations and peoples getting along, but rather about something deeper - soul deep - a reconciliation and a comfort that we all long for, but can't create for ourselves.

Speaking of, the peace that we try to create always has an end, doesn't it?  There's often that uncomfortable feeling when things are going well that perhaps something terrible is lurking just beyond the next sunrise.  The peace we long for cannot be offered to us by the world in which we live, the governments ruling over us, or the protections and plans we put in place.

That brings me to Isaiah 9:6:

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

The Bible tells us that the Prince of Peace will usher in a government and peace that will have no end.  Peace with NO END?!  God was doing something BIG when he sent the Prince of Peace!  (By the way, the Prince of Peace is more commonly known as Christ Jesus.)

In Hebrew, peace is the word shalom, which means completeness, soundness, or well-being.  The angels announced peace to the shepherds.  Jesus spoke of His peace, a peace different than the world gives,  to His disciples as he was nearing His crucifixion and ascension.  Paul taught that when we have been justified by faith in Christ we have peace with God.  I don't know about you, but I want to experience that kind of peace!

But since this post as gotten long enough, I'll save the details of how to experience the peace offered to us by the Prince of Peace in a subsequent post.  Advent is all about waiting, right?

Till next post, grace and peace,

Heather

30 Days of Encouragement {Day 24}: Prayer & the Giveaway

This is the last week of a month-long series.  Read the intro here.

I am in the middle of sharing with you some ways you can encourage one another.  We've hit on getting together and getting in touch.  Today we'll talk about prayer.  

Early on in the series, I took a day to share a list of discouraging circumstances in which people you know might find themselves.  Here it is again:

• Grieving a loss of a loved one
• Starting/trying something new
• Unemployment or other financial trial
• Moving
• Having a new baby or an adoption
• Challenges with kids during different stages
• Caring for aging parents
• Marriage troubles
• When a spouse is deployed
• Any kind of unexpected change in circumstances

At times like this in our lives, we need the encouragement of others to keep going, don't we?  As I mentioned in that post, having a list like this in mind can be a trigger for us to catch encouragement opportunities.  Some of the things on this list you have lived, so you're uniquely poised to offer encouragement and hope to an individual enduring the same.  One of the very best, though seemingly least "productive", things we can offer to encourage another is prayer.

Remember our definition of Christian encouragement?

the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope that is grounded in Christ and points them to Him

What better thing to point someone to the Lord than prayer?!  Here are some tips.

Pray Right Away

One of my friends is in the uncommon practice of praying for people right at the moment.  If you are talking with her and you mention needing prayer, she quickly says, "Okay, let's do that right now."  Or even if you don't specifically mention needing prayer, she notices prayer is needed and offers.  I remember hearing on the radio once: Prayer should be our first option, not our last opportunity.  My friend models this so well and it is most definitely an encouragement!

Continue Praying

For the majority of people, because we are spiritual beings, created in God's image, appreciate being prayed for.  One of my friends said she has only been turned down once when offering to pray for someone!  ONCE!!  That's incredible.  Praying for one another changes lives.  It changes ours, as we entrust struggles, trials, and hardships to the Lord.  And it changes the lives of the prayed for, as they see God work in their circumstances.  God gets all the glory for working in the "impossible".  

I know we are all forgetful.  So when you are in a situation where you want to remember to pray or you tell someone you will pray for them, WRITE IT DOWN!  For me, the back of my hand is my go-to spot, till I can jot it down some where else.  Keep a prayer list, hang a note somewhere you'll be reminded to pray regularly, or something like that to help you be faithful to continue in prayer. 

A habit I would like to get into is praying for people who "randomly" come to mind, rather than simply wondering about how curious it was to think of them at that moment.  Again, encouragement involves habit.  If I prayed for them, I could even let them know I am doing that when I get in touch! 

Finally, no matter how regular or irregular you are, let the person know you are praying for them.  How good it is for our spirits and our faith to know that another is coming before the Lord on our behalf!

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.  Ephesians 6:18

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Giveaway time!!

To celebrate the end of the series, I have a gift collection I'd like to give away: a small journal, note cards (you know, so you can encourage some folks with them), pens, and chocolate (because chocolate)!  It gives me great pleasure to send off a little gift to a reader.  I am humbled that you all take the time to be here and learn with me.

"Heather, how do I enter?"

Glad you asked.  We're going to keep this one super simple.  Leave an "I'm in" comment, or something like that on a post between today and Sunday, and I'll drop your name in the hat.  I'll announce the winner on Monday, November 30 in the final post of the series.

This You Must Remember

This morning I will share the Good News with the Kindergartners before we gather with the rest of the classes for our closing program.  I am praying their little ears and hearts will be open to hear, because I know as they grow up and leave the innocence and bliss of childhood the world will try to defeat and destroy them.  Like most of us adults, they will spend much of their time wondering if they measure up, if they matter, and if they are truly loved.  My prayer is that God's Word would be life and hope to them all their days.  I know the Spirit can put their feet on solid ground and protect them!

The short talk I gave at the Mom Heart Reunion in Colorado came to mind this morning and fits with the theme of my prayer for the children, so here it is.  May God be the lifter of your head today!

*     *     *     *     *

There is one truth about our God that we easily forget, but that we MUST remember in order to continue in our faith and any work God calls us to as a family member, neighbor, or friend.

God never changes.

Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Our God is unchanging from eternity past through eternity future.  This is good news!  Why?

Everything around us is always changing!

Old buildings are torn down and new buildings are constructed in their place, changing landscapes and towns.  You go to the store to pick up your favorite toiletries and you can't find them because the packaging has changed, again!  What is accepted and embraced by the culture is always ebbing and flowing, so it is hard to keep up.  We have children and those babies become toddlers, then school-aged, then youths, and (suddenly, so I hear) they are adults.  Change.  How about our circumstances?  In the blink of an eye we can have minor or major changes in health, employment, location, family, and so on, sometimes more than one at a time!  And need I even mention how our bodies and moods are always in flux?!

My goodness, we can count more on change than we can on consistency in this world!
But Scripture tells us that God never changes.

Could you breathe easier if you let the Spirit drive this truth home in your heart and mind?

God’s immutability (that’s fancy talk for unchanging-ness) should be a comfort to us, dear friends.  When I remember that truth, it is like wrapping a warm blanket around my soul.  Because God never changes, I can be sure of many things, even when things around me or in me are shaky and unstable.  You can be sure of these things, too!  Here are three:

• God will always love us with a I-Corinthians-13 love.  Let your mind be blown by this.  YOU ARE LOVED, period.
• God will carry to completion what He has started in us, our spouse, our children, and anyone else to whom we minister.  He is at work and He is not finished yet; there is always hope to be found in Him.
• God will never leave us or forsake us.  We are never, ever alone and abandoned.

God is unchanging in His love for us, His promise to carry to completion what He starts, and in His commitment to never let us go.  Great news, right?

Let's remember daily that our God does not change,

so we do not need to fear in this ever-changing world!

Open for 2015 {Week 23}

Coming home from Colorado last week was like walking into a hurricane!  There were so many things on the calendar I wanted to turn around, reboard that plane, and hightail it outta town before anyone knew I was home.  The irony was it was all stuff I wanted to do, but I was not sure I had the energy to handle the valley after the mountain-top experience of being in Colorado with Sally and all those great women, thinking lofty thoughts about living for the Kingdom, being poured out, and living intentionally and with joy.  I sure am thankful for the valley, though.  "Life in the valley", where we all spend most of our time, is where we really exercise faith, learn our dependency on the Lord, and most see Him work in and around us.  The title of this blog is no accident.

Last week I had to be OPEN to the plans that I had made and embrace them for what they were.  And you know what they were?  Visits with three great friends from three different stages of my life!  I felt so emotionally and physically spent, though, I was not sure it would be a good week, having those visits in the midst of all the routine things on the schedule.  I was not getting into bed early enough, the house needed a fair amount of attention, my husband was leaving town mid-week for nine days, and ... well, you get the picture.  Tasks upon tired were adding up to a Heather that was tense and less-than-fun to be around, ask my kids!

As each day dawned I spoke with the Lord, asked Him for what I needed, gave thanks, and then dove into the day.

It was not a perfect week, but it was a very good one!

Tuesday my high school friend, Kim, came out to see our "new" place for the first time.  She brought her mom and my mom was here, too.  What a delightful time we had around the kitchen table sipping iced coffee, munching cookies, catching up about the present, and laughing - hard - about past memories.

 Thursday evening my Cambridge-days friend, Carol, and her two boys arrived to spend a couple of nights with us before picking up her daughter at camp on Saturday.  We had so much fun playing with our children, sharing simple meals together, going swimming, and sitting in the evenings chatting as if we still do that regularly all the time.  I could sit for a lifetime with Carol on my back porch; my soul was filled up!

Saturday, after farewells to Carol and the kids, we headed in to Pittsburgh for a birthday celebration for my friend, Emily's, twins.  Those three years went by fast!  Their family has birthday parties on Emily's grandmother's giant screened-in, wrap-around porch, where there is space to lounge on couches, eat around a large table, and play with a variety of vintage toys.  Oh the memories we already share on that porch!  I entered the party with a pretty massive headache and by the grace of God it cleared while I sat, next to Em, and the children all entertained themselves.  Her husband served me a fantastic iced coffee; I think maybe that magic elixir was what finally fixed my head.  Thanks, Caleb!

Then before leaving town on Saturday, we met my mom for dinner at Chick-fil-a.  She was supposed to be back in Rwanda but had to stay here for some unexpected surgery she had yesterday,* so we arranged to met up since we were already in town.  We had so much fun talking at the table while the kids yelled and ran around in the sound-proof play area.  God bless you, Chick-fil-a!  That visit was the cherry on top of this week's sundae of sweet visits with important women in my life.

I share about these three friends and mom - also a friend! - because as I drove Route 22 away from the city up and down through the Western Pennsylvania hills, the Spirit reminded me of how many times I have prayed for friends: Lord, we are moving somewhere new, please provide good friends for us during our time there, however long.  I choked up meditating on how faithful God has been to provide companionship for me everywhere I have ever lived.  His kindness overwhelms me sometimes!  I was so grateful.

This verse came to mind:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luke 11:9-10

Time to Take Action:  I wonder what the desires of your heart are today?  What do you need God to provide?  Often we feel silly asking Him for things that seem trivial or unimportant in the grand scheme of the needs of the world.  But, dear ones, I can tell you stories of the times the ladies above, Kim, Carol, Emily, and my mom, have gotten me though trials and tribulations.  I needed them, even if at the time I didn't realize how much God had provided.  And they aren't the only friends God has given me at just the right time, they're just the ones who I saw this past weekend!

Ask!  Be bold with your requests and trust the Lord to provide.  He's into caring for His children.

And, look back and give thanks!  It is easy, in the face of life's tasks and responsibilities (like I was feeling after Colorado) to forget the Lord.  He is always faithful to us, forgiving our sin, providing for our needs, and protecting us from evil and temptation.  Thank Him, today.

*The surgery went well and she is doing GREAT!

Open for 2015 {Week 17}

Click here to get the low down on the "Open for 2015" weekly series.

Nothing says 'Happy Mother's Day' like leaving me hanging in a funny face picture!

Early last week I received an email from our pastor asking me if I could do the children's sermon on Sunday, Mother's Day.  I didn't immediately reply because, well, it scared me.  The week leading up to Mother's Day is always the time that articles start circulating about how Mother's Day is not a happy day for everyone and how some loathe being in worship on Mother's Day Sunday.  I did not want to increase anyone's pain with a message to the kids.

I thought all day about what I could say, prayed about it a little, and knew I didn't have any excuse to say no.

Except fear.

Pastor called me around dinner time to see what I was thinking, or maybe to see if I'd gotten his message.  I told him I was leaning toward "taking the job," shared some of my ideas, and my fear.  He said a couple of very encouraging things about why he thought I was a good fit for a Mother's Day children's sermon.  I told him I would send him what I had later in the week.

I needed to be OPEN to serve even though I was afraid, because God doesn't always ask us to do things that are easy.  He does promise, however, to be faithful to us and to be with us in them.

I held Him to those promises as I prayed and thought about verses around which to build a Mother's Day children's message.  Wouldn't you know it?  He was faithful and He was with me!

On my Thursday morning run he brought to mind a verse in Psalm 139:

For you created my inmost being,

You knit me together in my mother's womb.

From there, the Children's Sermon practically wrote itself and before the weekend I was ready to go.  Talk about God's faithfulness!  I should mention that in addition to fear about sharing on such a sensitive day, I had a to-do list as long as the ocean is wide for the weekend and didn't know how I was going to "fit in" preparing a Children's Sermon.  Again, God came through!

Oh ye of little faith sooooooo applies to me.

The process reminded me that I need to respond to the Lord in faith and let Him take care of seeing to where the chips fall.  I cannot control how everyone feels at every minute, though I do kinda want to make sure all people are happy.  It's a personality problem.  But I believe we all struggle with wanting to control every aspect of our little worlds and we cannnot.  Often that keeps us from being faithful when we should be and letting God be God and serving Him without fear.*

Time to Take Action:  You may find yourself in the same situation this week, facing a task or conversation that makes your knees knock.  If the Spirit is prompting, pray and step out in faith.  God promises to be faithful and to be with you.  Hold Him to it and see what He does for His glory in your life!



*One other thing that this experience reminded me of is how I learned most of what I know about working with kids, teaching, and speaking in public from my mom!  A pretty sweet tribute to her, right?

Interrupted by Grace 2015: Friendship

I'm blogging daily in April. Learn more about the series here.

I love stories of how God brings people together.  I am especially thankful when I think about how God has provided so many good friends for us in the various places we have lived.  We moved to our current town for the beginning of the 2013-14 academic year.  One of my most regular prayers was that the Lord would provide friends for us.  In our short time in Pittsburgh, He had provided richly; I knew we could trust him to do so again.

He did!

Yesterday we spent most of the day with a family with whom we were connected through a contact at our church.  (Thanks, Linda!)  We share many values, our children all enjoy one another, and they are just plain fun to hang out with!  I was interrupted by grace knowing that it was God who brought our families together.  Sure, at some point, in this small town, we probably would have met them.  But because of His kindness we met them early and now see them often!

God is so gracious.  Is there something you need Him to provide for you today or in the near future?  Start asking.  He gives good gifts to His children.  And you'll be poised to give Him all the praise!

Encouraging our Children with God's Word

When I'm caught up in the duties of life as a mother, I forget that my children are people.  They are not robots to program with obedience.  They are not burdens to bear until they move out.  They are not projects to work on and complete.  They are people, with desires, gifts, dreams, and emotions, like my friends and me.

They are more like me than they are different.

Yet when I see their fears, doubts, or anger bubble up to the surface, I can be dismissive, even rude - especially if it is after bedtime!

How quickly I forget what it is like to be a child.

Almost ten years old can seem so mature, but she comes to us with the fears that taunt her as she tries to fall asleep at night.

I was once that girl.

So I pray.  I pray for God to soften my heart and forgive me for my lack of compassion.  I pray for God to give me wisdom about how to encourage this not-so-little-anymore girl in our care.  I pray for practical ideas.

Here's the fruit of that last prayer, a ring of index cards about trusting God when we are afraid.  Maybe a little or big person in your life could use some encouragement like this.  All you need are some index cards, a hole puncher, a bible with a concordance, a pen, and a fastener.

I would never hesitate to use the Word to encourage a friend; I'm glad God clued me in to the fact that I can do the same for our children.  Be nice, I'm a slow learner, friends!

Have a lovely day!