Heather Molaro

future, assurance, path, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Path: Trusting God with the Opening and Closing Doors

Devotionals, Stay SaneNovember 8, 2018January 13, 2019

Sometimes the pain of a door closing seems insurmountable, but God’s got our backs. And our fronts. Just walk the path through the door.

I’m sure you have heard the saying “one door closes and another one opens.” God has a path for your future. Trust that…

Wide Open

When I was in high school I played basketball. I loved it! Of course, games were great and winning was amazing, but I even loved practice. Running suicides, stairs, sprints, shooting, defending, all of it. I loved it, maybe more than anything else about my high school career. That is not to say I was very good, but if enthusiasm and desire can make up for lack of talent then I was incredible.

The last game of my senior year was in a tournament. We won our first round game. In the semifinals for the first time, we were super excited. At halftime, we were down, but just by a few. In the fourth quarter, we pulled ahead and played back and forth with the opponents. In the last few seconds, we fell to 4 points back. Two seconds left we were down by 2. And time ran out. We lost.

Closed Door

I don’t remember how I got off the court and into the locker room. I remember crying inconsolably on the bench. Huge racking sobs that came from deep inside my soul. Not because we had lost – that had happened plenty, but because I knew I would never play basketball like that again.

The door closed…

When doors close it is often painful. You know that change is coming, the familiar comfort is no longer there and uncertainty is scary.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

James 1:2-4, NLT

Front and Back

As high school ended for me and college began, I was excited and scared to death. Leaving home and going to a school where I knew one person out of 22,000 and hadn’t even seen them in two years was daunting. My first class at UNC was in Phillips Hall. The room sat five hundred students. My graduating class in high school was ten. Overwhelming is an understatement.

The door opened…

Luckily God put friends and experiences in my path that made my 4 1/2 years at college amazing. (I changed my major a few times and ended up needing an extra semester.) I admit, my college career was not always perfect or Godly. In fact, I stumbled more than I would like to admit in that time, but God had my front and my back.

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121:7-8, NLT

Walk Through the Door

I knew when I went to school I was going to be an actress and end up on Broadway. The lights of fame and fortune were going to be mine. Then I didn’t get a part in the first play I tried out for. While for some people that would just be a stumbling block, I felt an inner voice tell me it was time for a new dream.

The door closed…

Then I took a class on the United Nations. We participated in a World Health Council exercise about the human rights of women. It was incredible! I was so appalled by what I learned and inspired by the perseverance of women around the world. The word “education” came up again and again as a way to combat the atrocities that happen to women around the world. I felt that word weigh on me.

My mom was a teacher and I had sworn I would never be a teacher too. Haha! God has a funny sense of humor. I knew as soon as I registered with the school of education that I had made the right decision. The lightness in my heart and conviction in my spirit was proof.

The door opened…

Fulfilling Path

In the end, I studied for a career I know God has called me to and He led me to a life path that is fulfilling and fruitful.

Doors close…

Doors open…

The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.

Psalm 29:11, NLT

Be grounded in God's word so when a door closes in life we can have His assurance that a new one will open. We are weak and limited in vision, but He is our guide. Click To Tweet

Dear God,

Thank you for being the Light to my path. Help me to have my eyes open for Your work in my life. Keep me grounded in your word so that when a door closes in my life I can have Your assurance that a new one will open. I know that I am weak and limited in vision. Thank you for being my guide.

Love,

shame, sin, forgiveness, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Shame: Handing our Sin to God to Survive the Storm

Devotionals, Stay SaneOctober 8, 2018January 13, 2019

Shame is inevitable. That is the nature of sin. It can feel impossible to survive, but there is a solution! All we need to do is confess our sins and hand them over to God.

A few weeks ago Hurricane Florence came crawling across the Carolinas. The coastal areas of North Carolina were battered by wind, and worse, torrential rain. It started out as a drizzle. Then slowly built up to a downpour that lasted for not just hours, but days.

Sometimes shame is big and sweeping. Easy to see, overwhelming to feel, no problem to identify. And sometimes it is the tiny dark shadows that hide in the cracks and crevices of life. The little stuff that feels too small to mention or pay attention to until it builds up into an insurmountable mountain.

Like a hurricane, the course of shame is unpredictable. It can hit fast and hard, but sometimes it is like a little dark cloud that just hangs over you.

Forecasting the Storm

What is shame? According to the dictionary, it is a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. It is a feeling that most of us are familiar with and wish to avoid.

I have felt shame for most of my life. Instances where I deserved to feel shame: telling a lie, breaking a promise, being selfish, or hurting someone’s feelings. Other times, however, the hurricane of shame has been because of foolish (or perceived foolish) behavior. Like when I was younger and would use the wrong word trying to sound like I was smart. Or when I made crazy voices while reading a story to my class and they didn’t think it was funny.

Shame’s cloak is the little things that can be brought up again and again. They creep in and out of your confidence and eat at it. The nagging voice telling you, you’re not good enough. Until you find you are self-conscious of situations you never were before.

Banishing Shame

But just like an umbrella can help keep back the rain, God can be our shield against shame.

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:5, NIV

When we put our hope, and faith in God, He takes the shame of our sin. So just like the flood waters recede, our disgrace will fall away. And, fertile ground is left behind where God’s love can grow.

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2, NIV

I am so glad we serve a risen Savior who takes the shame that lives within me and bursts through it with eternal life.

God’s Life Saver

The wonder and beauty of our Living God is worth throwing off the cloak of shame to find the glory of everlasting love. Of course, that is so easy to say, but the doing is a whole different thing.

Shame often lays on me like depression. It floods my heart with a heaviness that makes the trudging of the day, feel like I’m drowning. Thankfully I can scream out to God to save me. I can confess my sins and all my insecurities and then loosen my grip on them. He saves me from drowning in their chains and lifts me above the troubled waters. It doesn’t usually happen instantaneously, but little by little. As I cast off the shame that weighs me down, God lifts me until the clouds are gone and light surrounds me.

Shame lays on us like depression. It floods our hearts with a heaviness, but we can scream out to God to save us. He saves us from drowning in their chains and lifts us above the troubled waters. Click To Tweet

Dear God,

Please take this sin that is weighing me down. Push off the shame that is holding me in the waters that drown. I am not worthy of this mercy but so thankful that you promise it to me. Thank You for the love and grace You bestowed on me when You laid down Your earthly life in exchange for my eternal one. No greater love has ever been given. Help me reflect that gift that I don’t deserve but hope to share with those around me.

love,

transformation, mess, Oh Lord Help Us, women, mentoring, Christian, ministry

Transformation: Allowing God’s Guidance to Use Us Where We Are

Devotionals, Stay SaneSeptember 13, 2018January 13, 2019

The transformation of Paul is a great reminder that God can use us, no matter what. When feelings of “I am not good enough for God to use me” sneak in, remember it is NOT true!

Power, righteousness, absolution, and control. Those were the coveted virtues of Saul of Tarsus. He wielded his certainty of righteousness like a sword, which would cut through the flesh of early Christians. This includes poor Stephen, who is considered the first martyr for God.

Saul extolled his power over the ringleaders of Christ’s church as he imprisoned not just men but women too. Saul tore families apart. He was assured of absolution from all this murder and mayhem because the Hebrew leaders told him he was holy in deeds.

One Story Ends

Then an amazing miracle occurred: transformation.

As he was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

Acts 9:3

God stepped in and changed Saul to Paul. Paul who became one of the most influential leaders of the early church, who is responsible for writing between eight and thirteen books of the New Testament. He received grace, mercy, love, and direction. In the end, these were the virtues that led him to eternal life.

Do you feel like me? Too broken, too tired, too useless or too far gone for God to use?

I am so out of sorts right now. Some days I don’t even want to crawl out from under the covers. Laying in bed, eating popcorn, watching Hallmark movies, and daydreaming I am anywhere other than where I am. Being overscheduled, having children, being a wife and teacher can drive me to think I should just give up.

The Transformation Begins

Just last week, in a moment like this, God spoke Paul’s story of transformation to me and reminded me that all is well. I am broken, messy, tired, and self-involved. BUT I am exactly the creation that God can use to spread His word. Hey, I’m talking to you, aren’t I? Amazing!

There is no sin too great, despair too deep, or emptiness too vast in a life that God cannot restore and use for the glory of His Kingdom. My goodness, a scribe of the Word was a murderer, blasphemer, and persecutor of the early church. Saul literally tried to put God’s bride, the Church, to death. And instead, Paul became her champion.

The whole group kept quiet and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Acts 15:12

A recent sermon at church was centered around Paul and his good works and motivation to move the early church forward. I admit, I totally checked out as I felt compelled to read the “before” story. How did Paul get to be such a paragon of the church? That’s when God told me… “I will always be able to use you. You are broken, messy, and sinful. But, if I can use Saul, oh how I can use you.” Maybe not out loud, but in a soft whisper in my heart.

There is no sin too great, despair too deep, or emptiness too vast in a life that God cannot restore and use for the glory of His Kingdom. Click To Tweet

Keep Moving Toward God

So, if that is possible, I must submit to the awesome plans of my God and allow Him to be my guide. I can’t give up, though I can rest. I shouldn’t spend so much time regretting where I’m not, but reveling in where I am.

God has made everything fit beautifully in its appropriate time, but he has also placed ignorance in the human heart so that people cannot discover what God has ordained, from the beginning to the end of their lives.

Ecclsiastes 3:11

So how do I do that? How can I find the courage to confess my sins of self-indulgence, coveting, and a myriad of other issues I see reflecting back at me on my worst days? How can I feel so worthless and still be an instrument for God?

He Has All the Answers

Starting where I always do with prayer, reflection, and acknowledgment, my transformation can begin…

I will cry out to God and call for help! I will cry out to God and he will pay attention to me.

Psalms 77:1

August 27

Dear God,

Please be with me today. I feel super cranky, and don’t even want to get out of bed. I want to lose my patience, yell and cry out that life isn’t fair. Really do I even have to “do” today? I can’t keep up with all of this and the kids, co-workers, family, ALL of IT is more than I can do. I feel like I am failing and falling. Please take it away.

Pity party, that is what I am having. I am focusing on the tasks and not the outcome. You’re right. If my mantra is to be a reflection of Your light in my everyday walk, I need to suck it up.

Forgive me for wishing my circumstances away. Help me use Your gift of today to do better, be better and give better.

Love,

All scripture references come from the NET Bible.

Unconditional: Accepting God’s Gift of Full Force Love

Devotionals, Stay SaneAugust 21, 2018June 28, 2019

Our love has limits and conditions. But God’s love is unconditional. He is waiting for us to open His gift of full-force love, and share it with the world.

School had started back and I was going through a list of “Thoughts of The Day” that I use to start my class. One stuck out and made me really stop to reflect about what love is.

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

– Mother Teresa

I had the immediate thought that if someone has to earn love, then they aren’t really being given love.

Conditions…

Reflecting on my relationships I began to wonder how many times I had made that stipulation. Have I ever made a friend feel like they “owed” me? Probably. Can I say I have never said “If you would just (blank) I would love you more”? Nope, I think I may have said that qualifier a time or two. At this point in my self-reflection, I’m not proud, but I think it’s important to face my shortcomings and correct them as I can.

It is my goal to reflect God’s light in my life. I have a lot to work on. When I have something to work on, I try to make a road map. Where am I? Where do I want to end up? How am I going to get there?

So, obviously, I am at a place where my love is sometimes given with conditions. I want to love without reserve, wholeheartedly. How to get there? That’s the question.

Unconditional…

When I started thinking about love, I went to the Bible’s definition in 1 Corinthians 13:4-13. Paul lays out very clearly what love is and isn’t. This is something that I have heard, recited and contemplated most of my life.

So I went looking for other verses that talk about how to love like Christ. I came across Ephesians 2.

Essentially, these verses tell us that we are all sinners and because we are sinners we deserve to die. But God is so merciful and loves us beyond measure. He sent us His Son to die to save us forever. Grace is what saves us. God’s love. We are God’s creation. He loves us and wants to be with us. So He gave us a gift.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

There is nothing I can do to save my life. I can’t be nicer, wiser, more polite, or do more service. All of that would be great, but it won’t buy me salvation.

Full Force Love…

Agape love gave me salvation as a gift. The only condition is acceptance of the gift. Nothing can change the gift, except a rejection of it. WOW! That is overwhelming to reconcile. And gloriously liberating at the same time.

You are my source of strength! I will sing praises to you! For God is my refuge, the God who loves me.

Psalms 59:17

I have been incredibly lucky in my life to know really good, full force love. My parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, husband and children have all shown me abundant love. I try desperately to give it back in equal measure. Some instances are more successful than others. I would be willing to say, they have felt the same. When I am tired, angry, overwhelmed or distracted I can snap at the wrong person, ignore a need, or put conditions on my emotions (“I would love you so much more if you didn’t need to argue with everything I say”).

God never has and never will do that. His love is always. It is a gift just waiting to be unwrapped, lifted up, and held dear. If that isn’t enough to sing praises over, I don’t know what is.

But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Friends, I want to encourage you to shred the paper and ribbons off the gift. Open it with abandon. Let’s celebrate this gift of full force love and try to give it back to one another.

Shred the paper and ribbons off the gift. Open it with abandon. Let's celebrate this gift of full force love and try to give it back to one another. Click To Tweet

Dear God,

I am coming to you with shame and sadness in my heart. I have failed to give love openly. Help me to share the gift You have given so freely. Thank you for the greatest gift ever given – salvation.

Love,

All scripture reference is from the NET Bible.

parenting, children, plans, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, ministry

Plans: Trusting God’s Goodness for Our Children’s Lives

Devotionals, Stay SaneAugust 7, 2018June 28, 2019

Being a parent as a Christian means putting God first. Allowing God’s plans for our children can be scary, but we can trust His goodness.

I don’t always put my best foot forward as a parent. Sometimes I lose my temper, don’t listen to everything my children have to say, and am too quick to judgement.

On the other hand I have two children who think for themselves and can explain their thinking. My oldest just moved into a house with some friends and is totally ready to do some “adult-ing.” She is a college junior who has a plan for her future. My youngest is learning to let go of his fears and try new things. But the thing that I’m most proud of is their relationship with Jesus.

My daughter has learned that when life gets difficult, you should turn to Jesus and allow Him to help center your life. Phillip and I, as parents, have been able to model that for her. When she has turned to us for advice, the first thing we say to her is, start by praying.

Sharing God’s goodness comes so naturally to my son. He talks about Jesus at school often. Teachers, peers, and other parents have told me how kind he is and that they love being around him. A mom can’t ask for more than that.

Trusting the Father…

As I was reflecting on how amazing my children are in spite of my parenting mistakes, I thought about Mary and Joseph as parents to Jesus. First of all, can you imagine the pressure? Parents to God’s son? Whew!

Luke 2:41-52 tells the story of Jesus going to the temple at Passover. There was a large group of family members. It must have been quite a crowd because it wasn’t till the evening after they left, on their way home, Mary noticed that twelve-year-old Jesus was missing.

Mary’s panic must have been off the chart. She and Joseph took off back to Jerusalem looking for him. It took them three days of searching to find Jesus. He had never left the temple.

When they found him they were so relieved. But like any mother, Mary was ready to scold Jesus. If it had been me I would have raised my voice in a whisper through loud hiccuping sobs – “Where have you been? Your father and I have been looking everywhere for you. You have worried us sick.”

Instead of apologizing he says,

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

Luke 2:49, NIV

We don’t know much else about Jesus’ childhood except from this point on he was obedient and continued to learn and grow. He was well liked by the people who met him.

It seems a little counter intuitive to how we would handle the situation, but then our children aren’t divine either. What I learn from this passage is that when our children are in the arms of our Father, they are always okay.

Allowing God’s Plans…

Being a parent is such a gift, and a huge responsibility. The most important thing to remember isn’t any kind of professional advice or information from a parent guru. It’s a simple truth that is part of being a Christian – trust God. As humans we can’t see God’s plan, but we should trust that He has one not just for our lives, but for our children as well.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8, NIV

When we trust in our God, our worries for ourselves and our children will fall away. When we plant them and ourselves in God’s amazing garden we will all grow to be full and vibrant. That is God’s promise to us.

As humans we can't see God's plan, but we should trust that He has one not just for our lives, but for our children as well. Click To Tweet

Dear God,

Thank you for blessing me with two beautiful children. Reveal to me Your path for their life. Give me the tools to help guide them toward Your light and love.

love,

Adam Cain

search, seek, find, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian mentoring, spiritual growth, women of faith, scripture

Search: Intentionally Looking and Finding God in the Everyday

Devotionals, Stay SaneJuly 26, 2018June 28, 2019

God is all around us, every second of every day. Search for Him. Being intentional in this effort will help us build a deeper relationship.

This week I was totally rejuvenated. We went to the beach with my parents for the week and had an amazing time. The Outer Banks is my favorite place on earth. It is the spot that makes me slow down, listen, and feel. I love the sun on my face, the sand under my feet and the sound of the waves as they roll up to shore. It centers me and reminds me that our Creator is always present.

Searching for Him

Have you ever looked for God? I never looked for God until a few years ago. I read a devotional that talked about seeing God in the everyday. I’m sorry to say that I don’t remember more than that, but it did catch my attention. The idea of looking for God.

Some mornings I wake up and it is so easy to see and hear. My little boy’s laughter, my husband’s smiling face, my daughter’s big life plans, warm sun, blooming flowers, a big ripe strawberry bursting with flavor. It’s so easy to see God in these things.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17, NIV

Finding Him

I have a prayer journal that I write in most days. It is a collection of letters I write to God about my hopes, fears, short comings, and my love for Him. When I look back over them I often see how he has moved through my life, even when I didn’t know He was there. (Yes, He is always there but sometimes in the middle of a storm you forget you aren’t in it alone.) I also make a list of all the people, situations, and circumstances I want to pray about. I circle the big ones that seem most pressing at the moment. It’s been a good reflective tool. And it helps keep my mind centered and less likely to wander off as I’m speaking to God.

I think I’m going to try to start adding a section to my journal weekly where I list all the places I have seen God. This week alone I know I have seen Him in my family, laughing together I feel the love He brings. I have felt His power in the sun, wind, waves and sifting sand. I know there is science behind all that, but if you really want to blow someone’s mind, ask them how it all started. The Big Bang? How did that happen? Random? But what is the science behind the beginning of everything? I can answer in three little letters G-O-D!

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1: 1, NIV

Deepening Our Relationship

We went to see the “Lost Colony” and the sunset over the water as we watched was magical. The colors of the sky spoke to me. It was so beautiful. My son watched the play on the edge of his seat. He was so caught up in the story of starting a new life in a foreign place where nothing was the same as home. His face full of awe and wonder was definitely my favorite part of the evening. God is so present in those moments.

I know God calls us to look for Him. Jesus was clear about this when He included it in two of the Beatitudes:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Matthew 5:6, 8, NIV

Friends, go and search for Our Father daily. He is there, and finding Him is joy!

Dear God,

Thank You for Your presence. I am so proud and honored and humbled that You surround me in all that I do. Please keep my eyes clear and my heart open so that I can see all of You in my daily walk. Bless all those who are searching for You that Your light may blind them with it’s beauty and save them for eternity.

love,

Neighbor: Living the Great Commandment of Love

Devotionals, Stay SaneJuly 17, 2018June 28, 2019

Loving our neighbor is more than loving the people directly next to us. It is loving all those whom God has created and has compassion for.

The dark was so encompassing on the cloudy night. It crept right up next to the young girl as she held tightly to her mother’s hand. They stumbled through the night desperately trying to keep up with the group that they prayed would lead them to freedom.

They were leaving behind a life of slavery and injustice. For over a year her mom had socked away a few coins from every odd job she could find. Her father had run ahead of them a few years before and had sent word that they should try and come. He had found a job, found a little house that he was sharing with some others who had escaped, and he missed them terribly. So a few weeks ago the little girl’s mom had given every penny she had saved to a group of men who promised to take them to freedom. And now here they were in the darkness, running across the rocky uneven terrain, stumbling, slipping, and praying for freedom.

The Darkness

That’s when the little girls life was turned upside down. The men who were “helping them” told her mother it was the little girl’s turn to help the men get more energy. The little girl was four years old. Mom screamed for her to run and then told the men she was happy to take on that responsibility, if they just let her girl go on her way. The little girl ran, hid behind a big rock and watched while a group of men did unspeakable things to her mother. They left her mother lying in the dirt. Torn and bloodied.

Even though there were many people in their group, no one spoke up. They turned their backs, covered their children’s eyes, and when it was over, kept walking through the darkness, leaving the little girl and her mother behind.

As day broke the mother moaned, got to her feet, took her daughter’s hand and kept walking. Now with no water, no clear sense of direction, and a broken spirit. They encountered another group later in the day. But were turned away because they couldn’t pay. One lady gave the little girl some water and a slice of bread though, and that kept them going for two days. That’s when they made it to the mighty river.

A Neighbor’s Help

The little girl’s mom told her that crossing the river was going to be tough, but after they crossed, freedom was on the other side. She took all their clothes, made a rope out of them and struggled across. Naked, broken, tired they trudged into the raging water. Barely half way across the little girl got dragged under. The mother, with her last burst of energy, yanked the rope to pull her daughter up.

From the other side a young man saw the two struggle. As fast as he could he ran down to the bank to help. He dragged the two out of the river. They didn’t speak the same language and couldn’t understand each other. The little girl was trying to cover her mother afraid of what another man would do to her. Thankfully this man was truly a helper. He wrapped the mom in his shirt and took them to his house, fixed them up as best he could without taking them to a doctor.

The Light of Neighbors

This was a story told to me by a fourth grader almost 15 years ago about how she and her mother came to our country. They lived in a little shack not far from the school and I had the pleasure of going to visit them several times. They were always so welcoming and kept their home open to anyone, any neighbor, who needed a meal. Can you imagine? Going through such horror and still opening your home to feed others. And let me tell you those tamales were the best I have ever had. The love in them was so evident.

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?

Jesus replied: ‘Love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets and on these two commandments.

Matthew 22:36-40, NIV

Neighbors are Good Samaritans

Jesus made it very clear that loving God is most important, but loving our neighbor is also important. In the story of the Good Samaritan, He reveals God’s definition of neighbor as not just someone who lives next door, or someone who has the same faith, or language as you.

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

^‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’

Luke 10:30-36, NIV

God’s Call to Our Hearts

In a world that is turned topsy turvy about who our neighbor is, let God clear your eyes and heart. We are all neighbors in His eyes. While we may have to live within man’s rules and laws, God’s law comes first.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV

Dear God,

Please help us be the hands and feet of Your church. Let love be our guiding light. Thank you for showing me stories of people who have lived through life’s worst fears and come through with Your love and grace shining through them. Your word has been an anchor in my life and shown me the way, even when the world around is so loud and confusing. Thank you for the map and light in the darkness. Please help those in crisis and help us all be more like the Samaritan.

Love,

chuttersnap

gratitude, humility, humble, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, ministry

Humble: Accept the Thank You and Move On

Devotionals, Stay SaneJune 19, 2018June 28, 2019

Accepting gratitude for a job well done seems to be a hard thing to do. Our desire to be humble doesn’t mean that we can’t accept thank you without a qualifier.

“Thank you for staying late to help.” “No problem. It really wasn’t a big deal.” Even though I had to have my husband pick up my son from tae kwon do, change dinner plans, and cancel another meeting.

“That dessert is awesome.” “It’s just something I threw together.” Even though I had to make an extra trip to the grocery store, not go to the park to play with my little boy, and feed my family sandwiches for dinner since I had to baby sit the cake to make sure it didn’t fall.

“My kid loves being in your class. Thanks for all the extra help.” “It’s my job and I’m happy to do it.” Which I am, but it takes a lot of extra effort and time to text parents after school, put together meaningful assignments that help each child, and means I usually work from 7:30-5:30 everyday.

Maybe some of these situations sound like something you have encountered. Do you find yourself, like me, brushing off the compliment? I wonder why that is. Why can’t we just say “Thank you” and move on?

A Desire to be Humble

I have a theory that women have a predisposition to appear humble. Humbleness means we are gentle, cooperative and together therefore accepting a compliment that includes “thank you” is difficult.

But I submit to you lovely, humble readers that “thank you” is exactly what we should say and leave it there. Don’t diminish your work.

Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.

Proverbs 27:2, NIV

As long as you are not touting your own accomplishments, you should accept the gratitude of others. Let me ask you, do you want your daughter to brush off her accomplishments? Do you want God to brush off your accomplishments done in His service? Absolutely not. That sounds absurd doesn’t it?

As long as you are not touting your own accomplishments, you should accept the gratitude of others. Click To Tweet

Gratitude

God invites us to a life of gratitude and thanksgiving. He is so proud of us when we choose to follow Him and the path He sets out for each of us. Sometimes that involves baking a cake, making a meeting that was unplanned, or teaching His children. Saying “thank you” acknowledges the hard work you did.

Pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you.

Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker

These are cherished words in my heart because they show the partnership I have with my Heavenly Father. We are together in this world and He is always near. In a very real way I need to accept the “thank you” for both of us. And so do you.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV

The Take Away

This is something I need to work on. Recently I was talking about why I have such a hard time accepting “thank you” without a qualifier that makes it seem like it is no big deal. I think the need to be humble is part of it, but not all. Maybe some of it is because all the women in my life have made similar statements in the face of gratitude and I am following their example.

But I don’t want my children to do the same. I want them to feel proud of their accomplishments because we pray over them. We give thanks to God for His direction, we ask for help when things don’t seem to be going exactly right, and we give glorious praise when the course ends up being more wonderful than the bumps along the way. How can we not accept gratitude when He is part of the equation of our lives?

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 4:2, NIV

So in light of my new discovery, I want to ask God to help me be more accepting of the gratitude of others.

Dear God,

Please open my ears and heart the the thankfulness of others. Help me discern the difference between boastfulness and gratitude. Let me remember that You are a part of all gratitude and that in accepting it fully I am drawing closer to You and the path You have set before me.

love,

This is where the story changes…

Annie Spratt

community, friends, growth, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, ministry

Community: God’s Invitation into Spiritual and Personal Growth

Devotionals, Stay SaneJune 5, 2018June 28, 2019

Having friends, working side by side toward a common goal is the definition of community. God gives us an invitation into His community helping us grow.

We went to the park today to play. My son wanted to have someone to play with but he can be shy in new situation. He tends to mirror play until someone invites him to join in. As soon as that happens, an invitation, he opens up. Laughing, running, smiling. As a mom that simple joy makes me so happy.

Invitation…

I think that is how our Heavenly Father is with us. He want us to find friends. Those who will invite us in and make us feel part of a community. I imagine when he sees us together, laughing, talking, loving each other, He is so happy.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:12-15, NIV

My husband, Phillip and I have tried several small groups over the years. Some have been good, some boring, some felt exclusionary, and some have tried too hard. All of them I think had good intentions and truly wanted to spread God’s love. But none of them felt just right for us. Some came close but none were the kind of fit where you just felt comfortable and free to be yourself.

Finding community…

In the last year we have joined a small group that feels like family. There are a lot of us and we can be overwhelming when you first meet us. There are more kids in our small group than I have in my classroom. The first night we met everyone, Phillip and I weren’t sure what we had gotten ourselves into and were wondering how to politely get out. But very quickly we saw how much these people loved each other. They would do anything within their power to help each other out. When I need help someone is always willing.

We all come from different parts of the country, have a variety of jobs and interests, and everyone has a different story about how they came to know God. But God is our connection. He is our foundation that all our connected links start with.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.

Proverbs 27:9, NIV

We have had various members who have been sick, hurt, or have surgery in the last year and our group texts are quickly replied to: What can I do to help? Can I bring you something? We are praying for you. When you see all the outpouring of love and genuine support you are so uplifted and encouraged.

Occasionally someone needs help with a task. Picking up a washer and dryer, yard work, help with child care. Within minutes our team has agreed to help out and you know you can depend on them.

Growth…

This small group restores my soul, fills my faith and refreshes my love. For that I am eternally grateful that God placed them in my path. Because of them and other believers in my life, I am able to be mighty and sure when an unbeliever crosses my path.

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.

Thomas Aquinas

Not that I agree exactly with Thomas Aquinas here, but I think it shows the struggle of speaking with non believers. It can wear you out. Last year our group volunteered with the Raleigh Dream Center. We went out and delivered food, fun and fellowship to an underprivileged neighborhood. It was awesome and exhausting.

I had a little boy tell me that his mom liked when those church people brought food but wished they would keep their praying to themselves. I must admit I am easily discouraged by such things. One of our small group leaders is just the opposite. Though she didn’t know that the little boy had said this, I saw her pray with every person she came in contact with, including that little boys mom. I saw the mom give a big hug to my friend toward the end of our time, even after she had prayed with her. These seeds of God’s love being planted create a new view of faith that comes in rushing waves. I am thankful to Him for the experience.

Your invitation…

I encourage you to find people who share God’s love and purpose. Yes we should bring Him to the unchurched and those who don’t have a personal relationship, but that can drain your spirit and make you question. Faith and grace are found in the midst of a group of believers who you share your life.

For where two or more are gathered in My name, there I am also.

Matthew 18:20, NIV

Faith and grace are found in the midst of a group of believers who you share your life. Click To Tweet

Dear God,

Thank you for family. Not just the family we are born into, but Your family of believers.

love,
me

Hannah Busing

Warmth: Bask in the Overwhelming Love of the Lord

Devotionals, Stay SaneMay 21, 2018June 28, 2019

We have been given new life, and the gift of eternity with the Lord. Nothing will change His passion for us. May we all know the warmth of His overwhelming love.

I love the sun. The way it feels on my skin, how it makes everything so bright and mostly how it lightens my mood. I spend the last month or so of winter every year with a slow creeping sadness moving through me. It starts the end of February and lasts until the sun’s energy pushes through the atmosphere at just the right angle to warm the earth and give us warmer weather. The day I put on shorts and go outside and dig in the dirt for the first time in spring is a day my soul sings.

This year, I went outside to clean out a bed; literally, a wrought iron bed that had been turned into a overgrown weed pot. It took me two days to dig out the bed. I had to dig down about 18 inches, hack through several roots that had grown over the top of the side rails and saw through a tree. It took almost a week for my muscles to recover. And I loved every second.

A gift…

While I was in this struggle with nature, I was playing music and singing. I just put my playlist on shuffle. Billy Joel played right along side Matthew West. Alabama Shakes played next to Big Daddy Weave. I mix my genres all the time. About an hour in, Pentatonix Mary Did You Know started playing. I love this Christmas song, but my brain rejected it. I went to push “next” thinking “today is a day for bright sun, work in the dirt to bring order to my garden, bringing life back to my spirit…Oh, wait…I see you God, it’s Christmas”.

No, I’m not getting out my tree and decorating. I’m not going to go shopping for gifts or bake more cookies than anyone should really eat. I’m feeling the spirit of Christmas. God’s son, Jesus, was given earthly form to bring us a way to salvation and give our spirits a bridge to rest with our Father for eternity so we never have to fear death. Sounds like springtime to me.

Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you?

I am sure Mary anticipated amazing things from her son. But I wonder if she could comprehend the scope. Two thousand years later we are singing songs about her and praying to her son. We are studying his ministry and reading his words. That seems a lot to take in for a new mother. Then again, Luke 2:19 does say, “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”

A passion…

As I’m in the dirt, hacking away at a very stubborn root. All these thoughts are rolling through my head. Christmas in the spring, Mary being the mother of God, and the message He was laying on my heart. Another song came on: Cloverton’s Hallelujah. If you haven’t heard this version you really should. It moves my spirit and implores me to raise my arms to the heavens.

I know You came to rescue me
This baby boy would grow to be
A man and one day die for me and you
My sins would drive the nails in You
That rugged cross was my cross, too
Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah,Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Overwhelming love…

Okay at this point I’m feeling a little schizophrenic. Christmas and Easter. What are you saying to me, God? I kept hacking at the root in the garden, occasionally switching off to dig up more of the bed. I really felt God pulling at me trying to get me to understand something. More music plays: Cyndi Lauper, Alan Jackson, Adele. By this point my muscles were aching, my hands beginning to blister, but my mind was really wrestling with what God was showing me so I really didn’t notice yet.

Then, in succession came Greater by Mercy Me,

There’ll be days I lose the battle
Grace says that it doesn’t matter
‘Cause the cross already won the war
He’s Greater, He’s Greater

Next came, He knows My Name by Francesca Battiselli

Spent today in a conversation
In the mirror face to face with
Somebody less than perfect
I wouldn’t choose me first if
I was looking for a champion
In fact I’d understand if
You picked everyone before me
But that’s just not my story
True to who you are
You saw my heart and made
Something out of nothing

And then, Overwhelmed by Big Daddy Weave.

I hear the sound of Your Voice
All at once it’s a gentle and thundering noise
Oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming.

Warmth…

Do you see the message? It hit me square in the face. I was washed in love, God’s love, agape love. I am His and He is mine. No matter what, that truth CANNOT and WILL NOT change. So simple, so powerful, and yet I forget it from time to time, or push it aside while living my life.

David said about him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand,I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

Acts 2: 25-28, NIV

I hear you, God! I am rejoicing and hope that you, dear reader, find God’s love as overwhelming as I do.

Dear God,

Thank you for Your Word and for those who use Your word to inspire and uplift. I feel Your presence in my life and want to strive to hold on to that every day. Forgive me for forgetting You in my winter blues, but thank you so much for the Son that died for me so I can stay in Your warmth forever.

love,
me

I was washed in love, God's love, agape love. I am His and He is mine. No matter what, that truth CANNOT and WILL NOT change. Click To Tweet

Conner Baker