Father to the Fatherless

For some reason, I have a knack for remembering dates and numbers.  For example, I can remember the phone number we had when I was growing up at home…as well as the phone number for our neighbors who lived down the street! I also still remember birthdays and anniversaries for people I haven’t talked to in years. Well, today is one of those dates that I always remember. It is the date my father was killed in a car accident 41 years ago. It was the day life suddenly changed for my mom, sister and me. I’m sure it was not what my mom imagined for her life when they married almost 7 years before that day. Looking back, I realize that it could have been an event that set my family on a course that would greatly impact our identity since my father was no longer there. In some ways we were impacted. However, what I focus on today is the redeeming power of God. He did not leave us alone on March 31,1973. God provided for us through the years, and we never went without. We had tremendous support from our extended families on both sides. My sister and I were even blessed to graduate from college despite the fact that we did not have the funds to do so. God has been there all along and has given us His identity. The three of us are serving God and happily married, and my sister and I now have families of our own. Yes, we missed a lot not growing up with our father in the home, but we found God to be the Father to the fatherless! Our path was certainly not one that we would have chosen, but I don’t reflect with regret. I rejoice in God’s power to see us through and establish his glorious plan in our lives despite the path we had to take to get to where we are now.

I encourage those of you who may have experienced an unexpected event in your life or those who feel that you are “off course” to trust God to manifest his plan and purpose in your life in spite of where you are right now. Stay tuned for future blogs as I explore the topic, “God’s GPS.”

Spiritual Pampering

We are getting ready for our annual women’s conference at my church this weekend. We have women from various states and even other countries who come to experience the presence of God. Our Priceless Conference Team works hard to create an environment where women can come and be encouraged, transformed, and even be pampered while they are here. We have anointed speakers who bring a fresh word to us each year. We have a huge welcome team to greet our guests and make them feel comfortable. There are awesome giveaways each service to make the women feel special and a fabulous party at the end of the conference with food, music, fun, and other surprises. Just as we need pampering in the natural, there is also a need for spiritual pampering. By the way, this is for men as well! God wants to pamper us by…

·    Letting us know who we are in Christ

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

·   Letting us know the benefits we have as his daughters/sons

Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,
⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

St John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

·    Allowing us to experience the unconditional love he has for us

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)...

·    Showing us the awesome plan he has for our lives

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Psalm 139:15-16 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.¹⁶ Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written,the days fashioned for me,when as yet there were none of them.

·    Showing us how much he wants to bless us

Luke 12:32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Psalm 35:27 Let them shout for joy and be glad,who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually “Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."

·    Showing us our true value

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Zechariah 2:8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.

·   Teaching us the power of his grace

Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

·    Giving us total freedom so that all bondage is broken

St John 8:32  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Nahum 1:9 What do you conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.

·    Teaching us how to receive his forgiveness and mercy

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hebrews 8:12  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

·    Teaching us how to walk in the Spirit and be led by him

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

St John 10:3-4 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

I hope that you will take time to meditate on these Scripture references and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you even more. These are just a snapshot of the heart of God for your life. Go ahead, pamper yourself!

For more information about the women’s conference at Jubilee International Ministries, you may check out our website at www.pricelessconference.com. 

Are You Listening?

Yesterday as I was leaving my office for the grocery store, I felt in my spirit that I should not go.  It really wasn’t anything dramatic like a sound from heaven or a bright light shinning into the car.  I just had the slightest impression that it was not something I needed to do.   My routine every other week is grocery shopping during lunch for all of my non-perishables and then finishing up with the perishables on the way home.  I know, it sounds a bit much, but I like for the stop on the way home to be quick and easy!  So when I initially felt led not to go, it would have been easy to shrug it off in order to follow my pre-planned schedule. I have no idea why I wasn’t supposed to go and probably will never know. Maybe He was diverting me from an accident, or maybe He just wanted me to obey Him because He said so.   All I know is that I had to change my plan.

But I have to admit, it doesn’t always flow that perfectly.  Last night as I was getting ready to check my work email to see if there was a response to an email I sent earlier that day,  I felt that I should not check it because there would be something I would see that I didn’t need to deal with at that moment.  But I decided to take a quick look anyway.  Sure enough, there was an email with something aggravating that I had no grace to deal with that time of night!  Had I obeyed the prompting, I never would have had it crowding my thoughts. God cares about even the details of our life.  He knows that it is hard for me to start something and not finish it, so he was trying to keep me from bringing unnecessary stress into my relaxation time. By His grace, I was able to shut it out of my mind so that I could deal with it today.

Being led by God’s Spirit is so important. These events reminded me of the story in 1 Kings 19:11-12 where Elijah was listening for direction from God.  “Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;  ¹² and after the earthquake a fire,  but the Lord  was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”  Many times we miss God listening for the spectacular.  I can’t say that I’ve ever heard the audible voice of God.  The usual way we are led is by an inward witness in our spirit.  I like to call it an impression.  The events yesterday were not major life events, but I believe “practice runs” like these are exercises to keep us in tune to hearing His voice.  I’m thankful that He gives me opportunities to sharpen my sensitivity.  God is always speaking.  We just have to make the decision to listen to what He is saying…and obey!