"The Quiet Place" by Emily Laney

Photo by Creative Commons

We are entering a very exciting and very busy season in our society - the “Holiday Season”.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, etc. are many occasions to celebrate, eat, and go, go, go, but for many of us, this time of year, while joyous and fun, also brings a whole lot of this little, but yet big, word:  Stress.

Sometimes I feel that I attract stress like a magnet. Today was just crazy, and now it’s just before midnight while I write this post.  I’m headed out of town tomorrow for work but haven’t packed yet.  I feel so thankful in where God has me right now, but while my cup runs over with blessings, my plate is also completely full.  With the holidays coming up, all I can think about are the deadlines looming and how my husband and I will juggle the social gatherings we have to attend.

There are many things in play here that result in stress, but I don’t want to get into a lengthy discussion about boundaries, saying no, and over commitment. Those are certainly aspects of my life that I need to work on.  I imagine I’m not the only one.  I could also talk about society, how we’ve created a culture that is completely nonstop.  It’s a culture that applauds the woman who can ‘do it all’ while still looking perfect 24/7.  I feel like we have conversations about society and boundaries a good bit.  We know the deep cultural ideals that lead to stress being our norm, and we know that healthy boundaries can decrease our stress.

What we don’t talk about very often is this term in my profession (social work) that we call “self care”.  Self care is essentially what it sounds like, taking care of yourself.  It’s taking time to relax, unwind, and refuel.  It’s something that we all should do, but very few of us consciously take the time to practice.  It’s practical, simple, and even Biblical.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. – Mark 1:35

He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. – Psalm 91:1

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing, so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. – Gen 2:2

God rested, Jesus went away to a quiet place, and if we dwell in the secret place, we will be under the shadow of God.  These are just a few verses that come to mind when I think about “self care”.  Many of us bustle around like Martha when we should be resting at the feet of Jesus like Mary (see Luke 10:38-42).  We think that we are supposed to be busy, busy, busy, which usually means we are also stressed, stressed, stressed. When I am constantly on the go, I can miss out on ministry opportunities and just miss out on the simple beauties of our world.  I know God didn’t intend for us to live in that way.

My sweet sisters, take some time each day to go to your "quiet place".  Even if it’s only for 15 minutes and you have to sneak away, find things that help you relax and do them.  Take time to read your Bible and pray, but don’t put pressure on yourself to do your devotional a certain way.  Just sit in the presence of God.  Take deep breaths and visualize your stress going away. Go on a walk outside and breathe fresh air.  Do a favorite hobby just for the fun of it.  For a few minutes each day, take care of you.  God cherishes you greatly and loves you so much.  He doesn’t want you to stress yourself out to burnout.  You were worth Him sending His son, and He wants you to be healthy and resting in his presence.

Photo caption:  Stress balls may work for a short period of time, but self care and resting in God’s presence are better bets. 

 

Emily Laney is a social worker, educator and justice seeker.  She has worked with vulnerable populations in the United States and abroad and loves to help startup nonprofits reach their goals.  She is a Passion City Church door holder and leads a team of abolitionists at Not for Sale Georgia.  She loves her husband Brent and their rescue pup Biscuit.  Sunsets and Sushi make her happy. 

You can connect with Emily on twitter @emilylaney or on her blog www.emilylaney.com

Enjoy this video of "Rest" by Kari Jobe

Kari Jobe - Here (Official Acoustic Video) from kari-jobe on GodTube.

The Butterfly Effect - A Guest Post by Amy Freeman, @FlutterFlyFairy

Photo courtesy of Amy Freeman

The Butterfly Effect 

By Amy Freeman 

I love butterflies! Anyone who knows me knows that this is a true and discernible fact about me.  People always ask me why I love them so much, and I tell them, “I love their bright and vibrant colors. I’m just so amazed at how God takes the green, fat and fuzzy caterpillar and transforms it into a beautifully unique, flying butterfly.”  Also, watching butterflies flitter and flutter about always lifts my spirits and makes me feel happy. 

However, that’s not the point of my story. Last year, Shelley noticed that I was really struggling with my identity in Christ and she encouraged me to watch a 45-minute video by John Lynch called TrueFaced Two Roads Message. This video changed my life! Shelley then encouraged me to the read “The Cure,” written by John Lynch, Bruce McNicol, and Bill Thrall. “The Cure” asks the question, ‘What if God isn’t who you think He is and neither are you?’  

Those two questions became very important for me, because I realized that I saw God’s character and nature through the lens of shame that my sins had created in my life. A person who lives their life through the lens of shame, many times, sees God as distant, uncaring and disappointed in our inability to sin less. Therefore, we believe that He's constantly waiting for us to fall short, sin and mess up so that He can pounce on us and tell us how badly we’ve disappointed Him, failed Him and let Him down, yet again.  I was, and at times still am, living my life in that cycle of shame. However, as I read “The Cure,” I began recognizing the lies that I believed about God, and He then began to reveal that His character and His nature overflows from a heart of Love and Grace. Through that revelation God began uncovering the lies that I believed about myself. 

Satan is a very crafty manipulator. Every time I sin, he’s waiting right there and whispers in my ear lies about my identity.  “Amy, if anyone truly knew your sinful nature, they’d abandon you in a second and be totally disgusted with you.” Worse yet, Satan likes to play off of my own insecurities, beating me down.  “No one can ever truly love you Amy,” and “You’ll die alone because you don’t deserve happiness.” 

“The Cure” explains, “We can never resolve our sin by working on it” ourselves; instead it’s about trusting in who God really is and what He says about my identity (16).  On my worst day, I am “Christ in Amy!”  I’m still learning and understanding this truth.  It’s a process to understand the discrepancy between who we appear to be and who we truly are.

John Lynch illustrates this truth really well, and I believe that God placed it in “The Cure” specifically for me, not only because I love butterflies, but also because I identify with butterflies.

John asks the reader to consider the caterpillar.  He explains that if he took a caterpillar to a biologist, and they examined the DNA of the caterpillar, it would possess the DNA of a BUTTERFLY, not a caterpillar!! John exclaims, “Wow! God has wired into a creature looking nothing like a butterfly a perfectly complete butterfly identity” (49). You see, when we accept Christ as our Savior, our nature is fused with Christ’s, and we begin the process of maturing into our identity that is fused in Christ. So, right now as I am growing and seeking God, I am maturing more and more each day into the identity of Christ in Amy. I’m not perfect, nor will I ever be perfect until Christ returns, but I am being changed and renewed – it’s all just a part of the process of learning my identity in Christ and growing into who Christ says I am.  

Amy Freeman, editor for the C4C Blog, in her own words:

Hi! My name is Amy and I’m honored to get to be a Church 4 Chicks volunteer.  I am currently finishing my Bachelors in English at Kennesaw State and I will graduate either this Fall or next Spring, depending on if I stay and finish a writing minor.  I’m a member of the Literary Club and currently secretary of Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honors Club.  I also wrote for the KSU Sentinel during Spring Semester.  I live in Cartersville, GA with my 2 adorable doggies, Ella and Brody and my mom lives with me as well. I attend West Ridge - Cartersville Campus, and I love serving in the toddler room for KidzQuest Jr. I love spending time with my friends and my doggies, just hanging out and having fun.  I love to be out in God’s nature and take pictures of flowers, sunsets and of course, BUTTERFLIES.

Tenth Avenue North - You Are More from tenth-avenue-north on GodTube.

You're the Answer - A Guest Post by @RobEager

Photo By Amelia Grace Photography



 

You’re the Answer

ByRob Eager

“How can God be good if He allows so many awful things to take place in this world without doing anything about it?”

I've heard that question asked many times before. I've often wondered if God asks the same God doesn't choose to bring affliction or sorrow on anyone evil world we live in [Lamentations 3:33]. Problems are the result of the ruler of this  today [Ephesians 2:1-3]. When bad things happen in our lives, God has a plan.

We are the plan.

God can choose to work any way He desires and for reasons we may not like or understand, He chooses to work through us. He calls us to be His hands and feet in this world [Matthew 25:35-45]. Much of what we see taking place in the world today would be remedied if we, the Body of Christ, lived life as our Lord and Savior calls us to live.

What can I do, you ask? Nothing in your own strength.

Thankfully, the solutions doesn't depend on what we can do in our own strength. The solutions depend on us living a surrendered life, allowing the Lord to work through us. Hebrews 13:20-21 tells us He will equip us to what He calls us to do. He tells us as much in 1 Thessalonians 5:24,“The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” He won't leave us hanging. He is simply looking for people who will go. Those who will respond as in Isaiah 6:8, Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,"Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" There is a hurting world out there. They are looking for someone, anyone, who cares. Is that you? Are you willing? Do you care?

In her book, Undaunted, Christine Caine shares of a time when she sat down with survivors of human sex trafficking in Thessaloniki, Greece. She told them there was a God who was good and cared for them and asked His followers to love others the same way He loves them. As she shared, a young woman named Sonica said,“If what you are telling me is true, if what you say about your God is true- then where were you? Where have you been? Why didn't you come sooner?”

If we believe God is good, if we believe He can and will restore, if we acknowledge the Word of God is truth, then we must take action. We cannot sit by expecting God to do something, because He has. He's called us, equipped us, and commanded us [John 12:26, Hebrews 13:20-21, and Matthew 28:18-20]. It's time we put on our armor and get to it [Ephesians 6:10-18]. The invitation has been issued.

Are you willing? What will you do today to answer the call?

Rob Eagar is a marketing consultant who helps
bestselling authors, publishers, and non-profits spread their message like wildfire. His expertise has helped his clients produce:

• 8 New York Times bestsellers (fiction and non-fiction).
• Million-dollar franchises for authors and publishers.
• Transformational growth for non-profit organizations

- See more at: www.startawildfire.com

"Dating with Pure Passion,"  Available on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Dating-Pure-Passion-Courtship-Formula/dp/0736916709/

Restore the Years

                                Restore the Years

Photo Courtesy by Lori Kennedy

By

Lori Kennedy 

“…I will restore to you the years the swarming locust has eaten…” Joel 2:25 (NKJV) 

As I was going through my healing journey, the book that I was reading kept referring to the scripture Joel 2:25, “…I will restore to you the years the swarming locust has eaten…” (NKJV)  I always struggled with understanding how this verse applied to my life.  Even though I can use the time I have left well, I couldn’t go back and re-live those lost years in victory.  So how does that restore the lost years? I know each of us will interpret scripture a little differently and through our own lens.  This was one scripture that had always eluded me just a little bit. 

I was asked to come give a short testimony and lead worship at a high school girl’s bible study.  Someone else was originally scheduled to do this and I was called in at the last minute due to a death in the family of the scheduled speaker.  I knew God was up to something here. 

By the end of the evening, one fifteen year old had taken her mother in the other room and told her that she had been raped two years earlier.  I have found that ministry is bittersweet at times.  I was heartbroken that this had happened to her but I was also filled with joy that she had the courage and boldness to tell someone.  Now she could begin to heal!  Her mother told me that her daughter was standing taller and with her head held higher when she left that evening than when she had arrived.  This young lady told her mother that she felt that a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders that night as she revealed her secret.  

On the way home, I was in joyful and prayerful communion with God.  In that moment, I was being molded by the Potter as He revealed this scripture to me in a new and unique way.  He spoke quietly into my heart that through my obedience in telling my story, I was empowering this young girl to have the courage to realize and reveal her wounds.  Once this occurred, she could begin healing.  Healing would now come earlier in her life. 

What a praise this revelation was to me!  God showed me in a moment in time that more years could be restored to me than the years that I lost!  This was happening through the healing in the lives of others that would now come at an earlier time due to my obedience.  If this girl had waited to give up her secret and the chains it held on her life, continuing to make her decisions through fear and self-protection until adulthood, she may have lost joy and hope in her youth as I did.  Now she had the opportunity to live those years in victory.  In a mysterious and miraculous way only God can accomplish, those years can be restored to me through her!