Posts by Michelle

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
-Romans 12:14

Years ago, I had a boss that flat our rubbed me the wrong way.  I felt like nothing I did was acceptable to her and she had a way of making me angry.  Then one day, I felt a conviction to begin praying for her.  It shouldn’t surprise me, but it wasn’t long before the dynamic between us began to change.  God softened my hard heart and let me see some of the wounds she was hiding behind.  He also seemed to soften her heart.  I can’t say that we ever became close friends, but we were amicable and the tension disappeared.

Most of us have had co-workers or others, at some point in our lives that drive us crazy.  We might not go so far as to call them enemies, but we feel that way.  Romans 12:14 gives us good, but difficult instruction to follow.  The Message puts it this way, “bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath.”

It would be easy to relegate this instruction only to people we think of as enemies.  I think, however, that misses the point.  I think it also applies to the person that said something that hurt you and made you angry.  No doubt you can think of other examples.  It is easy to hold on to our wounds, replaying events in our minds and conversations when we’ve been hurt.  I contend though, that doing so only adds salt to our wounds. 

Instead of muttering words against someone who has hurt you, pray for them.  Take a look at Romans 12:17-21.  Verse 17 says “never pay back evil with evil.”  Verse 21 says “conquer evil with good.”  In between these verses, Paul writes about leaving room for God’s wrath and that we are to feed our enemies when they are hungry.

This may not be easy for us to do.  I know it’s not for me.  However, discipleship is not easy most of the time.  It requires sacrifice.  God may not change the other person or fix the situation, but I guarantee when you pray, He will change you.

Listen to my cry for help,
       my King and my God,
       for to you I pray.

 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
       in the morning I lay my requests before you
       and wait in expectation.

                -Psalm 5:2-3

 When was the last time you brought your requests before the Lord and waited expectantly?  I don’t know about you, but I am far too often guilty of drive by prayers.  In my hurry, I toss out my requests before the Lord as if he is little more than a genie in a bottle.

In the Psalm, David cries out to the Lord to hear him.  He acknowledges that He is Lord.  Each day, he lays out his requests and waits expectantly to hear from God.

My desire in this New Year is to lay out my requests before the Lord each day and wait expectantly.  I want to pray acknowledging Him as Lord and knowing that there are things that I want to see happen that only He is capable of accomplishing.  I have already begun to pray God-sized prayers for my friends, my family, for the single adult ministry and for Tallowood.

What will your prayers be this year?  Will you regularly approach the throne of God and ask Him to do what only He can do?  Remember that He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.  Will you join me in prayer God sized prayers for yourself, for your loved ones, for the single adult ministry at Tallowood, for Tallowood, for Houston and the World?  Will you wait with expectation to see the works of His hand in this New Year? “God still moves.”

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.- Zephaniah 3:17

This verse was a favorite of my 6th grade teacher, Miss Riddle. She often used it when writing letters and notes. I think largely because of Miss Riddle, the verse ended up in my Scripture Memory box and has stuck with me for years.

Last night, after Bible Study, God spoke the Zephaniah 3:17 to me. I felt His love and grace as I reflected on the last two hours. We had a visitor and a regular and we had Church. I was so encouraged by their testimony and journey in the faith. We each shared, and before I knew it, we were leaving at 9:30. I think I could have sat all night long.

I realized when this verse came to mind that God had been singing over me all week long: Through a wonderful message in Sunday Bible Study, through my dad surprising me by having my car detailed, through the gift of lunch with a dear friend who I do not get to see enough, through Bible Study and even later in the evening when I found a gift card that I thought I had lost. God said “I love you.”

God, the Lord of Heaven, my Savior delights in me. Once again, I experienced God’s grace this week. Though I found myself ill prepared for Christmas, God had not forgotten me. His grace continues.
As you approach the New Year, be encouraged by this verse. It is a new year, but you have already been made new in Christ. He delights in each of us. Though there are days, even years, when we feel far from Him, He is never far from us.

My prayer this New Year’s Eve is that you each experience His presence as He delights in you, quiets you with His wondrous love and rejoices over you. I’m praying your ears are opened to hear his glorious singing over you. What a song it is!

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father
-Philippians 2:5-11

Last night in small group, we watched a movie called “God Grew Tired of Us.” It follows the story of three Lost Boys of Sudan. It is worth seeing if you haven’t. I rented it from Blockbuster. It is a documentary on their lives as they fled Sudan, spent years as refugees in Kenya, and then were given the opportunity to come to the U.S. As much as it is a documentary on their lives, in my mind, it is also commentary on the life we live in America.

One of the things that struck me is that they did not understand who Santa was and what He had to do with Christmas. Santa, Christmas trees, etc are not in the Bible, but no one they asked could explain to them what they had to do with Christmas. One of them commented that they spend the weeks prior to Christmas preparing their hearts.

Please understand that I am not against some of the traditions that we, in Western culture have developed for Christmas. I just wondered after watching the movie how often we let these traditions override the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Christmas seemed to sneak up on me this year and I find myself ill prepared. Sure, I have presents to give, but have I given of myself? I am grateful for a few days to rest, but wondering why I let so many “things” crowd my heart. I wonder if I am worshipping or merely going through the motions.

My Lord and Savior became nothing. He became the most vulnerable form of human possible and, as a man, He died that I might live. You would think my response would be to honor him with all that I am in everything I do. My confession is that too often, I do go through the motions. I’m sure you have gifts to give this Christmas too, but what gift do you bring to the Savior?

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” -Isaiah 30:21

“Follow Me” Jesus Said

How do you follow? I was thinking about this question as I drove through the fog in Houston this week. The thickness of the fog reminded me of another time when I had even more difficulty seeing.

I was taking my first road trip on my own during college. I hadn’t even had my driver’s license a year. I was driving into Dallas on I-35 and it started pouring sheets of rain. I had to drive over a bridge that crossed over a big lake, so at one point, all I could see was water on either side of me and the tail lights of the car in front of me. Being a new driver, I was incredibly tense and focused on the car in front of me. I almost followed the car when it exited even though it wasn’t my exit.

I remember reflecting on that experience a couple of hours later when I was safely ensconced in the house of my friends. I wondered what would happen if I followed Christ like that—if I turned when He turned and moved when He moved.

I confess that while I was able to follow that car well, my following of Christ doesn’t always look like that. I am easily distracted. Fortunately, there is grace. God loves me the way I am and too much to leave me there. Isn’t it wonderful how His Spirit can move in us and take a simple thing like fog to serve as a reminder? So I ask again, how are you following?

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
      I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
I will be filled with joy because of you.
      I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

-Psalm 9:1-2

Last year about this time, I received an email in which the writer shared some of the things that brought him joy in 2008.  At the end, he challenged readers to do the same. Never one to give up the opportunity to make a list and reminisce, I took up the challenge. 

As I read this Psalm, I was reminded of that experience.  It occurred to me that when you praise the Lord with all your heart, it leaves no room for other things that try to capture it.  These verses are a cycle of joy.  The exercise in sharing your gifts of joy is one way of entering into that cycle.  Try it.  Share with someone else, the gifts of joy, God brought you this year (This is both the praising and telling of the things He’s done).  As you reflect on God’s gifts of joy this year, and share them, you will be filled with joy again.

I can hardly wait to begin.  Here are just a few of God’s gifts of joy to me this year:  laughing at the Christmas party, spending a weekend in Fredericksburg, playing football with my nephews and letting them pile on top of me,  asking God to take care of something because I couldn’t and getting an answer the next day…

When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. -Romans 12:13 (New Living Translation)

My senior year of High School, my family moved into our mission Guest House so my mom could manage it.  The Guest House was a little like a hotel in that there were two floors of rooms, each with a kitchenette.  It was a place for our missionaries from elsewhere in country to stay when they were visiting their children, on business, or for downtime. We served breakfast and dinner. It was a great fit for Mom because she loved talking to people and listening to stories. 

Sometime that year, Mom and Dad were both out of town for a week leaving me to play hostess.  I remember telling the missionaries one night when they asked how it was going that hospitality was not my gift.  I got a good laugh.

I was wrong in my assertion.  I understood hospitality to be playing the perfect host—entertaining.  A note in my Bible says “Hospitality, by contrast, focuses on the guest’s needs, such as a place to stay, nourishing food, a listening ear, or just acceptance.  Hospitality can happen in a messy home.  It can happen around a dinner table where the main dish is canned soup.  It can even happen while the host and guest are doing chores together.”

I am not an entertainer.  I can, however, offer hospitality.  We all can, and should practice it.  In fact, the NLT translation of Romans tells us to be eager to practice it.  That indicates to me that we are to be on the lookout for opportunities to practice.  The Message says “be inventive in hospitality.”

This Christmas, and this coming year, let’s be inventive as we practice hospitality.  Who knows what might happen.

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. – Zephaniah 3:17 

This verse was a favorite of my 6^th grade teacher, Miss Riddle.  She often used it when writing letters and notes.  I think largely because of Miss Riddle, the verse ended up in my Scripture Memory box and has stuck with me for years.

Last night, after Bible Study, God spoke the Zephaniah 3:17 to me.  I felt His love and grace as I reflected on the last two hours.  We had a visitor and a regular and we had Church.  I was so encouraged by their testimony and journey in the faith.  We each shared, and before I knew it, we were leaving at 9:30.  I think I could have sat all night long.

I realized when this verse came to mind that God had been singing over me all week long: Through a wonderful message in Sunday Bible Study, through my dad surprising me by having my car detailed, through the gift of lunch with a dear friend who I do not get to see enough, through Bible Study and even later in the evening when I found a gift card that I thought I had lost.  God said “I love you.”

God, the Lord of Heaven, my Savior delights in me. Once again, I experienced God’s grace this week.  Though I found myself ill prepared for Christmas, God had not forgotten me.  His grace continues.
As you approach the New Year, be encouraged by this verse.  It is a new year, but you have already been made new in Christ.  He delights in each of us.  Though there are days, even years, when we feel far from Him, He is never far from us.

My prayer this New Year’s Eve is that you each experience His presence as He delights in you, quiets you with His wondrous love and rejoices over you.  I’m praying your ears are opened to hear his glorious singing over you.  What a song it is!

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving thanks.

  Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

  Worship the LORD with gladness;
       come before him with joyful songs.

  Know that the LORD is God.
       It is he who made us, and we are his;
       we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
       and his courts with praise;
       give thanks to him and praise his name.

  For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
       his faithfulness continues through all generations.

 Psalm 100 has been a favorite of mine since childhood.  I remember learning it in first or second grade.  I think there’s great appeal for a child in the fact that it starts with the word “shout.”  When was the last time you shouted for joy to the Lord? 

When I was in college, I would often spend late afternoons in a seclude spot at a lake.  It was a special time with God.  My best friend actually got me doing this.  We would drive to the lake together and then go off on our own.  I loved that time because I could be quiet, but I could also be loud.  Sometimes I would sing.  Sometimes I would shout out to the Lord.

I don’t know what things you are thankful for this thanksgiving.  Whatever they are, I encourage you to spend some time thanking God for who He is, for what He’s done, for what He is doing and will do.  Wherever you find yourself this Thanksgiving, I do know one thing: “The Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Amen and Amen!

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – Romans 12:11-12

My senior year of High School, I chose Romans 12:11-12 as my quote for the yearbook.  My original plan had been to use my favorite-Jeremiah 29:11.  However, my brother used that two years earlier and it would just not do to have the same quote as my brother.  Well, God did have plans for me and while Jeremiah 29:11 remains a favorite of mine, Romans 12:11-12 was a passage that I came back to often in my college years and in recent years.

The language of the NIV translation of these verses has always inspired me.  It has a sense of rhythm and flourish.  The NLT is somewhat simpler and, in a way, more “in your face.”  It reads, never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

Scripture abounds with passages regarding work and rest. Working hard is good.  This passage brings to mind I Corinthians 10:39 (So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God).  This is good practical instruction for living the Christian life.  I wish I could say I did so all the time.  If I did, reading these words might not bring such conviction with them.

Moving on to verse 12, the language of the NLT once again stops me.  How do you NOT serve enthusiastically when you are rejoicing “in our confident hope?” This is no ordinary hope.  It is confident hope.  You might read it as hope times two. Following hope is “be patient in trouble.”  This short phrase brings to mind two other favorite passages of mine-Hebrews 12:11 and James 1:2-4.  I don’t know about you, but when I’m in trouble, the last thing I have is patience.  I just want it to be over with.

Finally, “keep on praying.”  Whatever you do, keep on praying.  You don’t have to use big fancy words.  God, our Father wants to hear about what’s going on in your own words, whatever they may be.  Some days all that may be is “God, help me.”  Whatever words you use to talk to your best friend about the circumstances of your life, those are the words you should use.  They may be angry, sad and emotional.  Don’t believe me?  Check out the Psalms.  I’ve spent some hours praying the Psalms because I had no words of my own.  I’ve also spent time in the dark of night in my car with thunderstorms