Walking Contagion!

 

Thank God for infections! Yes, you heard me correctly. Did you know that living on and in you are more bacteria than you have cells in your entire body? (Pause) Okay, now that you are recovering from the nausea of such an idea, let me explain. On your skin and lining your respiratory and gastrointestinal tract are millions of bacteria, without which you would be severely sick. Research has shown that if certain bacteria are not present in certain areas of the skin, specific diseases can occur.

In the intestinal tract, normal flora bacteria produce growth factors and nutrients which allow your cells to function, not only normally, but at a higher level than they ever could without the bacteria. Another way bacteria benefit you is by providing a competitive environment, where harmful and deadly bacteria can be hindered from causing disease.

Now think about the promises, dreams and hopes that God has given you as bacteria! You see, God’s principles are always revealed through His Word, and all of creation is literally His words manifested (Gen. 1-2). God desires for you to be “infected” with His plans and dreams for you and His Kingdom.

For example, when we hear from God concerning our purpose and destiny, a hope arises within us. This hope gives rise to faith and acts as a protective covering, much like bacteria on your skin, to help fight the lies and frustrations of circumstances from consuming God’s Word concerning you.

The Bible also says that God’s Word is the bread of life. Each time you allow a dream or prophetic word to grow and multiply within your spirit, you allow God’s Word over you to supply the “nutrients” needed for you to rise above the circumstances and ultimately walk into the manifestation of your dream.

You see, when we meditate on God’s Word, be it the scriptures or personal words from God, we allow God’s Word to be established as the “normal flora” of our lives. God’s Word now fights off the “evil bacteria” that come to try and steal our confession, our faith, our hope and our joy.

Now for the fun part! Do you know what is so great about bacteria? They can’t just stop by infecting one host! They are always looking for opportunities to infect and reproduce themselves in as many individuals as possible. Why? Because the more they spread, the greater they become (number-wise that is). So I ask you this question: What have you been doing to grow and reproduce God’s Word in you? Have others been infected with your dreams, your passion for God and His Kingdom?

If your answer is no, then stop being sterile! Throw away your spiritual antibiotic scrub-brush and embrace, cultivate, and spread the infectious words of God in your life. And soon, you will be a walking contagion for the Kingdom of God!

~Dr. Matt

Image Credit  © Johanna Goodyear | Dreamstime Stock Photos

 

The Maze of Life

 

Have you ever gone to the airport and watched and listened to the people coming and going? I recently had that opportunity. I had to pick up my nephew who was flying in from Minnesota. I pictured this little maze with a mouse running around trying to find it’s way to the prize, the CHEEESE at the other end. People were darting here and there to get to where they were supposed to go hoping they do not miss their flight to their destination.  Their eyes are focused straight ahead as they maneuver around people, luggage, and barriers.

I was pondering on this and the thought crossed my mind, “How many times do we run around, darting to and fro, trying to find our way to the end, the grand prize?” Like the mouse in a maze, we try one avenue only to find a barrier or obstacle so we try another way. This process goes on until we FINALLY get on the right path, the one that God had originally wanted us on. We dart through life doing a lot of good things, but are they God things? I don’t know about you but I have traveled paths that were good paths, which I thought were God’s paths, only to find that I missed the flight so to speak. Never loose hope because you have wondered down the wrong trail or wondered down the wrong path. It is so easy to get back on the right trail. All we have to do is ask God to forgive us for making the wrong choice and He does. Immediately we have gotten back onto the right trail towards the cheese.

Satan wants to deceive us. His goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. He can make things look so good that it must be God telling you to do something or go somewhere. Remember that he is the master of deception! In order not to fall for every deception he puts out there we must equip ourselves daily. Not just on Sundays. To equip ourselves we need to build a relationship with God. Spend time in prayer and just communicating with Him. Have a conversation with Him, and then listen to what He has to say because He will respond to you if you listen. The next thing to do is to digest the Word. Not just read it to say you have read the Bible. That would be like buying lunch at a fancy restaurant and just watching the food. It is not until that food gets inside of you that your hunger is quenched. Your body digests the food to energize your body so that it will function correctly. The Word, once digested, becomes part of you. It helps your spirit man grow and become strong.  Meditate on what you read. Make it a part of you not just a once in a while thing. I am talking to myself as well. We have all missed it in this area if we are at all honest with ourselves.

Praise and Worship are two other ways to keep the enemy from deceiving you. Create a lifestyle of praising God daily. Even down to the littlest things you have. All things on this Earth belong to God. God, the creator, inspired everything created, and then had man to create what we have,. Give Him the glory for each day that you have and for the wonderful provision He has bestowed upon you and your family!  God wants us to be prosperous but not to hoard up the prosperity. He wants us to share with others to establish His Kingdom here on Earth. It is never too late to start over. If you miss it, repent, then move on with God. He is waiting for you because He loves you unconditionally!

 

~Ronda Sullivan

Image Credit © Michal Wozniak | Dreamstime Stock Photos

The Prodigal Parent

Most of us have heard the story of the prodigal son. He decided to leave his father’s house and take off on his own. It is good to know that the story ends with the son returning home. That gives hope to other families. My story is the opposite. My father left when I was a baby. I grew up with a lot of questions. I dreamed of what it would be like to be “Daddy’s little girl.” My father came to visit about once every four years.I never knew what town he was living in, or how to find him. His short visits were exciting to me. I loved my dad very much.

I will never forget the last phone call I received from him. I had not heard from him in a long time. He was usually cheerful when he phoned or visited. This time was different. He told me he had some bad news. He had cancer. The doctors said he had three months to live. Even as I write this, I can still feel the pain of that conversation.He told me where he was living. It was only an hour away. I began driving to his house every day. I held his hand. I kissed his forehead. I knew he was in pain. He tried to keep a smile on his face. Some days, he could talk more than others.

He told me about his childhood. I asked about his first love. He told me about his first car. I never asked why he left those many years ago. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that I had another day to be with him. I wish my childhood had been different. I always wanted to be “Daddy’s girl.” I was his girl for three months. The most precious visits were the ones when we talked about Heaven. We both found comfort in knowing that someday we will be together forever. I would tell adults who have been abandoned by a parent to keep an open heart. People make mistakes. Time is precious. If a prodigal parent comes home, please don’t reject them.

Maybe you are a parent who wasn’t there for your child. I urge you to contact them. Go to them. There is never an age that your child doesn’t need you. I have memories of my dad now. I know the touch of his hand. I am “Daddy’s girl.”

~Connie Robinson

Image Credit © Gokhan Okur | Dreamstime Stock Photos

God’s Armor

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defiled.  Samuel 17:45

David could not use Saul’s armor. It was heavy and just didn’t fit. Just like David we cannot put on someone else’s armor either. Like David we must put on our armor.  In order to defeat our enemies, we must put on the armor of love, joy, and peace. He has provided us with everything we need to succeed in this life.

I remember a time in my life when I walked in fear every day. Inside of me I wanted to be normal, but just like a snake that slips up on you, fear gripped me so tightly at times it seemed like I could not even breathe. Even at night I would go to sleep with a gun on my chest fearing for myself and my children.

Before, I was walking in my own strength trying to fight with the wrong weapons. Now that I’ve put on God’s armor of peace, I sleep like a baby at night knowing the Almighty is protecting me.

If you are living in fear and letting the enemy steal your peace, put on God’s armor for a change! When He helps us, it’s more powerful than anything we could imagine. I’ve broken through that fear and you can, too!

~Tammy Sanders

Image Credit: ©Tammy

Why You Should Consider Canceling Your Short Term Mission Trips

We have to re-think the way we “do church”, whether at home or in the mission field. The Do Good Initiative  posted this link to an excellent article, and I wanted to repost it here for you… it may make you mad, but I hope it makes you THINK.

Why You Should Consider Canceling Your Short Term Mission Trip

Image credit: From Do Good Initiative website

A Triumphant Journey

People see the smile on my face these days, but most people have no clue what I went through only a few short years ago.

My junior year of high school started off like everyone else’s. I had a full course load of classes and doing well. One day I woke up with a back ache. Without going into lots of details, I was without a doctor for year, but the back ache turned into excruciating pain. Not knowing the severity of the problem, I remained in school, but Lortab became my constant companion. Sobbing in front of my friends because I was in too much pain to eat was an almost daily occurrence at the lunch table.

I love going to church, so I got a tens unit and had it on full blast so that I could sit through the service. In case you don’t know this is NOT normal. In January, I finally got an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. An x-ray revealed that I had a stress fracture, which is common among athletes and gymnast. I’m a bookworm, so this was quite a shock to me and my family. The doctor said only one in 1 million people have this happen to them. I was just happy to know there was a reason for the pain. My doctor didn’t want to do surgery right away, so we tried back braces for a few months. This is when I was at my lowest point.

The pain got so bad that I could not go to church with my mom anymore. Even thinking back to that dark time brings tears to my eyes. I would cry as I watch my mom get ready for church, longing to go with her instead of lying in the bed in agony.

Finally, I had an MRI that revealed surgery would be my only option. We still didn’t know the extent of the injury. I trudged on through my chemistry classes and English papers and could see my upcoming graduation through my haze of survival. God’s grace was the only reason that I was able to get out of bed each morning. When I could only take one step He definitely took two. In June of that year, I had a spinal fusion to repair my back. Much to everyone’s surprise my surgeon said that my back was broken and the vertebrates were floating around in the cartilage. Due to the extensive surgery, I had a long road of recovery ahead.

I can say with confidence that even when I lost hope, not able to see past my own pain, God never did. He saw me becoming a member of my church’s publication team. He saw me graduating from high school with honors. He saw me getting accepted into the Corporate Communication program at my college. I thank God that he never gave up on me! Whatever you’re going through, no matter how bad it may seem right now, you’re not going to stay there. God has plans to prosper you, so whatever you do DON’T quit!

 

~Madison Sanders

Reveal the Real

YOUNG GIRL HOLDING A MIRROR
© Ramona Smiers | Dreamstime.com

I know God accepts me just as I am, but I have a hard time accepting myself just as I am. As a matter of fact, I’d have to say that this is my BIGGEST struggle in my walk with the Lord. I always feel like I have to be perfect… or at least closer than I am. In my eyes, I have believed the lie that I am not good enough. Just knowing that God accepts me doesn’t change me. I know it, but do I believe it? I have to change the way I believe about myself and so do you!

I find myself thinking on this more and more lately. I’m sure it’s God trying to get me to deal with it. I know that once I stop rejecting His image of me and start embracing it everyday, then what I am in God’s eyes will start to manifest in my life. In my eyes, I’ve wanted to see myself as perfect. In His eyes, I can see myself as loved.

We have really over-rated perfection as Christians. I just read a statement recently that said, “I don’t think it bothers the world that we Christians sin; It bothers the world that we act like we don’t!” We have all painted a picture in our minds how a Christian should behave or look when, in fact, all God wants is for us to just be real. No matter what we look like or what mistake we just made today, we can keep on going because He accepts and loves us just as we are.

I may still struggle with this today, but I am starting to change. Because I know that God accepts me, it helps me know that I still have a chance. He will not give up on me no matter how hard-headed I may seem in this area of my life! If I say or do something to put myself down, then I have to recognize that and give it to God RIGHT THEN, asking Him to help me see myself the way He sees me. One step at a time, one day at a time is how change takes place. We have to be willing to give our insecurities, fears and self-doubt to God everyday…everyday!!

You know, WE are our biggest enemy. If we can ever get past US, then God can really use us in so many areas. I accept myself more today than I did five years ago or even a year ago. It’s a process that I am willing to walk out because I want all God has for me in His Kingdom!! I am definitely learning not to seek perfection, but to just seek being real. That’s all God is asking for from both you and me!!!

~ Michelle Parrish

Let Go and Let God!

PIGGY BACK RIDE
© Alicia Shields | Dreamstime.com

“Point your kids in the right direction – when they’re old, they won’t be lost.” ~Proverbs 22:6 (The Message)

This is an easy scripture to read and believe when your children are little angels, but when the world starts setting into your child, you start beating yourself up, wondering what in the world you did wrong. The number one thing you have to remember is this: it’s going to happen.

You can put your small child on your back, carry them across the desert, teach them right from wrong, tell them what God has to say about them, and show them who they are in Christ, but you can only carry them so far. There is going to come a day when they will have to walk for themselves. And they’re going to make mistakes…and fall down. It hurts our parent’s heart when they jump off our back, thinking they can make adult decisions, only to get themselves in some kind of mess.

Think of the story of the Prodigal son from the Father’s side. He went out everyday, looking for his son. You know he was praying for that boy. When the son realized what he had done and where he had gone wrong, he went home. His father saw him a far off, ran to him, hugged him and brought him inside. He never stopped loving him.

As parents, we can’t really do anything but love our children and pray for God’s help to protect them while they go on their way. When they fall, we have to remember that we have a loving Father in Heaven Who was there for us, helping us back on our feet and loving us unconditionally when we missed it. We just have to trust Him; He’ll be there for our children, too!

~Guest contributor, James Parrish

I Can Do It

SINGLE PLANT IN RUSHING WATER
© Michael Keenan | Dreamstime.com

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~
 Jeremiah 29:11

There are days that I wish someone would come along and take some of the load off of me or at least help me out so that things would be easier for me to manage. These are the days when I wonder where God is. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has had days like this, right? Our circumstances can really scream at us, causing us to loose focus and to start feeling sorry for ourselves.

Recently, I was meditating the Word, and a picture popped up in my mind of a seed popping up through the ground. Well, I pondered on that picture and wondered why it popped up. I have learned that things do not “pop up” randomly for no reason. So, I tried to figure out what God was trying to tell me.

As I meditated on the seed, I was taken back to my science class where we were taught how a seed begins to sprout and form a plant. The roots come first, spreading and anchoring into the dirt so that the plant is stable. Then the seedling begins to push up through the ground. All the while the root system is still growing and expanding.

Have you ever seen a seed in a garden where it is barely up above the ground and it still has some dirt it needs to push away? I get so excited every year when I plant all of my vegetables and flowers. I mark on my calendar the day I plant and the day when I should see seedlings popping through the ground. I go outside every day to tend to them and watch for them. When I see a seedling that is just barely above the ground, I have to fight the urge to go and help it break through the ground the rest of the way. In trying to help that seedling out, I would actually be hindering it and causing some harm to the plant if I move the dirt out of the way for it. It would continue to grow, but it would not be as strong as it could have been if I had left it alone to push through the obstacle in its way. It is through this process that the plant becomes a strong plant that can stand on its own. I still go out and tend to it, doing what I NEED to do. I just do not jump in and do what the plant needs to do in order to be as strong as it could be.

God was trying to tell me that He is still tending to me and helping me where I need help, but in order for me to become the strong person I need to be, I need to push my way through, trusting in Him to guide me all the way and to support me as I grow. Being bailed out, so to speak, would not help me out in any way. It would actually hinder me from growing up strong in the Lord. I still have people who pray with me and for me. We all need that. We just do not need to be bailed out when the going gets a little tough or rocky. We need to learn to trust in God and His plan for our lives. It is a process and, like all processes, it takes time and patience. Eventually, we push through the obstacles and circumstances. On the other side is VICTORY!

~Ronda Sullivan

Don’t Let Your Dream Die

WOMAN DREAM OF SOMETHING
© Alexey Fursov | Dreamstime.com

For years, people tried to talk me out of becoming a writer. There was a particular instance in middle school that I will never forget. My teacher had given me an assignment to pick the career I wanted and to present a Powerpoint presentation in front the of class. As she was walking around the classroom, she said, “What did you choose, Madison?” I distinctly remember telling her “Journalism.” My Powerpoint had a very colorful cover slide with a picture of a quill.

“Oh, you will want to pick something else,” she said. Hurt, I continued to listen because she was my teacher, someone who I trusted to lead and guide me. “You won’t ever make any money being a writer,” she said and walked off. She never knew how much those words impacted me. Subtly, my mind shifted to other careers. “Let me look up the salary for a nurse,” I said to myself, knowing the healthcare field was always promising. Seeing the numbers on the screen settled it. I would be a nurse, even if every fiber in my thirteen-year-old body went against it!

I continued on in high school taking health occupations classes and even doing clinicals. My heart wasn’t in it, though. Away from prying eyes and judgmental attitudes, I would write at home. English was my favorite class. I would spend hours writing stories. I had tasted the joy of creating something of my very own, and no one could take that away from me. My mom knew my heart. She didn’t pressure me to do anything, but I know that she prayed for me and she listened. I’m so thankful I had someone to believe in me and my dream!

Countless friends and teachers in high school said I needed to be a teacher, because I am good at explaining things to people. I smiled and said, “That’s not the career for me.”  I said this to each person who suggested it. I got tired of hearing it, to be honest with you. Inside I screamed, “Can anyone see that I want to be a writer?” I didn’t know it at the time, but I was taking a stand for what I believed in and not letting other voices talk me out of what God called me to do.

In the midst of my battle with my heart and my head, my mom told my brother and me, “Do whatever you love to do. Don’t let anyone pressure you to do otherwise.”

When it came time to register for college classes, I was automatically drawn to the communication major because of the writing aspect. Somewhere along the way, I decided that my mom was right. Even if I never made an enormous salary from writing, I was going to do it because I LOVED it. Seriously, I have a page full of ideas on my computer of things to write about. I have dreams about characters and stories. No amount of money can compare to true fulfillment!

And now? I’m entering my senior year in college, working on many projects for Gateway publications and writing about current events for my internship with Athena Magazine for Girls. What if I had listened to my middle school teacher? I would be miserable! I want to encourage each of you to not let your dream die!

~Madison Sanders