Flourish Blog

Nehemiah and Prayer, Part 2

Jessica — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I have been studying Nehemiah for some time now and am still thrilled to find such great applicable truth in this book every time I read it. One of the things I’ve been doing is listening to Craig Groeschel’s sermon series on Nehemiah. This four-part series is one of the better podcast sermons I’ve ever listened to. He can tell a great story that emphasizes his point in a way that makes it memorable. There are various phrases from the series I repeat in my head – to preach to myself – all the time.

One statement that had a great impact on me was his point in the passage about Nehemiah receiving opposition to his work. And while I think that this statement is a wonderful response to when people oppose you, it has much wider ramifications. In fact, I think it’s a prescription that all of us would do well to follow.

Take it to God, and get back to work.

Have a bad morning and nothing seems to go right? Take it to God and get back to work!
Your finely planned schedule gets poked full of holes and everything falls apart? Take it to God and get back to work!
Someone is critical of you or your work? Take it to God and get back to work!
Have a fight with your husband, co-worker, mother-in-law or next door neighbor? Take it to God and get back to work!
Fall into sin or live in an area of weakness? Take it to God and get back to work!

The idea here is that we go to the one who can fix it all and then jump back on the horse. Too often I’ve allowed outside critics and my own inside critic to derail me. I might write 18 pages about it in my journal to the Lord and then stew about it for weeks. Following Pastor Groeschel’s exhortation about Nehemiah’s people problems keeps me from losing momentum.

I believe that Satan attacks – and uses the attacks of others – just when we being to gain momentum. He knows that if he can discourage us just before we start to see the results come he can keep us from moving forward. It has been good for me to see that and be more alert to his schemes. When discouragement comes, when opposition comes, when I begin to undermine myself, when everything positive seems to fall apart at once, I can take it to God. I can talk it over with him, ask for his help, seek his wisdom and close with a grateful “Amen!”

And then I can get back to work. I’m not willing to lose any of the precious momentum I’ve experienced and so I take it to God, and get back to work!

Running Around the Room

Jessica — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:00:42 +0000

Have you ever read a passage in a book that described you so well you wondered if the author might be peeking into your daily life? This happened to me last week and the description was so spot-on that I laughed out loud. And kept on laughing.

“If the transformation that your soul so desperately needs and that God is so eager to provide is going to happen, you’ll have to actually sit down in that chair at the table. Then you’ll need to stop squirming and get quiet in that chair–and lean in to hear the One sitting across from you.
“Seems pretty small, doesn’t it? Amazingly though, sitting down in your chair can be very difficult to do. Rather than actually sitting down to be with God, many people spend far too much time in the general vicinity of where God is but refuse to sit down, preferring instead to incessantly run tiresome laps around the room, bustling about with all kinds of ‘virtuous’ activities, slapping the Almighty a high-five every once in a while.” (Taken from SoulCare, Page 37)

This passage references a big struggle for me, putting a higher priority on being with God than doing for God. I mentioned a few days ago that accomplishment is a value for me. I find much of my self-worth in what I do. Over the past few years, I’ve seen struggled to separate my activity for God and my relationship with God. I think that has been increasingly difficult since I came to work for a church. So much of my work is spiritual in nature so it’s easy to think I’m connecting with God more than I really am. At this stage of my life, I’m more aware of this propensity than I was years ago and far more willing to call it what it is and adjust my life accordingly. But I have a feeling, this is a battle I’ll wage for much of my life.

Memory Verse Roll Call

Jessica — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:00:51 +0000

It’s no secret that I am a big advocate for Scripture Memory. I think every disciple of Christ should be actively involved in memorizing Scripture. Of course, everyone will have their own system, program or plan, but regardless of how many verses or how long it takes you, it’s so beneficial!

Just for mutual accountability and encouragement, I thought it would be fun to do a roll call once a month where you could tell us what verse you a memorizing right now. We’ll do this on the first Friday of each month. (This month it’s the second Friday since I was away and not blogging last week.)

The verse I’m memorizing right now is Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Now it’s your turn. What are you memorizing? Share your verse in the comments.

Waiting for the Harvest

Jessica — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:00:08 +0000

I recently went through a lengthy process of defining my values. I hope to share lots more about that later this fall but I will share my number one value with you today, the value of Accomplishment. I like to get things done, to check things off my list, to keep busy and be productive. As with all values, though, it comes with a negative. I can get too consumed with getting things done to acknowledge my own limits. Then I get too tired, sick or burned out. Another danger is one I’m struggling with right now – I crave results. Valuing accomplishment so much, it’s really difficult to persevere when I don’t see any results from my labor. How do I know I’m accomplishing anything if the results don’t show up for weeks, months or years?

That’s why this little quote from Robert Louis Stevenson has become a mantra for me these last few weeks. I’ve written in my journal and I tell it to myself at least once a day…

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”

Much of what’s important in life can’t be rushed, checked off a list, or completed in a day. So while I wait for the harvest, I’ll keep planting seeds.

May and June Sunday School

Jessica — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:00:47 +0000

If you are confused about what is coming up with Sunday School, you are not alone. I had to sit down and write it out this past weekend so I could figure out just what we are going to do next!!

Because we missed a few weeks of the James study, we are going past our original end date to finish it up. This past Sunday, you watched lesson seven. This coming Sunday you will be in the auditorium to hear our missionary guests speak. The following week, we’ll finish up the last video session of James.

The week after that, we’ll do a wrap-up of James in class, where I’ll ask you some questions and get your thoughts on what you studied over these past few months. We’ll talk about…

What was your favorite thing about this study? (It could be something you learned, something you enjoyed reading about, a part of the study that was new, or even a video session that stuck with you.)
What did you fill in on the chart on page 209 of your workbook?
What do you want to do in light of what you learned? (You answered that question on page 211 of the workbook.)

I’ll also talk a bit about the summer classes to come during that last James week. Our boundaries class is starting later than expected, not until the third Sunday in June. I’ll have some fill-in material for the two weeks between the end of James and our new studies. I hope you have been blessed by James and I can’t wait to hear what you will be taking with you as we leave that book for now.

A Healthy Soul

Jessica — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:00:43 +0000

“Turning away from God’s ways in outright rebellion certainly diminishes our spiritual vitality. But using connection to God due to distractions can squeeze the life from our souls as well–and, in contrast to rebellion, it can happen so subtly that we might not notice for days or weeks or months.” – Soul Searching by Mindy Caliguire

In her book, Soul Care, author Mindy Caliguire asserts that a healthy soul is one that “maintains a strong connection and receptivity to God.” That definition of a healthy soul is one that really resonated with me. I think too much emphasis is places on perfection and consistency in one’s quiet time and not enough emphasis on the quality of that time. Merely reading, reciting a list of prayer requests and doing a Sunday School lesson aren’t really enough to nourish the soul. We have to connect with God during that time, not just follow a list of tasks. This means being open to hear the voice of God and receptive to what he says.
This is easy to write about and read about but far harder to experience. Some days I do better than others. I’ve found over the years that starting with prayer and inviting God to speak to me as I do my lessons, write in my journal or read Scripture helps me focus on HIM not on the tasks of reading or study. It’s quite easy to have a consistent quiet time and never connect with God at all! But a healthy soul is one that is connective and responsive to him. That is my prayer for all of us!

Rested and Ready for the New

Jessica — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:00:11 +0000

After a fabulous Flourish Retreat day and a week away at the ocean, I am back to blogging and gearing up for a fun and busy month of May. To shortly recap the end of May, let me say how much I enjoyed our retreat on April 28th. It was such a great group of ladies and so much fun. I had a blast speaking and singing with you as well as getting to know lots of new people. The day went pretty smoothly and I am glad that we had no major glitches or setbacks to the day. I’m so thankful to everyone who prayed for the day. I could really feel the evidence of those prayers throughout the day. And I’ve already heard several stories of reconciliation and forgiveness brought about by what was done and said. God is sooo good to us!

After a crazy month of April, I took a few days off and went to the Ocean for Monday-Friday this past week. I laid around and read books, did lots of journal writing and a few Bible study books. I spent one day working on some upcoming Flourish stuff for the 2012/13 year and successfully mapped out next years Sunday School lessons. (That’s always a big chore!)

One day it rained cats and dogs so we watched the entire Season One of Downton Abbey. What a treat that was! (The Dowager Countess is my homegirl! I love that cranky woman!) Now I need to get Season Two in my Netflix queue soon so I can find out what happens next.

I was up early every morning – I did not sleep in a single day of vacation. I did take quite a few long naps, though. I got a lot of sleep while I was away. I sleep so much better when I can hear the ocean. I finally figured out why that is – - it shuts my brain off. Usually when I lay down to sleep my brain keeps working for a long time, obsessing about what I didn’t get done, what I have to do tomorrow, all the things that could go wrong, etc. I can be extremely tired and still unable to fall asleep because I can’t stop thinking. Yet when I hear the waves roll up on the shore, I can focus on that and my brain stops working. I not only fall asleep quickly, but I fall asleep relaxed and not tense so I wake up feeling like I’ve slept a long time. That’s why I wake up early and feel rested. I got more sleep overnight at home and felt far less rested. So I think I might need to buy some ocean CDs or a noise machine.

I walked on the beach every day, enjoying the feel of the cold water on my feet and sand between my toes. I made some friends with lots of seagulls and even met a few foxes. I uncovered a bunch of crabs quite accidentally and collected some pretty sea shells. I also bought fudge and popcorn and had a banana split from Dumsers. Overall, the week was a rousing success and I can’t wait to do it again!

One of my favorite things about vacation is coming home rested and ready to tackle something new. With the retreat behind us, it’s time to start some new projects. I have two big projects for the Chapel – all new ministry brochures to start on and Josh’s Auto Show program book to design. And for Flourish, I have to come up some Sunday School classes for the end of May/beginning of June and plan our last event of the year. And in between all that, I’m starting to write the September-November Bible study this week and to continue working out next year’s theme and activities. The 2012/13 year will need to be finalized by the end of May!!

So there is lots to do. Praise God for a great vacation and a rested spirit. Praise God for new challenges to keep me motivated and busy!! And onward we go…

Vacation!!

Jessica — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:00:02 +0000

I’ll be taking a break from blogging for a bit as I prepare this week for the retreat and then take a week off to recover! I’ll be heading out of town for a few days next week and will be happy to have the change to relax and do some reading. I’ll also spend an afternoon or so reading over lots of Sunday School material for the 2012/13 Flourish year. I won’t be posting to this blog until I return, so look for new posts on May 8.
As I sign off for a few days, here’s a few quotes from a very funny comedian, Rita Rudner…

The word ‘aerobics’ came about when the gym instructors got together and said: If we’re going to charge $10 an hour, we can’t call it Jumping up and down.
They usually have two tellers in my local bank, except when it’s very busy, when they have one.
To attract men, I wear a perfume called “New Car Interior.”
We’ve begun to long for the pitter-patter of little feet – so we bought a dog. Well, it’s cheaper, and you get more feet.
When I eventually met Mr. Right I had no idea that his first name was Always.
My grandmother was a very tough woman. She buried three husbands and two of them were just napping.
My husband and I are either going to buy a dog or have a child. We can’t decide whether to ruin our carpet or ruin our lives.
I know I want to have children while my parents are still young enough to take care of them.
I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.
I love to shop after a bad relationship. I don’t know. I buy a new outfit and it makes me feel better. It just does. Sometimes I see a really great outfit, I’ll break up with someone on purpose.
I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They’ve experienced pain and bought jewelry.
I want to have children, but my friends scare me. One of my friends told me she was in labor for 36 hours. I don’t even want to do anything that feels good for 36 hours.
I was a vegetarian until I started leaning toward the sunlight.

It’s Almost Here!!

Jessica — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:00:02 +0000

The Flourish Women’s Retreat is almost here and I am so excited I can hardly sit still. When you read this, we are less that a week away from the big day.
This retreat will be a bit different from anything we’ve done before. There won’t be a lot of group activities, I’ll be speaking for a good bit of the time. There won’t be a craft for you to do unless I need to make a change at the last minute for some reason. We will have lots of singing and lots of time in Scripture.
We will also have a lot of guests. Many of you are bringing girlfriends, co-workers or family with you and we are so glad to have them!
If you attend the Chapel and are at the retreat, can I make one request of you? Let’s make every woman there feel welcomed and loved. I want everyone to leave there so happy they came. Not because the message was good, although I pray that they will find it beneficial. Not because the program was fun, although I hope everyone enjoys themselves. Not because the food was great, although we do have a nice spread for lunch. I want people to be glad they came because they felt at home, welcomed and cared for and because the power of God was evident in all we did and said.
And whether you are coming to the retreat or not, could you pray for us? Pray for Amy, Judy, Kaitlyn and I as we lead music, for me as I speak, for my assistant, Kim and for Jackie who are both speaking, for each lady on the ministry team who has a job to prepare this week. For everyone who is coming and for those still on the fence. (Yes!! We have tickets available still.) Pray for the weather and the details to come together. Pray that God will speak and that we will listen.

Come, Holy Spirit

Jessica — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:00:15 +0000

Pastor Scott is preaching on the Holy Spirit this weekend as we continue our look at The Apostles Creed. I’m looking forward to this sermon as I have studied a good bit about the Holy Spirit in the recent past. I’m convinced much of the confusion around the Spirits’ role and responsibilities, gift and promptings are orchestrated and feed by our enemy who wants every believer to live a powerless, weak life.
A great book on the Holy Spirit is Francis Chan’s The Forgotten God. I think he does an exceptional job of making the Spirit understandable and yet still manages to keep the mysterious parts. I find that books on the Holy Spirit are often too vague to be helpful, or they have an answer to every question in such a way that takes the supernatural our of the equation. It helps to know going in that there is much about God in all of his natures that we don’t understand and can’t grasp with our own wisdom.
Here’s a great prayer from Francis Chan about the Holy Spirit…
Spirit, we know that we have done wrong by You.
Please forgive us for grieving, resisting and quenching You.
We have resisted You through sin, through our rebellion, and through our hardness of heart.
At times we have been spiritually blind. At other times, we knew what You wanted us to do, but we chose to ignore your promptings.
Yet this is not how we want to live now. We need You to change us.
Only through You can we truly worship.
Spirit of the Lord, You are the one who brings us to a place where we can worship…. Come, Holy Spirit come.

[By the way, If you have a Kindle or Kindle reading app on your phone or laptop, Francis Chan’s The Forgotten God is only 2.24 in Kindle format on Amazon.com right now. Or if you are an Amazon prime member, you can read it for free.]