Well, here we are preparing to say goodbye to another year and hello to a new one. One of the most popular rituals observed during this time of transition from one year to the next is the development of new year's resolutions.
Typically we resolve to do things like lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, and give up bad habits. And, typically, we gain weight, exercise sporadically, eat healthier on occasion, and hold on to our bad habits like dear old friends or Siamese twins.
This year, at the dawning of a new decade, let's drop the old way of preparing for the new--especially if it hasn't been working so well. You might, however, be better than the average person and are able to make resolutions and stick to them. But, either way, regardless of our previous failures or successes with resolutions, let's try to develop deeper goals that extend beyond an annual checklist.
Instead of resolving to quit smoking, resolve to discover and explore the broader issues behind the smoking-- for example, stress. Ask God to reveal the sources of stress and show His plan for overcoming them.
A single person might resolve to get married in the new year. Perhaps a better resolution would be to allow God to prepare one's heart, mind and finances for holy matrimony--which is a lifelong commitment--instead of focusing on a one-day ceremony.
Perhaps we have resolved to be more patient. In order to achieve that goal, we must first allow God to uncover the source of our impatience--fear, pride, control, etc.
God's Holy Spirit will always lead us and guide us into all truth. Perhaps this year, instead of a laundry list of lofty goals, why don't we simply ask God, "Show me the truth--of who I am and who I am not." Be prepared for what you will see. No matter how good we think we are, when we see ourselves as God sees us, it will not all be so pretty. The good news is that God still loves us just as we are, unconditionally, warts and all.
Even more good news is that, not only does the Holy Spirit lead us and guide us into all truth, the Holy Spirit is also our comforter and guide. So, once the light of God's truth reveals to us who we really are, we have a helper to walk alongside us and help us through the process of transformation into that which we were destined to be. We don't have to rely on our own strength. Praise the Lord!
Happy New You!
Rev. Karen
A weekly posting of encouraging and challenging thoughts about life from Rev. Karen W. Curry, a pastor's wife and mother of two who is also --in her "spare time"-- a dynamic preacher, teacher, motivational speaker, facilitator, writer, reviewer, poet, MC, liturgical dance/drama consultant and storyteller. Contact Rev. Karen at BNcouraged247@msn.com to speak at your next service or retreat.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Christ Mas means More Christ
Have you ever noticed that the word Christmas contains two words, Christ and mas? We know the basics about who and what Christ is, but what about the rest of the word? Interestingly, in Spanish, the word "mas" means "more."
With "more" information about the word, Christmas, your wheels are probably already turning and churning visions of "more Christ." However, if we truly want to see more of Christ and be more of Christ, we have to focus on Him more than once a year on December 25. In fact, there are some who even argue that December 25 might not be the actual birthdate of Jesus Christ. Regardless of what day Jesus was born, it's remarkable that Christians worldwide have all agreed to observe His birth on the same day. To get any small group to agree on one item is remarkable, but to have worldwide agreement is miraculous, making December 25 a special day regardless of any question of historical accuracy!
The holiday cheer that we have this time of year, the "seasons greetings" of "peace on earth and good will toward men", the spirit of giving, all of these should be a way of life, not limited edition holiday specials that we readily exchange after the new year like so many unwanted presents.
With the economy in its' current condition, many people are not in a position to maintain the level of gift giving they have grown accustomed to. That makes this Christmas a perfect opportunity to give "more" Christ. How do we do that? One way is to simply give less of the things we know are not of Christ-- less arguing and complaining, less selfish thinking, less faultfinding, less impatience. Ask the Lord to help you identify even more "lesses" because less can truly be more!
Today, on this Christmas Eve eve, why not begin reflecting on Jesus' birth and what God has been preparing to birth in you. Perhaps there are some things (or people) you need to leave behind so you can have less of what you got caught up in along the way and more of what God knows you need to have to walk in The Way, The truth and The Life. Maybe the best gift you can give this year is a renewed you.
Have a merry Christmas and BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
With "more" information about the word, Christmas, your wheels are probably already turning and churning visions of "more Christ." However, if we truly want to see more of Christ and be more of Christ, we have to focus on Him more than once a year on December 25. In fact, there are some who even argue that December 25 might not be the actual birthdate of Jesus Christ. Regardless of what day Jesus was born, it's remarkable that Christians worldwide have all agreed to observe His birth on the same day. To get any small group to agree on one item is remarkable, but to have worldwide agreement is miraculous, making December 25 a special day regardless of any question of historical accuracy!
The holiday cheer that we have this time of year, the "seasons greetings" of "peace on earth and good will toward men", the spirit of giving, all of these should be a way of life, not limited edition holiday specials that we readily exchange after the new year like so many unwanted presents.
With the economy in its' current condition, many people are not in a position to maintain the level of gift giving they have grown accustomed to. That makes this Christmas a perfect opportunity to give "more" Christ. How do we do that? One way is to simply give less of the things we know are not of Christ-- less arguing and complaining, less selfish thinking, less faultfinding, less impatience. Ask the Lord to help you identify even more "lesses" because less can truly be more!
Today, on this Christmas Eve eve, why not begin reflecting on Jesus' birth and what God has been preparing to birth in you. Perhaps there are some things (or people) you need to leave behind so you can have less of what you got caught up in along the way and more of what God knows you need to have to walk in The Way, The truth and The Life. Maybe the best gift you can give this year is a renewed you.
Have a merry Christmas and BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
What You Turn To is What You Turn INto
What do you turn to for strength? Whatever (or whomever) you repeatedly turn to, especially at your weakest moments, is what you eventually turn into.
For example, people who rely on alchohol to numb their emotional pain or give them a sense of "courage" can become alcoholics; likewise those who turn to drugs can become drug addicts; those who espouse "sexual healing" as a routine method of escape or look to it to build their self-worth can become sex addicts; those who turn to violence to release their pain, frustration or fears can become abusers; those who bury themselves in work can turn into workaholics.
The list goes on and on because there is no shortage of things available for us to turn to as a means of handling this rollercoaster called life. The only problem is, none of the things on the list above, including others that could have been added, ever provide a permanent solution or truly set us free from whatever ails us. In fact, often, just the opposite occurs. Some of the things we turn to for freedom or release actually end up putting us more into bondage and further away from freedom than when we started. We simply trade one set of chains for another.
So, what are we to do? Well, remember the saying, "you are what you eat"? If we want to be healthy, we have to eat healthy. As Christians, if we truly want to be able to withstand the trials, tribulations and temptations of this life, God tells us to look to Jesus Christ ("I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," Phillippians 4:13). After all, we are called Christians because we aim to look like Christ. The more we lean on Christ, the more Christ-like we become.
In John 15:4, Jesus tells us to "remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." What's on your vine? Whatever is on your vine gets into your veins.
When a drug gets into the body, it works its way through to the brain and affects how information and situations are processed. God's Word works the same way. When we meditate on God's Word, it gets into the brain and the heart and it begins to affect how we view and respond to situations.
What did Jesus Christ do in times of anguish and trouble? He talked to God. He trusted God. He waited on God. He was obedient to God. He stood on the Word of God. Following this example means that we may not always have a quick fix and that sometimes the fix might be painful for a while. But, if we want to do more than just exchange chains, we'll finally stop leaning on our own understanding and in all our ways acknowledge Him so He can direct our paths.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
For example, people who rely on alchohol to numb their emotional pain or give them a sense of "courage" can become alcoholics; likewise those who turn to drugs can become drug addicts; those who espouse "sexual healing" as a routine method of escape or look to it to build their self-worth can become sex addicts; those who turn to violence to release their pain, frustration or fears can become abusers; those who bury themselves in work can turn into workaholics.
The list goes on and on because there is no shortage of things available for us to turn to as a means of handling this rollercoaster called life. The only problem is, none of the things on the list above, including others that could have been added, ever provide a permanent solution or truly set us free from whatever ails us. In fact, often, just the opposite occurs. Some of the things we turn to for freedom or release actually end up putting us more into bondage and further away from freedom than when we started. We simply trade one set of chains for another.
So, what are we to do? Well, remember the saying, "you are what you eat"? If we want to be healthy, we have to eat healthy. As Christians, if we truly want to be able to withstand the trials, tribulations and temptations of this life, God tells us to look to Jesus Christ ("I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," Phillippians 4:13). After all, we are called Christians because we aim to look like Christ. The more we lean on Christ, the more Christ-like we become.
In John 15:4, Jesus tells us to "remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." What's on your vine? Whatever is on your vine gets into your veins.
When a drug gets into the body, it works its way through to the brain and affects how information and situations are processed. God's Word works the same way. When we meditate on God's Word, it gets into the brain and the heart and it begins to affect how we view and respond to situations.
What did Jesus Christ do in times of anguish and trouble? He talked to God. He trusted God. He waited on God. He was obedient to God. He stood on the Word of God. Following this example means that we may not always have a quick fix and that sometimes the fix might be painful for a while. But, if we want to do more than just exchange chains, we'll finally stop leaning on our own understanding and in all our ways acknowledge Him so He can direct our paths.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Lord, Give Me Patience--Right Now!
What irony -- "Lord, Give Me Patience--Right Now!" We know there are situations that require us to wait on the Lord and be of good courage. But, we want the wait to be as short as possible so we can get on with our regularly scheduled program already in progress.
"Good things come to those who wait." True, but easier said than done, isn't it? Remember when we were kids and "couldn't wait" for Christmas to come? Regardless of how anxious we were, we didn't speed up Christmas' coming one bit. In fact, counting down the days to Christmas actually made the wait seem longer at times. Even though we thought we absolutely "could not wait," wait is what we did. And, at the end of the waiting, we, indeed received good things.
So, why didn't we learn our lesson about patience then? We waited and endured, sometimes even waited up all night long waiting for "Santa Claus" to come, and even though we never saw him, we saw the evidence of his presence in our presents. And, we had no problem doing the same thing again year after year. Now, if we run into a rough spot with a family member or spouse, we are ready to throw in the towel because we don't have the patience or endurance to wait out the storm, forgetting that the sunshine and a rainbow are never far behind.
Sometimes, when it comes to us waiting on God for answered prayers (to get married, get promoted, etc.) I wonder who is waiting on whom? Are we waiting on God, or is He waiting on us?
Romans 2:4 in the New Living Translation states, "Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin?" Hebrews 10:36 goes on to say, "Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."
Sometimes the waiting period is God's plan to allow us to get rid of bad habits and bad thinking that will only cause us to destroy the blessing if we received it too soon. Don't artificially speed up the process due to your impatience and end up with something half-baked.
Waiting involves trust--trusting that God is in full control and never slumbers nor sleeps. Waiting is also equated with serving (at a restaurant the person who serves the food is called a waiter). During the time between your request and your answer, serve the Lord. Don't try to negotiate a deal whereby you will serve God after you get what you want as a way of thanks. Show your appreciation and confidence in God by serving even when there is no trace of what you've been waiting for. Once you get caught up in God, delighting yourself in Him, He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4) and before you know it, God will move you from "some day..." to "right now!" But be careful. Remember God can do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask, think or imagine...(Ephesians 3:20)
In other words, when the wait is over, God is going to blow your mind!
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
"Good things come to those who wait." True, but easier said than done, isn't it? Remember when we were kids and "couldn't wait" for Christmas to come? Regardless of how anxious we were, we didn't speed up Christmas' coming one bit. In fact, counting down the days to Christmas actually made the wait seem longer at times. Even though we thought we absolutely "could not wait," wait is what we did. And, at the end of the waiting, we, indeed received good things.
So, why didn't we learn our lesson about patience then? We waited and endured, sometimes even waited up all night long waiting for "Santa Claus" to come, and even though we never saw him, we saw the evidence of his presence in our presents. And, we had no problem doing the same thing again year after year. Now, if we run into a rough spot with a family member or spouse, we are ready to throw in the towel because we don't have the patience or endurance to wait out the storm, forgetting that the sunshine and a rainbow are never far behind.
Sometimes, when it comes to us waiting on God for answered prayers (to get married, get promoted, etc.) I wonder who is waiting on whom? Are we waiting on God, or is He waiting on us?
Romans 2:4 in the New Living Translation states, "Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin?" Hebrews 10:36 goes on to say, "Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."
Sometimes the waiting period is God's plan to allow us to get rid of bad habits and bad thinking that will only cause us to destroy the blessing if we received it too soon. Don't artificially speed up the process due to your impatience and end up with something half-baked.
Waiting involves trust--trusting that God is in full control and never slumbers nor sleeps. Waiting is also equated with serving (at a restaurant the person who serves the food is called a waiter). During the time between your request and your answer, serve the Lord. Don't try to negotiate a deal whereby you will serve God after you get what you want as a way of thanks. Show your appreciation and confidence in God by serving even when there is no trace of what you've been waiting for. Once you get caught up in God, delighting yourself in Him, He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4) and before you know it, God will move you from "some day..." to "right now!" But be careful. Remember God can do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask, think or imagine...(Ephesians 3:20)
In other words, when the wait is over, God is going to blow your mind!
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Free to Be...
Whom the Son sets free is free, indeed (John 8:36). Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).
These two scriptures speak to my ongoing pursuit of freedom--not necessarily a freedom from something, but more like a freedom to something. I've been riding this freedom train for many years, never quite sure where it was headed, only knowing that I was supposed to get on board.
Ultimately, through prayer and the support of my wonderful pastor/husband, I have come to understand that the freedom I desire is the freedom to be. The majority of my life is spent doing, but deep inside me is a yearning to have more time for being. Unfortunately, this treadmill we call life is naturally contrary to being and is fully centered on doing. "How are you doing?" we often ask one another. "What do you do for a living?" we inquire.
I remember spending summers down south with my grandmother who always made sure we had plenty to do. I realized that, in her mind, not constantly doing something was equated with laziness. But, I thought the whole point of being sent down to "the country" for the summer was to experience the beauty of the outdoors--walking along dusty country trails to visit relatives "up the road a piece," gazing at the star-studded pitch-black midnight sky unblemished by the glare of city lights, and marvelling at lightning bugs gliding through the air in a twinkling ballet.
I thought visits to grandma's house was all about gently swaying on a creaky wooden swing and waving at the cars and trucks passing by, making friends with the farm animals (and refusing to eat them when they became dinner), and going to the "country store" for the best ice cream known to mankind.
The fact that I can remember those details so vividly is a hint that, in spite of all the doing I was charged with during the summer, I still found ways to slip in being. While the chores were good for bolstering a sound work ethic, the moments of being are what strengthened my relationship with God and my "joie de vivre," or joy of living. When I walked along those dusty trails that my ancestors feet wore into existence, when I oohed and awed at the lightning bugs and the midnight sky, when I waved hello to everyone who drove by whether I knew them or not, I was experiencing God's presence and taking in glimpses of the wonderful tapestry of life that unites God's creation in ways that could only be appreciated by being in the moment.
Each day, in the midst of all my doing, I now look forward to being. I no longer ask the question, "What I am placed here to do," but instead I ask God, "Who am I?" That's a much more fitting question considering that I'm created in the image of the great I AM.
Once I fully come into the realization and actualization of all that I am in God, the doing will flow more naturally and effectively and I will finally be free to BE. Until then, I will enjoy the ride as the freedom train winds its way through life. Anyone else want to get on board?
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
These two scriptures speak to my ongoing pursuit of freedom--not necessarily a freedom from something, but more like a freedom to something. I've been riding this freedom train for many years, never quite sure where it was headed, only knowing that I was supposed to get on board.
Ultimately, through prayer and the support of my wonderful pastor/husband, I have come to understand that the freedom I desire is the freedom to be. The majority of my life is spent doing, but deep inside me is a yearning to have more time for being. Unfortunately, this treadmill we call life is naturally contrary to being and is fully centered on doing. "How are you doing?" we often ask one another. "What do you do for a living?" we inquire.
I remember spending summers down south with my grandmother who always made sure we had plenty to do. I realized that, in her mind, not constantly doing something was equated with laziness. But, I thought the whole point of being sent down to "the country" for the summer was to experience the beauty of the outdoors--walking along dusty country trails to visit relatives "up the road a piece," gazing at the star-studded pitch-black midnight sky unblemished by the glare of city lights, and marvelling at lightning bugs gliding through the air in a twinkling ballet.
I thought visits to grandma's house was all about gently swaying on a creaky wooden swing and waving at the cars and trucks passing by, making friends with the farm animals (and refusing to eat them when they became dinner), and going to the "country store" for the best ice cream known to mankind.
The fact that I can remember those details so vividly is a hint that, in spite of all the doing I was charged with during the summer, I still found ways to slip in being. While the chores were good for bolstering a sound work ethic, the moments of being are what strengthened my relationship with God and my "joie de vivre," or joy of living. When I walked along those dusty trails that my ancestors feet wore into existence, when I oohed and awed at the lightning bugs and the midnight sky, when I waved hello to everyone who drove by whether I knew them or not, I was experiencing God's presence and taking in glimpses of the wonderful tapestry of life that unites God's creation in ways that could only be appreciated by being in the moment.
Each day, in the midst of all my doing, I now look forward to being. I no longer ask the question, "What I am placed here to do," but instead I ask God, "Who am I?" That's a much more fitting question considering that I'm created in the image of the great I AM.
Once I fully come into the realization and actualization of all that I am in God, the doing will flow more naturally and effectively and I will finally be free to BE. Until then, I will enjoy the ride as the freedom train winds its way through life. Anyone else want to get on board?
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
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