Well, 2011 is drawing to a close, 2012 is drawing nigh, and retailers are frantically and relentlessly drawing our attention to their end-of-year sales.
"EVERYTHING MUST GO!" they bellow. "DON'T MISS THIS END-OF-YEAR BLOWOUT! they plead. The deals might be great, but the only thing they can really guarantee to blow out is our wallets as they attempt to blow up their year-end sales records.
All year long, God's Holy Spirit has been nudging us to let go of people, places and things that have distracted or delayed us from reaching our goals. In some cases, God has even told us to give up the goal, itself, if it is not in line with His will. Setting your sights on someone else's spouse, for instance, is a goal that most certainly has to go.
The end of the year is a great time to assess what's excess or what's a necessity. Sometimes, however, it's hard for us to tell the difference, so we delay making a decision. Eventually, though, our piles of indecision catch up with us and demand our attention.
I encourage you to do whatever it takes to make time to declutter your physical, mental and spiritual space. Start small with the things you clearly know have to go, and then move on to the more questionable items.
Sometimes, the thought of letting go is harder than actually letting go. So, don't think too long, just pray and release whomever or whatever is keeping you from moving forward.
Inertia and indecision impair our insight and immobilize our initiative. But, once we simply get in motion, the forward momentum makes it easier to see what has to go and what we should not forego if we want to go far. So, go for it!
Allow God's Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you through your clearance process. Keep in mind, some of us are holding on tight to old things, but God wants us to prepare us for a new thing.
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, [and] rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19
What a blessing! God will "even make a way in the wilderness." That tells me that even the cluttered and wild conditions that some of us have found ourselves in are not too much for God to show us the way out!
Maybe physical, spiritual or emotional clutter is not your issue. Maybe you've been in a dry season and you're glad to see 2011 come to a close, but still find it hard to be hopeful about 2012.
Don't worry! God "will even make...rivers in the desert." That's right, your dry season must go! It is simply no match for God's living water. Good-bye irritation, Hello irrigation!
Don't dread your end of year clearance. Thank God for what He brought you through in 2011 and get excited about what's in store for 2012. Always remember that God can do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or imagine!
Have a Happy New Year and...
BNcouraged!
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 28, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Christmas presence vs. Christmas presents
Sometimes, I think we forget what Christmas is really about.
At the most basic level, it is the time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Scholars and historians may continue to debate about the exact date of Christ's birth, but the fact that the majority of the world has agreed to all celebrate together on the same day is a blessing in and of itself-- so December 25 is fine with me!
If we continue to explore the meaning of Christmas, we would find that Christmas is about God's love for us--"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son...."
If we continue going deeper, we would find that Christmas is about deliverance, for Jesus was born to model a sin-free life before us and to make a way for us to be delivered from sin.
If we go even deeper, we will find that there is so much depth to what Christmas is all about, and one of the most special things about Christmas is that it's about presence, not presents.
God desired and chose to be present with us--hence Jesus is known as Emmanuel, which means God with us. God was manifest to us through the person of Jesus Christ so that He could be physically present with us--to meet us where we were.
God sent us His Son. But if we understand that God is one being who exists in three "persons" (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), then we will realize that God didn't send someone else to see about us, He, himself, actually came to walk, talk and BE with us!
Since God took that first step to reach out to us and relate to us, the least we could do is respond accordingly. Instead, we use Christmas as a time to focus on what we can get--and that can range from presents, to food, to drugs, to alcohol and even sex.
Yes, some of us use the Christmas holiday as an excuse for excess and revelry. We party hearty, long and strong, and totally forget whose birthday we are supposed to be celebrating.
Some of us are probably even irritated that Christmas had the "nerve" to fall on a Sunday! What a way to mess up our holiday plans!
Hello?! What better day for Christmas to fall on! How appropriate that we would spend Christmas morning in the house of the One whom we are celebrating! That should make this Christmas one of the most special ones ever, because God is showing and reminding us that the holiday is not about presents, but about His loving presence.
Perhaps the fact that Christmas is on a Sunday this year means God is issuing a personal invitation to all of us to truly celebrate Him this December 25. We have all certainly seen more than enough worldwide and personal calamities this past year to bring us to our knees in worship and repentance. Maybe this is a more gentle way of getting us to the altar.
I encourage you to make sure you find your way to the Lord's house this Sunday for THE birthday party of the year. The presents under the tree can just wait a little longer on Christmas day, for the presence of the one who hung, bled and died on a tree is beckoning us all.
Answer the call and enjoy your Christmas presence!
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
At the most basic level, it is the time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Scholars and historians may continue to debate about the exact date of Christ's birth, but the fact that the majority of the world has agreed to all celebrate together on the same day is a blessing in and of itself-- so December 25 is fine with me!
If we continue to explore the meaning of Christmas, we would find that Christmas is about God's love for us--"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son...."
If we continue going deeper, we would find that Christmas is about deliverance, for Jesus was born to model a sin-free life before us and to make a way for us to be delivered from sin.
If we go even deeper, we will find that there is so much depth to what Christmas is all about, and one of the most special things about Christmas is that it's about presence, not presents.
God desired and chose to be present with us--hence Jesus is known as Emmanuel, which means God with us. God was manifest to us through the person of Jesus Christ so that He could be physically present with us--to meet us where we were.
God sent us His Son. But if we understand that God is one being who exists in three "persons" (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), then we will realize that God didn't send someone else to see about us, He, himself, actually came to walk, talk and BE with us!
Since God took that first step to reach out to us and relate to us, the least we could do is respond accordingly. Instead, we use Christmas as a time to focus on what we can get--and that can range from presents, to food, to drugs, to alcohol and even sex.
Yes, some of us use the Christmas holiday as an excuse for excess and revelry. We party hearty, long and strong, and totally forget whose birthday we are supposed to be celebrating.
Some of us are probably even irritated that Christmas had the "nerve" to fall on a Sunday! What a way to mess up our holiday plans!
Hello?! What better day for Christmas to fall on! How appropriate that we would spend Christmas morning in the house of the One whom we are celebrating! That should make this Christmas one of the most special ones ever, because God is showing and reminding us that the holiday is not about presents, but about His loving presence.
Perhaps the fact that Christmas is on a Sunday this year means God is issuing a personal invitation to all of us to truly celebrate Him this December 25. We have all certainly seen more than enough worldwide and personal calamities this past year to bring us to our knees in worship and repentance. Maybe this is a more gentle way of getting us to the altar.
I encourage you to make sure you find your way to the Lord's house this Sunday for THE birthday party of the year. The presents under the tree can just wait a little longer on Christmas day, for the presence of the one who hung, bled and died on a tree is beckoning us all.
Answer the call and enjoy your Christmas presence!
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
What's HIS story?
The one who writes history is the one who shapes history, for the pen is often mightier than the sword.
Too often, those who have written history have written out key people, places, and events. Sometimes certain elements have been left out inadvertently, but other times it has been quite deliberate.
Today, during a presentation at my church entitled, "A White Man's Journey into Biblical Black History," Joel Freeman, PhD shared about his journey into a key part of Biblical and world history that has been overlooked, and in some cases, deliberately covered over.
The audience appreciated his research and desire to push the dialogue regarding the minimilization of Black history and Black contributions. One participant, however, expressed concern about society's double standard that has created an environment whereby a White man might find more success sharing about Black history than a Black man would. Also, the participant addressed the underlying awkwardness some Blacks might feel in having to learn their own history from a White person.
Still, another participant openly shared about his pre-judgment of a couple of White persons he saw on the bus, whom he had no idea were on their way to Joel Freeman's seminar just as he was!
It was refreshing to be in a safe environment--the house of the Lord--where all of God's children could come together and share openly about a major blemish in our collective history.
Slavery, racism and prejudice have left lingering affects on all of God's children, and until we collectively lift those wounds to the light of Christ, we will never experience the unity God expects from us.
Those of us who are of African-American heritage must be committed to teaching our children about their entire history--as Judeo-Christian African-American people. To gloss over any part of that description is to deny the divine design that God chose for us.
We certainly should not rely on jaded history books or constrained educators to teach our children about their heritage. We have no right to be angry about what's missing from the history books when we understand that the title tells us exactly what we're going to get--his story.
We are responsible for telling our story--to future generations, and to the world. If we get busy telling our story, perhaps our young men would find less to be angry about and more to be proud about. Perhaps they would spend less time trying to kill the man in the mirror and allow the Great I AM to show them who truly they are.
If we would take our children on a very basic geography journey, perhaps they would learn that the people who came from Jesus' part of the world did not have blonde hair and blue eyes like those persons from in the Greco-Roman regions. With a little history lesson, our children might just be able to see Jesus as not Black or White, but as--Jesus.
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let's take time to truly reflect on all of what He was, all of what He became, and all of what He is to us. Let's open our hearts, minds, spirits and eyes beyond what we think we know His history to be and ask Him to reveal to us HIS story.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Too often, those who have written history have written out key people, places, and events. Sometimes certain elements have been left out inadvertently, but other times it has been quite deliberate.
Today, during a presentation at my church entitled, "A White Man's Journey into Biblical Black History," Joel Freeman, PhD shared about his journey into a key part of Biblical and world history that has been overlooked, and in some cases, deliberately covered over.
The audience appreciated his research and desire to push the dialogue regarding the minimilization of Black history and Black contributions. One participant, however, expressed concern about society's double standard that has created an environment whereby a White man might find more success sharing about Black history than a Black man would. Also, the participant addressed the underlying awkwardness some Blacks might feel in having to learn their own history from a White person.
Still, another participant openly shared about his pre-judgment of a couple of White persons he saw on the bus, whom he had no idea were on their way to Joel Freeman's seminar just as he was!
It was refreshing to be in a safe environment--the house of the Lord--where all of God's children could come together and share openly about a major blemish in our collective history.
Slavery, racism and prejudice have left lingering affects on all of God's children, and until we collectively lift those wounds to the light of Christ, we will never experience the unity God expects from us.
Those of us who are of African-American heritage must be committed to teaching our children about their entire history--as Judeo-Christian African-American people. To gloss over any part of that description is to deny the divine design that God chose for us.
We certainly should not rely on jaded history books or constrained educators to teach our children about their heritage. We have no right to be angry about what's missing from the history books when we understand that the title tells us exactly what we're going to get--his story.
We are responsible for telling our story--to future generations, and to the world. If we get busy telling our story, perhaps our young men would find less to be angry about and more to be proud about. Perhaps they would spend less time trying to kill the man in the mirror and allow the Great I AM to show them who truly they are.
If we would take our children on a very basic geography journey, perhaps they would learn that the people who came from Jesus' part of the world did not have blonde hair and blue eyes like those persons from in the Greco-Roman regions. With a little history lesson, our children might just be able to see Jesus as not Black or White, but as--Jesus.
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let's take time to truly reflect on all of what He was, all of what He became, and all of what He is to us. Let's open our hearts, minds, spirits and eyes beyond what we think we know His history to be and ask Him to reveal to us HIS story.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Who Knew?
"Mary did you know
that your baby boy
would one day walk on water?
Mary did you know
that your baby boy
would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your baby boy
was Heaven's perfect lamb?
And the sleeping child you're holding
is the Great I AM?"
Mark Lowry and Buddy Green
I loved that song from the first moment I heard it. The melody and words are so rich, and the ultimate question it raises is so profound that it is much more than a Christmas song. It is a soul-searching anthem that should challenge each of us to take inventory of those around us and look beyond their outward appearance and peer into the divine possibilities that lie within.
God is always up to something and that something is ALWAYS good. Does that "something" always feel good? No. Does it always look good. Not from what I can see. Does it even always sound good? A resounding "No!" But if we truly trust God, then we will hold on to the fact that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.
If we would take time to reflect on our own lives, who knew that we would be in some of the leadership positions we are in today? Who knew some of us would willingly be in church every Sunday and all throughout the week to learn, grow and serve? Who knew that some of us would even be in church, period!
Who knew that some of the things and people we swore we could not live without are now no more than distant memories? Who knew that we would be so transformed by God's Holy Spirit that the things that used to make us fly off the handle now just roll off our backs?
This Christmas, as we think of God's awesome gift to us in the form of Jesus Christ, let's also ask God to give us eyes and hearts to see the gift of those persons close to us that we may take for granted.
Let's ask God to help us be more patient with our children when they ask or do the same thing again, again and AGAIN....Perhaps we might see in them a researcher who will discover the cure for cancer because they refuse to stop at one or two research trials and keep searching again, again and again.
Let's ask God to help us be more understanding of our loved ones' peculiarities, recognizing that all of our days are numbered, and one day we will actually miss those little quirks.
Let's ask God to help us slow down long enough to hear His voice clearly as He tells us about His incredible plans for us and our loved ones.
Mary may not have been able to fully grasp the depth of what was in store for her baby boy, but she had been told enough to recognize that God was up to something big.
And, if we let God have His way in our lives, we will strive to help one another accomplish great things for the kingdom--things so incredible, so unexpected, so unbelieveable that people will stand in awe and say, "Who Knew?!"
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
that your baby boy
would one day walk on water?
Mary did you know
that your baby boy
would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your baby boy
was Heaven's perfect lamb?
And the sleeping child you're holding
is the Great I AM?"
Mark Lowry and Buddy Green
I loved that song from the first moment I heard it. The melody and words are so rich, and the ultimate question it raises is so profound that it is much more than a Christmas song. It is a soul-searching anthem that should challenge each of us to take inventory of those around us and look beyond their outward appearance and peer into the divine possibilities that lie within.
God is always up to something and that something is ALWAYS good. Does that "something" always feel good? No. Does it always look good. Not from what I can see. Does it even always sound good? A resounding "No!" But if we truly trust God, then we will hold on to the fact that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.
If we would take time to reflect on our own lives, who knew that we would be in some of the leadership positions we are in today? Who knew some of us would willingly be in church every Sunday and all throughout the week to learn, grow and serve? Who knew that some of us would even be in church, period!
Who knew that some of the things and people we swore we could not live without are now no more than distant memories? Who knew that we would be so transformed by God's Holy Spirit that the things that used to make us fly off the handle now just roll off our backs?
This Christmas, as we think of God's awesome gift to us in the form of Jesus Christ, let's also ask God to give us eyes and hearts to see the gift of those persons close to us that we may take for granted.
Let's ask God to help us be more patient with our children when they ask or do the same thing again, again and AGAIN....Perhaps we might see in them a researcher who will discover the cure for cancer because they refuse to stop at one or two research trials and keep searching again, again and again.
Let's ask God to help us be more understanding of our loved ones' peculiarities, recognizing that all of our days are numbered, and one day we will actually miss those little quirks.
Let's ask God to help us slow down long enough to hear His voice clearly as He tells us about His incredible plans for us and our loved ones.
Mary may not have been able to fully grasp the depth of what was in store for her baby boy, but she had been told enough to recognize that God was up to something big.
And, if we let God have His way in our lives, we will strive to help one another accomplish great things for the kingdom--things so incredible, so unexpected, so unbelieveable that people will stand in awe and say, "Who Knew?!"
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
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