There is an old saying that states “actions speak louder than words”. We have all heard it but to we really all believe it? More importantly do we live our lives in a way that our actions speak the message of Christ? This is something I have felt challenged over during the past year. It is something that God has really been teaching me and dealing with in me. Our biggest witness is our day to day lives and how we deal with others during the more mundane parts of our day. It’s the attitude we have with the lady checking us out at the gas station, how we handle when we get cut off on the highway, and how we treat people who aren’t in our “social circles”.

 

Many of the teachings of Jesus revolved around the hypocrisy of simply saying religious things and not following through to do them. As a matter of fact, the very religious people of the day, the Pharisees, were even referred to as both a brood of vipers and as white-washed tombs by Jesus himself. The thing I love about Jesus the older I get and the more I read his teachings, is that He was not afraid to call it as it was. He never shied away from pointing out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. However, he was also quick to extend grace to those who desperately needed it. As I have been thinking through all that God has been dealing with within me, I have seen times where I have been extended great grace, as well as times that hypocrisy has been shown within me. As I walk through the four areas that I have found actions speaking louder than words, I hope that you will take a moment to pause and honestly reflect on your own actions. I know that for me, as I reflected, and continue to reflect, I see some areas where I have had success, as well as areas that I still need lots of work.

In order to more easily remember the four areas I will be using the acronym ACTS.

A- Acceptance of others

Growing up, I was probably one of the most judgemental people that you would meet. Now, mind you, you likely wouldn’t realize that I was that way, however, I judged people based on everything imaginable; what they wore, what music they liked, where they lived, even which church they went to. Jesus adamantly spoke against this kind of attitude. This couldn’t be more clearly stated than it is in Matthew 7:1-2. I especially love the Amplified version of this verse:

7 “Do not judge and criticize and condemn [others unfairly with an attitude of self-righteous superiority as though assuming the office of a judge], so that you will not be judged [unfairly]. 2 For just as you[hypocritically] judge others [when you are sinful and unrepentant], so will you be judged; and in accordance with your standard of measure[used to pass out judgment], judgment will be measured to you.

What a terrifying thought. As harshly we pass judgement on others, we will be judged in the same manner.  Jesus never judged the people he came in contact with. I think specifically about the woman caught in the act of adultery in John 8. She was caught red-handed. However, rather than condemning her Jesus extended a hand of grace. Now, he never excused the sin, after all he told her to go and sin no more, but he did give a loving hand of grace.

C- Compassion for others

Jesus tells a parable that so many of us are familiar with that we call the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In this parable a man is robbed, beaten, and left for dead on the side of the road. Time after time, “religious” men pass him by without as much as a glance of compassion. Finally a Samaritan man, who would have been considered an outcast in that day, had compassion on the man and helped him.

I have heard it said that the church is the only institution on earth that shoots it’s wounded. We are often quickest to pass judgement on each other. However, when we fall, the church (which is all of us who are followers of Christ) should be the first place to forgive and rehabilitate. Churches have lost members over internal fighting, hypocrisy, and wounds. We should be making allowances for the shortcoming of others, rather than running away from each other the moment we feel offended.

We also need to be careful how we treat others when we are the one who is hurt. Do we lash out when someone hurts us? Are we quick to get defensive and rude when things don’t go our way? Do we chew out or treat rudely the teenage kid that is serving us at a fast food restaurant because he got our order wrong? Do we gossip about our boss at work because he or she doesn’t listen to every bit of advice we give them? Jesus teaches us to do the opposite. He states in Matthew 5:38-48:

38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. 40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

T- Togetherness with others (especially those not like us)

This is a challenging one for many of us, myself included. We like the comfort of being like people who live in a similar way, have the same hobbies, and believe like we do. We form friendships around that concept, and raise our children to not hang around kids we don’t feel comfortable with. We often isolate ourselves from people who don’t act or think like we do. We look for schools for our children and shop for houses based on that criteria.

My judgemental upbringing often makes this an area of challenge for me even to this day. However, I think back about 9 years to the first time I had actually met a refugee. I was teaching summer school the year before I officially started as a teacher. I was teaching kids 1st-5th grade from Burma who knew little to no English. My assistant was also a former refugee from Burma. That experience was so eye-opening to me. Those kids were so sweet and my assistant would tell me stories of his home country that were unimaginable. My heart broke for the refugees. It had been so easy for me to pass judgement over them when I had never met one. However, when I got into the trenches my heart was softened for those people. My time working with those kids taught me a little about the heart of Jesus.

Jesus did the same thing. He didn’t hang out only in the temples and avoid the trenches. No, he jumped head first into those trenches and did life with the people that most religious leaders avoided. Everyone from prostitutes to tax collectors to lepers. No one was unwelcome when Christ was around. Do we present ourselves that way?

S – Service toward others

This may be one of the most important things that Jesus showed us during his time on earth. The king of the world chose to humbly serve his disciples by washing their feet. He served his followers by time and time again feeding the multitudes. He served the sick and hurting by healing them. Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” This verse always challenges me because I want to follow without the denying and especially without the taking up a cross thing. I want to be a follower of Christ without the whole sacrifice thing. That isn’t what Jesus calls us to do though.

Whenever missionaries come around I am always challenged. They often start out having had a perfectly fine “American Dream” type of life. Yet, for the cause of Christ, they turned their life upside down to serve Him. I don’t by any means think that everyone is called to do that. However, maybe we should make a bigger effort to serve the people God has placed in our lives. Maybe that means volunteering somewhere or perhaps it means simply serving the person at work who you really don’t like. We have all been placed in our own mission fields for such a time as this.

Final Thoughts

Our actions really do speak loudly. Whether you are standing in line at the grocery store, driving down the highway, or standing behind a pulpit, we are all preaching a sermon, whether we realize it or not. The way we handle ourselves during adversity speaks loudly. How we treat others outside the four walls of a church building means so much more than we even realize. My prayer is that as we all grow in our faith, our walk would also mature. I want people to know that I am a Christian without a word.

D.L. Moody said it perfectly when he wrote in his Bible. “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do, and what I ought to do, by the grace of God I will do.”

 

It is so incredibly easy to get discouraged. When bad things happen we often lose sleep. Thoughts of whatever is going wrong, or might potentially go wrong, in our lives are in our minds day and night. We devote hours, days, months, or even years to the negative things in our lives.

Do we do the same thing with the positive parts of our life?

When something good happens in our lives, do we devote as much time, energy, and mental space to them as we do the negativity? I know I don’t. I spend way too much time thinking and worrying about the future, or regretting the past. I often forget to celebrate the present.

However, that is not at all how Jesus lived. It seems like he was constantly celebrating something. He broke bread and feasted everywhere he went. What I love even more is that so many of the parables that Jesus told ended with a party. For instance, when Jesus told the parable of the prodigal son (see Luke 15) the father (God) does not focus on all of the mistakes of the son, instead he simply celebrates the fact that his son is home and throws a blow-out party. The same is true in other parables (the lost coin and the lost sheep).

As legalistic as we like to get as Christians, Jesus was absolutely the opposite. He was not condemning of the mistakes of his followers, although he also didn’t condone their actions. What he did do though, was celebrate. He called down a tax collector from a tree (Zacchaeus, see Luke 19) and feasted at his house. He never said a word about Zaccheaus’ crooked business dealings, all he did was celebrate and love him exactly where he was. But, that unconditional love was enough to change Zaccheaus.

I think we would do well to be more like Jesus, even in the way we celebrate. We don’t have to wait until a holiday, birthday, or major event to celebrate. How about having a little more excitement for the little things. When you get that promotion at work, have a party. When your kid learns something new, go out for ice cream. When your coworker has something awesome happen don’t just pat them on the back and go on about your day, throw them a surprise party or take them to lunch. On a random Tuesday, do something to celebrate being alive for another day. We all need to celebrate more.

July 23 is my birthday. My goal this year is to do just that. I want to celebrate not only the big things, but also the small things in life. I don’t want to look past what amazing thing is happening today because I am too busy regretting the past or fretting about the future. I want to be more attentive to what is going on in the lives of others around me, and I want to have more feasts and get togethers like Jesus did. I don’t want to spend life living in the “someday”. Rather, I want to live in today.

May year 33 be the best one yet!!!

Disclaimer: I absolutely love my children and love the life the the good Lord has given me. I am only writing this because I am tired of everyone (including myself) expecting moms to always be perfect. I am also tired of the comparison culture that we now live in.

Flashback to about 10 years ago. My husband and I had been married just a little over a year. We still had that newlywed smell running through our house on occasion. We both had good jobs and freedom to do whatever we wanted. We also had a grand total of zero kids. 10 years ago, Facebook was around, but really more of something you might check once a week or less. Pinterest was barely getting started and so many of the social media staples of today had not even been thought of yet. At that point of my life I sure thought I knew a lot. I remember getting rather irritated when I was at a restaurant next to misbehaving children. I would often lean over and tell my husband how if that was my kid they wouldn’t act like that.

Famous last words….

Here we are in the present day. I now have 3 children age 6 and under. Oh boy, I can’t even to begin to tell you how absolutely wrong I was. I want to personally apologize to every mom that I ever passed judgement on. Kids are tough, especially more than one. Let me tell ya, what works with the first child is pretty much guaranteed to not work with child number 2, and even if it works with the 2nd, it definitely won’t work with the 3rd. Just when you think you have something figured out with the parenting thing, something else will always arise.

Today I failed as a mom. I just want to be completely real, no false perfection about it. I did not do such a hot job as a mother today. Don’t get me wrong, just like all you other imperfect moms, I had good intentions starting out. However, by about 2 pm I started to crumble as quickly as my day. Three young kids is not an easy task, especially considering that all 3 of mine are girls (yes, lots of emotions rolling in this house). I started off the day trying to be creative. I would love to be able to take a walk alone in the morning, but that is absolutely impossible at this stage, so, I loaded up the girls in the stroller and told them we were going on an adventure. I even made a list of things they should look for (1 rabbit, 2 bugs, 3 pretty rocks, etc.) to make it a little more fun. I was pretty proud of myself and thought it would be a great idea.  It was…for about 10 minutes. That’s when the whining started and didn’t stop until well after we returned to the house (about 30 minutes later). I tried to take it in stride, didn’t get too angry and proceeded to make lunch.

As the day went on my optimism quickly started to fade as I cleaned the same messes, washes the same dishes, and did the same loads of laundry I had every day this summer, only to have all my work undone less than 5 minutes later. One of the hardest things about being a mom to young children is the non-stop neediness. Whether it is needing another snack, breaking up a fight, or even dealing with hurt feelings, there is always something that will derail your plans as well as any progress you might have made.  My house is almost always a disaster area and I can’t keep enough juices and snacks around at this point.  This continued throughout the day until I finally lost it with my girls. I have to be honest, this is definitely not the first time I have absolutely lost my cool, and I am sure it won’t be the last. When you are needed all day long every day and when you can rarely even use the bathroom without someone needing you, it is bound to catch up with you.

So, I am not here to proclaim my perfection, however, I would like to encourage other mommas in my same position. Don’t fake perfection. Let’s just get real about how difficult being a momma is! Let’s stop judging each other, and start encouraging each other. We are all in the trenches together.  All kids are occasionally bratty and it’s ok. They will grow up and I hear if we keep steering them in the right direction and cover them in tons of prayer that they will grow up one of these days. I also hear that we will miss these days. So, let’s try to enjoy some of it. It’s hard for me on those days when all I see is the mess. Lord, help us to see the beauty!!! Tomorrow is another day, and I pray that I will be more patient, understanding, and loving toward my girls.

I leave you with this reminder of God’s grace and love for us:

 

 

When it comes to influential men and women of the Bible, a handful of names typically come to mind: David, Moses, Abraham, Mary, Jesus (of course), and Paul. Without Paul, nearly a third of the Bible as we know it would not exist. His conversion was an incredible moment for followers of what, at the time, was referred to as The Way.

Paul, Apostle of Christ, focuses on the end of Paul’s journey. The movie is set primarily in the Roman prison where the Apostle Paul was awaiting his death sentence given by the Emperor Nero. This movie has a unique way of telling Paul’s story. Luke, a physician and Greek turned follower of Christ, has come to see Paul in prison and is determined to write a book documenting the beginning of what we call the church. In the process Paul recalls many things from his past, including his conversion.

This is a very well made movie and has a creative storytelling methodology. One thing I loved was how much they showed the humanity of Paul, including his internal struggles. So often, we can tend to think of many of the characters in the Bible as being larger than life, we forget they were human too. They also do an amazing job of showing the persecution of Christians in Rome at that time.

The only thing that I wish I would have seen more of is the middle parts of Paul’s journey. The movie focuses mostly on the beginning (his conversion on the road to Damascus) and end (his time in prison and execution).  However, there is little said about his many mission trips.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in Paul’s journey. If you are like me, you will probably find yourself grabbing your Bible and re-reading some of the many stories of Paul once the movie ends.

There are 5 copies of the movie (your choice of Blu-ray or DVD) up for grabs! Enter for your chance to win here.

 

All throughout Scripture, there are men and women who had their lives turned upside down by God. In the Old Testament, men like Abraham and Moses left the comfort of what they knew, for the promise of what God had for them. Rahab risked her life to help men she didn’t even know, all because of the God they served. In the New Testament, most of the disciples walked away from careers and family to follow Jesus. Paul (formerly Saul) left a position of tremendous importance and authority all to follow Jesus, something that wound up causing him to be persecuted beyond what most of us could imagine. These are just a small sampling of men and women whose lives had a complete course correction all because they had an encounter with God.

Barry and Shelly Harp are not unlike many people living the American dream. They were highly respected in their church and community, had a successful business, and their kids were attending a good Christian school. As far as most people would assume, they had a perfect life and had arrived at the American dream. Most people would not want to change a thing. However, God’s kingdom is unlike ours. In the kingdom of God, money, popularity, comfort, and earthly success are not the keys to joy and fulfillment. God is much more concerned with people and relationships than he is with anything money can buy.

In 2011, Shelly read two books; It’s Not Okay With Me and Is it Okay with You?, both written by Janine Maxwell, that changed the course of her life forever. Throughout those books, Shelly learned about a place called Project Canaan in Swaziland, Africa. She learned about the HIV/AIDS epidemic going on in that nation, and how babies were being neglected, abandoned, and left to die in startling numbers, and in some of the worst conditions. This prompted her to learn more about Project Canaan and what they were doing to help. Eventually, through the gentle nudges of the Holy Spirit, she went on an 11 day mission trip in 2012 to serve as a volunteer on Project Canaan. That was when she absolutely fell in love with the mission they were trying to accomplish. When she returned home, a piece of her stayed in Swaziland.

Shelly’s husband, Barry, was incredibly proud of her and very supportive, but also very adamant that those kinds of mission trips were definitely not his thing, no matter how badly she wanted him to go. Over the next couple of years, Shelly tried in vain to convince him otherwise, as she puts it, acting as Holy Spirit junior, to the point of causing tension on a few occasions. However, that did nothing but turn him away. Eventually, she decided to allow that dream to die, and simply focus on what she could do. She returned to Project Canaan for another short-term mission trip in 2013. Although she quit bugging her husband, her heart for the hurting people of Swaziland had not changed.

God often has miraculous ways of working in the lives of the people we love, if we would simply allow Him to. Over the next couple of years, God was also working on Barry’s heart. Little by little, Barry started to hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit about the things Shelly had been telling him about Swaziland. He didn’t dare say anything to Shelly, he knew she would run with it if he did. However, as time passed, he eventually felt the need to sell his business, which much to Shelly’s surprise, he did. In the months after selling his accounting firm, things finally slowed down enough for Barry to really start to heed to the voice of the Holy Spirit. He eventually agreed to take a 3 month short-term mission trip to Project Canaan in 2016.

Just a few days into that trip, Barry knew that this was something that they needed to do longer-term. Surprisingly, Shelly was now the one needing some convincing, due largely because of a new grandson back in the US. After a few weeks though, she knew that God had placed them there for a reason and knew that even though it would mean leaving their grandbaby, they needed to move to Swaziland. So they did. In 2016, after selling their home and making their preparations, they, along with 3 of their kids still living at home, committed to a full year volunteering at Project Canaan.

Their lives have changed so much since the moment they said “yes”. Barry is now working as the Director of Finance to make sure that any money coming into the Project is used as efficiently as possibly. Shelly is involved in women’s ministry on the Project. She currently does 6 scheduled Bible studies per week and helps at the transition home and safe haven for women who are single mothers and HIV positive. Their year just recently ended. However, they have decided that God is not through with them yet. They have chosen to stay another year and finish the work they have been called to.

As of now, there are 195 kids age 7 and under living on Project Canaan. Around 10% of those kids  are HIV positive. After its start in 2010, Project Canaan has grown to include 2,500 acres that along with housing and schools, also includes a woodworking shop, mechanic shop, artisan center, dairy, a chicken farm, and crop production. Project Canaan currently employs about 300 Swazi people.

Barry, Shelly, and their family (Nate, 15, Sam, 12, and Eli, 9) are not paid employees of the project, they serve on a volunteer basis. They are funded through the donations of supporters. They currently live in rented housing about 15 miles from the campus (down an incredibly rough road), although volunteer housing is in the process of being built. Along with poverty and the AIDS epidemic, there is a lot of spiritual warfare that goes on in that country. Witchcraft is a very real thing among the people of Swaziland. Barry and Shelly are determined to be a part of the solution of that hurting nation. If you would like to learn more about the Harp family, or how you could support their mission, visit their website at www.wegoyougo.org. You can also learn more about all that is going on at Project Canaan by going to www.heartforafrica.org.

Have you ever felt incredibly convicted about something that it seems like no one else is bothered about? It happens to me all the time, and to be honest it is sometimes frustrating. For example, it is absolutely impossible for me to leave a grocery cart sitting in a random spot in a parking lot. Even if it is blowing snow and miserable, I feel such an extreme conviction come over me if I even attempt to not put it away.  I also have a very hard time watching someone else work, without feeling like I need to help.

Now, when I was growing up, I was pretty harsh in my view of others. I assumed if I felt convicted about something, that everyone else should too. However, as I have grown and matured in my faith, I have learned that unlike me, God is not a harsh taskmaster. As a matter of fact, He is extremely gentle in the way He trains and teaches us.  Over the last few months, I have spent quite a bit of time reading all 4 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and I have noticed several things about Jesus. Two things in particular turn the legalism of my youth on its head.

The first thing I noticed was how much Jesus despised the legalism of the so-called religious people. It’s a little startling to a rule-follower like myself to see Jesus confront the Pharisees the way that he so often does.  Now, Jesus never tells them that their rules are wrong. He does however always focus on relationships above rules. I think of the woman at the well (see John 4). She was definitely living in sin, but rather than avoid her or simply point out her faults and make her feel like trash, he simply cared for her and welcomed her into a relationship with him, all while never once having to tell her that living in sin was ok. He did that time and time again. He welcomed in people of every walk of life; prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers, just to name a few. That’s something we could all do a better job of.

The second thing I noticed is that Jesus never tries to change anyone. He simply loves them exactly where they are. That love is what transforms them. Zacchaeus was a corrupt tax collector (see luke 19). However, Jesus chose to spend time with him, regardless of how much the religious leaders criticized Him for it. Just in spending time in the presence of Jesus, Zacchaeus completely changed his ways. Jesus never gave him a list of things he had to do, rather he came to those conclusions on his own.

Spending time with Jesus has a way of changing us in the most gentle way. That change starts internally through the Holy Spirit. As we grow and mature in our faith, the Holy Spirit guides our desires and convicts us about things we need to change. Unlike the way many of us treat each other (myself included), the Holy Spirit doesn’t try to change everything about us all at once. We are a work in progress and at the proper times, the Holy Spirit convicts us and guides us in how to become more Christ-like. We just have to learn how to let Him do work in others (instead of us forcing changes) and allow Him to do work in us that needs to be done.

 

The time has arrived! The giveaway for Courageous Women of the Bible ended Sunday night. Congratulations to Juana and Cassandra for winning!!!! Winners will receive an email to get further details. You can see the winners here.

I am pretty excited about this book! If you didn’t win I would highly encourage grabbing a copy of it! Each chapter walks you through the story of a different woman in the Bible. Some of the women are well known (Mary, Jesus’ mother) while others may be ones that you either haven’t heard of before, or maybe just skim over and don’t think about as you read. The author has such a unique perspective in the way it is written. As I read, I found myself looking at the stories with a fresh set of eyes. Readers are encouraged to think in the first person and really get a feel of what the women would have gone through.

Thank you to everyone who participated! I hope to do another giveaway soon!

I am very excited to have received a few copies of Courageous Women of the Bible by Latan Roland Murphy to review and giveaway. This book takes a unique perspective on eleven of the women talked about in scripture. I am enjoying this book and can’t wait to give a copy away. The giveaway will run from June 2nd to June 11th. Check it out here

Being a mother is a job unlike any other. It is a job that is 24/7/365 and there are no sick days or vacation days. Now, over the years as children grow and mature, the role of mother changes. However, the responsibility of being a mom never ends.

As a mom myself, I will say that it is the most incredible, exhausting, rewarding, and frustrating job of my life. As a mom, there are so many things you will do that will go completely unnoticed and will very often be taken for granted. When our children are babies, if they cry in the night they want one person, mom, of course. When our toddlers wake up in the morning, they don’t really care how much you wanted to sleep in, they want mom. When our children are sick, we are the first ones they want, often during all hours of the night.

Being a mother is often a very thankless job. Kids don’t typically realize how much we sacrifice for them. For a season, moms often give up their own friendships and the ability to go and do what they want when they want, all to spend time with their family. When our children get older and start to make their own life decisions, they may push away from their mom. I know, because I was that kid. Suddenly your kids start to make life decisions that you, as a mom, don’t have control over.

Being a mom is not for the faint of heart. It is not for those who don’t understand the value of sacrifice. This world has too many children who have been abandoned or neglected by their mothers. The job of mom is a huge responsibility, and the work we as moms do is not in vain. The biggest mission field we have is in our own house. Our children learn about living out a Christian faith by watching how we live our lives. As the saying goes, “more is caught than taught.” Kids absorb everything around them and although we may be able to always present our best selves to others, kids get to see everything. That is a huge responsibility as a parent. Because of that, we must spend serious time praying for the grace to do a good job. We also must keep our eyes on the prize. I know that in the phase of parenting I am currently in, it is so easy to just get frustrated at the constant messes and at feeling like nothing really gets accomplished. However, even in those moments, we must remember that we are investing in the future. Ultimately we are working for an eternal payoff.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,  since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

So, as Mother’s day comes to an end once again, I want to encourage all you moms. Whether you had an amazing day of pampering or were practically forgotten about, know that your work is eternal. Pray every single day for your kids, regardless of if they are 5 or 50. You will always be their mother. Also don’t forget to encourage the moms around you. This motherhood thing is tough and we are all in this together.

Happy Mother’s Day!!!