Living a Careful Life, Part 3

Hello my sweet friends!

Finally--- I am posting part three of "Living a Careful Life!" Remember our key verse is Psalm 101:2-4. "I will be careful to lead a blameless life when will you come to me?  I will walk in my house with a blameless heart.  I will set before my eyes no vile thing.  The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.  Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.”

In parts one and two, we looked at our inward reality and our outward expressions. Remember our inward reality is who we are at the very core of our being. The call from Psalm 101:2-4 is to be blameless. We demonstrate a blameless life when we are sincere or entirely whole towards God. As a result of our inward reality, we should demonstrate certain outward expressions. The outward expressions we explored are: I will walk in my house with a blameless heart, I will set before my eyes no vile thing, the deeds of faithless men I hate, men of perverse heart shall be far from me, and I will have nothing to do with evil.

Now we are ready to look at the final part of living a careful life--- our daily resolve. Psalm 101:2 says, "I will be careful...." The daily resolve that you and I must have in order to live a careful life is the resolve to structure our day carefully before the Lord. The word careful used in verse 2 means to be upright.

I want to share the definition that Webster uses to define careful. Webster defines careful as a painstaking effort to avoid errors or omissions.  In other words, if we are going to live a careful life then we are going to have to make conscious decisions throughout our day that enable us to walk upright before the Lord. When this happens, our hearts are sincere or entirely whole towards God.

Let's get practical. What can we do daily to live a careful life before the Lord? I would like to share my Top Ten list with you! (These are in no particular order.)

1. Memorize Scripture: Hiding God's Word in our hearts is key to living a careful life. When God's Word is in our hearts, we have access to it 24/7. The result--- when we come to a fork in the road, we have a solid roadmap that is always available to us. Tip: pick a verse, write it on a notecard, and carry it with you everywhere you go. Look for the empty two and three minutes in your day and work on your passage of scripture during that time. Also, be brave and memorize large sections of scripture. God's word is a powerful weapon to have hidden in your heart!

2. Daily quiet time before the reactive point in your day: Determine the point in your day when your day tends to get away from you and resolve to have your quiet time before that point. For me, I try to have my quiet time before I turn on my computer or answer my cell phone. This forces me to get up and get with the Lord first thing in the morning. The result--- when I react, I am not reacting out of my self, rather I am reacting out of the overflow of my time with the Lord.

3. Journaling: It is always beneficial to record God's work in our lives. I utilize journaling the most when I am struggling to understand my feelings. I find that writing things out helps me to process deep emotions that are hidden in my heart. As I write my thoughts in my journal, I recognize what is going on in my heart and turn my struggles over to the Lord.

4. Prayer Closet: I cannot overstate the benefit of a prayer closet. A prayer closest is a specific place to go when we need to be alone with the Lord. When my children were younger, I learned the value of a prayer closet. I told my children--- "When I am in my prayer closet, you are NOT allowed to interrupt me unless it is an emergency." The reason why--- if Jesus is going to make a difference in my life, I have to spend time with Him. As I made the choice to go to my prayer closet, I modeled for my children the necessity of daily quiet time with the Lord.


5. Heart Friends: It is so important to surround ourselves with people who love Jesus and encourage us in our daily walks.

6. Balanced Prayer Life: Following a prayer model will help you to have balance in your prayer life. The result, you will not only ask God for things you will also learn how to praise God for the way He works in your life. I use the ACTS prayer model.
• A- Adoration: praise to God
• C- Confession: confession of sins
• T- Thanksgiving: thanksgiving for what He is doing
• S- Supplication: presenting requests to God

7. Personal Worship: I cannot overstate the benefit of personal worship in a believers life. For me, when I feel anxious, grumpy, sad, or mad, I worship the Lord. This process allows me to take my eyes off of myself and put them on Jesus. Tip: Use your Ipod and listen to music during your daily routines--- laundry, cooking, cleaning, exercise, etc. Sing hymns of the faith that are meaningful to you. Praise the Lord as you walk around the block and think about all the things He has done for you.

8. Reading Good Books: No matter what type of book you like to read, find one that promotes Godliness in your life. Make sure that everything you put into your heart and mind honors Jesus.

9. Fasting: Fasting is removing a creature comfort from our life so that we can focus on the Lord. Often we associate fasting with food. However, we can fast from anything that brings enjoyment. I find fasting to be helpful when I need to overcome sin, seek God's presence, or gain spiritual clarity. Tip: Start out small and make sure that as you fast you focus on Jesus rather than the item that you are fasting from. Also be careful not to fill your life with "other things" when you are fasting. You take something away in order to increase your focus on Jesus. Use the hunger or your desire to watch tv as a way to focus more and more on the Lord.

10. Giving: Give till it hurts. When you give freely you accomplish two things. First, you demonstrate the truth that every resource in your life belongs to God. Second, you demonstrate faith that God will provide for your daily needs. Tip: Instead of having a garage sale or taking part in a consignment event, give your things away. Or, take a certain amount of money and tuck it in your purse and ask God to show you how He want you to use the money for His glory. You will learn how to listen to God through out your day.  

My challenge to you--- pick one or two things from this list and implement them in your life. You will see how God begins to train you to live a careful life. It is an amazing adventure--- you do not want to miss it!

Love!
Andrea@TVM

Living a Careful Life, part 2 cont.

Today we will continue our three part series called "Living a Careful Life." In today's post we will examine the final two outward expressions listed in Psalm 101:2-4. This passage states, “I will be careful to lead a blameless life when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with a blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.”

If you will recall, long before we can examine our outward expressions, we must examine our inward reality. Our inward reality is who we are at the very core of our being. The Bible says that we are to be blameless. The word blameless means to be complete, sincere, and entirely whole towards God. When our hearts are blameless before God, we naturally have outward expressions that please Him.

In the last few posts we examined three outward expressions of a blameless life. Here is a quick recap:

• Outward Expression 1: I will walk in my house with a blameless heart.

• Outward Expression 2: I will set before my eyes no vile thing.

• Outward Expression 3: The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.

Let's move on and look at the final two outward expressions listed in Psalm 101:2-4.

Outward Expression #4:

"Men of perverse heart shall be far from me."

In order to live a careful life we must examine the people who influence us the most. Proverbs 12:26 states, “A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” When thinking about our friendships, we must recognize that God has placed different people in our lives to play different roles. I like to think of these different roles as friendship layers.

Three friendship layers set forth in God's Word:

1. Close Friends- You can think of this group as your inner circle. For me this is two or three key people who encourage me to have a right heart before God. I can tell my close friends anything and I can call on them day or night. Close friends must be Godly individuals who fear the Lord and uphold the Bible as their standard in life. Close friends ask the tough questions and hold us accountable to God's Word. The primary purpose of the close friendship is accountability. David and Jonathan demonstrated a close friendships in 1 Samuel 20.

2. Caring Friends- The caring friendship layer is similar to the close friendship layer. Both friendships focus on loving Jesus and helping one another grow in the Lord. The primary difference is that the caring friendship focuses more on love, encouragement, and support and less on accountability. Because of the broader focus. you can have lots of caring friends. We see this type of friendship layer displayed in the Early Church as recorded in Acts 2:42-46. The members of the Early Church devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. As a result of these actions, the caring friends had everything in common and daily praised God with one another.

3. Casual Friends- The casual friend is a friend that God places in your life for the purpose of investing. This friend may or may not know Jesus. This friend may or may not go to church. What is true about this friend is that God has placed her in your life so that she can see that Jesus makes a big difference in you. In casual friendships, it is important that you set the tone! You are investing in them because you long for them to know Jesus and love Jesus. In Matthew 9:35-38, we see the heart of Jesus as He looked around and saw many people who did not know Him. Verse 36 states, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them.” Why? Verse 36 concludes, “Because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” As you and I seek to have the same heartbeat as Jesus, we too should look at the people God places in our lives and demonstrate a heart of compassion by looking for opportunities to minister in Jesus’ name.

Outward Expression #5:

• "I will have nothing to do with evil."

The final outward expression is an all encompassing one--- I will have nothing to do with evil. I love the way Webster defines the word nothing. Webster states that nothing means “not any thing; no thing; or zero.” One saying listed in Webster’s to describe nothing is “neither hide nor hair.” This idiom is used to convey the notion, “not the slightest trace.” This definition of nothing gives us a glimpse into the threshold David set for allowing evil things in his life. David had no tolerance for evil. We too need to have this same level of disgust for evil in our lives. When we do, we display a blameless heart before God.

Next week we will look at part three of our study--- our daily resolve. Get ready to get very practical as we look at ways we can promote blamelessness in our daily life.

For now, I want to ask you to think about the five outward expressions listed in Psalm 101:2-4. Which one spoke to you and why?

Living a Careful Life, part 2 cont.

We are in the middle of a three part series called "Living a Careful Life." This series calls for us to examine who we are at the very core of our being. Scripture states that we should be blameless. This means that God is calling us to be complete, sincere, or entirely whole towards Him.

When we are blameless before God, we demonstrate outward expressions that are pleasing to the Lord. Our outward expressions describe what we do. Last week we looked at two outward expressions--- walking in our house with a blameless heart and setting before our eyes no vile thing. This week we will look at the final two outward expressions listed in Psalm 101:2-4.

Just a reminder that the key verse for our series is Psalm 101:2-4. “I will be careful to lead a blameless life when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with a blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.”

Outward Expression #3:

• The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me..."

In this statement David dealt with an important point in living the careful life--- our perception of sin. Our sin perception is simply how we view sin in our life as well as the life of others. David was clear--- he did not hate the men who committed the sin. Rather, David hated the sin itself.

There are two extremes that we must guard our lives against when it comes to how we view sin in our life or the lives of others. Deuteronomy 4:2 states, “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.”

Two-Extremes in Viewing Sin:

1. Legalism: Legalism occurs when we draw the liner tighter than the Word of God. We see a picture of legalism in the Pharisees of Jesus' day. The Pharisees were religious leaders who showed more interest in the outward appearance of man than the inward realty of the heart. I find it interesting that the Pharisees were so wrapped up in the rules and regulations of the Word of God that they completely missed the Word (Jesus) as He became flesh and dwelt among them. As a result, Jesus had the following words to say--- “Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matthew 23:26-28) Wow! Talk about a strong word. Today we act just like a Pharisee when we allow rules, regulations, traditions, and personal preferences to play an exaggerated role in our walk with God.

2. Liberalism: Liberalism occurs when we draw the line looser than the Word of God. A person who struggles with liberalism fails to recognize absolute truth as taught in the Word of God. This person has a "whatever is right for you is fine with me" attitude. Paul conveyed a much more serious view of sin in Romans 6:1-3. Paul stated, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” Today we embrace a liberalistic view to sin when we turn our backs to truth and embrace the cultural norm of "anything" goes.

The Biblical Response to Deeds of Faithless Men:

So how should we respond to sin in our life or the lives of others? The Bible provides a beautiful picture in 1 Samuel 15. In this chapter, the Lord went to Samuel in order to express His displeasure over the sin in King Saul's life. The Lord said, "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." (verse 11) Listen to how Samuel responded to the Lord. "Samuel was troubled and he cried out to the Lord all that night." (verse 12)

So what is the biblical response to viewing sin in our life of the life of others? Our hearts should be troubled to the point where we are on our knees before the Lord and crying out to Him for help. For just a moment, think about the difference this viewing process will bring into your life. Certainly it will help you guard against legalism or liberalism. This is true because you will not be overly focused on rules and regulations as seen in the legalistic viewpoint. And, you will not have an "anything goes" attitude as seen in the liberalistic viewpoint.

So here is the question before you. Have you fallen into the trap of legalism or liberalism? If so, humble yourself before the Lord and ask Him to give you His heart for the people in your life. As you do, you can know that God will break your heart over the sin in your life as well as the sin in the life of others. Once your heart is broken, you will be ready to go to your friends or family members in love and challenge them to embrace Godliness in their lives. However, during this process, please guard your life so that you are not tempted to fall into the same trap of sin.

Today please know that I love you and that I am fighting with you and for you! God has given me a passion for you to be complete, sincere, and entirely whole towards Him. Dear friend, do not stop short of all of Him, in all of you, for His glory alone!

Much Love!

Andrea@TVM

Living a Careful Life, part 2 cont.

We are in the middle of a three part series called "Living a Careful Life." The key verse is Psalm 101:2-4. “I will be careful to lead a blameless life when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with a blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.”

Part 1 of "Living a Careful Life" dealt with having a blameless (complete, sincere, entirely whole) heart towards God. We defined this as our inward reality--- who we are at the very core of our being.

Part 2 deals with our outward expressions--- what we do as a result of who we are. Outward expression #1 was "I will walk in my house with a blameless heart." The word blameless used in this passage means innocence and integrity. Bottom-line for living a careful life--- we must realize that our daily walk with God begins the moment our feet hit the floor. The outcome of a blameless heart in our homes is that the people who are the closest to us will see that Jesus makes a real difference in our lives.

Let's move on and look at outward expression #2

• I will set before my eyes not vile thing

To set means to place and begs the question what are we placing before our eyes?

There are many avenues that we use to place things before our eyes. Let's examine two.

1. Media: Probably the most obvious way that we place things before our eyes is through media. Things like TV, movies, magazines, books, internet, facebook, twitter, and blogs--- the list goes on and on. When it comes to the things that we place before our eyes, testing or examining is essential. We need to make sure that the things we place before our eyes promotes Godliness.

2. Thought-Life: Perhaps less obvious, but equally as powerful is our thought life. Our thought life is made up of the constant stream of thoughts that take place in our head. This is the time that we spend each day

daydreaming about a life that is not our own. Women fall into the trap of dreaming when they think about and long for a life in a different setting, with a different person, and with a different set of circumstances. Daydreaming often seems harmless because we think that we are not "hurting" anyone. But, daydreaming is harmful because it keeps us from focusing on the life God has called us to live.

Today I want to challenge you to examine the things that you set before your eyes. If you find something that is not honoring to the Lord in your media routine or your thought life, get serious about dealing with that sin. Here are a few practical ways to address each area.

In regards to media, identify the problem areas and share the areas with a close friend. Then ask your friend to hold you accountable to Godliness by checking in with you each day or each week and asking you how you are doing. Accountability is a powerful tool in your walk with God. Do not be afraid or ashamed to use it!

In regards to your thought life, use this three step process to overcome wrong thought patterns.

• Recognize the wrong thought by admitting to God and yourself that you have a problem.

• Remove the wrong thought by s

aturating your heart and mind with scripture.

Find a specific passage of scripture that speaks to your wrong thought pattern and memorize and meditate on that passage daily.

• Replace the wrong thought pattern with the right thought pattern. Be sure and c

ontinually guard this area of your life. Chances are you will face a similar struggle in the future.

Okay--- I hope you are ready to deal with the things that you set before your eyes. I am so proud of you for getting serious about your daily walk with Jesus. He is the best thing that has ever happened in us.

Love!

Andrea@TVM

Living a Careful Life, part 2

Earlier this week I introduced a three part series called "Living a Careful Life." "Living a Careful Life" challenges each of us to examine our inward reality, our outward expressions, and our daily resolve. If you did not get a chance to read part 1, check it out here: http://andrealennon.blogspot.com/2011/08/living-careful-life.html

The Key verses for "Living a Careful Life" is Psalm 101:2-4.

“I will be careful to lead a blameless life when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with a blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.”

In part 1, we examined our inward reality. Our inward reality describes who we are at the very core of our being. From scripture we saw the call to be blameless. To be blameless means to be sincere, complete, or entirely whole towards God. David said, "I will be careful to lead a blameless life..."

Part 2--- Our Outward Expressions

Today we are going to move on and examine the first of five outward expressions as defined in Psalm 101:2-4. It is crucial to note that our outward expressions must flow from our inward reality of being blameless before the Lord. (Bottom-line- when our hearts are right; our actions are right.)

Outward Expression #1:

• I will walk in my house with a blameless heart.

This outward expression calls us to examine how we live inside our homes. In fact, our daily walk with God begins inside our home--- as soon as our feet hit the ground each morning. Have you ever thought about the fact that the real you comes out when you are at home? This is true because your home provides a comfortable environment where you tend to be yourself.

The word used for blameless in the phrase, "I will walk in my house with a blameless heart" carries the meaning of integrity and innocence. So how do we walk blamelessly inside our homes? We interact with our family members with integrity and innocence. For me, I am walking in integrity when my "no" means "no" and my "yes" means "yes." Likewise, I am walking in innocence when I have no hidden agendas, no behind the back moves, and no secrets.

I will never forget the night the Lord burned the call to "walk in my home with a blameless heart" into my life. On this particular night I was frantically trying to complete a speaking outline for an upcoming women’s event. My husband Jay was gone to a Bible study, and Jake and Andrew were running around the house. The dishes from dinner were still on the table, and I had so much to do that I did not know where to begin.

I told the boys, “Watch TV and do not fight.” The boys obeyed, and I started working on the speaking outline. As I worked, time quickly passed. I looked up from my computer and noticed the time read 9:00 pm. This surprised me, since my boys should have been in bed by 8:30. Immediately, I went into drill sergeant mode. I told the boys, “You have to take a bath, brush your teeth, say your prayers, and go to sleep as soon as possible.”

I put the boys in the bathtub and told them there was no time to play. They could talk quietly while I went and picked up their towels. I quickly walked across the house to find their towels and returned to wash the boys. As I stepped inside the door, I discovered two inches of water on the bathroom floor. I could not believe it! Immediately, I took the boys out of the tub and asked them what happened. Jake said, “Mom, we made up a game, and I won!” That did not impress me. In fact, I got very angry. I gave the boys a lecture, put them on their beds, and cleaned up the mess.

Once the floor was dry, I went into each room and told the boys how upset I was and that they needed to put on their pajamas and go to bed. That night we had no prayers, no snuggles, and no tucking into bed. I turned the lights out and told the boys to go to sleep.

After leaving the boys’ rooms, I took a few minutes to shake off my anger and returned to my computer to complete the speaking outline. As I typed, the Lord spoke to my heart. “Andrea, when you act like that do you think they have any idea that I make a difference in your life?” The question took me by surprise and became a life-changing question. Do the people closest to me know that Jesus makes a real difference in my life? My heart sank because I knew the answer to that question was often no. I fell to my knees and asked the Lord to forgive me. I then returned to my boys’ room and asked for their forgiveness as well.

The simple question from the Lord changed my perspective on life. The question brought an understanding that taught me that I could travel around this world telling others about Jesus, write Bible studies, and even speak at women’s conferences, yet miss the real point. You see, what Jesus was teaching me was that at the end of my life what would really matter the most was that my husband and my children could say, “Jesus made a real difference in her.”

How about you? Do the people inside your home know that Jesus makes a real difference in you? If not, focus on today's outward expression and live a life of innocence and integrity inside your home.

Blessings!

Andrea@TVM

Living a Careful Life

Last Tuesday night I traveled to First Baptist Church in Keiser, Arkansas in order to spend the evening with a group of ladies from Mississippi County Baptist Association. The topic for the night was "Living a Careful Life." Our time in the Word was amazing. We laughed together as well as shared stories and life experiences. Certainly--- God's Word challenged all of us!

The session "Living a Careful Life" speaks to the heart of every woman who loves Jesus and longs to live a life that is entirely whole towards Him. The key verse is found in Psalm 101:2-4. The session is divided into three parts--- our inward reality, our outward expressions, and our daily resolve. This week and next, I am going to post a three part series summarizing the teachings from "Living a Careful Life." I invite you to join me in the study of God's Word!

"Living a Careful Life"

Part 1--- Our Inward Reality

Key Verse:

“I will be careful to lead a blameless life when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with a blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.” Psalm 101:2-4

Our inward reality speaks to who we are at the very core of our being. You can diagnosis your inward reality by asking this question--- "When it is just me and the Lord or me and my close family members, how do I think, act or react?"

In Psalm 101:2-4, David defined how he longed to think, act, or react before the Lord and his close family members. David said, "I will be careful to lead a blameless life." The word blameless that is used in verse 2 means to be complete, sincere, or entirely whole towards God.

The idea of being complete, sincere, or entirely whole towards God is challenging. Perhaps you will admit that your walk with the Lord does not measure up to these high standards. If so, you can take heart--- you are not alone! I will admit that I am right there with you. In fact, every believer in Jesus Christ is on a journey to wholeness or completeness in Christ. The truth of the matter is this--- as long as we are on this earth, there is renewing work to be done in our life!

Scripture gives us a picture of the blameless life. Below you will find nine passages of Scripture that speak to the heart of living complete, sincere, or entirely whole lives in Christ. Take a quick look and see how your life measures up.

• Genesis 6:9- “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” We must learn how to walk in step with the Lord. Often we find it easy to run ahead or lag behind. We must fight this urge and live patient lives that are in step with our Savior.

• 2 Samuel 22:24 David speaking, “I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.” We must have a serious view of sin in our life. Sin keeps us from hearing from the Lord and sensing His sweet presence in our daily life.

• Job 1:1- “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” We must fear God and shun evil. Fearing God and shunning evil requires a proper perspective of God in our life. When we have a proper perspective of God, we understand that God is in charge--- we are not!

• Psalm 15:2 (David in response to the question, “who may dwell with God?”) “He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart.” We must speak the truth from our heart and focus on living right before God.

• Psalm 26:1 (A cry from David) “Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.” We must trust in the Lord no matter how difficult our situation may appear to be.

• Psalm 119:1 “Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.” We must allow the Word of God to be our standard, our rulebook, and the guide for our life.

• Philippians 1:9-10 (Paul’s pray for the Philippians and believers everywhere) “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.” We must live our lives with the character quality of love as the central focus--- loving God and loving others.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We must be blameless in every area of our life--- Spirit, Soul, and Body. It is so important to note the inward to outward flow of this process.

• 2 Peter 3:14- Peter speaking to believers says, “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, (the day of the Lord) make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” We must participate in the process of becoming blameless. Do you hear the call for ownership in the blameless process? I do. We are to make every effort to be found blameless!

So the question before you today is this--- "Are you growing in your love relationship with Jesus and as a result are you living a blameless life?" I hope so! God's Word provides us with the necessary instruction for living a blameless life. Right now, review the nine verses listed in today's post. Please share with me the verse that challenges you the most and why. Then seek to obey God's Word and walk in step with Him!

Love!

Andrea@TVM

Sweet Moments with Jesus

The best thing happened to me last night during the night. I woke up at 4:00am and spent some much needed time with the Lord.

Like any mom, it is not uncommon for me to wake up during the night. I am always on standby for Jake, Andrew, and now our little dog Lulu! However, something about last night was different. When I woke up, I knew I was the only one awake. Not only that, I went from a deep sleep to fully awake in a matter of seconds.

As soon as I woke up, I immediately thought about Psalm 63:6-8, "On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me."

Last night as I thought about this passage, I knew the Lord was offering me a chance to spend some alone time with Him. I am so glad I did! The uninterrupted time with Jesus was priceless. I talked to Him and then took the time to listen for His reply. I thought about different times in my life when I regularly woke up to spend time with Jesus. Two examples came to mind: When Jay and I were first married we lived in Huntsville, AL. We attended a church where the pastor challenged the congregation to ask God to wake us up in the middle of night so we could pray. I took the challenge and spent several nights in prayer. Then I thought about the time when I was in Seminary. During my Seminary years, the Lord woke me up regularly to pray.

To be honest with you, it has been awhile since I asked the Lord to wake me up in the middle of the night. Thankfully, God did not wait for me to ask Him. He knew what I needed and took the necessary steps to get my attention. And, oh, what a difference His work makes in my life!

Today I want to challenge you to ask the Lord to wake you up one night soon. And as soon as He does, allow Psalm 63:6-8 to guide your time.

• Take a few minutes and think about the way the Lord works in your life. (Psalm 63:6)

• Recognize the protection you receive when you live in the shadow of Jesus. (Psalm 63:7)

• Resolve to cling to Jesus during your day no matter how overwhelming the circumstances appear to be. (Psalm 63:8)

I love you and I count it an honor to serve you.

Sweet Dreams!

Andrea@TVM

Wellspring Recap!

Well, I am going to be honest with you--- I am tired! The last two weekends have been intense. Between She Speaks and Wellspring, I have been very busy!

I am pleased to report that Wellspring, a State-wide Women's Conference hosted by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, went well! I had the honor of delivering the three theme interpretations for the event. I met so many wonderful women and God's Word challenged us to live an "Unhindered" life in Christ.

I will be honest with you and say that the Friday night session was a little rough. The truths were there and straight out of scripture--- deal with sin, run one race, fix your eyes on Jesus. But half-way through my session, I realized that I was trying to pack too much information into a short amount of time. (Have you ever been there?) So, I did my best to cut to the chase and conclude the night quickly. Thankfully, the Lord had given me a great analogy to use at the end of my session. I presented the analogy and it really communicated everything that I was trying to say. I know I was glad when I finally said, "Amen" and I am sure all the ladies were glad too!

Saturday was a different story. When I woke up, I knew the Spirit of God was going to move. I looked over my material and fell on my face before the Lord. I asked Him to change our lives and I believe He did!

The Lord had clearly told me to teach the Saturday morning session on who God is and how He longs for us to view Him in our daily lives. We looked at the truths that God is our Creator, Sustainer, Protector, and Provider. As we recognize these foundational truths, we heed Jesus' words of knowing the truth and allowing the truth to set us free. The outcome--- "What can man or this world do to me???" The answer, "Nothing!" Now that is freedom!

In the afternoon session, the Lord challenged me to teach Exodus 14. This was my first time to teach this passage. Not my favorite idea, but as I taught the passage, I saw God's hand of direction. The bottom line from this session--- God is going to lead us through our greatest obstacles. And as He does, others will see Him, instead of us! When they see Him, we have the chance to share the difference Jesus makes in our lives. What a powerful word from the Word!

If you were at Wellspring, I want to invite you to share your thoughts in the comment section below. Did God challenge you to Realize, Reflect, or Radiate? Whatever challenge God gave you, embrace it and resolve to make spiritual progress in your life. I am praying for you!!

Love!

Andrea@TVM

Stepping Out--- Moving On!

I made it--- I survived!

This past weekend I spent three days in Concord, NC attending She Speaks, a speaker/writer conference hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministry. What an amazing experience! I met so many wonderful women who love the Lord and seek to serve Him by investing in the lives of women.

The weekend was packed with lots of opportunities. I had the chance to take part in a speaker evaluation group. I pitched Reflecting His Glory to Zondervan as well as two literary agents. All of these opportunities stretched me! In fact, I found myself fighting the urge to call a taxi cab so I could rush home to my safe haven of Arkansas. Thankfully, the Lord gave me strength and I pushed through the fear in order to step out in faith.

Saturday was the most intense day. I woke up with a sense of dread. I knew the day was going to be long and way outside my comfort zone. I arrived at my first meeting. I waited for forty minutes and heard the words, "She is ready to see you." I walked in and started to talk. You all know how fast I talk when I am nervous. I talked and talked and talked! I kept repeating myself. By the time I made it to the end of my pitch, I knew I had last her attention. I tried to figure some way to redeem the meeting, but I could not. It was a "no go." I thanked her for the time and left. As I walked down the hall I thought, "One rejection down, two more to go." For a moment I strongly considered canceling my other meetings. "They are all going to say the same thing," I told myself. Thankfully, my resolve to finish the day well, forced me to carry on. I came to my second meeting and waited for thirty minutes. Once again I heard, "She is ready to see you." I walked in and immediately knew that God was granting me boldness. I presented the book and my ministry with passion, energy, and clarity. And, the response was very positive! I left the meeting with tangible things that I need to do to grow the ministry. It was now time to face the third meeting. This was going to be the most challenging meeting of all. Are you surprised to know that I thought about canceling? Yep, always running from uncomfortable situations! Thankfully, I did not. I waited for twenty minutes and heard the words, "She is ready to see you." I walked in and went through the pitch. Praise the Lord, the response was very positive for me and TVM. The agent felt like Reflecting His Glory is not a "break into the market" study so she sent me home with the challenge to keep on writing. I gladly took the challenge and left the meeting feeling thankful for the agents openness, honesty, and suggestions. Next on my plate was my speaker evaluation group. I walked down the hall and into a room where I stood in front of 12 people, who do the same thing that I do, and presented a five minute mini-lesson. As I taught, the ladies took notes on every aspect of my presentation. At this point, I was too tired to be nervous. Thankfully the presentation went well and the feedback was great. No surprise that I was encouraged to slow down just a bit!

On the flight home, I thought about the weekend. I thought about the fact that I told several people how much I enjoyed my time at She Speaks and the wonderful experiences it provided me. Funny, at the time, nothing about Saturday felt enjoyable. In fact, I felt pretty miserable! This fact taught me an important truth. Sometimes we have to get to the other side of an experience before we can fully appreciate the value it brings into our lives. This was the case for me and my She Speaks weekend. Now that I am safely home with my husband and kids, I think the weekend went great!

Today, you may be going through an experience that is challenging. Like me, you may feel uncomfortable and fighting the urge to run to a "safe" place. If so, dig in and determine to step out in faith so that you can move on in your walk with the Lord! I promise that when you get to the other side of your experience, you will be glad you did! In the mean time, find a passage of scripture and claim it over your circumstances. The passage that meant the most to me this weekend was Psalm 138.

"I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth. May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great. Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands." Psalm 138:1-8

Stepping Out---Moving On!
Andrea@TVM

FBC Nashville and Wellspring!

Hey my sweet sisters!

I hope that your summer is going great! Can you believe that August will be here soon? I am already thinking about back to school shopping and having a 5th grader and a 2nd grader. Time is going by too fast!

Things are busy, busy, busy at TVM. Here is a quick update:

Last night I spoke at Ladies Nite Out for First Baptist Church in Nashville, Ar. What a huge success! 600 women attended the event! It was a power-packed night and God's Word was so alive as we talked about how to reflect the glory of Jesus Christ in our every day life. Psalm 25:15 was our key verse--- "My eyes are ever on the Lord for only He will release my feet from the snare." My take home thought was that the people closest to me should see that Jesus makes a difference in me! If they do not see the difference Jesus makes, chances are I am reflecting myself, not Him! If you were at the event, I would love to hear from you! What was your take home thought?

Real quick, I want to look ahead to next weekend and tell you about a State-wide event hosted by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention called "Wellspring." "Wellspring" is a women's conference that is open to all women in Arkansas who love to study God's Word and hear about mission work around the world. I will be the keynote speaker. It is going to be a great weekend! There will be wonderful times of fellowship, worship, networking, Bible study, mission projects, and so much more! I want to personally invite you to attend. I really believe that God is going to meet with us and change our lives! The theme for “Wellspring” is "Unhindered." I love this theme because it reminds me of a crucial biblical truth--- Jesus died and rose again so that I can live my life free in Him! Freedom! Just the thought of it should cause us to stop and ask this question, “Does my life reflect a free life in Jesus Christ?" For every believer, the answer to this question should be a resounding, “YES!” The reason why is simple. We were created to live free or unhindered lives in Jesus Christ.

At “Wellspring” we will explore the topic of "Unhindered" by unpacking the following truths:
Realize--- We live from a position of freedom!
Reflect--- On the truth found in the Word of God!
Radiate---Our love for Jesus to a lost world!

Join me and your Arkansas sisters at “Wellspring,” July 29-30. I know you will be challenged by God's Word, encouraged by fellow believers, and equipped for God's work! Registration, hotel and conference information can be found at www.absc.org/women.

Much Love!
Andrea@TVM

Big Picture Living!

Today's blog post is an article that I wrote last month for Women's Inc. This article was written and submitted long before I knew that a family in my church would find themselves thrust into the valley of the shadow of death. My friends, Larry and Sheryl Mulberry, lost two sons in a car accident. Keith was 18 and Jacob was 16.

It has been one week since the accident and my church family and community continues to grieve the profound loss of Keith and Jake. Keith and Jake were full of life and love. Both boys loved and served Jesus. As you might guess, Keith and Jake touched many lives. Yesterday at the service, I watched Larry and Sheryl celebrate the life their boys lived. Without a doubt, Larry and Sheryl have displayed big-picture-living as they have accepted God's plan for Keith and Jake. A moving moment during the service occurred as the congregation sang, It is Well With My Soul. Both Larry and Sheryl sang with hands lifted high in praise to God.

I dedicate this article to Larry, Sheryl, and Bobbie Mulberry. Thank you for embracing the call to big-picture-living. You have set a Christ-like example for all of us! May God grant you His strength and peace as you continue to lean on Him!


Embrace a big-picture perspective with faith!


My boys recently brought home their art projects from school. I love it when the boys bring artwork home. Seeing Jake and Andrew creatively express their ideas on paper brings joy to this non-creative mom’s heart. However, the most recent art project that one brought home left me scratching my head. As I looked at the project, I had no idea what to say. I wanted to find something positive and uplifting to say about the work, but, honestly, I was at a loss for words. I had no idea what the picture represented. I asked my son a few prompting questions and soon learned that the picture was a vase with flowers. “Mom, can’t you tell?” was my son's defeated response. “Of course, honey, now I see it,” came my reassuring reply.
 
Sometimes we see our lives much like I saw my son's art project. We know something is there but we have no idea what kind of picture God is attempting to create. As a result, we may go to the Lord with a few prompting questions.
• “Lord, what is this obstacle I face?”
• “Lord, how can I figure out what You are calling me to do?”
• “Lord, when will I understand your plan for my life?”
 
Thankfully, God knows exactly the picture He is creating with our lives. He sees the big picture. This means that God sees and knows every detail going on in our lives-- past, present, and future. Not only does God see and know every detail going on in our lives, God uses every detail in our lives to draw us closer to Him. I can think of no greater reassurance of truth in my life than this: God sees, God knows, and God cares.  
 
Each day you have the chance to live your life with a big-picture perspective. Big-picture-living requires that you recognize that there is more going on around you than you can see or know. One mark of a mature believer in Jesus Christ is displayed in big-picture-living. At the very heart of big-picture-living resides the truth that God is in control of your life even when your life seems out of control.    

In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon gave the following instruction. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, New International Version)

This passage of scripture provides the basic building blocks for big-picture-living. First, we must trust the Lord. For me, one of the hardest times to trust the Lord is when I have no idea what He is doing in my life. Placing my trust in the Lord during confusing times displays a heart that believes that God sees and knows every detail going on in my life. Second, we must forsake an earthly perspective on our situations. Oh, how challenging this point can be! Solomon made this point clear when he said, “lean not on your own understanding.” Forsaking my perspective in confusing situations shows that I understand that my view is limited. Instead of leaning on my understanding, I am called to do one thing--- acknowledge the Lord. 
  
Today you can know that God is creating an eternal picture with your life. The best way to view and understand this picture occurs as you embrace an eternal or big-picture perspective. This type of perspective allows you to trust the Lord with all your heart no matter how confusing your life may seem. As you embrace a big-picture perspective, you will discover something very amazing. The areas of your life that once seemed confusing will slowly come into focus as you trust God and know this reassuring truth--- God sees, God knows, and God cares for you.

Peace in the midst of a crazy storm!

Oh, where to begin?? It has been one of those crazy weeks. Things started out amazing. On Sunday, I had the chance to join my pastor during the sermon in order to help unpack the topic: Women in Ministry. What a blessing to share my journey in regards to this important issue. I planned to blog about this topic but the Lord had other plans for my week. Lord willing, I will blog about this topic next week. You can listen to the service at www.2BC.tv. Click on the message link and then select "Women in Ministry."

Monday came along and I spent the day doing laundry (5 loads--- washed, folded, and put away!) I also took time to finish up my handouts for this weekend's retreat. I am so thankful the Lord prompted me to finish the handouts on Monday because Tuesday hit with a pronounced thud! Tuesday morning I went to Little Rock to have lunch with my good friends, Jimmie and Annette Sheffield. Following lunch, I received a phone call from my dad stating that he was taking my mom to the hospital because she needed a pacemaker ASAP! I was surprised about the call because I had spent the previous weekend with my parents and my mom seemed fine to me.

Sidebar--- perhaps you remember a few years ago when my dad was in a similar situation. Dad was experiencing a heart attack and was taken to the hospital for urgent care. My response to my dad's situation was pitiful at best. To be honest, I fell apart. There is no other way to describe my response. I could not think. I could not talk. I literally felt myself shutting down. In light of my response to my dad's health crisis, I praise the good Lord that I am able to report to you, that God has taught me so much in the last two years. Our sweet Lord has developed my faith. This development was demonstrated in my response to my mom's health crisis. When I received the call about my mom, the first thing I did was pray and give my mom to the Lord. I can't tell you what a relief this brought to my heart. I was reassured by the truth that God loves my mom even more than I love her. As I prayed, my heart clung to right theology--- God knows the number of days my mom will spend on this earth and everything that will happen to my mom while she is on this earth. As a result, I was able to present my request to the Lord for my mom's healing and then surrender my will to His will. Can I just share that I love spiritual FREEDOM! I will sing it from the roof top, there is nothing like living your life with an eternal perspective. Living for eternity rather than this world really takes our circumstances out of the drivers seat and puts God and His sovereign will clearly in the forefront of our minds. This is not to say that I did not have my moments, but praise God, I did not fall apart. Trust me--- God gets all the glory for that because I know my tendency and it ain't pretty! :)

Ok, back to my week in review--- Mom did not receiver her pacemaker on Tuesday. The doctor decided to wait until Wednesday. I left Conway on Wednesday at noon and drove to NWA to be with mom and dad. I arrived at mom's hospital at 2:30 in the afternoon. The surgery was scheduled for 3:00. LONG, LONG, LONG story short, my mom finally received the pacemaker at 1:30am the next morning. Praise Jesus, mom is recovering well and is on the road to a full recovery.

In the midst of mom's health crisis, my husband leaves in the morning for an overseas mission trip. Jay is leading a team of 9 people to the other side of the world to share the love of Jesus with men, women, and children who need to know that Jesus is the ONLY way to eternal life. Please pray for Jay and the team as they seek to share Jesus and set up a medical mission clinic. We are asking God to do BIG things that only He can receive the credit and glory for!

As not to under pack our weekend, I will be leading a women's conference this weekend at FBC Manila, AR. I love this sweet church. I have spoken at FBC Manila numerous times. I know the ladies and I love them. The women's ministry team at FBC is so supportive of True Vine Ministry. This is such a blessing to me and my family. FBC knows how to take care of a family in ministry. I count it an honor to serve this church and community. This weekend we will examine the topic Free To Thrive! Saturday will be jammed packed with the Word and I know the women will come with a ready heart. My prayer, "Lord show Your power!"

The boys will be in Harrison for the weekend. Jay's parents are picking them up tomorrow and I am so thankful! God is good and always provides everything we need to be obedient to Him. Aren't you glad He does not leave us on our own? He is with us! Today, I am taking this promise to the spiritual bank and making a personal deposit! I hope you do too!

Peace and Love!
Andrea@TVM

A Sacred Trust

Well, I meant to write this post last week but got sidetracked with life. (Can you relate?) Even now, there are several things I need to do--- laundry, toilets, dishes, etc! My "to do'" list is long but it will have to wait. I simply have to share something with you. It is a passage of scripture that God is using to rock my world!

It all began last week. One morning before school, Jake (my ten year old) and I were working on memorizing a passage of scripture. Jake is involved in Bible drill at church. I am so proud of Jake! He is memorizing 25 verses of scripture and 10 key passages. Jake is really working hard on this task. Recently, we started working on memorizing 1 Corinthians 4:2. "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." Jake and I went over the passage several times and then I asked Jake, "What do you think 1 Corinthians 4:2 means?" Jake blew me away with his response. Jake stated, "There are responsibilities that come along with being a Christian." I asked Jake, "What are the responsibilities?" Jake said, "The number one responsibility is to love God more than I love anything else." Can I say, "Wow!" Out of the mouth of my ten year old son, flowed life-changing truth. As a believer in Jesus Christ, it is my responsibility to guard my life from loving anything or anyone more than I love Christ.

Following my conversation with Jake, I dropped Jake and Andrew off at school. Then I rushed home and opened my Bible to 1 Corinthians. I wanted to examine the context of 1 Corinthians 4. As I did, I was reminded that the believers in Corinth, the original recipients of Paul's letter, were arguing over the person they chose to follow. Some said, "I follow Paul." While others stated, "I follow Apollos." Paul set the record straight by saying, "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe..." (1 Corinthians 3:5)

As I processed this passage of scripture, I had to smile. I thought about the fact that things really do have a way of remaining the same. Even today you find loyal followers of preachers, teachers, and leaders who make it their passion to follow their guy or gal. I hope this statement does not come across as judgmental. Please know that my desire is to lift up and encourage the body of Christ! With out a doubt, I have a list of leaders that I pray for and follow on a regular basis. We all should. The point I attempting to make is that our passion to follow an individual must not supersede our passion to follow Christ! I know everyone reading this blog will agree with me in theory, but what about practice? A good way to measure your heart on this important issue is by asking this question, "Do I spend more time listening to a spiritual leader than I do in one-on-one time with my Lord?"

I will be honest with you. This message hits close to home. As many of you know, some exciting things are going on at True Vine Ministry. I am thankful, humbled and amazed. At the same time, I find myself fighting a near trap. During these days it would be easy for me to think that I need to create a successful ministry by gathering a large following of women, thus making a statement about the validity of TVM to the Christian world. In essence, striving to be the kind of leader that women are drawn to follow. While this sounds good and "dead on" when it comes to marketing your ministry or profession, it teeters near a very dangerous line in ministry that I simply cannot cross. The focus of TVM should never be on people following me. Rather, the focus of TVM must be on directing others attention towards Christ. I have been given this trust and I must prove faithful in it.

In your life, you have been given a trust as well. This trust involves loving "no one" or "no thing" more than you love Christ. Additionally, your trust requires that you make a choice to forsake a path in your life that might cause someone else to love you more than they love Christ. This is your trust. How will you respond?


ReFocused!
Andrea@TVM

The Secret Place

This morning I had to go to a place that I have been avoiding. A place that brings me pain and healing, dread and relief, sorrow and joy. This morning I had to go to the secret place. The secret place is a place where I am alone before God. I love the secret place because going there results in much needed restoration for my weary soul. At the same time, I dread the secret place because it forces me to see the holiness of God and to feel the weight of sin in my heart.

To be honest, I knew this morning was coming. Last night I spent time doing research on Psalm 38, 39, and 40. During this time, the Lord began convicting my heart about the way I respond to sin in my life. Not that I had stopped confessing my sin, I had not. However, I had fallen into the trap of confessing my sin much like I read my grocery list.

As I read the words David penned in response to the sin in his life, I wondered how I had become so callous to sin in my walk with the Lord. The following verses brought this truth home to me. Psalm 38:4-8"My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart." Talk about the feeling of pain, dread, and sorrow, David's words flowed with the brokenness he experienced as a result of sin in his life. Today, I can relate. I too am broken over the haphazard approach to sin that I so easily display.

Praise the Lord that going to the secret place does not leave me with a feeling of dread! You see, at the very heart of the secret place resides great hope in knowing that God is greater than any sin that so easily entangles my life. Again, I offer David's words. Psalm 40: 1-3- "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out o the slimy pit, out of the mud and more; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." The song that God often puts in my mouth as a result of encountering Him in the secret place, is a song of praise to my God for His saving grace in my life. I am reminded that God has delivered me from a number of slimy pits and He will continue to deliver me. Today, my response to the truth is to get real about the pits that I am currently in and to surrender to the truth that the road leading to those pits was paved with sin. No doubt, I got into those slimy pits by compromising the holiness of God in my daily life. The path that leads out of the slimy pit is paved with righteousness. I live a right life before the Lord when I recognize His holiness and strive to live that holiness out in my life.

Today are you avoiding a much needed encounter with God in your secret place? If so, run my friend and find healing for your weary soul.

Humbled and Grateful!
Andrea @ TVM

Love NEVER Fails!

Last night Jay and I took Jake and Andrew out for a special V-Day dinner. We let the boys select the location and we were not surprised when they picked I-Hop. My boys think I-Hop is the best place in town. Jay and I think I-Hop has the best deal in town--- all you can eat pancakes for $4.99!

When we arrived at I-Hop, I was surprised that we were seated next to a table with 10 college girls. The restaurant had plenty of open seating but we were escorted to the long bench seating at the front of the restaurant. Because we were seated so close, it was impossible not to hear the conversation going on at their table. I will be honest. I was curios to hear the topic of their conversation. It was apparent to me that these 10 (super cute) girls did not have V-Day dates. As a result, the girls decided to get together and share a meal. This fact made me love these girls from the very beginning!

As both tables waited for food, lots of conversation took place. I talked with Jay and the boys. At the same time, I listened to the conversation going on beside me. The topic--- favorite V-Day gifts. One by one, the girls shared favorite gifts or memories for years past. It was neat to hear the things that had meant so much to each of them.

Soon the meals arrived and I watched as these precious girls bowed their head and thanked God for the food and the sweet time of fellowship. I was amazed at the spiritual sensitivity these young girls displayed. It was apparent to me that these girls knew that God had granted them a sweet time together even though it was not the traditional way to spend V-Day.

Our family wrapped up our meal and headed out to the car. Once in the car, I had a box of Russell Stover's candy waiting in the front seat. I opened the box and told the boys that we were going to share one person that we love and why we love them. Then I passed out the candy. The conversation went like this:

Andrew, "I love dad." Why, "Dad wrestles with me."
Jake, "I love mom." Why, "Mom gave birth to me."
Jay, "I love Andrea." Why, "Andrea is my Valentine."
Andrea, "I love Jesus, Jay, Jake, and Andrew." Why, "Because all of you have changed my life."

As we drove home and enjoyed our chocolate, my thoughts returned to the 10 college girls that we encountered at I-Hop. I prayed for them as we drove. I thanked God that they appeared to know Him by taking time to pray before their meal. I also prayed that they would know and experience real love in their lives. Not the kind of love that comes only in the form of a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of their stomach, but also the kind of love that changes their life. The kind of love that NEVER fails.

Jesus gave each of us a chance to know and experience real love that NEVER fails when He died on the cross. Because of Jesus' act of obedience to the Father and love for us, we can know this unfailing love. This unfailing love sticks by your side through thick and thin. This unfailing love gets stronger as the years go by. And, this unfailing love changes everything about the way you live your life. Not only can we experience and know this unfailing love, because of Jesus' act of love, we can express this unfailing love to those in our lives. What a wonderful truth! We can stick by someone's side through think and thin. We can express love that grows stronger and stronger each day. And, we can offer love to someone in such a way that their life is forever changed.

Yes, real love, God's love, is unfailing. Today, because of Jesus, you can receive real love and then turn around and give real love away. My friend, love NEVER fails! This week I want to challenge you to evaluate the type of love that reside in your heart. Read 1 Corinthians 13 and ask the Lord to teach you how to live a life of love--- that never fails!

Love! Love!
Andrea @ TVM

A Whirlwind Resistant Life!

We all know what it is like to get caught up in a whirlwind in life. A whirlwind occurs when the circumstances of life leave you at a point where you do not know right from left, front from back, or up from down. The result of a whirlwind is that life occurs so fast that you find yourself constantly spinning in different directions--- emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Whirlwinds come in different forms. A few examples include: unexpected diagnosis, breakdown in a relationship, loss of a loved one, financial problems, crisis at church, or loss of a job. Any one of these situations can leave you at a point where you do not know right from left, front from back, or up from down.

Jesus' disciples experienced their share of whirlwinds. One whirlwind took place in the months leading up to Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. During this time, the disciples experienced a lot of ups and downs. Think about the triumphal entry. Certainly, this was a high point. The disciples must have rejoiced in the fact that many Jews were waving palm branches and shouting, "Hosanna." This high was quickly shattered with the lowest of lows. The same crowd shouting, "Crucify!"

In the midst of the whirlwind, Jesus drew the disciples aside and gave them a series of instructions. Today, I would like to focus on three instructions found in John 14:1-6. Hear these words as the disciples must have heard them. Full of love and assurance as they flowed from Jesus' lips.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14: 1-6

Three Clear Instructions:

1. Trust God with every detail of life! The most important question in your life, "Do I trust God with the details in my life?" We ultimately display our trust in God by surrendering to Him--- to His will and to His purposes.
2. Embrace a big picture perspective! The big picture perspective is the eternal perspective. This world is not our home! When you have a big picture perspective you understand that there is more going on in your life than you can see, measure, or comprehend. Remember God's goal for you life--- conformity to Jesus Christ. Romans 8:29. A big picture perspective helps you move past a focus on this world and the things going on in this world. The benefit, you no longer measure your life based on your circumstance. Instead, you value the things that Christ values.
3. Walk a clear path by following Jesus! Jesus is the way! Think how often we use John 14:6 to share our faith. Naturally we should. But can I tell you what grips me about this passage? The recipients were believers! Everyday believers in Jesus Christ need to know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

If you are in the middle of a whirlwind, find your place of refuge in God's Word. Know that you can trust God with every detail going on in your life. Know that you glorify God in your life when you embrace a big picture perspective. Know that every day you are called to walk the narrow path of following Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life. As you submit to God's Word, your life will not spin out of control because of the circumstances going on in your life. Instead, you will walk, by the grace of God, through that whirlwind and straight into the loving arms of your Savior.

Love!
Andrea@TVM

Helpful tips for keeping your eyes on Jesus while you live in your busy world!

Last night I had the best time with a group of gals at First Baptist Church in Camden, AR. We gathered together on a cold/wet night to study God's word and encourage one another in our walks with the Lord. I loved the group of gals the Lord brought together. We had young ladies who brought babies to older ladies who were so full of wisdom and love for our sweet Savior. One thing we all had in common--- we all live busy, crazy lives. From carpool to laundry to church work, all of us stay too busy for our own good! Because of our tendency to live busy lives, we recognized that we often fight the tendency of forsaking our first love in Jesus Christ. As we talked through scripture, we were reminded about the importance of keeping our eyes focused on Christ. We learned the value of continually moving forward in our walks with Christ with a sense of openness and surrender before the Lord. We learned that we must be rooted in Christ through salvation and built up in Christ through sanctification--- becoming more like Jesus every day and less like the world in every way. We were reminded about the importance of taking daily steps of faith and how stepping out in faith provides a "space" in our life for God to do amazing things. The call to be thankful in every circumstance really put the icing on the cake and reminded all of us that when we are thankful we will have eyes that are focused on Jesus because we will recognize how He sustains and provides in our lives. (Col. 2:6-7)

At the end of the night, I shared a few practical tips that I use in my life to help guard my relationship with Jesus from my busy and sometimes crazy world. I shared that I strive to have my quiet time each day before I hit the reactive point in my day. This means that I strive to establish God's authority over my life before life starts happening to me. For me, my reactive point occurs when I turn on my computer, smart phone, or answer the telephone. Therefore, it is important for me have my quiet time before these points occur. The reason why is simple. When I react in life, I want to react out of God's love instead of my natural self. Second, I utilize personal worship in my daily walk with Jesus to help stay focused on my King. I use my ipod for this almost every day. Early in the day, I worship the King. This step helps me to get my eyes off of myself and to put my focus on knowing, loving, and serving Jesus throughout my day. Finally, I make scripture memory a priority in my day so that I always have God's Word with me--- no matter where I go or what I face. I will never forget a question the Lord asked me one day in my quiet time. The Lord asked, "Andrea, if you did not have access to my Word on a daily basis in your life, how much of the Word would you have hidden in your heart?" My answer, "not enough!"

These are a few things that I do to remain focused in my daily walk with the Lord. Now, I have a question for you. "What do you do on a daily basis to stay focused in your walk with the Lord?" Do tell, sister!


Love!
Andrea @ TVM

Beautiful Day!

Oh My! The weather today in Arkansas was out of this world. Really, it was amazing! In order to soak in the beauty, our family set out to conquer Pinnacle Mountain. (Small mountain on the outskirts of Little Rock, AR.) We loaded up the boys and the dog and headed out. When we arrived at Pinnacle, we were stunned by the sheer number of cars searching for a parking spot. After several minutes of driving, we decided to park in a field across the road from the entrance to Pinnacle Mountain. As a result, we had to hike in order to get to our hike! We decided to take Lulu our dog on the hike with us. This was our first outing with Lulu and my first outing as a dog owner. Here is what I discovered. Tons of people talk to you when you have a dog. All the kids wanted to pet Lulu. It was really fun!

The number of people hiking the mountain was unbelievable. I kept thinking--- this is like rush hour traffic. All the hikers had to work together in order to make the day work. We did and everyone on the mountain seemed to have fun. Lulu and I only made it 3/4 of the way up the mountain. Her little legs just could not climb all the big rocks. We sat at the #8 marker while the guys went to the top.

As I sat, I watched all the people pass by. This is by far one of my favorite things to do. People watching is just so entertaining to me. I listened in on their conversations and wondered what their life must be like. I prayed for them and even talked to some. Today as I watched the people climb up the mountain and down the mountain, I was taken by the sheer number of people in this world and the fact that so many of them do not know Jesus. It is staggering for me to think about this fact. Right here in Arkansas, in the heart of the Bible belt, there are people who do not know Jesus. People who have never opened a Bible. People who have never been around a Christian who lives out their faith every single day. People who have not even heard the name of Jesus.

During the car ride home, we turned on K-Love. Jeremy Camps song Jesus Saves was played. My boys know this is one of my current favorites. I love this song! I love the words in this song and the message the words convey. Today, we all sang along--- "Raise a shout to let all the world know that Jesus saves!"

I am ready to shout! How about you?

Andrea @ TVM

Note: Picture of my boys, Jake and Andrew, during lunch at Five Guys. This was our first Five Guys experience. Now that is a big burger!

Mugs and Muffins

Tonight I had the chance to attend my home church's 2011 Women's Ministry Kick off event. The event was called Mugs and Muffins. As you might guess we had coffee, apple cider, hot chocolate, and an assortment of fabulous muffins. I had so much fun chatting with my friends and hearing all the wonderful things that my women's ministry team will be offering this year.

I loved going to the event and just being a normal gal. I was not the speaker. I was not asked to pray. I did not set anything up or take anything down. I took the event in, "just like everyone else." I put on a name tag, registered for a door prize--no, I did not win, and enjoyed all the yummy treats. I had so much fun! I met new friends and visited with old friends. I came away from the night refreshed and ready to tackle 2011.

This year I want to encourage you to support the ministries that are offered through your local church. So often as women we do not take time to fill up our spiritual tanks. We often forsake our spiritual tanks for the sake of our kids or out of perceived necessity. But do you know what I learned tonight? I learned that if I take time to fill up my spiritual tank, I will have more to give. Sisters, let's not neglect our spiritual tanks to the point where we are running on fumes. Instead, let's be proactive and take the necessary steps to connect with God through His Word and to fellowship with sisters in Christ. A great place to connect with God and fellow sisters is through the ministries offered at your local church. So here is a two-fold challenge. First, support the ministries at your local church. Get in there and get involved. I promise you will not regret it! Second, grab a mug of hot chocolate, a fancy muffin, a friend, and God's Word, then watch and see how the Lord fills up your spiritual tank! Trust me, there is nothing like it!

Love!
Andrea @ TVM

The Body Of Christ

The last two days I have been reminded about my deep love for the body of Christ. True Vine Ministry had a booth at the Arkansas State Evangelism Conference. As I stood at my booth and shared my heart for reaching women in Arkansas and beyond with the love of Jesus Christ, I was overwhelmed by the support I received from my brothers and sisters. Many took my card and committed to pray for me. Others expressed a desire to partner with TVM by hosting a women's retreat or conference in their area or at their church. Some bought a copy of Reflecting His Glory and resolved to take the resource home and share it with the women in their church. Then there were those who simply hugged my neck and said, "Thank you for what you do."

At various points during my time at the Conference, I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude to the Lord for allowing me to see the body of Christ functioning as it should--- in love, gratitude, and support for the greater cause of Jesus Christ. Too often members of the body of Christ get sidetracked and focused on earthly things. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with this problem. Perhaps I start looking out for my own interest instead of the interest of others. Or, I start thinking that I have to make something great of my name and in the process fail to live my life for the furtherance of God's Name on this earth. We can all fall into one of these self -focused traps.

When I returned home yesterday afternoon, I had a facebook message from a new friend. My friend shared the news that she had received a diagnosis of Cancer. I immediately called my friend to check on her. My friend shared a few details and then apologized for "dumping" on me. I, with great boldness, shared with my friend that she was not "dumping" on me. In fact, I told my friend that I count it an honor to help her in any way I can. After all, isn't that what the body of Christ is all about? Loving/serving God and loving/supporting one another.

Today, I want to challenge you to think beyond yourself. Root out the areas in your life that are self-foucsed and embrace a life that is focused on loving God and supporting those around you. As you do, you will see the body of Christ as a beautiful thing. A family that lives for Jesus and the furtherance of His Name on this earth!

Go Team!!
Andrea @ TVM

The power of p. p. in your daily life!

I know the title for today's post is interesting. As a mom of two boys, p.p. usually means one thing in our house! However, when I share the story behind today's title, I think you will agree that we all need the power of p.p. in our daily lives!

Last Thursday we had some work done in our kitchen. As a result, our kitchen was closed. Jake and Andrew were hungry following school so I took them to McDonalds to pick up an early supper. Jake, Andrew, Lulu--our dog, and I got in the car. As we drove to McDonalds, I began to think that I had made a serious mistake by bringing the dog along. Lulu is new to our family and has not been out of the house to run errands. To say that Lulu is high-strung is a major understatement! Lulu is wild! As I thought about ordering the boys food via the drive through, I pictured Lulu barking and running around in the car. So, I made a snap decision to park the car in the front parking space and run inside to order the boys food. I told the boys to stay in the car and keep the doors locked. I assured the boys that I would be able to see them the whole time. Jake my oldest asked a question. "Mom, what if someone tries to break in?" I told Jake that I would have my eye on them the whole time and that the car would be locked. Jake's response. "Mom, don't worry. If anyone tries to break in, I will use the p.p. approach." Again my mind went to my idea of p.p. and I thought, "that just might work!" Jake went on to explain that if anyone tried to break in the car, he would take care of the situation with p.p. Jake said, "you know mom, I will pray and punch!"

As I sat in my car, I laughed at Jake's sense of humor. He is a sharp boy who is able to come up with a plan in a short amount of time. It was not until later that I began to process the value of Jake's p.p. approach to life. How often we find ourselves in a difficult situation and pray but never actively engage in the solution. Maybe we have a stronghold in our life and we just want that area to disappear instead of taking the necessary steps to renew our mind. Or, maybe we find ourselves punching at the problems in our lives by trusting in our own strength to overcome and failing to talk to God and ask for His solutions for our life.

The balance to both of these extremes is seen in the p.p approach to life--- praying and punching! This week as you encounter difficulties, strongholds, or problems; stop and pray. Surrender to the fact that as a created being, you were designed for a Creator. You cannot live the life God calls you to live in your own strength. You must be in communication with God! Next, begin to look for ways that you can punch the difficulties, strongholds, or problems by actively engaging in the solution God has for you. Avoid living a passive Christian life. Get in there and fight! As you do, you will discover the power of p.p. at work in your life!


Andrea @ TVM!

Whiter Than Snow

This weekend I will be leading a women's event at Central Baptist Church in White Hall, AR. I have to smile when I think about God's timing. The theme for the event is "Whiter Than Snow." Today I have been putting together my final thoughts for the event. As I sit at my dinning room table working on my outline, the scene outside my front window is breath-taking. Snow is falling! In fact, snow is falling fast. For many, snow is "no big deal." Bur for those of us who live in Central Arkansas, snow is an event! The threat of snow sends people to the store for supplies. It causes teachers to move test dates in preparation for dismissal. And, snow makes the most productive person feel lazy!

Today as I watch the snow fall, I think about the truth found in scripture. In Christ, we are white as snow! We are dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus. We no longer live from a position of shame, doubt, fear, anxiety, or separation from God. We are connected to God through Christ and as a result, we have the ability to live whole, pure, free, and radiant lives in Christ. What an outstanding truth from scripture that all to often gets lost in the fabric of our daily lives.

The application point for my lesson this weekend has rocked me to my core. The application is this. Snow is white just like we are pure in Christ. But do you want to know what makes snow blinding in its radiance? The answer--- illumination by the sun. Think about it. Have you ever walked outside after a snowfall and the sun is shining. The sun's reflection on the snow is almost more than the bare eye can stand. The same truth should be evident in our lives. Each day our lives must interact with the Son. As we interact with the Son, His reflection on us and through us will be blinding to the point that others will not see us, they will see Him. "Lord, may it be!"

So, if the snow is falling at your house, allow the snow to remind you of your position in Christ. You are free. You are whole. You are pure. Then walk in that truth by asking the Son to shine on you each moment of the day. For His Glory!

Let it snow!
Andrea at TVM

All in a day's work!

It is 10:14p.m. and I am just sitting down to blog. So much for blogging first thing in the morning! I guess "better late than never" will be my theme for today.

My day started by dropping the boys off at school. I came home and spent time in Isaiah 1. I am teaching from this passage on Saturday. I then headed to church to drop off a jump drive. Can I confess that when I go anywhere first thing in the morning, it is not a pretty site. I tell you, I have no shame in throwing a baseball cap on my head and meeting the day "no make up" applied. After everyone at church was throughly shocked by my appearance, I headed to the McGhee center to run. For whatever reason, running was HARD today. I think everyone at the track felt bad for me. I finished my laps and slowly walked to my car. Once home, my day was moving at the speed of light! I spent more hours on the phone than off the phone. There are days when I am overwhelmed by the number of hurting people around me. At times I feel so unprepared and so inadequate to respond to the needs of others. Today was one of those days. Oh how I wish life was simpler. I wish there was a neat and tidy solution for every problem faced. All I can say is that I am thankful for the Lord. I am thankful for His presence and His Word in my life. I am thankful that God is greater than any struggle, hurt, pain, or problem faced in this life. God is God and He has the answer because He is the answer!

Once the boys arrived home from school, it was homework time. Andrew has two tests tomorrow so we had a lot of studying to do this afternoon. This is always a challenge and requires patience on my part and perseverance on Andrew's part. All I can say is that we made it through the afternoon! Jake left his backpack at a friends house so I had to track down his work. One that mission was accomplished, I threw supper together. Tonight everyone had their choice of food. Of course this is code for leftovers at my house. Following supper, I headed to choir and enjoyed sitting down for the first time all day. We worked on new music and just had fun laughing and fellowshipping together. Following choir, I picked up two new banners for my book table. Next Monday and Tuesday TVM will be featured at the Arkansas State Evangelism Conference. I needed some super sharp signs for my booth and Dusty at my home church hooked me up! I can't wait to share the pictures with you.

Although this sounds like a pretty packed down, I am far from finished. Now I need to prep my kitchen and bathroom for a little remodeling work that will begin bright and early at 8:15 in the morning. So I guess I better sign off and wash some dishes. However, before I go, allow me to share one of the most amazing passages of scripture with you. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" This scripture never gets old. I often need to be reminded that as a believer in Jesus Christ, the old is gone! As a result, I must forsake the old thing and embrace the new thing that God is doing. It is not always easy to forsake the old thing but it is always the right thing to do. In the end, forsaking the old thing and embracing the new thing brings joy and peace into my heart as I live a life that is focused on Jesus Christ.

Real quick, before I go, may I ask you a question? "Do you need to forsake the old thing and embrace the new thing?" If so, do it! You will never have peace in your heart till you surrender to the life God is calling you to live. The old thing may be a destructive habit, a bad relationship, or a negative thought pattern. Whatever it is, determine to be done with that old thing. Embrace the new thing that God is doing in you and live your life focused on Him!

"Lord, help us to forsake the old thing and embrace the new thing. Please give us an undivided heart for You and Your Word. May we settle for nothing less than all of You in all of us--- for Your glory alone!"

Love!
Andrea at TVM

Welcome 2011!

I am finally getting in the swing of things around my house. Is it really the middle of January? It seems like our family has been blessed with a lot of together time lately. Christmas break was a blast and we enjoyed seeing extended family. The snow break was so much fun! The boys are old enough to go out in the snow and play for several hours. Yesterday the boys were out of school for MLK day and we had fun at home. So, can I be honest with you and say that I was a tad bit excited this morning when I dropped the boys off at school? I have missed my quiet house (which really isn't that quiet anymore--- I will explain in a second!) I have missed my uninterrupted time with the Lord. I have missed singing at the top of my lungs to my precious Savior. Don't get me wrong. I will probably be the first person in the car pool line to pick up my crew, but I will admit that I have enjoyed my much needed time with the Lord. Thank you, Jesus!

So as 2011 is in full swing, I want to give you a few updates on my life as well as True Vine Ministry. Hang on to your seat---- here we go!

Updates:
1. We have a new dog! (Hence the comment about our house NOT being so quiet!) Lulu is a one and a half year old maltese. She requires a lot of attention from me and the guys but we are so glad she is a Lennon! Lulu is having to learn a lot of rules right now and she is doing pretty good. I feel like she is another full-time job but my boys LOVE her so it is worth it. I even found myself glad to see her when I came home from a meeting last night.

2. Jay and the boys are doing great. Jay is working hard on some changes to the TVM website. He is trying to get me up to speed in the area of technology. I am so thankful for my supportive husband. The boys are fun and I love to see life through their eyes.

3. TVM's speaking schedule for the spring is full! I am excited to share God's Word with so many women this year. Check out the events page for a location near you!

4. Women's Inc: I will continue to contribute a monthly column to Women's Inc. I will post the links each month on Facebook, twitter, and this blog. I have also been asked to submit four additional columns for the new Home edition of Women's Inc. I am going to write a series on the Fruit of the Spirit at work in our homes--- A Peaceful Home, A Loving Home, A Kind Home, and A Joyful Home. So excited to share God's truth in this setting!

5. I will be doing more web-conferences this year. I hope to schedule at least four. The web-conferences will be free so keep an eye on my events page for details.

6. Reflecting His Glory: Book sales are going well for RHG. I have several events this year and two state-wide events. My goal is to focus on Arkansas and get the word out about this tool for women. The first event is next week at the Statewide Evangelism Conference.

7. Free To Thrive!: The manuscript is complete! Thank you, Jesus! The editing process is about to begin. I hope to publish in the fall of 2011.

8. Social Networking: This year I am going to focus on using facebook, twitter, and this blog to encourage women in their walk with Jesus. I just have to be honest--- social networking is a challenge for me. I am a face-to-face kind of gal. However, if I can honor the Lord through this means, I will gladly do it!

9. Church Work: As many of you know, I spent a lot of my time in 2010 helping at the staff level at my home church in the area of adult education. I was honored to step in when needed but I am thankful to report that this weekend we have a Godly man and family coming in view of a call for the area of adult ministry. Lord willing, I will be totally released from church work in 2011 so that I can focus on TVM. Of course, I will still be very involved in ministry at my home church but in more lay leader roles.

10. Mission Work: Once again, I am looking forward to traveling to the other side of the world to share the love of Jesus Christ. Jay and I are working together to connect churches in the State of Arkansas with mission needs on the other side of the world. We are currently working with 9 churches. We are so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to serve--- to the ends of the earth!

Come Lord Jesus, Come!
Andrea at TVM