How to truly treat others......

"In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.  If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.  If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.  If it is giving, give generously.  If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.  And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.  Don't just pretend to love others.  Really love them.  Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.  Rejoice in our confident hope.  Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.  When God's people are in need, be ready to help them.  Always be eager to practice hospitality."

Romans 12:6-13 (NLT)

Hope in the Darkness.....

When situations are bleak and hope seems millions of miles away, a light can be seen at the end of the tunnel.
This is how I see Southern Baptist Disaster Relief workers, the light at the end of the tunnel. We are there to offer that hope to those who have suffered loss and cannot seem to find it in the moment. Whether it is a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, a kind word of encouragement, a cup of cold water, or helping them recover items lost in disaster and restoration of their property. All of these are love in action.  We don't deploy for our own glory, but to give Glory to the One who ultimately gives this life sustaining hope we all long for.
Love for my fellow DR workers, not just those in California but every where in the United States and overseas.  We have a common ground and a passion to help the least of these in times of great need. The love of the Father pours from each of them in a way that I never thought I could see come from anyone aside from Jesus himself.
The following information is a current count of the efforts from Southern Baptist Disaster Relief:

Professions of Faith		198
Gospel Presentations		1,895
Chaplaincy Contacts		5,764
Ministry Contacts		21,125
Other Decisions		57
Volunteer Days		40,225
Meals Prepared		1,861,830
Mudout Jobs		1,626
Chainsaw Jobs		2,002
Fire Cleanup/Debris Removal		117
Repair/Roofing Jobs		364
Showers		20,635
Laundry Loads		8,063
Children Cared For		374
Gallons of Water Purified		10,761
Messages Sent		2,187

Please keep these men and women in your prayers as they continue their work for the Lord on the east coast. Many more days will be required to help the victims of Sandy. Because of the love the Father has for us, we have joy. Below is a video that some of the volunteers from Texas, Virginia and South Carolina put together to bring some holiday cheer at the end of a hard day.

Be Obedient....

In the Southern Baptist world the month of December is when we focus on International missions offering named after an incredible lady from Virginia, Lottie Moon.
This month the theme is Be Obedient. The videos are powerful and heart wrenching, I am trusting God that people will move once they see them.  In preparing for this offering time I am brought back to our own "missionaries" here in the states that are on the east coast helping victims with clean-up and recovery from a monster storm named Sandy.
Some of these volunteers, especially California volunteers, have to pay their own travel fares in order to go help. Airfare is more expensive this time of year, however can be cheaper if the duration of your stay is a long one.  Some of the disaster relief workers from other states like Missouri have been working in the New York/New Jersey area since shortly after the storm hit. California is scheduled to deploy December 8 and return December 17. Without the funds to do this more teams will not be able to answer their call to go and serve.
One of the videos I watched for the Lottie Moon offering month showed a young man who answered the call to serve as a missionary in China.  He expressed his concern that he wondered how many people in the states aren't answering their calls.  This also makes me think of our disaster relief team here in California. Without the monetary gifts, it's difficult to answer that call. We are all a team when it comes to helping our brothers and sisters.
If you would like to answer your call and Be Obedient, you can give monetary gifts to the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Ministry. You can send your donations to: California Southern Baptist Convention designated for "Sandy DR Relief" and mail it to CSBC, 678 E. Shaw Avenue, Fresno CA 93710, attention Disaster Relief.
You can also visit the website www.csbc.com and click on the disaster relief picture.

Won't you answer the call today?

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross and follow me.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it."
Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT)

One thing.....

Remain, Remained, Remains......these are all verbs and their meaning is: to stay in the same place or with the same person or group; to continue unchanged.

I deployed to Colorado with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief in July. We went with the purpose of helping victims clean up and recover their homes (what was left of them) from the wildfires that had ravaged the forest and the people there. In the two weeks that I was there I saw God's love and the work of the Holy Spirit first hand.

No matter what changes around us, whether it be the loss of a home, a job, a family member, a pet, or the loss of relationships, one thing remains.  God's love.

God's love is as the description says, unchanging. What ever we do, God loves us. What ever we don't do, God loves us. His thoughts of us are precious to Him. He regards us above all things.

In our pursuit of living according to how God wants us to live, we need to remember that His love is constant. It isn't fleeting, or temporary, it goes on forever. Another good word....forever; for a limitless time, continually. Incredible.

In discovering God's love while in Colorado, I also met the Holy Spirit. I call Him friend, fellow worker, the broken hearted. Why? Because I saw His work come full circle in helping each.  The only way we can truly love others like God loves us is to serve them.  Our love has to remain forever, just like Gods.

Once we understand and embrace this amazing, unchanging, continual love of God, then and only then will we be able to keep working along side the Holy Spirit to see the fruits of our labor.

"Long ago the Lord said to Israel: 'I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.  With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.' " Jeremiah 31:3

Love Forever......

No matter how many days, weeks, years between I still love you.

Its really amazing how when you reconnect with old friends it seems that time stood still, we are just older and somewhat more wiser now. I love this about true friendship.
Some years ago a very dear friend came back into my life. It had been several years since we had spoken or even saw each other.  When we did, it was as if there wasn't any time gone between all of those years.
More things were the same once we were in each others lives again.

Feelings from long ago came to the surface for me.

Each visit is cherished, and I wouldn't change them at all. However each visit those feelings become stronger, and each departure leaves an emptiness and longing to see them again.

How do you tell someone that you have known over half your life that you're in love with them and have been the whole time.

Waiting.........

So many times I have found myself perplexed as to many whys in my life. All of them of course are whys to the negative. Why do I not have a better job? Why do I not have my own home? Why are we not together anymore? Why can't I finish school? So many whys....

I have been blaming myself for all of these negatives. It's my own fault that we cant be together. Its my own fault for not having a better job to give us a nice home. Its my own fault that I haven't finished school. Then there is the BIG WHY in the midst of all of this why and self blame. God why wont you bless me? God what about your promises? I ultimately come back to more self blame here. My behavior is keeping those promises from coming through. I have beat myself up over this so many times, but for all the wrong reasons.
I played the fear card when it came to not receiving the blessings I felt that I deserved. Out of fear toward God I would straighten my act up until the results were futile. Nothing, no blessings still. I then would resign to the fact that, well, it just isn't meant to be. So I would resolve to a less than what I desire lifestyle and try to be happy with it. At least I was still breathing, right?

All of this why and self blame and changing of behavior and resolving to accept what I don't want continued over and over again. Daily, monthly, yearly.....a lifetime. Until one day....I saw things differently.

I'm not the one waiting on God to bless me and give me the desires of my heart. He is the one waiting on me.
Always has been.

He is waiting for me to change. Not just change my behavior temporarily, but change everything about me on the inside. My attitude, my words, my actions, my thoughts, my deep desires.........everything. He is ready to bless me and bless me in such a way that it will bring me to my knees in humble adoration to the One that created me for His purposes. He is holding back because I am not ready, and He knows it. He knows that he cannot give me the blessings until I fix myself, and fix everything that I am on Him. It's not really His timing at all, but mine. When am I going to change so that He can give me what I have been praying for? He's ready and excited to bless me....I am keeping Him from it.  He doesn't want anyone to suffer and lose out on anything. It can be too late though, but I don't want it to be too late.

"Don't overlook the obvious here, friends.  With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day.  God isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness.  He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost.  He's giving everyone space and time to change." 2 Peter 3:8,9 The Message

How wide, how long, how high and how deep.....

Even though I have read the words many times over and heard the song and sang along with it....I dont believe I really comprehended them.
There is no measure to the Fathers love. It is outnumbered. More than the grains of sand, more numerous than the stars in the night sky. Considerably more than the hairs on our heads, yes even if you shave your head, it's more than that.
All I can do is just sit and be silent at this new comprehension. There are no words in response to it.

"Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.  Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." Ephesians 3:17,18 (NLT)