Confession 209: Water, Water Anywhere???

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“Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of the Earth.” Genesis 1: 28

Each year our United Methodist Women’s group has a program entitled “A Call to Prayer and Self-Denial”.  During the evening we look at a particular issue that is affecting our world and learn about ways to get involved to make a change for good.  This year, the focus was on the global water crisis with an emphasis on the damaging effects bottled water is having on our world.  Yes, you heard right, bottled water is quickly breaking down our planet!!

Here are a few quick facts:

1. Each year there are 3 billion pounds of waste from bottled water!!  As most of us know, plastic is not biodegradable.  Where does that plastic end up?  Much of it finds it’s way into our oceans, streams, rivers and lakes where it breaks down enough for fish and animals to eat it.  Slowly and surely, the plastic we discard is making it’s way back up our food chain.  That thought gives me pause as I bite into a piece of chicken.

2. Making bottled water wastes water.  It takes 3 times the amount of water to produce the bottle as it does to fill it!!  Plastic production requires the use of water, as does filtering the water that goes into the bottles.  40% of the water used to make one bottle of water we pull from the gas station is simply poured down the drain.

3. Making bottled water wastes oil.  17 million barrels of oil are used in the production of bottled water each year!!  Look at a bottle of water.  Imagine seeing 1/4 of that bottle filled with oil.  That’s how much oil went into the production of that bottle of water.  That’s what we’re drinking.

4. Bottled water is not held to the same FDA test standards as tap water.  There are more stringent government regulations on tap water than bottled water.  Bottled water companies are not legally required to divulge the source of their water.  AND, 40% of all bottled water sold is actually tap water!!

5. Producing bottled water dries up sources of water for communities and farms throughout the country.  If we continue to consume water at the rate we are currently consuming, it is only a matter of time before communities in the United States are affected by the global water crisis.

Here are some resources if you’d like to check the facts.
water.org
onedrop.org
onlineeducation.net/bottled_water

I am committing to end my use of bottled water.  Would you do the same?

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

Confession 207: Pray With

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My husband just finished a message series called “The Prayer Project”.  I have to confess that prayer is probably the weakest part of my daily walk with God.  This series has challenged me to be more intentional in my prayer, to communicate throughout the day with God, to praise God and to surrender myself to his will through prayer.  Yesterday, Chris finished up the series with a sermon titled “Pray With”.  The basic message was that, as Christians, we are called to pray with and not just for other people.  It’s one thing to tell someone that you’ll pray for them.  It is another, riskier, more meaningful act to stop what you’re doing and pray with them on the spot.  I, and others in the congregation, resolved to be more intentional about praying with others.  However, God wasn’t done.

That evening, I went with some friends to a Brandon Heath/Brit Nicole concert.  During her performance, Brit Nicole spoke of the power of fear in our lives to keep us from doing God’s will.  She said that just that day she had been out shopping and felt God calling her to pray with a woman in a store.  And yet, her fear prevented her from doing what she felt God calling her to do.  Remembering Chris’ sermon, my friends and I exchanged meaningful looks and laughed at God’s ability to continually weave messages into our lives.  And yet, God still wasn’t finished!

After the concert we stopped at a Taco Bell for a belated dinner.  While we were eating we entered into a conversation with a woman working at the restaurant.  She shared with us her struggles of being a single mom, working 7 days a week and barely making ends meet.  As many look forward to the upcoming holiday season, she is dreading it because she doesn’t have enough money to do much for her three children.  She shared with us that last Christmas, in fact, their dinner consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with macaroni and cheese.  My friends and I looked at each other.  We knew what we needed to do.  At 10 P.M. in Taco Bell, we stopped and prayed with this young woman.  We got her contact information to see what we could do to make this Christmas better for her family.  As we were leaving one of my friends made the comment that this woman was an angel sent by God to test us and see if we were listening to his words.  I think that instead, God was giving us a gift.

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

Confession 206: Made For More

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I recently started reading the book Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.  It’s a non-diet book that seeks to battle weight loss by replacing desire for food with a desire for God.  One of the things that has impacted me the most is Terkeurst;s assertion that we were made for more than this.  In the book, the this refers to the negative eating cycle many women find themselves revolving through.  Yet as I read that statement, I realized it applies to more than my bad eating habits.  It applies to my life.  Looking around at my life, I am forced to acknowledge that I am, indeed, made for more than this.

Let me qualify the this.  I’m not talking about my family, or my bank account, or my town.  I have a beautiful family, live in a wonderful community, and God is making sure our bills get paid mostly on time.  The this I am referring to is my self-centered, self-indulgent nature that leads me into discontentment.  The this is my aimlessness that comes when my purposes for the day revolve around a bottom line rather than around God’s kingdom.  I am, indeed, made for more than this.

So, what am I made for?  First and foremost, I was made to love God.  What is the greatest command?  According to Scripture it is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. Deut. 6:5  When we love God with all of our being, our focus is completely on him.  And what would he have us do with this love?  Jesus tells us, “My command is this: love each other, as I have loved you.” John 15:12  The apostle Paul goes so far as to say the entire law is summed up in the command to love others!! (Galatians 5:14)  God wants us to have an abundant life, but that abundance only comes when we let go of ourselves and seek after God.  And it is a spiritual abundance, not material.  If we seek after material abundance we’re going right back to the this of which we were made for more.  Which I do, too often.

Therefore, I am recommitting myself once again to living the life I was made for.  I will endeavor to give God my first-fruits.  I will seek him in the morning and I will follow him throughout my day. I will work to use the gifts and talents God has given me for his kingdom purposes, not my own.  I will attempt to live into this prayer:

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee, or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee, or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to they pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on Earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen
(John Wesley, 1780)

Confession 205: Change of Plans

I’ve been out of my daily devotional for a week or so, and boy did God have a message for me when I picked it back up!!  The focus this day was on Acts 16:9-15 and the conversion of Lydia.  Prior to Paul and his companions entering into Phillipi, God had told them they could not continue on into Asia.  While they were figuring out where to go, Paul had a vision of a man in Macedonia begging him to come and help them.  So, they went–immediately.  And who was the first person they encountered?  A Gentile businesswoman named Lydia.  Not only did Lydia accept God into her heart, but also into her home.  All of the members of her household were baptized and Paul and his companions were invited to stay in Lydia’s home for as long as they needed.  Instead of going into Asia, Paul and his companions took the gospel message to Europe.  As Moore writes, God didn’t just open a door for them, he opened a whole other continent!

Yet, here’s what sticks with me most this morning.  Both Paul and Lydia made themselves available to God.  AND, they were willing to let God change their plans.

Which makes me wonder: Am I willing to allow God to change my plans today?  Are you?  Will we allow God to send us somewhere today we had no intention of going?  Will we allow God to direct our resources somewhere other than where we had planned?  Will the money we’ve saved for our own purposes today be spent on someone else?  Will we allow God to open a door of communication to someone we had no plans to communicate with?  So what’s your plan today? 

I’m excited to see where God leads us!!  If you commit to allowing God to change your plans today, let me know where you go.  I want to hear your stories of God bridging new continents today!!

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Confession 204: I AM

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Almost four months after becoming a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, I am finally getting around to attending New Consultant Training.  Better late than never, I guess! 🙂  Last night, we talked once again about the importance of creating affirmations.
Affirmations are an “I am” statement that reflects what you want to accomplish.  I am a 4 quarter STAR, I am a Red Jacket, I am a Team Leader.  The idea is that anything you say to yourself over and over will come to be.  Subconsciously, you are training your mind to accept something as reality which you wish to achieve.  The science is actually very sound on this.  I remember going to a writing conference and listening to a writer talk about using this process to help her on her way to publication.  Before falling asleep each night she would lay in bed and write in the air, “I am a writer.  As human beings, our mind is our most powerful resource. The converse can be true too.  If you look in the mirror each morning and tell yourself, “I am worthless”, you’re going to believe it.
What struck me most last night, however, was when my sales director made the comment that the phrase “I am” is the most powerful phrase in the English language.  My mind immediately jumped to Exodus 3:14 when God says to Moses’ inquiry of who God is:
 
“I AM WHO I AM.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.”
In this moment, God could have called out any number of phrases to identify himself: the Redeemer of Israel, the Creator of the Universe, the Author of Life, the Healer, the Rock, the Refuge…. Yet instead, God answers Moses’ question with the most powerful phrase in probably any language–the ultimate affirmation–I AM.  It is the answer to any question we might have, the end to any argument we may give, the hope in any circumstance we may find ourselves in.  
“God, how am I going to get around this mountain?”  God answers: “I AM!”
“God, how am I going to keep going after this setback?”  God answers: “I AM!”
“God, where am I going to find an answer to this problem?  God answers, “I AM!”
“God, where am I going to turn when this relationship, job, home, body I’ve put my faith in falls apart?”
God answers, “I AM!”
In Revelation 1:8 God puts the ultimate cap on his affirmation to Moses:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega…who was, and who is, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Do you need an affirmation today?  Tell yourself this: “I am a beloved child of the great I AM!!”
Blessings and Peace,
Sara

Confession 203: Being a Faith Warrior

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Together (we) will be like mighty warriors in battle
trampling (our) enemy into the mud of the streets.
(We) will fight because the Lord is with (us),
and (we) will put the Enemy to shame.  Zechariah 10:5

Growing up, my Grandpa always told me I would make a good soldier.  Why, I have no idea, but it’s something he told me over and over.  And while I am stubborn, persistent, and more inclined to fight than flee, I don’t like being told what to do, I need to know the reason for doing something before I begin, and if someone is pointing a gun in my general direction I am going to run the other way!!  I’ve never seen myself as a warrior.  And yet, in the above Scripture that is precisely what we are called to be!
One look at our society and it becomes clear that we are indeed mighty warriors in battle!  The Enemy surrounds us and his weapons are powerful and destructive, breaking us down from within through fear, despair, self-loathing, hopelessness, temptation, guilt, anger, selfishness, materialism and pride.  But we, as followers of Christ, have something even more powerful than these weapons of mass destruction.  The Lord is with us!!  And he carries in his arsenal not weapons with which to destroy, but tools with which to build.  The Lord brings hope, salvation, grace, mercy, forgiveness, redemption, restoration, healing, peace, goodness, power, strength, faith, compassion perseverance, and love.  
As followers of Christ, we will put the Enemy to shame with these tools the Lord provides.  We will put the Enemy to shame when we choose to forgive rather than hold a grudge.  We will put the Enemy to shame when we offer a place of healing in our churches to those who have suffered from addiction.  We will put the Enemy to shame when we go out to serve others with love and compassion in the face of despair, disaster, and poverty.  We will put the Enemy to shame when we persevere through the trials and obstacles in our lives and in our congregations to continue the work God has given us to do.  We will put the Enemy to shame when we speak to others with love and grace, focusing on the positive instead of dwelling on the negative.  We will put the Enemy to shame when we encourage others in their walk, strengthen others in their faith, support others on their journey of healing, restoration and redemption.  In essence, we will put the Enemy to shame when we LOVE!!
O, Lord, I want to be a WARRIOR today!!
Blessings and Peace,
Sara

Confession 202: Pray!

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Is anyone among you in trouble?  Let them pray!  Is anyone happy?  Let them sing songs of praise!  Is anyone among you sick?  Let them call the elders of the church to PRAY over them….Therefore, confess your sins to each other and PRAY for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is POWERFUL and EFFECTIVE!!  James 5:13-16

This Sunday, my husband began a new sermon series focusing on prayer.  For too many of us, prayer takes a backseat to the other events/happenings in our lives.  We bark orders at God or give a compulsory thanks before dinner, but we don’t really spend time in conversation with the one who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves.
Did you know that psychologists have found that the healthiest relationships are the ones in which people engage in communication with one another at least 4 hours a day?  Don’t worry, texting counts!!  Think for a minute about the person you communicate most with throughout the day.  Now, think about how much time you spend communicating with God throughout the day.  Am I the only one whose numbers don’t add up?
Communication is essential to a healthy relationship, and prayer in its most basic essence is communication.  We go to God and talk and listen.  It’s a two-way conversation, even if we’re not face-to-face.  Yet even more importantly, prayer is our time to surrender ourselves to God.  It is our time to go to God and tell him that we’re ready for him in our lives–for his forgiveness, his love, his grace, his mercy, his peace, his strength, his guidance, his power, his freedom–that we are ready for him.
So, in the words of Nike and my husband, “Just do it!”  In our society, we over complicate things.  We make excuses to justify our lack of commitment to God and others.  The solution to this is simple.  As Chris said, “If you don’t feel like you pray enough, then pray!  If you don’t feel like you read your Bible enough, read your Bible!  If you feel guilty because you don’t go to church enough, go to church!  If you feel bad because you don’t talk to your mom enough, call your mom!”  Just pray.
Just
PRAY!
Blessings and Peace,
Sara
Linking up with Michelle at Graceful today!! 

Confession 201: Nonconformist

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Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.  
Romans 12:2
Having a very active imagination, my mind wanders a lot.  Often when I’m cleaning or driving or trying to fall asleep, I make up stories in my head–little movies I can watch while I’m busy doing other things.  Had I written them all down over the years, I would have filled hundreds of books! 🙂  When I’m not making up stories I will probably never write, I am thinking about ways to expand my business or running through a to-do list or worrying about the kids, Chris or money.  I’m not sure I would call any of the above renewing my mind.
Too often, I ask God for help, advice, guidance and direction, yet I do not clear my mind of other things to allow God’s help, advice, guidance and direction to come through.  Romans 12:2 tells us that it is in the renewing of our minds that we will be able to discern God’s will.  Yet, how do we renew our minds?
First, I think we have to clear them.  We have to stop thinking and daydreaming and worrying and allow stillness to permeate our being.
Next, when our minds are clear and still, we need to go to God’s Word.  We need to pour over Scripture, letting the words imprint themselves on our newly cleared minds.  We need to soak in the Word of God, whether a chapter or two or just one verse.
Then, we need to ponder.  We need to re-read our Scripture passage or verse.  We need to read the commentaries about it, gather information around it, think about what it means in our own lives.  We need to ask God for clarity about his Word.
Finally, we need to pay attention to Scripture lived out in our lives.  Where is our passage meeting us throughout the day?  Where are we living out the Word we have received?  How is God illuminating it for us throughout our day?
It is then that we will be able to experience the renewing of our minds that will allow us to test and approve God’s good, pleasing and perfect will.
Blessings and Peace,
Sara

Confession 200: Affirmations

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In my beauty consultant business, we are taught to develop affirmations we can say to ourselves throughout the day.  We say things like, “I am a booking machine”, “I am a powerful and confident saleswoman”, “I am a Star consultant”, etc….  The idea behind these affirmations is that you become what you affirm.  It’s the idea that if you say it enough you’ll start to live it out.  And so, I felt a bit convicted yesterday when I was cleaning up a side table and found notes from the Priscilla Shirer simulcast I attended last April.  Within our conference booklet was a page of affirmations, but not affirmations focused on building business or making money, but affirmations focused on building holiness and making a God-centered life.  So, I thought I’d dedicate my 200th blog to some affirmations of the soul.

1. I am created in the image of God and God said I am good. (Genesis 1:27)

2. There is no place I can go where God will not find me; no circumstance in life where I will not know his love. (Psalm 139:7-12, Romans 8:28)

3. God has a plan for my life that is bigger and better than anything I could imagine. (Jeremiah 29:11)

4. I will not be afraid of the trials of this life because God, my Savior, will not let me go. (Isaiah 43:1-3)

5. I can do anything that God has called me to do. (Philippians 4:13)

6. I will not worry about tomorrow, for God will provide all my needs.  I only need to rely on him. (Matthew 6:25-34)

7. God has freed me to love others.  I will love others with the outpouring of love God has shown me. (1 John 4:7)

8. I will keep God’s word in my heart and teach it to my children. (Deuteronomy:4-6)

9. Even though I have days where this life will make me cry, God will bring joy to my heart. (Psalm 30:5)

10. I have been redeemed by Christ and am a new creation in him. (2nd Corinthians 5:17)

Blessings and Peace,
Sara