O How I Love Jesus

I was pondering many of the reasons that I love Jesus. It is THE motivation for the Caring Ministry. Loving Jesus puts the desire into my heart to do what Jesus asked us to do. Or maybe a stronger way to put it is, what Jesus COMMANDED us to do.

Here are just a few of the innumerable reasons that I love Jesus.

• I have been blessed to have wonderful, loving Christian parents and siblings.
• I am sharing my life with a wonderful man who also loves Jesus.
• I have food on my table, gas in my car, a roof over my head and a job to go to 40 hours a week (even if it doesn't always seem to be a blessing!!!)
• God has blessed me with children, which not every woman has the pleasure of experiencing in her life.
• There is a peace in the midst of every storm thanks to our loving God promising me that He never forgets me, for He has carved me in the palm of His hand. (Isaiah 49:15)
• I have been given far more grace than I could ever possibly deserve because of what Jesus did for me.

These are all very wonderful reasons to love Jesus. I am sure that I could continue this list for miles. But I realized after all is said and done, the reason that belongs at the very top of this list is because Jesus loved me first.

That beautiful hymn, "O How I Love Jesus", sums it up. "O how I love Jesus, because He first loved me."

THAT is what we are here to share. That wonderful love that Jesus has for me is not for me alone. I have no right to keep it to myself. I want to connect others to that love and watch what Jesus will do in their lives as well.

Won't you join me in reaching others by helping with the Caring Ministry?

Simply to Thy Cross I Cling

It has been a long time since I have posted a new entry on my blog. Since I have been led to start the Caring Ministry, it seems that I have been "bombarded" by the fiery darts that Satan is hurling at me. In the course of these events, I have done as the beautiful hymn, "Rock of Ages" tells us: Simply to Thy cross I cling.

I spoke to a sister in Christ that I have the blessing and privilege of sharing with in a Community Life Group experience, and it seems that many of us who are striving to obey God's calling are encountering the same struggle. We agreed that this should be taken as a POSITIVE sign. In other words, if we were not headed the right way, more than likely Satan would leave us alone or at least not be putting as much effort into trying to discourage us.

Unfortunately, many Christians don't give Satan enough credit. He IS powerful. We are told in Ephesians 6:12, "For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms." (NLT) Despite this ominous warning from the apostle Paul, we are secure in our knowledge that our God is MORE powerful.

In God's love letter to us, Paul goes on to tell us in that same passage, how to prepare ourselves for this battle. God does not let us try to figure it out on our own. In verses 10-11, Paul states, "Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil." (NLT)

And he continues in verses 13-18 to clarify what God is telling us. "Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere." (NLT)

Now I don't know about you, but if I were to go to Vail, Colorado in the middle of winter, I would not be found on the top of the slopes in a tank top and shorts. Why then, do we as Christians, try to go into battle spiritually "underdressed"?

The Power in Praying With Others

Wow, was I blessed this past Saturday morning! I had made a decision that I was going to the prayer gathering even though I had to go right from there to work that day. I tell you, when Saturday morning came, Satan was working overtime telling me "You really should stay home and rest up for a long day of work." Thanks be to God, I ignored Satan this time and obeyed God instead.

DJ and I were a part of a dynamic prayer gathering. I can't tell you enough what a special and wonderful job that Jackie is doing. A prayer warrior herself, it still gets discouraging when only a handful of people show up to pray.

Now I can honestly tell you, I understand how hard it is to come to church to "just pray". We don't have as much problem getting to Sunday morning worship where we can sing, listen to the fantastic musicians and then get "jazzed" by Pastor Jerry's sermon. And we surely don't mind coming to church when there is some type of food involved. But WHY is it so HARD to go to church when we are meeting to pray?

I'll TELL you why!!! Satan and all of his forces that are working overtime in this world don't mind so much if we go to church. They don't care if we "believe" in Jesus. Satan, himself, "believes" in Jesus. He knows God's power better than anyone else. But Satan does NOT want God's people to spend their time in earnest, reverant prayer. Intercessory prayer is like a knife in Satan's chest. He knows that God's ultimate power is released when His people pray and he will do whatever he can to prevent that.

Jackie led us in a time of "soaking" prayer. I can testify that for myself, my day turned around 180 degrees. Instead of going to a job that has caused me to burn out, I went feeling refreshed. God made Himself known to me that morning, once again. He gently reminded me in that quiet time that He is still in control.

So, I challenge you to come to the next prayer gathering. Let's make Satan TREMBLE when he sees a group of believers uniting in heartfelt intercessory prayer for others!!! Just the thought makes me smile!

Let the Journey Begin!

If you read my postings on this blog, you will be sure to find multiple references to Max Lucado works. He is one of my favorite Christian authors because he speaks to my heart in his writings. The following is an excerpt from his book entitled, "Let the Journey Begin".

"DEEP IN EVERY HEART YOU WILL FIND IT: A LONGING FOR MEANING, A QUEST FOR PURPOSE.

If you ask the secularists what is the meaning of life they will say, 'We don't know.' At best they might agree that we are developed animals. At worst, rearranged space dust.

What a contrast to God's vision for life. 'We are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to devote ourselves to the good deeds for which God has designed us.' (Eph.2:10 NEB)

God has placed His hand on your shoulder and said, 'You're something special.'

Untethered by time, he sees us all. In fact, He saw us before we were born.

And He loves what He sees. Flooded by emotion. Overcome by pride, the Starmaker turns to us, one by one, and says, 'You are my child. I love you dearly.'

And He loves us forever. Should you ever turn from him and walk away, He has already provided a way back. Nothing can separate you from His love. If you anchor these truths firmly in your heart, you will be ready for whatever you may encounter on the road ahead.

So let the journey begin!"

I love Max's reminder of how special we are in God's sight. I am excited about what God can accomplish in this Caring Ministry as we share with others just how much God loves them. I am meeting with the leads of other ministries in TTUMC and gathering the information needed to get this ministry on its way. If you want to share in this ministry with me, I would love to have your help and prayers. Together, we can let this journey begin!!!

(You can "visit" with Max Lucado for more of his insights and inspiration at http://www.maxlucado.com/).

What "Jazzes" Me

Luke 19:41 paints a picture that has always left a deep impression on me while I was growing up. Luke tells us that Jesus looked over Jerusalem and wept. Wow, what an image! Our Lord and Savior WEEPING for his unbelieving and disobedient children.

I often think of how God must look down on this earth and weep. His heart must break at the destruction of His creation, of the way we treat each other and at the way we turn our backs on a Savior who yearns to take us in His arms and be loved back.

To borrow a phrase from our beloved Pastor Jerry, I want to share with you what "jazzes" me. It is simply this: that I would live and love in such a way, that when God looks down at me, He will smile. Did you get that? Can you imagine how incredible it would be to make God smile instead of cry? I want Him to look down and say, "There's my daughter, Joyce. She is serving exactly where I wanted her to serve. She is being all that I created her to be." THAT is my goal in my spiritual walk. I want to make God SMILE!

Obedience is one of the things that makes God smile. If you are being called to help in this Caring Ministry, do NOT ignore the call. You can be used in so many different ways to bring the love of Jesus to others. Join with me in a step of faith and obedience and watch how God can move!

Why the Caring Ministry is needed

I recently read something in Max Lucado's book entitled "Traveling Light" (which is excellent by the way) that really touched my heart. I work in a Customer Service call center and have experienced many lonely people that call our 800 number simply for the chance to talk to a "live" human being. How very sad that anyone should have to be that lonely. God did not create us to live all alone. He created us with the desire to be loved and accepted for who we are. This is a large part of what the TTUMC Caring Ministry will focus on. We want to reach out to the individuals who come to fellowship with us each week who may not have someone to reach out and talk with in time of need. Or maybe they just need guidance or have questions about TTUMC.

Whatever their need, we want to assure them that they have someone who cares about them and about what happens in their lives. Our goal is to "team up" each individual in our congregation that is not already in a small group or being ministered to by another ministry in the church, with someone willing to make phone calls, visits, etc. to that individual. We want no one out there to be lonely. We want to bring a living Christ to a dying world starting within our body of believers. We want to make a difference in another's life so that God may be glorified.

As I prepare to ignite the fire for this ministry, I covet your prayers as well as any advice, ideas, recommendations, etc. Of course, I would gladly welcome your participation in this ministry as you feel led by our loving God. Here is the excerpt from Max's book that I referred to before. I hope it touches you as well.

"A friend of mine worked at a pharmacy while attending the University of Texas. Steve's primary job was to deliver supplies to nursing homes in the Austin area. An additional task, however, involved a short trip next door.

Every four days he shouldered a large jug of water and carried it fifty or so feet to a building behind the pharmacy. The customer was an older woman, perhaps in her seventies, who lived alone in a dark, sparse, and tarnished apartment. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling. The wallpaper was stained and peeling. The shades were drawn, and the room was shadowy. Steve would deliver the jug, receive the payment, thank the woman, and leave.

Over the weeks he grew puzzled by her purchase. He learned that the woman had no other source of water. She would rely on his delivery for four days of washing, bathing, and drinking. Odd choice. Municipal water was cheaper. The city would have charged her twelve to fifteen dollars a month, her expense at the pharmacy added up to fifty dollars a month. Why didn't she choose the less expensive source?

The answer was in the delivery system. Yes, the city water cost less. But the city sent only the water, they didn't send a person. She preferred to pay more and see a human being than pay less and see no one.

Could anyone be that lonely?"

Let's not let anyone we encounter in our congregation EVER get that lonely.