Well, Hello There!

I can’t believe my last post was the HEARTBEAT Bill post!  Ay Ay Ay!!!  Well, if we’re friends on FaceBook, or follow each other on Twitter – I pretty much keep those updated.  (If we’re not friends of FB or Twitter pals, feel free to “friend”/follow me as as long as you’re not a creeper, I’ll “friend”/follow you back!!)

Soooooo, here’s a lil’ update on the past month or so:

Sept. 25th I ventured out with Valerie to drive 24 hours to Albuquerque, NM ~ her new ‘home.’  Let me tell ya’, me n God had a few chats about this one!!!  We had only met Val and Jesse last year around Christmas – but totally fell in love with them.  I was NOT happy with His plan of moving them away… *sad face*. But, His ways are NOT my ways… so instead of sulking in my self-pity, I helped her with the long drive (since Jesse had already been out there since August).  Plus, my aunt lives in ABQ, so it was a perfect fit – help with driving, visit my aunt, spend time in ABQ, FLY home .   OH!  And did I get to mention, that my sweet Leading and Loving It friend, Steph, let us crash at her house at the 1/2 way point… near Tulsa, OK!  What fun it was to to hang out, talk ministry, laugh, meet her family that  I read about on her blog!  That part of the visit was TOO SHORT, but such a blessing!!

Anyhoo, I got back from that trip on Wednesday evening… and that weekend we had our 20th reunion… Whitmer Class of 1991… HOW DID WE GET SO OLD!?!  It was a blast seeing ‘old’ friends at the football game, Friday and at the reunion, Saturday.  T-W-E-N-T-Y years ago I graduated from high school.  CRAZINESS!

After the reunion weekend, I left Monday morning for 6th Grade camp at YMCA Storer Camps in Jackson,MI to be a cabin leader of 8 eleven-year-old girlies, including my Emma!  WHAT A HOOT!  We had the best time canoeing, horseback riding, rock wall climbing, snake petting, GPS adventuring, square-dancing and So.Much.More.  Funny thing is, I went to Camp Storer when I was in 6th grade (a few years ago…). It was such a blessing to get to go.

A few bullet points that may get their own blog posts in the near future, if I don’t wait SIX weeks to blog again:

• I’m co-hosting a Leading and Loving It LOCAL Event tomorrow night for Pastor’s Wives & Women in Ministry.  It’s a Mix-n-Mingle Mocktail Party!!  Can’t wait!!
• God has lead us to a fabulous company, Melaleuca.  We have loved the products for years and recently became “preferred customers”.   We are able to use and share about products that are amazing, safe for your home and family and get what we need delivered right to our door! Yippeeeee!!! We also have referred a few friends/family and are starting to build quite the business.  God’s timing is perfect.
• Joey has to have another foot surgery.  We were discouraged at first as this news caught us off guard.  But, we are all thankful that he is able to get these corrections done and that we don’t have to deal with anything more serious.  We had just gone to the Matthew West concert a week ago, and Joey said to us at lunch after his Dr, appt, “Well, at least I’m not the little boy Matthew West wrote a Christmas Song about.”  True that, buddy!  However, Matthew West’s song about “Survivors” pretty much sums up our little man!
• We’re going to Connecticut for Thanksgiving!! YIPPEEEE!!!  So excited to spend time with my BFF from high school and spend Thanksgiving with her family.  We’ll miss our family’s dinner, but looking forward to this adventure.  We hope to hit NYC during our visit too, which I’ve NEVER been!

Ok – that’s all (well, not really, but those are the highlights!)

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO??

Never Once

If we’re friends on Facebook, you may have noticed this week I posted with great excitement that we have given the BOOT to Joey’s boot.  All he has left is a few weeks of PT and he’s DONE with his feet ordeal.  As we left his appointment on Monday, I was caught off-guard with how emotional I was.  Just seeing the light at the end of this seven year tunnel, thinking on God’s faithfulness and the strength that He gave us to endure this long trial and how He worked it out in His perfect timing (new ortho doc in Findlay that specializes in feet).  Never once did we ever walk alone. He was always with us. Never once did God ever leave us on our own.

That’s my new favorite song by Matt Redman.  I can play this over and over and over – shouting in praise to our Faithful God – hands lifted so high I stretch my shoulders out of their sockets.

This song also stirs up emotions as I reflect on LifePoint‘s three years of existence. Even though at times it felt like more negative things were happening than positive – I can look back see how far we’ve come, knowing every victory is His power in us. There’s been scars and troubles… but God never once left us to walk alone or left us on our own.  He has been faithful.  He is faithful!

Finally, I can stand here on this mountaintop and see how God has healed/is healing from some deep hurts, some scars and struggles that pretty much knocked the wind out of us.  Battles that Satan tried to use to take us down… But, for every step God was with us and because of His power in us, we made it through. Now, with JOY our hearts can say:

Never once did we ever walk alone.

Never once did You leave us on our own.

YOU ARE FAITHFUL! GOD, YOU ARE FAITHFUL!

Enjoy this song by Matt Redman.  Close your eyes and raise up your hands in praise and shout YOU ARE FAITHFUL! GOD, YOU ARE FAITHFUL!!  PS – TURN IT UP!!

You! Follow Me!

How many times do we tell our children, “Worry about yourself“  or “I didn’t ask what so-and-so is or isn’t doing” or “You are responsible for you“  or “I didn’t ask so-and-so to do this, I asked YOU” and on and on???

God says the same thing to us, as believers, throughout scripture.  Most recently, as my mind was swirling, my pulse was quickening and emotions rising over what someone was or wasn’t doing, God brought to my mind this story from John 21:

Jesus had been dead, but is alive again, and He’s hanging out with the disciples – you know, doing all the things you would do after being dead and now alive… fishing, hanging out by the fire, grabbin’ a bite to eat.  It was all fun and games until the conversation turned to the future.  A grave future.  How Peter would die. Peter, in typical Peter fashion, didn’t camp there very long, ‘cuz if he had to suffer he wanted to know what everyone else was going to have to do to glorify God.

(Hear the children shouting, “It’s not fair!” and “What about so and so?” and “I cleaned up the dog poop yesterday!”)

Peter asks, “Lord—what about him?”

This is where warm-fuzzy Jesus becomes firm TRUTH (in LOVE)…  His reply, “What is that to you?” The Amplified Version adds in parentheses, “What concern is it of yours?”

What concern is it of yours?

He continues, “You follow me!”

See, Jesus didn’t tell us to worry about everyone else, what they’re doing or not doing, what they believe or don’t believe, what they participate in or don’t participate in.  Nope, His simple, yet firm command is just to FOLLOW HIM.  If they’re a believer, then they too have the Holy Spirit, and unless He chooses to use lead you to speak truth to someone, He probably has it all under control and doesn’t need our help .  We can, though, bring those concerns to Him – which is where they belong anyways.  Or maybe, it bothers us so much because God’s trying to teach/show us something…  I don’t know.  But what I do know is that He wants me to worry about what He’s called me to be, do and believe.

Apparently I needed to be reminded of that – so maybe there’s someone else that needed that reminder too.

Mama Bear

You know that feeling when your child has been treated unkindly or unfairly by another child.  Mama Bear is awakened; ears perked,  claws pop out like a werewolf… one by one.  Make that an adult an you can add sharp, pointy teeth positioned with an attack stance.  Mama Bear on the lookout for her cubs – and you better stay clear.

That is one example of how I felt this week.  I literally prayed to Jesus, “Jesus, Mama Bear is angry, my claws have popped out and I need You to pop them back in place, one by one.  Help me, Lord!”

See, when someone messes with the Mama Bear’s cubs, it’s only natural that she retaliate.  That she attack.  That she protect her babies. She is doing the only thing she knows.  Both Mama Bear animals and Mama Bear ‘humans’ have the tendency to react the same way.  Again, it’s only natural. The difference between the Mama Bear animal, and the Mama Bear ‘human’, especially one that is a Christian, is that while it’s only natural to want react that way, in the flesh, we have the Holy Spirit living in us and we’re called to live by the Spirit. “Do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.“  Rom. 8:4.

I wish I could say that was my only battle with my flesh this past week… other battles include (but not limited to) being overly sensitive to a meaningless comment, being frustrated, being impatient, being critical, being anxious and worrisome… to name a few.  Being on the front lines of these flesh-battles have caused me to cry out to God for His help, His Spirit to give peace, His forgiveness for my pride, His work in my life. He has answered my prayer and is doing a work in me (notice I didn’t say has done… it’s a work in progress, ya’ll).  In Christ, I am FREE from sin (Rom. 8:4) and can put on the “mind-set of the Spirit (that) is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6).

I picture the bear that is full of the Spirit is a Teddy Bear ;  warm, soft, snuggly, ready to love on whoever comes near.  I want to be a Teddy Bear, filled with the fruit of His Spirit, not a Mama Bear living in the flesh - ready to tear at the flesh of another.  Help me, Jesus!

Romans 8

Not a Fan…

Sometimes, when you’re listening to someone talk about someone… someone well-known… do you formulate some opinion in your head as they’re speaking?  (Say SOME… ONE MORE TIME!)

Argh!  Well, I have.  In fact, recently, I was listening to someone sharing about hearing a well-known Christian speaker live and in my head I said to myself, “Not a fan.”  Point blank. Straight up. Nope, I’m not a fan of said person.

When did it become about being a fan or not?

It was like I heard God say to me in my Spirit, “Not a fan?  Really?”  (‘Cause He would use ‘really’ like we do in 2010.)

Someone else posts something about another well-known someone…  I think in my head, “I can’t STAND that guy!”  Again, really?

I hate, but appreciate, coming face to face with my own pride and wicked heart.  As a child of God, I have been exhorted to, “in humility, consider others better than” myself (Phil. 2:3).  My opinion of a person, well-known or not, is no reason to treat them unkindly ~ even if I never voiced that opinion.  This is a brother/sister in Christ.  I was one of those people in the Christian community tearing down another, just ‘cuz we don’t see eye to eye on some things. And that ain’t cool!

Ay!  Forgive me, Father, for my pride and wickedness.  Create in me a love for others, from You, and help me to annihilate my critical spirit.   Help my friends and readers to do the same.  In Jesus name, amen.

Behind The Smile

Look at them! Aren’t they just adorable?  Aren’t they just sweeter than chocolate?  At first glance, that may be the message that this photo sends, however, if you were there even THREE SECONDS before this shot this is what you would’ve seen:

Clawing… Name Calling…

Wrestling…   Fighting…

UGLINESS!!!!

Yes – my two darling  youngest were fighting over the little MP3 player seen minutely in their hands.  I don’t know WHAT the issue was, but it was intense… and since my camera was right next to me, I decided to grab it and capture a “REAL” moment in the Grubbie family history.  But, they noticed someone was looking (with a camera to boot) and put on all smiles for the shot.

Put on all smiles.

Have you ever done that?  It’s one of the saddest facets of the church today – that we feel like we have to put on smiles.

Maybe there’s someone that’s so sunk in depression they can barely breathe, but when they show up at church they put on smiles.

Maybe there’s someone stuck so deep in sin that if anyone at church knew, surely they would be repulsed, disappointed… but they come anyways and put on a smile.

Maybe the marriage is failing, the kids are rebelling, the finances are crashing, the loneliness is suffocating, the addictions are overwhelming… you fill in the blank.  And they’ve put on a smile.

Friends – it doesn’t have to be that way… Find a small group, a Christian friend, a Bible Study, a pastor… anyone.  You don’t have to walk this alone. We aren’t meant, as the BODY of Christ, the CHURCH, to do this alone.  And we’re not called to put on smiles. No, we’re called to bear each others’ burdens, comfort one another in their time of need and encourage each other in the Word.

Let’s not live one more second in a Stain-Glassed Masquerade!

COMMNITY ~~ LIFEGOUPS

Hmmmmmm, what’s missing in the title here???  U R!!!  (Hoaky, I know… moving on).

Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong?  Have you ever felt like everyone else seems to have a ‘connection’ but you’re having trouble finding that?  Have you ever felt that you’re all alone or no one would understand what you’re going through?  Have you ever felt that if they really knew you, they wouldn’t want to???

You.Are.Not.Alone.

God created us for COMMUNITY. 1st with Him, then with other believers.  Sunday church is a wonderful place to come together and worship, pray and fellowship together, but isn’t always where relationship begins and growth excels.  No, that happens in smaller settings.  That is why we have LifeGroups.

If you are a church-goer, I encourage you to not just be a church-goer.  Take that next step to build relationship with those God has called together within a local body.  Join a Small Group, a Sunday School Class, a Bible Study – - whatever your church offers. Just.Do.It. (swoooooosh)

LifeGroups are starting tonight for LifePoint.  We have a groups meeting Sundays at 6:15 pm, Wednesdays at 7:00pm and Thursdays at 7:00 pm.  Our focus is Discipleship 101.  Whether you’ve been a Christian for 20 years, or 20 minutes, we all have something to GET from LifeGroup… and we each have something to GIVE.

I personally am looking forward to getting to know some new people, growing deeper through Bible Study, laughing together, crying together, building one another up, bearing one another’s burdens.  A safe place to be real, transparent, and to connect.

Did you notice in the title… “LIFEGOUPS” = LIFE GOOPS?  Yes, life is goopy… messy.  That is why we need COMMUNITY.

For more information about LifeGroups at LifePoint… click HERE

How Do You Facebook?

Facebook. Most of us have one… Some are even considering starting FB support groups… lol.  Seriously, though (no, not seriously… this is not a serious post :p) Inquiring minds want to know… How do you FaceBook?

Are you a status only Facebooker, no games?  Are you a FaceBook stalker with no comments??  (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE… ha ha…)  So, let’s go back to Journalism 101 (which I never took by the way) and answer the WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? and HOW? of FaceBook…

Who? Who do you ‘friend’?  Until yesterday, I have only ‘friended’  people that I know, whether virtually (via blogs, twitter, L&LI) or have actually met in person.  Yesterday I added someone that knows some of the same people I know and sent me a friend request.  After a few days, I thought, “What the heck?” and added her.  Kev, my hubs, will confirm any friend request… no matter what!  Now, for a stickier question…. Who do you ‘unfriend’? Don’t answer that.  Ok, if ya want to… but don’t get ugly.  I have only ‘unfriended’ two people that I can think of, for reasons not blog-worthy… but can I just say I *heart* the HIDE feature on FB now.  You don’t have to hurt someone’s feelings by ‘unfriending’ them, but don’t have to clog up your newsfeed with their hogwash.

I just said hogwash… Moving on…

What? What do you do on Facebook?  When I 1st started Facebooking, I did EVERYTHING.  I built my stick family, found my love language, created a DOG page and FLAIR, oh the FLAIR!  Then I realized that I was getting sucked into the Facebook abyss… so I cut all that back.  Then, I discovered Bejeweled! (Insert sucking into abyss sound again).  Ha ha!  Now, I mostly just browse through the Newsfeed, *like* a bunch of stuff by my ‘friends’, laugh a little, encourage a little (I hope) and enjoy the community that lies with in Social Media… aka FaceBook.

Where? Um, that’s a weird question for this post.  I Facebook from home, occasionally at the church *gasp* and on the go via my phone… but I have a Blackberry… and it’s slow… ’nuff said.

When? Another weird question for this… But, I jump on FB a couple times a day for 10 minutes (oh, who’s counting???) or so at a time.  (I just spelled weird the exact same way, but only one ‘weird’ got the squiggly mis-spelling lines… weird.)  Obviously, abyss sucking still occurs from time to time…

Why? Why in the world do you FB?  Hmmmmm, for me, I would say I enjoy the online fellowship of those I know personally and those I know virtually.  Community.  I love getting a *WORD* from someone on FB (or Twitter) that encourages or convicts at just the right time.  I hope that I am encouraging someone a time or two as well.   I hope to share a ‘lil Jesus through just ordinary ‘ol me… and FB is a great tool for that.  Also, keeping in touch. I can know what’s going on in my family’s life (extended etc) or friends I haven’t seen in years and stay connected.

How? Well, mainly my status updates because I Twitter. ( And you should too ).  Just sayin’.

How about YOU?  Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How do you Facebook????

Blindsided

Saw the movie “Blindside” Friday night. STRONGLY recommend it! After the movie, I twittered the fact that I loved it… and wanted to see what other people were saying about it so I did a #blindside search on Twitter.

Then I read this: @billybush (I have no idea who @billybush is, but) said “Sandra was amazing. Tim was pitch perfect. Quinto Aaron rookie of the year. #blindside will restore ur faith and keep cynicism at bay.”

Keep cynicism at bay. Bam! And like that, my eyes were opened to something that has been creeping up on my own blindside… cynicism. Where did that come from?

Well, cynicism can sneak up when:

• You’ve been lied to… makes it hard to trust
• You’ve had your heart broken… makes it hard to love again
• You pour your life into someone and they turn their back on you… makes ya’ not want to do it again
• You’ve been abused… enough said
• You’ve been promised something again and again and it’s not come through… makes it hard to believe anything
• You see people spend, spend, spend, but don’t have “enough money” to even tithe to the church or give to a need… well, that just makes ya’ mad
• You lose a friend… makes ya’ cautious to make new ones
• You get criticized… makes ya’ want to go under the radar and not rock any boats
• You see people who claim to be ‘in need’ but have all the latest gizmos/gadgets… makes ya’ not want to help
• You’re waiting on God for something… makes ya’ feel like it’s never gonna happen
• You donate money to something/someone and it doesn’t go toward what you intended… makes ya’ not want to give

So, we can leave it at that, – CYNICISM – or we can look at it for what it really is (SIN-A-CISM) and ask God to help us with it. Cynicism has its roots in judging, doubt, discouragement and even anger… If you find yourself blindsided with your own cynicism, like I have, here’s a plan to combat it and be victorious over it.

Confess your sin, ask God to forgive you and clean ya’ all up from your cynical mess (1John 1:9). Next, take a peek into what God’s Word has to say about all that you could be cynical about…

He calls us to give; cheerfully, and abundantly to those in need. If we seek the Lord and give as He leads, then what the person/people do with what has been given is between Him and them. Don’t stop giving!

He calls us to love and forgive. Again, we’re not responsible for others actions/reactions to us, but we are called to love… and to forgive. We’re called to love and not to judge.

He calls us to step out by faith in action. If that brings criticism, When that brings criticism, love ‘em anyways.

Finally, praise Him. Praise always takes the focus off of us, and onto Him. It’s by far the best cure for a cynical heart than anything I could ever think of!

Don’t ya’ love it that the Holy Spirit’s covering our blindside? I’ll take Him over the left tackle any day of the week!

Relentless Love

Can we ever fully ‘get’ how deep, how wide, how great the Father’s love is for us?? At church – we recently completed a series that is still ROCKIN’ my SOCKS off, “Prodigal God”. This series has us in Luke 15, but not just the Parable of the Lost Son, but also the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin.

I loved when we took a look at how the man would “go after” his lost sheep and the woman would ”search carefully” for her lost coin. Go after. What a picture these parables portray, that Jesus would “go after” each one of us, relentlessly. I love David Crowder’s new song on the “Church Music” CD that goes, “You’re love is relentless and I’m glad for it, I’m glad for it!!’ His love IS relentless!

The antithesis of Jesus’ LOVE, though is the Pharisee’s tendency to (un)righteously judge. See, Jesus accepts sinners ~ we (Christians with Pharisaical tendencies) tend to judge or even categorize sin. Jesus restores sinners ~ we have a hard time restoring people back into the body after repentance. Ouch. Do we forget that we were lost, and He sought after us? We don’t find God – He finds us.

His love trumps our sin. His loves restores us to Himself.

So, processing all that… I’m seeing that:
Love trumps sin.
Love trumps a broken friendship.
Love trumps a strained familial relationship.
Love trumps judgment.
Love trumps annoyances.
Love trumps _________.

What if instead of cutting oneself off from someone, we love them? What if instead of condemning or criticizing someone we love them? What if when treated with unkindness, hate even, we love instead? What if instead of being appalled, irritated or offended by one’s action, we love them?

Revolutionary love. Reactionary love. Relentless love. I’m not there, not by a long-shot – but my eyes are opened – and by His grace, I yearn to grow in this area.

God’s love is relentless, shouldn’t ours be as well?