Janet Thompson's Blog, page 38

Ways to Remember Your First Love!

Jesus Loves You

I don’t have to tell you that yesterday was Valentine’s Day—the universal day for showing and sharing love. Red and pink hearts were everywhere and it was fun to see many of the women, and some men, at church wearing red and pink. The bouquet of red roses next to the Bible at the front of the church, reminded me of how appropriate it was that Valentine’s Day was on a Sunday this year, because we were in church honoring our First Love: Jesus Christ.

The children of our church will never forget this Valentine’s Day either, and Who we should love above all others. When the congregation walked out of the sanctuary into the fellowship hall, the children’s ministry during Sunday school had decorated the entire ceiling with heart shaped balloons and streamers. At the end of each streamer was a card with a handwritten note from the children: “Jesus loves you” and “God loves you.”

The children were so excited to see us all walk into the room and ooh and ah over how beautiful the room looked.

My heart swelled as I thought about the precious Sunday school teachers who helped these children focus on Jesus as our First Love and serve the congregation. In Forsaken God, Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, I stress how important it is for the next generation not to just hear about the love of Jesus, but to experience His love personally and then to share it.

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

Love is a word we use freely….

I love pizza!
I love pink!
I love my husband!
I love my kids!
I love my new vacuum!
I love my new shoes!

Obviously, if we were prioritizing that list, we love our husbands and kids more than we love pizza or shoes. But would we put Jesus at the top of the list?

If you’re married, how could you possibly differentiate between your husband and your children as your first love? If you have more than one child . . . how could you determine which one of them you love first? You can’t.

But when you make Jesus your FIRST love . . . He gives you the ability to have limitless love for Him and for others.

when you make Jesus your FIRST love . . . He gives you the ability to have limitless love for Him…
Click To Tweet

Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” —Matthew 22:37-40 The Message

Remembering Jesus, Your First Love

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 21 in Forsaken God?, “Remembering His Love”:

************

One of the first verses we learn as children or new believers is John 3:16. This verse emphasizes how much God loves the world and wants everyone to have an opportunity to trust in him and his Son, Jesus Christ, and have eternal salvation. It’s hard to imagine how anyone would turn down this kind of sacrificial love, but you and I both know people who don’t accept God’s love invitation. Sadly, they don’t understand the consequences of rejecting God’s love. The Message translation of John 3:16-18 clearly states their fate:

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

Loving God is a lifetime relationship. He never falls out of love with us.
Click To Tweet

Loving God is a lifetime relationship. He never falls out of love with us; but believers who have fallen away from God, or who don’t love him the way they did at first, are cautioned in Revelation 2:4-5 to remember and repent … or else:

But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love]. Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God’s will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent. (AMP).

Do you remember the zeal and excitement you had as a new believer? How grateful you were for salvation and Jesus’ love and the intensity of your love for him … the thrill of feeling forgiven. You wanted to tell everyone about Jesus, until you realized not everyone was receptive to hearing about your new love. You became more cautious about sharing your faith for fear of rejection or ridicule. Your enthusiasm waned and soon you didn’t talk about Jesus unless you were with believers, and maybe not much then either.

In the beginning of your faith walk, you had enthusiasm without knowledge. Don’t let knowledge and time diminish enthusiasm. Spiritual maturity should intensify adoration, not spawn complacency. Otherwise, your light will dim, as will your relationship with Christ, and you won’t effectively share Christ’s love with others. Remember, Jesus extinguishes lights that don’t shine brightly for him (Rev. 2:5).

God wants us to maintain the passion and excitement we had when we first fell in love with His Son, Jesus Christ and He wants that love to motivate everything we do and say and never forget how much He love us and we love Him. Only when we place Jesus first in our life and heart, can we love others with a genuine Christ-like love. His love fuels us to be better wives, mothers, and grandmothers. Jesus helps us serve our families—and Him—lovingly, not dutifully.

************

Ways To Return To Our First Love

Periodically, we have to rekindle and reignite first-love fire in our relationship with Jesus.
Click To Tweet

Periodically, we have to rekindle and reignite first-love fire in our relationship with Jesus. The following acrostic for L O V E helps me keep Jesus in first place in my life and I hope it helps you too

L-inger with Him!

“Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.” —Psalm 119:97 NLT

Let’s find ways to have a quiet time with the Lord daily and talk to Him all day long as we go about our life.

O–bsess Over Him!

“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.” —Psalm 34:1-3 NLT

The dictionary describes obsession as:

Preoccupied
Dominated
Fixed
Immersed in
Gripped by
An Infatuation
A Passion

Let’s be deliriously, madly, obsessively, and passionately in love with Jesus!

V-alue Him!

“Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods.” —1 Chronicles 16:23-25

Synonyms for value:

Worthy
Worship
Love

Let’s show Jesus how worthy He is of our love through our worship and praise.

E–njoy Him!

“I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence.” —Proverbs 8:30 NIV

Let’s enjoy being a Christian and let the world know we LOVE Jesus!

Let’s enjoy being a Christian and let the world know we LOVE Jesus!
Click To Tweet

When we L O V E Jesus Christ with total abandonment, our hearts change—we can then love others as Jesus commanded:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

—John 13:34-35 NIV

Share with us ways you’ve found to keep Jesus first in your life!

If you received this blog by email, leave comments here.

*Excerpts of this blog are from my new release Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten.

 

Remembering Your First Love!

Jesus Loves You

I don’t have to tell you that yesterday was Valentine’s Day—the universal day for showing and sharing love. Red and pink hearts were everywhere and it was fun to see many of the women, and some men, at church wearing red and pink. The bouquet of red roses next to the Bible at the front of the church, reminded me of how appropriate it was that Valentine’s Day was on a Sunday this year, because we were in church honoring our First Love: Jesus Christ.

The children of our church will never forget this Valentine’s Day either, and Who we should love above all others. When the congregation walked out of the sanctuary into the fellowship hall, the children’s ministry during Sunday school had decorated the entire ceiling with heart shaped balloons and streamers. At the end of each streamer was a card with a handwritten note from the children: “Jesus loves you” and “God loves you.”

The children were so excited to see us all walk into the room and ooh and ah over how beautiful the room looked.

My heart swelled as I thought about the precious Sunday school teachers who helped these children focus on Jesus as our First Love and serve the congregation. In Forsaken God, Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, I stress how important it is for the next generation not to just hear about the love of Jesus, but to experience His love personally and then to share it.

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

Love is a word we use freely….

I love pizza!
I love pink!
I love my husband!
I love my kids!
I love my new vacuum!
I love my new shoes!

Obviously, if we were prioritizing that list, we love our husbands and kids more than we love pizza or shoes. But would we put Jesus at the top of the list?

If you’re married, how could you possibly differentiate between your husband and your children as your first love? If you have more than one child . . . how could you determine which one of them you love first? You can’t.

But when you make Jesus your FIRST love . . . He gives you the ability to have limitless love for Him and for others.

when you make Jesus your FIRST love . . . He gives you the ability to have limitless love for Him…
Click To Tweet

Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” —Matthew 22:37-40 The Message

Remembering Jesus, Your First Love

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 21 in Forsaken God?, “Remembering His Love”:

************

One of the first verses we learn as children or new believers is John 3:16. This verse emphasizes how much God loves the world and wants everyone to have an opportunity to trust in him and his Son, Jesus Christ, and have eternal salvation. It’s hard to imagine how anyone would turn down this kind of sacrificial love, but you and I both know people who don’t accept God’s love invitation. Sadly, they don’t understand the consequences of rejecting God’s love. The Message translation of John 3:16-18 clearly states their fate:

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

Loving God is a lifetime relationship. He never falls out of love with us.
Click To Tweet

Loving God is a lifetime relationship. He never falls out of love with us; but believers who have fallen away from God, or who don’t love him the way they did at first, are cautioned in Revelation 2:4-5 to remember and repent … or else:

But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love]. Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God’s will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent. (AMP).

Do you remember the zeal and excitement you had as a new believer? How grateful you were for salvation and Jesus’ love and the intensity of your love for him … the thrill of feeling forgiven. You wanted to tell everyone about Jesus, until you realized not everyone was receptive to hearing about your new love. You became more cautious about sharing your faith for fear of rejection or ridicule. Your enthusiasm waned and soon you didn’t talk about Jesus unless you were with believers, and maybe not much then either.

In the beginning of your faith walk, you had enthusiasm without knowledge. Don’t let knowledge and time diminish enthusiasm. Spiritual maturity should intensify adoration, not spawn complacency. Otherwise, your light will dim, as will your relationship with Christ, and you won’t effectively share Christ’s love with others. Remember, Jesus extinguishes lights that don’t shine brightly for him (Rev. 2:5).

God wants us to maintain the passion and excitement we had when we first fell in love with His Son, Jesus Christ and He wants that love to motivate everything we do and say and never forget how much He love us and we love Him. Only when we place Jesus first in our life and heart, can we love others with a genuine Christ-like love. His love fuels us to be better wives, mothers, and grandmothers. Jesus helps us serve our families—and Him—lovingly, not dutifully.

************

Ways To Return To Our First Love

Periodically, we have to rekindle and reignite first-love fire in our relationship with Jesus.
Click To Tweet

Periodically, we have to rekindle and reignite first-love fire in our relationship with Jesus. The following acrostic for L O V E helps me keep Jesus in first place in my life and I hope it helps you too

L-inger with Him!

“Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.” —Psalm 119:97 NLT

Let’s find ways to have a quiet time with the Lord daily and talk to Him all day long as we go about our life.

O–bsess Over Him!

“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.” —Psalm 34:1-3 NLT

The dictionary describes obsession as:

Preoccupied
Dominated
Fixed
Immersed in
Gripped by
An Infatuation
A Passion

Let’s be deliriously, madly, obsessively, and passionately in love with Jesus!

V-alue Him!

“Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods.” —1 Chronicles 16:23-25

Synonyms for value:

Worthy
Worship
Love

Let’s show Jesus how worthy He is of our love through our worship and praise.

E–njoy Him!

“I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence.” —Proverbs 8:30 NIV

Let’s enjoy being a Christian and let the world know we LOVE Jesus!

Let’s enjoy being a Christian and let the world know we LOVE Jesus!
Click To Tweet

When we L O V E Jesus Christ with total abandonment, our hearts change—we can then love others as Jesus commanded:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

—John 13:34-35 NIV

Share with us ways you’ve found to keep Jesus first in your life!

If you received this blog by email, leave comments here.

*Excerpts of this blog are from my new release Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten.

 

TRUMPET BLAST . . . Remembering God’s Goodness!

Lest you think I’m blowing my own horn today, blowing the trumpets was an ordinance God gave in the Old Testament before going into battle and, “Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feasts—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God” (Num. 10:10).

So today, I’m blowing the trumpet and sounding the cymbals as I rejoice over the release of my “offering” tomorrow, February 9, 2016! This is a day I’ve been anticipating for almost 10 years …the release of Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten.

This is a day I’ve been anticipating for almost 10 years …the release of Forsaken God?:…
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Why did I have to wait 10 years? Because God’s timing is always perfect and He knew that today, our world would need this book like never before. Our culture is spiraling into an immoral abyss and it’s time for Christians to take a bold stand: A stand for what we believe, why we believe, and who we believe in—Jesus Christ!

Our culture is spiraling into an immoral abyss and it’s time for Christians to take a bold stand:
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Satan worked long and hard to try to keep this book from being published. I had a short time to write it and encountered many hardships, but God prevailed. Then we went through 11 covers before we all agreed on the one you see here, which I love.

In today’s culture, Christians are always going to be going against the crowd—or at least they should be. Let me caution that if you don’t find yourself frequently going counter-culture, you may be vacillating in the middle between the culture and Christ. Doing the cultural splits is never comfortable, productive, effective, or redemptive.

If you don’t find yourself frequently going counter-culture, you may be vacillating in the middle…
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Christians must stand firm and be all-in for Christ; there is no other way that is pleasing to God.

Today, I’m sharing with you the origins of Forsaken God?. The book’s Preface will explain my passion for helping Christians remember God’s goodness in their own life, so they can lead a lost world back to God.

“The only way for evil to triumph is for good men [and women] to do nothing!” —Edmund Burke

Let’s do something together to defeat evil! I’m praying that God will take Forsaken God? to the ends of the earth. My husband smiles knowingly when I say that, but I’m asking you to help me with a grassroots effort to do just that! I’m not looking for book sales, I’m praying for changed lives. I hope you’ll join me in a mission of remembering the goodness of our Great God and sharing those memories with a lost world to give them hope for a new future.

If we don’t remember what God has already done, we won’t believe what he is capable of doing in the future. Memory builds faith.–Forsaken God?

If we don’t remember what God has already done, we won’t believe what he is capable of doing in the…
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Ok, here’s the promised Preface to Forsaken God?:

PREFACE

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. —Ps. 27:13

“We have sinned with our fathers … [and] … did not remember…” (Psalm 106:6-7). Then prod your memory and wake up immediately. Don’t say to yourself, “But God is not talking to me right now.” He ought to be. Remember whose you are and whom you serve. Encourage yourself to remember, and your affection for God will increase tenfold. Your mind will no longer be starved, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your help will be inexpressibly bright”—Oswald Chambers

Our nation is ridiculed abroad and morally crumbling within. We are in trouble. We have turned our back on God. —Franklin Graham

God put this book on my heart at 5:45 P.M. (CT) May 31, 2006, while having dinner with dear friends Les and Pam Barnhart at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Nashville, Tennessee. I had salmon (my favorite food) and they split a chicken Italian pizza. How can I remember this occasion so specifically, in such detail, and why is it important? Well, let me tell you the story ….

I was on business in Nashville where the Barnharts lived then, so we went out to dinner together. At one time, Les had worked for me in Southern California when I managed an insurance agency and since our families shared the same Christian faith, we developed a deep friendship, a kinship. We kept in touch over the years so it was a delight to have quality catch-up time with this godly couple.

During dinner, our conversation turned into a discussion of how quickly we forget God’s goodness when the next crisis arises. I pointed out how we readily criticize the Old Testament Israelites, who repeatedly forgot God’s goodness, but aren’t we the same today? We had just paid the bill and the receipt was lying on the table. As we discussed humanity’s historical pattern of forgetting God’s goodness, Les took the receipt, turned it over, and wrote on the back, “How Good is God? I Can’t Remember ….” Sliding the receipt across the table to me, he suggested, “This would be a great topic for a book!”

I took the receipt and put it in my purse for safekeeping. When I returned home, I started a folder labeled “How Good is God? I Can’t Remember …,” and clipped the dinner receipt to the front of the folder. I added to my folder Scriptures or articles reflecting the theme of forgetting God’s goodness or ways to remember his goodness. Over the years, the folder expanded with notes, Scriptures, and stories as I awaited God’s timing to write this book. Several times seemed right, but God knew I needed more research and experiences to share with you. God’s timing is always perfect—a vital aspect of his goodness to remember and never forget.

How Good is God? I Can’t Remember . . . evolved into the book you have in your hand—Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten. I don’t expect that after reading Forsaken God?, your mind will retain God-incidences with the same clarity and detail as I remember the origins of this book. However, if you start saving important documents and mementoes, writing in a prayer and praise journal, taking pictures, sharing your stories and testimony, memorizing Scripture . . . you’ll be well on your way to remembering God’s goodness throughout your lifetime and passing memories on to the next generation. That’s what I’m praying for you. That’s what I think God meant at 5:45 P.M. (CT) on May 31, 2006 at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Nashville during a meaningful discussion with fellow believers! That’s what I remember and will never forget, so…

I’ll write the book on your righteousness,

talk up your salvation the livelong day,

never run out of good things to write or say.

I come in the power of the Lord God,

I post signs marking his right-of-way.

—Ps. 71:15-16 The Message

You can see why I dedicated Forsaken God? to the godly couple I mentioned in the Preface: “Pam and Les Barnhart for inspiring the vision for this book and faithfully championing me.”

The Barnharts

Here’s How You Can Help Me Take This Book to the Ends of the Earth!

Order Forsaken God? from Amazon, Christianbook.com or my website .
Read and review on Amazon and Christianbook.com to encourage other readers. You can put the same comment on both sites of how the book spoke to you.
Share with your Bible study or small group, church, pastors, friends, family, book club . . . your sphere of influence. There are questions after each chapter for group discussion.
Take a picture with the book and post on Instagram and social media, like Facebook and twitter. My twitter name is @ahwministries. Or if you don’t like pictures, just post something about the book on social media.
If you have a blog, could I send you a guest blog post? Contact me please.
Pray with me for God to take Forsaken God? to the ends of the earth. Pray for Him to use His book to turn the pendulum back to a culture that respects, honors, and remembers the goodness of our Great Creator and Father of our nation and our world—God!

Any other ideas please contact me. I cherish your support and help.

Blog contains excerpts from Forsaken God? used with permission.

If you received this blog by email, comment here.

Conquering “Shoulditis”

Becky Kopitzke is a fellow mentor mom over at The MOM Initiative with a new book I thought you would all enjoy learning about. Her topic in this blog is “shoulditis,” and I know we all suffer from shoulda, coulda, why didn’t I?, why aren’t I as good?,  . . . we’ve all been there.  Becky reminds us that God made each of us unique with our own gifts and talents and all He expects is that we use them to His glory!

Enjoy this post by Becky:

Have you heard of a common debilitating condition infecting women today? It’s called “shoulditis”—otherwise known as I should do that disease. I’ve got it. You probably do, too. Symptoms flare up under the most ordinary circumstances.

When my friend calls to say she’s taking a Zumba class, I think of how long it’s been since my sneakers hit the gym, and my own voice whispers in my head, I should do that.

When I scroll through Pinterest and see a dozen photos of cutesy craft projects other moms created with their children, I’m deflated. I should do that.

When my parenting magazine plugs a recipe for brownies using hidden carrot puree, I think of the Duncan Hines box stashed in my cupboard. Carrots are way healthier. I should do that.

Vacation plans. Extreme couponing. Colon-cleansing diets. Reading lists, scrapbooks, chore charts, and hand-sewn purses. Monkey-face pancakes, are you kidding me? She does it! I should do it, too!

But I can’t do everything, can I?

You can’t do everything! And you shouldn’t.
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Can you?

And that is the pain of shoulditis. It assumes we are supposed to be someone else—or a hundred someone elses. Our spirits inflame with an impossible itch to be as clever, resourceful, energetic, artsy, and self-disciplined as those other women.

Reality check. They can’t do everything, either.

We all have our own things—our talents, interests, commitments, priorities. Yours aren’t better than mine, and mine aren’t better than yours. They’re just different.

God is fantastically creative, and He gave us each a unique blend of gifts.
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Why? Because God is fantastically creative, and He gave us each a unique blend of gifts. Trying to do it all is a waste of time. It’s like saying God got it wrong. On the flip side, doing what He created us to do—that’s worship.

 

Doing what God created us to do—that’s worship.
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“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us” (1 Corinthians 12:4–6 NLT).

So. Let’s slap some salve on that shoulditis, shall we? (Say that five times fast.)

The antidote is: I should not do that.

When the neighbors rent a mega bounce house for their son’s birthday party, I will tell myself, I should not do that. My children have winter birthdays, anyway. We can’t fit a bounce house in the kitchen.

When my friend runs a half marathon—good for her! But I should not do that. Stroller walks are more my pace.

When that sweet lady in the church choir raves about her make-ahead freezer meals, I definitely should not do that. This momma prefers to spend Sunday afternoon playing Scrabble with the kids. I will grab some frozen chicken patties from the supermarket and call them dinner.

So let’s all agree—you should do what you do, and I should do what I do, and together we will create a supportive, well-rounded community of women who love what they do and really can do it all—collectively.

“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT).

This post contains an excerpt from The SuperMom Myth: Conquering the Dirty Villains of Motherhood (Shiloh Run Press) by Becky Kopitzke. Used by permission.

# # #

About the book

Does your journey through motherhood look different from what you imagined?

Do you struggle to measure up to your own standards?

Do you sometimes wish you could be like that other mom who seems to have it all together?

You are not alone.

The Supermom Myth: Conquering the Dirty Villains of Motherhood, a new book by Christian mom blogger Becky Kopitzke, is designed to encourage imperfect moms to laugh at ourselves, forgive ourselves, and discover the beautiful moms God created within. Delivered with down-to-earth humor and carefully applied biblical insight, The SuperMom Myth explores eight personified “dirty villains” of motherhood, including The Grouch on the Couch (Anger), Worry Woman (Fear), The Calendar Queen (Busyness), and more. Throughout this delightful read for every mom, Kopitzke offers a gentle reminder to rest in the super power of our grace-filled God.

Visit www.TheSuperMomMyth.com for more information, including trailer videos, reviews, and details on where to buy copies for yourself and your mom friends.

About the author

Becky Kopitzke is the author of The SuperMom Myth: Conquering the Dirty Villains of Motherhood (Shiloh Run Press). As a writer, speaker, singer, dreamer, lunch packer, snowman builder and recovering perfectionist, Becky believes parenting is one of God’s greatest tools for building our faith, character, and strength—and it’s not always pretty.

On her devotional blog, beckykopitzke.com, she offers weekly encouragement for fellow imperfect moms, pointing our weaknesses, blessings, and victories to God.

Becky lives messily ever after with her loving husband and their two young daughters in northeast Wisconsin, where a pink indoor trampoline fills half the once formal living room. Connect with Becky on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

If you received this blog by email, comment here.

Love Your Body—Prevent or Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

Love Your Body Like God Loves It

It’s Love Your Body Monday! I’ve been so encouraged to hear weight loss stories from many of you and how this series has helped and encouraged you to start living healthier. I love your successes, so please send them to me or leave comments on this post.

Some of you may have decided that 2016 is the year you get fit and healthy, and you don’t know how happy that makes me. As a reminder, my first career was as a Registered Dietitian in hospitals. I thought I would be the Florence Nightingale of Dietetics and patients would be so happy to learn that many of their health issues could be resolved by changing their diets and lifestyle. There I was a naive young woman fresh out of college and a yearlong internship ready to save the sick and help them live healthier happier lives.

But I hit a brick wall. Patients didn’t want to change their diets and doctors didn’t support the R.D.’s counseling. Patients would rather take a pill then alter their diet. The R.D.’s were always the meanies taking away their “one pleasure in life.” Repeatedly, I would see patients return to the hospital because they refused to take ownership of their health. It was a rude awakening and a thankless profession.

Fast forward to today, when the public and the medical profession are more respectful of the cause and effect of food on the body. As evidenced by an article, “The Diet Prescription,” in the January 25, 2016 issue of TIME magazine. Studies are now proving something that I have been saying for years: Just because diabetes runs in your family or you show pre-diabetes indicators for Type 2 diabetes, “diabetes development is not inevitable.”

Just because diabetes runs in your family or you show pre-diabetes indicators for Type 2 diabetes,…
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This is so important because: In the US, more than two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese and extra body fat is a major risk factor for Type 2 diabetes! Here is a direct quote from the TIME article:

“I think people intellectually know that eating healthy and being active is good for you, but I don’t think they understand what an impact it has on preventing Type 2 diabetes for those at high risk,” says Ann Albright, director of the Division of Diabetes Translation at the CDC. “It really is the most effective intervention for delaying or preventing Type 2.”

Eating healthy and being active is the most effective intervention for delaying or preventing Type…
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The article said for those who already have Type 2 diabetes, diet and exercise alone cannot reverse diabetes, but they can reduce the severity of symptoms. But you will read a true story by  Anita Sherwood at the end of this post, which proves that it is possible to reverse Type 2 Diabetes through diet and exercise!

Doctors are not trained in behavior modification and so they don’t always know how to help you change your eating habits. They do know how to write a prescription. I can’t tell you the number of overweight people I’ve seen with knee replacements and I ponder, why doesn’t their doctor tell them to lose weight to help the success of the new knees?

Doctors Writing a Prescription for Nutrition

RX Pad South Side Diabetes Clinic

I was delighted to read in the Time magazine article about internist Dr. Monica Peek who has found that the way to get her patients to take notice of changing their lifestyle is to pull out her prescription pad and write: “I recommend the following nutrition for this patient…” And she says the patients started taking her seriously. It’s so simple! In fact, the subtitle to this article was “A deceptively simple approach to Type 2 diabetes is showing promise.”

But here’s the rub: the patient has to want to avoid diabetes badly enough to start eating healthy and exercising. Many think they’ll just start taking a pill and they can keep eating the way they always have. Maybe if the doctors told them that some of the complications of Type 2 diabetes can be extreme fatigue, blurry vision, sores, and foot problems, which can led to amputations, they would take diet and exercise more seriously. Potentially, there can be a damaging of blood vessels and nerves that can progress to vigilant monitoring of blood sugar levels, counting carbohydrates, timing meals, taking multiple blood lowering drugs with their own side effects, and sometimes requiring insulin injections.

I don’t know about you, but losing weight and eating food my body needs to be healthy sounds a lot easier, less painful, and a much better alternative. But Dr. Peek admits: “‘We can prevent a lot of chronic diseases if we eat better and exercise more,” Peek says. “But people don’t always think about it in that way.’”

So here’s what I’m suggesting friends: Let’s start thinking about it that way!

I know many of you have had doctors tell you that your blood sugar is too high and you need to cut back on sugar intake and lose a few pounds. Or one of your parents has Type 2 diabetes so you’ve just resigned to eat what you can while you can before the “inevitable” happens. Or you’ve already been diagnosed so you think, what’s the use? But let’s change that thinking today!

Here’s a Start:

Be Honest with Yourself. It’s easy to convince ourselves that we’re “eating healthy, but it just doesn’t help.” I heard that so many times as an R.D. and I would look at the overweight person in front of me and cry inside that this person was in denial.

Or friends and family will say, “I’ve eliminated all cholesterol or sugar from my diet, but it just doesn’t help.” Then I watch them slather butter on their bread, gravy on their biscuits, ice cream on their pie. You get the picture. Denial!

God made our bodies so there is no fooling Him.
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God made our bodies so there is no fooling Him. When I was a little girl, my mother used to warn me: “God sees everything you do.” So train yourself to think, “God sees every bite.”

Avoid desserts and fill up on salads and proteins. During the holidays, I was at several parties where people were discussing their “pre-diabetes” and high blood sugars and how they were going to control it by diet and then headed right over to the cookie and candy table. That’s feeding diabetes, not preventing it.

Our church, like many churches, puts out cookies or donuts and coffee between services. It’s so tempting, and I feel bad as I watch those I know who shouldn’t be eating them, head over to the snack table. Don’t go over to the table or bring your own healthy snack, or talk to your church about putting out healthier choices. The latter probably isn’t going to go over very well at your church, but it would be helping so many people.

The same applies for work breakrooms and small group snacks.

Don’t buy sugar. Then you won’t be tempted to cook with it!
Don’t buy sweets, desserts, sodas, chips. Avoid all “empty calories.”
Eat less carbs. Maybe sweets aren’t your downfall, but you eat lots of bread, crackers, and starches. Switch to lean meats, steamed veggies, salads with olive oil and vinegar dressing, and a piece of fruit for dessert.
Avoid alcohol. It’s straight sugar.
When eating out, choose wisely. Then cut the meal in half, ask for a to-go-box, and put half of your meal in it to take home for another meal. Love Your Body On Vacation discusses how to eat out or away from home.
Read labels . Sugar in many different forms is in almost every processed food, even in foods that sound healthy. Ingredients ending in “ose” are added sugar. Brown rice syrup and honey is still sugar.
Keep a food journal. Write down or keep it electronically. Record every morsel or liquid that passes your lips. It counts if you eat it standing up, in the car, on the run, talking on the phone, cleaning the kitchen … if it goes in your mouth, it turns into calories.

if it goes in your mouth, it turns into calories.
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Be aware of what you’re putting in your mouth and ask yourself: “Is this bite that’s going to be gone in a swallow, worth the risk of Type 2 diabetes some day?”

Pray and ask God to help you and ask family members and friends to help keep you accountable.

Encouragement

You can do this!

You’re never too old to make healthy changes and benefit from them. The TIME article noted a three-year trial of overweight and prediabetes people who changed their eating and exercise habits: “Lifestyle changes were especially impressive for older people; those 60 and older reduced their risk of diabetes 71%! That’s huge!

If you’re overweight, it’s only a matter of time before your blood sugars start reflecting it; but the good news is this also works in the reverse. The more weight you lose and exercise you increase, the faster your blood sugars will decrease.

Anita Sherwood Shares Her Type 2 Diabetes Reverse Story at 74!

Anita is on the left. Two years before making lifestyle changes to overcome her Type 2 Diabetes

My dear friend Anita was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1997, but she says, “Who knows how long I had it before then.” Here’s her amazing story:

When I first went on medication for my Type 2 diabetes, I thought hurrah, now I can eat whatever I want and just take this pill! Over the years, I tried to watch my diet and be careful what I ate, but I wasn’t as diligent as I should have been. I’m 5 ft. 2 1/2 inches tall and weighed 143 pounds, which is too much for my height.

Then at the age of 74, I read a book that told me about the damage to my body diabetes was doing and how it could compromise my later years. I had started experiencing blurred vision and restless leg at night. I paid attention when the book said I might even be able to get off diabetic medication if I stopped eating sugar, lost weight, and started exercising regularly. I wanted to enjoy my next season of life, so I committed to try it.

The result: Four months later, I lost 15 pounds and my blood sugars are normal!!! I went from 150 blood sugar with medication to 100-97. (99-65 is normal range) My doctor said I rebooted my system and my pancreas is kicking back in and I can soon be off all medication if I maintain my diet and exercise.

I feel and look younger wearing skinny jeans like I wore in high school! I sleep all night, my restless leg and blurry vision are gone, I can reach down and tie my shoes easier, my cholesterol levels have improved, and I’m full of energy!

Anita 15 pounds lighter with normal blood sugars

Here are the changes I made:

Drink 2 quarts of water a day. 1 quart before noon.
Eat on salad plate instead of dinner plate and eat slowly, taking time to chew my food thoroughly.
Always have a bag of washed fresh raw veggies to nibble for snacks and homemade broth-based soup for mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks.
Eliminated all carbs except 2 cups of air popped-corn in the evening and ¼-cup raw oats made into oatmeal for breakfast.

Breakfast- one egg, ¼ cup raw oatmeal cooked with nuts and craisins.

10:00 1-cup homemade broth-based soup.

Lunch—Cottage cheese or plain yogurt with fresh fruit or salad.

Afternoon: 1-cup homemade broth-based soup

Dinner—Meat (usually chicken) 2 servings of veggies and salad or stir-fry.

When we eat out, I have a cup of my soup at home first, then I choose lean meat, veggies, and salads.

Exercise: Swim laps three times a week, volunteer at a 2nd hand store with lots of walking on Mondays, and work in my yard.

Over the past four months, slowly the weight came off and the sugars came down. I realize this is a lifestyle change. This year I will be 75 and my motto will be: I’m now 75 and it’s great to be alive!

Anita happy and healthy at 74! Diet and exercise changed her life!

***************

Share with us ways you’ve found to also stay healthy and share Anita’s enthusiasm: It’s great to be alive!

Quotes are from “The Diet Prescription,” by Mandy Oaklander/Chicago, TIME, January 25, 2016.

To read more about Dr. Peek’s Food RX program.

If you received this post by email, leave comments here.

Guns N’ Bibles

http://tinyurl.com/h9z7qox

My husband and I give participants of our small groups, family, and friends a handout for Preparing for War from the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18. Periodically we’ll ask:

                  “So are you putting on the armor of God we told you about?”

Almost universally, the response is a shrugging of shoulders and “No, we’re not . . . .”

When we were first married, I studied spiritual warfare at Fuller Theological Seminary with Dr. Charles Kraft, and my husband went through a Neil Anderson course on spiritual warfare. God knew the spiritual battles we would incur in our years together, so He equipped us both with the understanding that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

God warns that the only way for Christians to fight this inevitable spiritual battle is to “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11).

We are cautioned to “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

No Weapon Formed Against Us Can Prosper

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On  the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.                2 Corinthians 10:3-4

This blog post is not about owning guns, but it is about Christians choosing a gun over the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17).

Believers who fear man more then they fear Satan.
Believers who put more faith in a gun’s protection then faith in God’s protection.
Believers who pack a gun, but don’t unpack their Bibles.

Jesus didn’t protect himself with a rock, a sword, or a knife.
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Jesus didn’t protect himself with a rock, a sword, or a knife. He fought evil with God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit, the only weapon He ever used. But sadly, today many of Jesus’ disciples know more about guns then they know how to use the only offensive weapon in the armor of God, the sword of the Spirit. They’re going out every day into the world spiritually naked without the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit securely prayed in place (from Ephesians 6:10-18).

Satan gloats if he can get Christians focused on trying to defend and protect themselves more with…
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And Satan gloats. If he can get Christians focused on trying to defend and protect themselves more with man’s weapons than fighting him with God’s weapon, Satan wins.

Do You Have a War Room?

Many saw the movie War Room and I’m sure were impressed with the power of prayer portrayed in this movie. But how many went home and set up a War Room? When I told my 7 year-old granddaughter the name of the movie, she wasn’t sure she wanted to watch it because she thought it would be a war movie. After our family watched it together, I asked her: “Do you know what a war room is now?”

Sienna: “A room where you pray,” she said confidently.

The mighty power of Jesus we have within us is not just fictional in a movie
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Friends, I hope you realize the mighty power of Jesus we have within us is not just fictional in a movie. Miss Clara in War Room understood how to use that power. She stood up to the assailant demanding her purse at knife point and told him in the “name of Jesus” to put down his knife. And he did. But some will say that’s just in the movies. . . . Maybe not.

Let me share with you a real-life “Miss Clara” story that happened last week
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Let me share with you a real-life “Miss Clara” story that happened last week to one of my Facebook Friends, Terri Gillespie. I asked Terri if I could share her story with you and she said absolutely.

*****************

Jan 10, 2016 on Terri Gillespie’s Facebook Post

Yesterday, at 1:26 pm I was robbed at gunpoint.

As I type these words, it still feels surreal. And as I process the event, I realize how easy it would be to turn this into a political issue, or a statement on the darkness of this world, but it was so much more than that.

First, what happened: My friend, Cathy and I were traveling back from our writing retreat at the Jersey shore. We decided to stop in Vineland, NJ for some lunch and shopping. We had a lovely experience with the young woman who helped us—she was a Christian and Zionist—and walked back to my car with our purchases.

My vehicle was packed with our bags and other packages from a weeklong retreat. Our clothes hung from the backseat carrack.

I couldn’t find my cell. I opened the back door on the driver’s side, placed my purse on top of a suitcase, and leaned over to search for it.

I asked Cathy to call my cell to see if it was in my purse. I felt something tapping me on my back and thought it was the clothes hangers. Finally, the phone rang in my purse, just as I felt the tapping again. I straightened and turned and there was a young man with a gun. He made sure I saw he had a gun. I remembered thinking two things. One: “Oh man!” Two: “Do glocks come in silver?”

He motioned toward my purse and whispered something. I hesitated, then reached for my little wallet. I remembered a scene from the movie War Room and I turned toward him and said, “Jesus loves you. He wouldn’t want you to do this.”

Cathy asked me if I had found my phone yet. I assured her I had. Thankfully, because of the curtain of clothing hanging, she had no idea what was going on. She only heard bits and pieces of my side of the conversation.

I pulled all the cash from my wallet—$12.00—and handed it to him. I apologized it wasn’t more. He rolled his eyes and asked for my car keys. I whispered, “You’re taking my car? You’re leaving us stranded?”

He motioned the gun toward Cathy and said he would kill her.

I said, “No, please. She just got over cancer. She almost died.” But, I handed him the keys.

I either repeated what I said, or I said that Jesus loved him. Perhaps, both. I tried making eye contact with him throughout. His gaze was mostly everywhere but on me. At this point, he looked briefly at me, then looked down. Cathy told me later that I kept saying Jesus loves you.

The young man handed me back the keys. He paused as though not sure what to do next. I thanked him and patted him on the shoulder and repeated one last time, “Jesus loves you.”

He turned and walked away.

Shaking, I shut the door, opened the driver’s side door, and started the car.

Cathy asked me if I was okay. I think I said something like, just a minute. Frankly, I was afraid that the young man would change his mind and return, so I wanted to get out of there.

Finally, I was able to tell Cathy what had just happened.

Cathy prayed as I drove back onto Highway 55. We thanked the Lord for His protection. We prayed for that young man that God would touch his heart and change his life from that moment on. We prayed for miles and miles. We talked, then prayed some more.

I was so grateful—am so grateful. Grateful for God’s protection of my friend and me. Grateful for the young man’s mercy and that in the midst of evil plans, he made the right choice to stop. Grateful that my friend did not have to see all this happening. Grateful to be able to go home and hug and kiss my husband.

*****************

Terri goes on to explain that she did report the crime, then she adds: “This morning when I first awoke, I remembered to forgive the young man and prayed again for his salvation and that his life would change for God’s glory. I’m sure there is more for Cathy and me to process and I would appreciate your prayers for us and our families as we do this; but please, as you pray, please remember this young man. Pray for him.”

When I asked Terri if she thought they would have all walked away unharmed if she had a gun, her answer was telling:

“Do I think the outcome would have been different had I been armed? Yes. And that’s why I was glad I wasn’t. It really forced me to be totally dependent upon the Lord.

Several Facebook comments:

“You were saved by using the Word of the Lord – may we always remember that they are mightier than any sword (or gun).”

“He was truly “disarmed” in the Spirit.”

Here’s a picture of my War Room. Let’s flood social media with pictures of our War Rooms and Sword of the Spirit.

                   My War Room

My Weapon, The Sword of the Spirit

We Have the Same Power!

A couple booked a wedding on our farm. Dale and I prayed that the Glory of the Lord would encounter them. I walked into the bedroom where the bride and bridesmaids were getting dressed and asked if I could pray a blessing over the wedding and marriage. The bride looked at her bridesmaids inquisitively. She said, “Sure.” They gathered close. I put my hands on the bride. I asked JESUS to encounter their hearts… At the first WORD of JESUS-tears streamed down their faces like I’ve never seen. There’s POWER in the NAME of JESUS! I prayed in boldness that the couples offspring would boldly declare Christ as Lord and be warriors for HIM. When the prayer was finished, she held her womb, with tears rolling and hugged me. One day EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue confess that He is LORD!I Don’t EVER be afraid to be bold with His NAME!—Facebook Post from Sharon Glasglow shared with permission

We hear songs like “, but how often do we tap into that power within us? The words from Jeremy Camp’s song, “Same Power,” ring so true for all Christians:

SAME POWER

I can see

Waters raging at my feet

I can feel

The breath of those surrounding me

I can hear

The sound of nations rising up

We will not be overtaken

We will not be overcome

I can walk

Down this dark and painful road

I can face

Every fear of the unknown

I can hear

All God’s children singing out

We will not be overtaken

We will not be overcome

The same power that rose Jesus from the grave

The same power that commands the dead to wake

Lives in us, lives in us

The same power that moves mountains when He speaks

The same power that can calm a raging sea

Lives in us, lives in us

He lives in us, lives in us

We have hope

That His promises are true

In His strength

There is nothing we can’t do

Yes, we know

There are greater things in store

We will not be overtaken

We will not be overcome

Greater is He that is living in me

He’s conquered our enemy

No power of darkness

No weapon prevails

We stand here in victory

Jeremy Camp and Jason Ingram © 2015 Stolen Pride Music (ASCAP) (admin. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) / Sony ATV Timber Publishing / Open Hands Music (SESAC) (Admin. by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LL

We’ll probably never have a government that turns completely to God to guide our country, but…
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Dear ones, I’m not so naive to think we will ever have a society without guns, but I am passionate about the number of empty War Rooms in the homes and hearts of fellow Christians. We may never have a government that turns completely to God to guide our country, but that doesn’t mean that the body of Christ can’t join forces in utilizing the greatest power that ever lived, and lives within each of us: the Name of Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

I leave you with these important questions to ponder:

Do you believe you have the “same power” that rose Jesus from the grave?
Are you ready and equipped to use the power of Jesus within you?
If so, I beg you to daily clothe yourselves and your children in the Armor of God and set up your Prayer War Rooms! Arm yourselves with God’s Word, the Bible, and be ready to go into action.

Your life and the lives of those you love could depend on it.

Here are links to two versions of Praying the Armor of God that I have on my website Prodigal Support page:

Simplified version of Putting on the Armor of God Daily

Armor of God Personalized and Expanded

If you received this post by email, leave a comment here.

Also a reminder that my new book Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten releases February 9th. Amazon is taking pre-orders now. Order today to be sure they don’t run out on the 9th.

Left for College a Christian, Returned an Atheist

 

First RC College Prep Group of High Schoolers

My new book Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, releases February 9. I have a section on Generation to Generation where I discuss the tragedy of losing the next generation for God, especially college age kids, and what we can do to keep them sold out for Jesus. I also share in Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter how I ignored the warning signs when my daughter was taught about Darwinism and evolution in High School.

Then right before Christmas, I received this email from Sheryl Young asking if I would consider mentioning her ministry Ratio Christi. Sheryl didn’t know about my new book and I didn’t know about RC, but after I read her note, I knew why God had put us together. Sheryl wrote:

Ratio Christi has 150 chapters on college campuses teaching Christian apologetics – the history, philosophy and science which supports the Bible and the life, death & resurrection of Christ. This strengthens the students’ faith, helps to stem the tide of “youth flight” from church due to the secularization of our colleges, and makes our young people stronger witnesses. We have also now started doing high school apologetics and have a goal of being on all college campuses.

I knew I needed to hear more and I asked Sheryl to write a post for us to discuss. Sadly, what Sheryl talks about here doesn’t just happen in high school and on college campuses. My granddaughter was only in third grade when she was disciplined by a teacher for defending her Christian faith to two girls who were bullying her at school. My granddaughter was the one  called out, not the other two girls.

Her teacher told her not to talk about Jesus again at school, and I told my granddaughter that teacher was out of line and together we looked at the Scriptures:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Romans 1:16

“So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” 2 Timothy 1:8

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15

As we focus on January as National Mentoring Month, are your children, grandchildren, and mentees ready to defend their faith or will they succumb to teachers or other kids’ taunts? I pray my book encourages parents, grandparents, and mentors to equip their children to stand for their faith when under attack. Are your kids, grandkids, mentees ready? Are you ready?

What a Difference a College Class Makes in a Christian Kid’s Life

By Sheryl Young

“So how was your first semester of college?”

“Mom, dad, I’m an atheist now.”

This dreaded conversation took place in the home of a friend of mine, but it’s happening throughout the United States today. It’s no wonder, with kids from Christian homes hearing the following statements almost as soon as they reach the college campus:

“There is no good reason to believe in Christ.”

“There is no logic or reason to Christianity.”

“You will not mention God in my classroom.”

The atheist movement in academia is trying at every turn to move students away from a firm faith in…
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It should be no secret to any Christian family today that colleges and universities have become a bastion of secularism and atheism. The atheist movement in academia is trying at every turn to move students away from a firm faith in Christ.

God’s Not Dead may be a movie with fictional characters such as a bitter atheist professor and few students with the courage to stand against him, but it is based on real-life events.

Make no mistake. Christian parents and grandparents are doing their children a great disservice by telling them that Christianity is just “because the Bible says so” or “because the pastor says so” or “because I say so.” It’s like sending them straight from grade school to college. It simply doesn’t hold any water in today’s culture.

1 Peter 3:15 says: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (NIV). We don’t show respect for nonbelievers, or ourselves, when we haven’t researched the reasons for our faith. Having “blind faith” may be good inside churched walls, but it won’t be understood by outsiders: it’s foolishness to them (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Having “blind faith” may be good inside church, but to outsiders it is foolishness (1…
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Josh McDowell, a foremost expert comparing Christian with secular youth, says in The Last Christian Generation: “The majority of our churched young people do not believe Christ is the Son of God, do not believe the Holy Spirit is a real entity, and think ‘doing good’ earns them a place in Heaven.”

What do we expect when they get one hour of Sunday school or youth group, and eight hours in school where they’re taught “there’s no absolute truth” and the Bible isn’t acceptable?

Are We Exaggerating the “youth exodus” from Church?

No. Statistics in various studies show that 50 to 70 percent of American youth drop out of church and leave their Christian beliefs between the ages of 18 and 22. For example, in David Kinnaman’s 2011 book You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church . . . and Rethinking Faith, he cites research showing nearly three out of every five young Christians disconnect from their churches after the age of 15. That’s nearly 70 percent.

The number of atheist professors on college campuses is a direct connection to students losing faith
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The increasing number of atheist professors on college campuses is a direct connection to students losing faith. A study at George Mason University revealed that the percentage of professing atheists and agnostics among college professors is 26 percent higher than the general U.S. population. In addition, 51 percent of professors describe the Bible as “an ancient book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts,” while only 6 percent of college professors say the Bible is “the actual word of God.”

The percentage of atheist/agnostic professors is 26% higher than the general atheist/agnostic U.S….
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We’ve all heard the stories of Christmas song censorship, valedictorians forbidden to mention God, and football teams not allowed to have student-led prayer. Many school districts do not understand – or choose to ignore – the freedom of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment on school property, especially when it comes to Christianity. Christian students and faculty are having their rights and viewpoints trampled.

Christian students and faculty are having their rights and viewpoints trampled.
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“Political correctness” isn’t limited to public education. Many private schools, even some in Christian denominations, now support the “valuing diversity” theme that makes allowances for those who do not hold to biblical principles.

Let’s hear it from the young people – how do they feel?

Ratio Christi is a nonprofit international campus ministry which exists to encourage and strengthen…
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I [Sheryl Young] work with a ministry called Ratio Christi, and I thank Janet Thompson for letting me write here about this issue. Ratio Christi (“Reason of Christ” in Latin) is a nonprofit international campus ministry with over 150 chapters, which exist to encourage and strengthen the faith of Christian students through the use of intellectual investigation called “Christian apologetics” – learning the historical, scientific and philosophical evidence that gives logic, reason and credibility to our Christian faith when presenting it to others.

Curtis Hrischuk, the chapter director for Ratio Christi at North Carolina State University, says: “Most of the students we get are confused when they arrive at college. They’re realizing that they don’t have a strong basis for their faith, and they’re looking for help.”

Ratio Christi’s chapter leaders often hear from their Christian students that even throughout high school they didn’t receive a strong basis of theology to prepare them to face the secular pressure once they got to college. Many felt their church youth groups were all fun and games to keep them occupied, or automatically supposed that kids who came to church were already grounded in the faith and didn’t need much help. Some felt they could speak about deep Christian issues with their parents, and others didn’t.

Grant, a student from the University of Alabama says, “My youth group studied the Bible but (the teachers) pre-supposed that we accepted it as truth.”

Or Bentley from the University of Mississippi: “I was missing the historical, foundation principles and background of Christianity.  I felt it was extremely important to understand who God is, why I believe what I believe, and understand how to defend my faith against those who might try to disrupt it.”

Going back to McDowell’s The Last Christian Generation, he writes of his surveys:

Only 33 percent of churched youth said church would be part of their lives when they leave home.
63 percent of them don’t believe Jesus is the only true way to God.
Only 6 percent of publicly schooled children now come away with a true belief in the Bible.

It cannot continue to be a church mantra, or a mantra in Christian homes, that our blind faith is enough. Not if we want our kids to keep their faith intact and be persuasive witnesses for Christianity later in life.

It can’t be a church mantra, or a mantra in Christian homes, that blind faith is enough. Not if…
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 Ratio Christi Can Help

Ratio Christi (RC) students learn to present factual and philosophical evidence for God in classrooms led by atheist professors or to other groups of nonbelievers – and they often end up getting that opportunity. RC students and leaders invite atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and adherents to any religion to attend sessions and investigate the claims of Christianity in friendly discussions.

The nonprofit ministry’s president, Corey Miller, says, “Students who identify themselves as Christians at the beginning of college, with the rest of their lives and careers ahead of them, are under fierce attack and are leaving the Christian faith in alarming numbers.”

A Ratio Christi club member from the University of Virginia, Caitlin says, “If it weren’t for Ratio Christi, I’m not sure I would still be a Christian.” Bentley adds, “Ratio Christi has taught me how to converse with others about Christianity. It has helped me become more comfortable about being an evangelist of Christ to others.”

Here’s a student named Blake from a Ratio Christi high school-aged group preparing for college:

“Apologetics has given me compelling evidence for the existence of God, the reliability of the Bible, and so much more! I strongly believe that if it wasn’t for apologetics, I would not be as effective a witness for Christ.”

Home school groups, school teachers, clergy, church members, parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens are welcome to get involved with RC at all levels, from prayer to becoming RC mentors. Individuals and churches can “adopt a college” to help start a RC chapter if there  isn’t one at their nearest college. Parents might want to learn apologetics along with their kids so that there are no blank stares across the dinner table if a teen comes home excited about what they are discovering.

Parents might want to learn apologetics along with their kids
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Learn more about how you can get involved with Ratio Christi, or find a college chapter. If a student can’t find an existing chapter at a college of their choice, or wants to find out how to get involved at the high school level, Contact Us. Young people are our future. Helping them know their Lord is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.

Sheryl Young is the Media Outreach Coordinator for Ratio Christi, and interviews many chapter students and leaders for RC’s national newsletter.

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Support National Mentoring Month

National Mentoring Month logo, designed by Milton Glaser

January is National Mentoring Month!
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As I prepared to write this week’s blog post, I opened up my new 2016 calendar and there was my reminder that January is National Mentoring Month! I only became aware of this designation recently, even though it has been a nationally endorsed month since President George W. Bush proclaimed it in 2002. While the focus is on mentoring youth, as Christians we know we’re also to mentor those spiritually younger than us. The verses best known to motivate us to pour into someone else are Titus 2: 1-6:

Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives. The Message

In my new book releasing February 9, Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, I quote the above passage from The Message as a reminder that it is our job as Christians to reach out to the next generation and help them set a moral compass that leads straight to the throne of Christ. I often wonder how many Christians actually take this command from the Lord to heart. How many realize that the fate of our nation depends on the spiritual maturity of the next generation in our families, our churches, our neighborhoods, our communities, our schools . . . ? If we’re not mentoring, who will do the job? Answer: the secular world!

If we’re not mentoring, who will do the job?
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As much as we complain about the current administration, and I agree there is much to be concerned about, President Obama has continued to endorse National Mentoring month, as has both chambers of the United States Congress. The campaign’s media partners have included ABC, CBS, Fox News, and NBC; Comcast; the National Association of Broadcasters; Time Warner; and Viacom.

Shouldn’t we, the united body of Christ, also support National Mentoring Month?

Shouldn’t we, the united body of Christ, also support National Mentoring Month?
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Here is an excerpt from this year’s presidential proclamation recognizing January as National Mentoring Month:

At the heart of America’s promise is the belief that we all do better when everyone has a fair shot at reaching for their dreams. Throughout our Nation’s history, Americans of every background have worked to uphold this ideal, joining together in common purpose to serve as mentors and lift up our country’s youth. During National Mentoring Month, we honor all those who continuously strive to provide young people with the resources and support they need and deserve, and we recommit to building a society in which all mentors and mentees can thrive in mutual learning relationships.

By sharing their own stories and offering guidance and advice, mentors can instill a sense of infinite possibility in the hearts and minds of their mentees, demonstrating that with hard work and passion, nothing is beyond their potential. Whether simply offering a compassionate ear or actively teaching and inspiring curiosity, mentors can play pivotal roles in young peoples’ lives. When given a chance to use their talents and abilities to engage in their communities and contribute to our world, our Nation’s youth rise to the challenge. They make significant impacts in their communities and shape a brighter future for coming generations.

I smiled when I read this proclamation, both for the championing of mentoring and that the President of the United States used the word “mentee.” When I started the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry and wrote Woman to Woman Mentoring: How to Start, Grow, and Maintain a Mentoring Ministry, many people told me mentee was not a word. I think Woman to Woman Mentoring put mentee in the dictionary!

Thank Your Mentor Day

As part of National Mentoring Month, a day is set aside to celebrate Thank Your Mentor Day
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As part of National Mentoring Month, a day is set aside to celebrate Thank Your Mentor Day. This year, it’s January 21, 2016. A day to thank and honor mentors who have encouraged and guided you, and had a lasting, positive impact on your life.

In Forsaken God?, I encourage readers to remember spiritual mentors and the way God used these men and women to shape their lives and then to imitate those mentors by mentoring whoever God puts in their path:

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7

Here are some ways the National Mentoring Month Campaign suggests for honoring your mentors:

Contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation;
Express your gratitude on social media.
Pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community;
Make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program in your mentor’s honor; and,
Write a tribute to your mentor for posting on the Who Mentored You? website.

To add a spiritual component to National Mentoring Month, consider:

Start a Mentoring Ministry in your church.
Become a spiritual mentor to someone spiritually younger, not necessarily chronologically younger.
If your church has a mentoring ministry, serve in the ministry.
My next book is Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life’s Experiences and God’s Faithfulness. Honor your mentor or mentee by sending me a story about your mentoring relationship to include in the book. info@womantowomanmentoring.com.
Pray for God to send you a mentor.
Every month in About His Work Ministries’ Newsletter, we feature a Church Mentoring Ministry. Send me something you would like to share about your mentoring ministry to help other churches. info@womantowomanmentoring.com
Start 2016 being a spiritual mentor, or finding a mentor.
Remember that mentoring is part of parenting.

I’m looking forward to what God will have me share with you and perhaps mentor you in 2016. My “job” in About His Work Ministries isn’t to have a following, but to point others to Jesus.

Happy, Healthy, Blessed New Year

Another post you might enjoy reading is How to Mentor in a World Forsaking God.

Love Your Body in the New Year!

Love Your Body Like God Loves It

(Love Your Body is a series I write the last Monday of each month on living healthy)

This week marks the last Monday of 2015, and if you’re like millions of people you’re thinking about making some changes in your life starting January 1. You may have overindulged throughout the holidays with the consolation that you’ll get back on track “next year.”

As I contemplated what to write to you today, I reread what I wrote last year and it’s exactly what I want to say to you again this year. So I’ve updated it a bit and I hope that if you had some successes in 2015 by reading Love Your Body Monday blogs that you’ll share those with me, like Janie did below and some of you have in my past blogs. I’m looking forward to sharing some new ideas for you to get healthy in the New Year.

As an avid gym member for many years, I always noticed how crowded the gym was the beginning of January. Those of us “regulars” would complain that it was hard to get on the equipment and the classes were packed. But we comforted each other with the knowledge that it wouldn’t last. Soon all the New Year enthusiasts would be gone and we’d have the gym back to ourselves.

Sound familiar?

What Goes Wrong with Resolutions?

What Goes Wrong with Resolutions?
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Wikipedia describes New Year’s Resolution as:

New Year’s resolution, a commitment that an individual makes at New Year’s Day.

Notice the use of the word “commitment.” I think the reason many people fail at keeping their New Year’s resolutions is because they’re not making the “commitment” to anyone who will keep them accountable. It’s way too easy to give yourself a ton of grace and slack on the commitment you’ve made to yourself.

If you want to make a change in your health and lifestyle, I’d like to propose that this year you make a three-fold commitment to God, another person, and yourself.

Commit to God

Journal or write down a letter to God delineating the changes you want to make. Keep this letter in your Bible and make it part of your daily quiet time. Maybe it will help you have a regular quiet time—that might be one of your resolutions. Read this letter every day for the next year. Be specific and ask God for His help in keeping you faithful to making the changes you’ve listed.

Commit to an Accountability Partner

If you don’t tell your resolutions to anyone else, you may not be disciplined enough to stay…
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If you don’t tell your resolutions to anyone else, you may not be disciplined enough to stay faithful to your commitment. Tell a family member or friend your resolutions and ask them to help keep you accountable. Let them know how you would like them to do that and ask them to pray for you to stick to your commitment.

Commit to Yourself—Love Yourself Enough to Change

Do you really want to live a healthier lifestyle?
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Do you really want to live a healthier lifestyle? Do you want to lose weight? Reduce your cholesterol or blood pressure? Prevent diet-related diseases? Exercise more? Eat healthier? Only you can motivate you. No one can make you live healthier no matter how many “resolutions” or attempts you make. But you do have a choice to make those resolutions a reality not just dreaming.

I have to admit that as I write this Love Your Body blog post, I often wonder if anyone has made any healthy changes—does anyone care enough about themselves to try any of the suggestions I’ve been sharing. Seldom does anyone leave a comment, so I was asking God, “Am I talking to myself?”

The Lord answered in a very tangible way. The weekend before Thanksgiving 2014, my daughter and I spoke at the Nazarene Church in Ontario, Oregon. The first night, Janie Morey came up to me and told me that she had been reading my Love Your Body series and she and her husband decided to make some major diet and exercise changes with amazing results. I asked her if she would write a comment in last month’s Love Your Body During the Holidays blog post and she did. I’ve copied it here to encourage you to make 2016 the year you get, and stay, fit:

Thank you for the helpful ideas for loving our bodies to be healthy. Several months ago, I read your similar writing and was reminded that God loves us so, every part of us, including our bodies. I began praying for His help to get to a healthy weight. I have lost 22 pounds! Everything is better physically, but more importantly, my faith has been strengthened. For me, fitting exercise into every day is key. If I am not walking, I am doing physical work at the Love INC thrift store or doing Pilates (good for me at 64 years old!). Variety in exercise and food helps to keep up my healthy behaviors. Have you tried Farro? So delicious and whole grain! Cutting down on sweets and fats has sparked my appetite for the fresh vegetables that fill most of my plate these days. I use the app My Fitness Pal to keep track of what I eat. This app shows me that a cookie once-in-a-while is acceptable and my goal of healthy and balanced meals daily is possible. And lastly, I suggest getting a health buddy for support. Mine is my husband who has lost 35 pounds! Thanks Janet for reminding me to ask God for help…He loves us so!

I Want to Help You Have A . . .

I hope that Janie’s story inspires you. She started exercising, eating less sweets, eating more fresh vegetables, keeping track of what she ate, and most importantly, she enlisted the support of what she calls a “health buddy” and he got healthier too!

If you want me to pray for you to make healthy New Year’s resolutions, and keep them, leave a comment below with as many specifics as you feel comfortable sharing and I will commit to pray for you to be successful.

Commit to God—commit to a friend/family member—commit to yourself —commit to me. Together let’s make 2016 the year you Love Your Body like God loves your body!

Happy Healthy New Year

The Urgent ‘Affluentza’ Epidemic

www.christianwallpaperfree.com

We are a society laboring under the tyranny of the urgent:
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We are an affluent society laboring under the tyranny of the urgent: marketers prey on our “don’t-want-to-miss-a-great-deal,” “gotta-have-it” obsession. If there’s a limited time to buy, then the product must be worthy of our time, energy, and finances. Our culture suffers from an urgent affluentza epidemic that has now invaded our churches and Christian lives.

The Lord recently pointed out to me how affluentza epidemic is transmitted virtually through the numerous emails I receive with subject lines like:

last chance, sale ends at midnight, discount ends tomorrow, only 48- hours left to buy, free shipping for the next three hours, exclusive in-store offer, exclusive online offer, exclusive holiday offer, today only, final days, clearance sale, order now before it’s too late, sale ends, last minute buy, flash sale, today’s deals, one time only, last day, you’ve been chosen, trending gifts going fast, hurry, don’t miss. limited time offer . . . .

You get the picture because you could add to the list. I found these in my email “trash.” That’s what I think of most marketing emails. As soon as an “urgent” sales campaign is over, another one starts.

And as soon as an “urgent” sales campaign is over, the same companies send out another barrage…
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I remember a friend once looking at the newspaper and exclaiming, “Wow look at all these sales. Maybe we should go shopping before the sale ends.” I laughed and said, “Don’t worry, tomorrow’s paper will be full of more ‘great buys.’”

When we moved to the mountains with no shopping centers, a city dweller said, “You’re going to miss all the sales in town.” I responded: “There will always be a sale going on somewhere any day I’m in town. And I’ll save so much money and time not running all over for the next big deal.”

Marketers use our desire to think we’re getting a great deal with a limited buying window to…
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Marketers use our desire to think we’re getting a great deal with a limited buying window to seduce us into buying things we don’t need with money we shouldn’t be spending for things that often end up stashed away in the garage or back of the closet.

What is ‘Affluentza’ Epidemic?

If you’re wondering if I made up the word affluentza, I did. But I couldn’t think of a better word to describe how salesmen, companies, and marketers entice us to think their product or gadget is something we can’t live with out, when you only have to drive by a garage or moving sale to see how many of those things were actually worthless.

We live in one of the most affluent countries in the world, but we always want more.
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We live in one of the most affluent countries in the world, but we always want more. This need to acquire–the affluentza epidemic–started with the most affluent couple in the Bible: Adam and Eve. They had everything in the world, and wanted for nothing. So how did Satan tempt them? With the only thing God told them they couldn’t have: to be like God.

Man is in a power struggle with God
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And man has been in a power struggle with God ever since to: own more, make more, acquire more . . . .

The next time you see one of those adds that entice you into thinking this product will bring you contentment, joy, peace, happiness, wealth, a better life, health, wisdom . . . ask yourself: Is this from Satan or God?

There’s Only ONE Urgent Offer That Matters

This Christmas, don’t buy into the urgent affluentza marketing hype. There’s only One truly urgent offer; it’s free and you’ll never want again. . . but it’s an offer that won’t last forever. We don’t know when Jesus will return and we don’t know the number of our days. We all have friends, family, neighbors, workers, mentees . . . who don’t know Jesus . . . that’s the ONLY “time-is-running-out,” “must-have” offer that should get our attention.

We all know people in our sphere of influence who have passed away without believing in Jesus,
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There are people in our sphere of influence who have passed away without believing in Jesus. Maybe they were even affluent in earthly possessions, but they were spiritually bankrupt, and we didn’t seize opportunities to create a sense of urgency for them to make decision for Christ. We thought there was time, but there wasn’t.

That may be a sober way to look at Christmas, but in the wake of the senseless, random killings in our world today, how could we think of Christ’s birth any other way? He came to earth to offer the One and Only Gift worth our time, energy, resources, and urgency because this salvation offer does have a time limit . . . an hour, the next three hours, today only, tonight, last chance . . . with our last breath or Jesus’ return to earth.

If you’re a Christian, God chose you to do everything in your power this Christmas, and every…
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If you’re a Christian, God chose you to do everything in your power this Christmas, and every day, to share Christ’s free Gift of Salvation with a world where the end time could be near.

I appreciate each of you who follow this blog, and I pray your Christmas makes a difference in someone’s eternity.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Here is a poem that I wrote a few years ago, and many ask me to share it every year because it has an urgent message we need to apply in our lives every Christmas and every day!

Time To Sit With You

Lord, so many things to do,

No time to sit with you.

There’s presents to buy,

And I must bake a pie!

But isn’t it all about Me?

What’s closed your eyes to see.

The purpose of Christmas day,

Isn’t how much you pay?

Lord, each year we hear that said,

Yet, still it comes with dread.

Anticipating all to do,

No time to sit with You!

This is MY day.

Don’t I have a say

In how you spend your time?

Remember, you are chosen…Mine!

But Lord, relatives will soon be here,

And the lawn Santa still needs reindeer!

There is so much to do,

Still no time to sit with You.

Relax and enjoy Me this season,

Let your activities have a reason.

This is My Birthday celebration,

And all I want is your attention.

Oh, Lord, we’ll make it all about You.

Do You think we should have fondue?

We’ll read the Christmas Story,

And give You all the glory.

Sit down and read My Word.

Your craziness is absurd.

Come spend some time with me,

Forget the Christmas tree.

Oh, Lord the cookies are all baked,

I have such a headache.

I know I need to pray,

But I’ve had such a day!

Lives are waiting to be saved.

Did you hear Me when you prayed?

It is certainly no wonder

Your world is all asunder.

No, God, I didn’t hear a word,

I was busy stuffing the bird.

I want to just slow down,

But I feel I’m losing ground.

You’ve made it all about you,

And all your parties too.

My message to the lost,

Overshadowed by homemade cranberry sauce.

Lord, that’s not true,

You know I do love You.

It’s just I feel a call,

To make this the best Christmas of all!

You’re wasting your time.

Do you think you could top Mine?

I had a virgin birth,

As my entrance to earth.

Oh, Lord, I’m beginning to see,

How You want to use me.

Telling Your story to all who will listen,

Is the true Christmas mission.

Spending time with Me,

Is the only way to flee

The world’s strangling control

On your time and very soul.

Oh, Lord, Your music softly plays,

As the candle glow displays,

The beauty of time spent

With our Gift heaven sent.

You’ll go against the flow

Taking time to help a lost soul.

But when the day has come to end,

You’ll have the joy of a new friend.

Oh, Lord, forgive me please.

Help me put down my car keys.

It really is so true,

There’s ALWAYS time to sit with You.

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