Angela Baughman's Blog, page 34

Guest Interview: “Stretch Marks”

Angie and Lisa Littlewood discuss how motherhood changes you from the inside out.

Find Lisa’s website at http://www.littlewritermomma.com

The post Guest Interview: “Stretch Marks” appeared first on Live Steady On.

Virtual Book Club August 2020

Lisa, Maria, and author Nicole Deese join Angie for a Virtual Book Club discussion on Nicole’s book, “Before I Called You Mine.”

Visit Nicole’s website at www.nicoledeese.com

The post Virtual Book Club August 2020 appeared first on Live Steady On.

Connecting Myself To The Source

Vines were prevalent in the everyday lives of those who followed Jesus. They would have been familiar with the way throughout scripture God repeatedly used a vine as a symbol of His people. Literal grapevines were decorating the landscape of Israel. A large, golden vine adorned the front of the temple, and the vine was a recognized symbol of the Messiah.

In the early verses of John 15, where Jesus refers to Himself as the vine, we find a repeated word that translates most often in English as “abide” or “remain.” The Greek word we translate is “meno,” which means to continue to be present. It defines something lasting, something that endures. “Meno” signifies two things that stay together as one, unable to become another or different – an unbreakable connection with something else.

Jesus tells us to remain or abide in Him – the vine. Why? Because a constant connection with Him is what brings fruit from our lives. Fruit that starts inside our souls as love, joy, rest, and peace. Fruit that then moves to the outside as blessing, encouragement, and acts of service. The tremendously beneficial fruit we have the opportunity to experience and share with this world stem from only one thing – connection to Jesus the Vine.

When my first child was small, I remember one day sitting him up on the kitchen counter as I mixed ingredients for a batch of brownies. He loved to crack the egg and watch its gooey mess leave the shell and drop into the bowl. After we had added the egg and stirred the chocolatey batter together, he looked at me seriously and said, “Now, let’s get the egg back out and do it again.”

I laughed at him before I recognized his confusion. Then I carefully explained to him that once the egg combines with the brownie mix, there’s no way to get it back out. It’s impossible to separate those things when they are attached the way we had joined them together.

I want that egg-brownie attachment in my life with Jesus. I want to experience an inability to be separated from Him, a connection so deep that it’s impossible to tell where one ends, and the other begins. I want to belong to Him and for my relationship with Him to be evident in my words and actions every day. And while I do know I have that to some degree already, I still long to have it more.

Sometimes I hear people talking about finding their purpose in life, and hearing that sentiment always makes me pause. Because while I do believe that we all have unique things to offer based on our gifts and experiences, I don’t think we have to search for our purpose. We already know it. Connection with Jesus is our purpose, and anything we might be able to do or accomplish will be an extension of that fellowship. Remain in Me, He says, and I will remain in you.

Peace.

Finding My Way When I Feel Lost

Whenever I have the honor to lead a funeral service for a family who has lost a loved one, at some point in our time together, I point us to Jesus’ words in John 14. He reminds His followers of comforting truths like He will prepare a place for us, He will come again for us, and we will be with Him.

After Jesus says these things, one of His disciples questions Him on how they will know the way. Getting to Jesus seems unlikely since they don’t understand where He is going. Jesus reassures him by reminding everyone listening that He (Jesus) IS the Way. To know Jesus is to know the Way to the place He prepares for them.

Knowing that Jesus plans someday to usher me into my future home with Him brings me peace. While I don’t necessarily look forward to the process of dying, I have no fear of death. I know that being in the presence of Jesus will be beautiful and complete. I do not doubt that my place in eternity with Him is secure, and I am grateful.

But I do get tripped up on the idea that this teaching from Jesus also holds an invitation for my everyday experiences while I am still here on earth. Knowing Jesus and submitting my life to His will is the way for me now, too. Sometimes that seems foreign or scary, but I need not fear. I know Him, He prepares the road ahead of me, and following Him will lead me to the best place I can be.

In recent months, so much of our world has felt unfamiliar. I had a spring and summer nicely planned out that unfolded into something entirely unexpected. While doing my best to be flexible and lean into what God was teaching me, I still had times when I felt uneasy about what all the uncertainty would mean for me, my family, and the ministry work God has given me.

But the John 14 instruction reminds me that I don’t need to be troubled. I can trust and believe in God. Even if my faith feels shaky, He is still making a way for me. He is coming for me. He is truth, life, and the light that will keep me moving forward even when the road feels dark or lonely. I can stand on the solid foundation of that truth.

If the ground beneath you feels unreliable today, don’t believe the lies of the enemy that God has forgotten or forsaken you. Nothing could be further from the truth. Take a deep breath, stand firm, and remind yourself that you do know how to take the next steps. You do know the way. Jesus is the Way.

Peace.

Utilize Your Resources

As I walked across the university campus with my uncle, a light rain began to fall. He and I have engaged in a casual, bantering relationship since I was a child, and even though we don’t spend much time together anymore, we fall back into the affectionate teasing with ease.

When I reached behind me and tugged on the hood of my jacket so that it came up and covered my head, he gave me grief for looking silly with my hood up. I pushed back by making sure he knew he looked sillier because his head was getting wet. He laughed and admitted he did wish he had a hood or umbrella.

Then I noticed a zipper on the back of his jacket collar. I asked him to stop for a second and unzipped it, and, sure enough, I pulled out a hood that he didn’t even know he had. He shook his head and recalled how often he’d worn the jacket, never knowing the hood was in there. “You need to utilize your resources,” I said to him with a smile.

Way too often, I try to battle things out in my own strength and abilities instead of utilizing the resources Jesus freely offers. Trying to fix things myself is especially problematic for me when it comes to fighting the enemy. When Jesus promises that He is our Good Shepherd, He says He will not run away when danger threatens. Instead, He will fight to protect the sheep even if it means laying down His life for them.

Recently I found fresh personal application in this assurance. I have been questioning myself over a ministry decision. Something that at first seemed like a good idea did not go the way I had anticipated, and it has left me confused. The familiar voices of my insecurities were rising to the surface and reminding me of my inadequacies. Ways that I had failed before. Mistakes I had made.

I recalled the promise that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, fights for us. I thought about the hood hidden in my uncle’s collar. Then my own words came back to me. Utilize your resources, Angie. Utilize your resources. I spent some time in prayer, asking God to step between me and the fiery darts of the enemy’s lies so that I did not sink into self-doubt and condemnation.

Was my issue magically solved? No. But I did immediately feel a rush of confidence that I could separate the problem from my worth. The situation is real, and I will need to deal with it. But there is no evidence to support the lie that it somehow makes me unlovable. No stumble in judgment can ever change the fact that God loves, calls, and equips me. God offers us His protection from the enemy that threatens, and I am abundantly grateful.

Peace.

The Light From The Cross Led Me Home

When I was first starting in ministry, I lived in a house that was within walking distance from the church. At one point during my time serving there, the congregation tackled a pretty massive construction project. For a time, as we added on additional space, the main door to the church was unable to be used.

During that phase of construction, I had two choices when I was leaving the church to head home. I could exit through the back door and walk around the large building, or I could walk through the sanctuary and exit a side door that was much closer to my home. The problem with the second option was that I often left the church after dark. In the sanctuary, the light switches were at the back of the room, and the side exit was the front. So, leaving through the sanctuary would mean walking in the darkness and hunting for the door.

I decided to take my chances fumbling through the dark sanctuary. I figured that after a couple of attempts, I would learn the nuances of the journey, and before too long, the few steps in darkness would cause me no worry at all. So that first evening, I stood at the back of the room, took a deep breath, and shut off the light. Then the strangest thing happened.

There was a street light outside the sanctuary whose glow seeped through the stained-glass windows just enough that it bounced off the brass cross that sat on the altar table. If I walked straight towards that cross, took a hard right to the side door, I was outside and free. Night after night, I walked towards the glow of that cross, and it showed me the way out and home.

When the Israelites left Egypt, the book of Exodus tells us that by night the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of fire so they could travel. In John 8, Jesus tells us that He is the Light, and those who follow Him will not walk in darkness. We follow Him by knowing and aligning our hearts with Him. When we do these things, His light will provide direction for the way out of dark places and will eventually lead us home.

Peace.

Why Do I Always Feel Hungry?

Psalm 90:14 asks God to “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” The Hebrew word translated to satisfy means to have enough, to suffice, to fill to satisfaction, to have plenty of, or even to be weary of.

My younger son likes to wash our vehicles on a hot day. He really wants to get soaking wet with the hose more than clean cars, but when he finally gets to the washing, he uses a bucket with a sponge. He dips the sponge into the soapy water, and when he pulls it back out again, the sponge is so saturated with water that it drips everywhere. Even a light touch will cause the water in the sponge to leak out.

The image of the sponge is how God wants to fill us with Himself. He longs for us to absorb so much of His love and grace that not only are we filled and lack nothing, but we also drip those attributes of God onto others who are in our circles of connection.

When Jesus proclaims that He is the Bread of Life, He’s telling us that being in a relationship with Him will satisfy every need. It will fill us to overflowing. When the enemy threatens or life’s trials are upon us, His love and grace are abundant. Even in dark days, we will want for nothing when we continue to immerse ourselves in His presence like my son dips his sponge into the soapy water.

What are you hungry for today? Where do you feel like you need something you do not have? Hear this good news, friend. We can run to the One who fills us. Jesus offers this promise, “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry.”

Peace.

Chapter 1/7 on the I AM statements of Jesus

There’s Power In The Blood

When I was just a little bitty thing, the church my father served used to take suggestions for the congregational hymns during Sunday services. Sometimes I would work up the nerve to raise my hand, sit up tall on the wooden pew I occupied, and request my favorite, “Power In The Blood.” The older people in attendance always got a kick out of this request from a toddler, and they would sing it out fervently for me. I vividly remember how their unified voices witnessed to my young heart.

The words of the song declare that the power in the blood of Jesus can free us from sin, triumph over evil, and equip us for service. The believers in that little country church sang out in confidence from their individual experiences of that power. Even as young as I was, I knew I wanted what they had. I wanted to be connected to a force that made people sing like that.

Acts 1:8 tells us that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we will receive power. The Greek word for power means a moral power or excellence of soul. It is emotional strength and stability that lives within us because God puts it in us. And the power of the Holy Spirit coursing through our veins is victorious over sin, death, fear, and hate. It is stronger than anything we face. We can do whatever He calls us to in that power.

It seems like the smallest thing now, but I still remember how nervous I would get before making my song request. Would I say the right thing? Would the grown-ups laugh at me? Maybe. But I also remember knowing I didn’t want to go home, having missed the opportunity to experience everyone singing “my” song together. So many Sundays, I would dig deep, find the courage, and speak up.

My feelings around stepping out in obedience haven’t changed all that much in the four-plus decades since then. I still get nervous and oversensitive to what others might say or do. At times, I’ve even let those worries keep me still and silent. But I have learned, and I am still learning, that the power of the Holy Spirit is greater than any concern I may entertain. Romans 8 tells us that the same Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. Anything He calls us to, He will empower us to achieve.

That church may have gotten tired of singing “Power In The Blood” week after week at the request of the preacher’s little girl. But then again, maybe not. Maybe they knew how much the power meant to them, how much it could mean to me, and how much they wanted to pass it on.

Peace.

 

This post is chapter 5/5 of church words – POWER

Finding Joy When We Want To Quit

A few summers ago, I regularly worked out with a physical trainer while rehabbing my way back from an injury. I remember well in one session trying to do exercises with what seemed an unreasonable amount of weight for my damaged body to control. I am a hard worker and never like to admit defeat, but that day I was considering rejecting the trainer’s instruction and living with the consequences. Pressing on seemed too hard.

Flirting with the idea of throwing in the towel must have been evident on my face. The trainer got right in front of me. She locked her eyes with mine and said, “Angie, don’t you quit on me. You are at a crossroads. Decide to push through. This is where we change your body and make it strong again.”

James 1:2 tells us to, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” The Greek word for joy is chara, and it means rejoicing and gladness. The joy that James is speaking of is knowing that Jesus is present. No matter what life throws at us, we have an opportunity to be infused with the incorruptible joy offered to us. We receive that joy by acknowledging and then focusing on the presence of Jesus Christ in our circumstances.

The same summer I was working with the physical trainer; I lost a dear friend to breast cancer. She was young, her family still needed her, and she left a considerable hole in the creative community with which she had shared her gifts. As she was dying, I struggled to find a reason to “consider it joy.”  Where was Jesus in this suffering?

Shortly after her death, God allowed me the opportunity to work side by side with her family and friends to plan details of a memorial service. We shared stories and bonded in our love for her, and I was welcomed into a circle of people I had never met before her passing. Jesus was there, and my heart felt His joy.

I received an invitation to speak at her service, and as I sat at my computer praying for God to give me the right words, He brought sweet memories to my mind. The words poured out, and I later shared them from my heart. Some brought laughter, and some brought tears, but they all helped us say goodbye to her. Jesus was there, and my heart felt His joy.

As the trainer locked eyes with me during that difficult workout session, so Jesus will lock eyes with us when a life storm is raging. He will stand in our line of sight and invite us to see and receive Him. He may not fix our problem immediately. But He will stay right there and be our companion on the painful path unfolding in front of us. When we decide to choose His joy even when the weight seems unbearable, that is the place that changes our heart and makes it strong again.

Peace.

This post is chapter 4/5 of church words – REJOICE

The Choice Between Two Perfects

I had been away for several hours and came home to find stacks of folded laundry on my kitchen table. The scene before me was not the norm. I am usually the one taking care of laundry for our family, but there stood my husband with a Cheshire-cat grin on his face. He had been anticipating my delight at realizing he had freed me from this routine work.

But instead of feeling grateful for his efforts, I was frustrated. Why? Because instead of supported, I felt inconvenienced. My thoughts went immediately to clothing items that shouldn’t have gone into the dryer but did. And one could only guess how many load combination mistakes he had undoubtedly made. I stood looking over that gift with an ugly, angry heart that manifested itself in the look of annoyance across my face.

As Matt and I stood in silence around our laundry-piled kitchen table, I felt the Holy Spirit guiding me in choosing between two perfects. As a recovering perfectionist, I wanted to focus on the laundry and the angst it was causing me. As a dedicated follower of Jesus, I needed to focus on my husband and the love he was demonstrating to me in working to remove this burden from my weekly routine.

I listened to the Holy Spirit and did my best to follow the leading. I confessed my negative feelings to my husband and told him it was difficult to embrace his help when it messed with my routine. But I also expressed how much I appreciated his willingness to spend time helping me with housework, and I recognized what I was feeling was not at all the message he was trying to send.

We’ve revisited the situation a few times, and I am pleased with the way we communicated through it. It’s tricky. Matt helping with the “Angie’s job” of laundry stirred some feelings and generated reactions that I didn’t like in myself. It would have been easier to simply tell him not to do the laundry than to work to untangle that mess. But I sincerely want to be someone who, with words and deeds, loves people well. So we cautiously explored the reasons the moments were stressful and claimed the truth that the laundry wasn’t ever the problem at all.

Christian perfection is about completeness in Christ. As we grow in our relationship with Christ, more of our heart becomes surrendered to Him. Through this surrender, we become purer in our love for God, others, and self.

From time to time, we will stand at a crossroads. Often, one road leads to self-protection, and the other leads to loving responses. We have to choose which one is most important to us. Will we seek an earthly understanding of perfect? Or will we lean into a Spiritual understanding of perfect and accept God’s invitation to draw us into a deeper relationship with Him?

The craziest thing is this – when I admitted my inner turmoil to my husband, he met me with grace. He was hurt at first by my reaction, but when I acknowledged my struggle, he looked past it to speak to the pain I was experiencing. Through the uncomfortable, my relationship with both my husband and Jesus grew stronger. And, much to my delight, Matt still helps with the laundry from time to time.

Peace.

This post is chapter 3/5 of church words – PERFECTED