Melancholy: More Than Just a Word

Melancholy is such a despondent word
It's like rain on your window, misty and blurred
It's the point between here and there
The shape molded from a circle and a square
It's the pause after a sketch before a masterpiece
It's the frantic still amid turmoil and peace
‘Tis carried high so long it never stops
Yet it never really started, so clearly, it drops
It's a color that needs no other
No one makes it, no father, no mother
It doesn't give, yet it never takes
But it loves to lend some tears and aches
When joy is too much, it pulls you down
In times of sadness, it's always around
I've never met a word, until I shook it's hand
Yet somehow she came in, without request or demand
So there is my description of neither friend or foe
Much more than just a word, I've felt it, I would know

-Cherisse Peters

"Prepare the Soil"

           The parable of “the Sower and the Seed” is one that has been taught countless times throughout the historic and modern Church (Mat. 13; Mark 4; Luke 8). From it, there have come many great contemporary applications. Applications that have linked it to the “great commission” of Matthew 28 and to the spreading of the Gospel found in Romans 10:14-17. These are connections that can be made appropriately, and they offer a calling of urgency to the believer. In this manner, this application can incite the members of the Church to action, evangelism, and discipleship.

            A study of this parable, however, reveals a much simpler, profound truth. It is important to know the immediate interpretation held in the mind of Jesus, during this parable. While it can apply to us as being sowers of the Word today, Jesus most likely had Himself in mind as being the sower of the seed (Mark 4:10-11; Matthew 13:11; Luke 8:10). Jesus, being the Word of God, was the original Sower of the Word; He was the one to spread the Gospel to the disciples. It was Jesus who originally sowed the Word upon the hearts of man.

            Also, another striking factor is revealed from this study. This is one of great agricultural consequence. Jesus did not prepare the soil before He cast the seed. Within the agricultural community, this was terrible practice for a farmer. The soil always needed to be prepared – to be turned, dug, and watered. This may imply that the “good soil” were those “who have ears to hear” – those who have prepared their own hearts to receive the Word. Had Jesus toiled the soil for us, He would have been in danger of trampling the free-will he had given humanity. He gives us, like He gave the Pharisees, the choice and the chance to receive His Word. We have the opportunity to prepare the soil of our hearts to receive the life-giving power of God’s Word.

            With this in mind, we can sow the Word (with the Lord) into the various soils of our communities and cultures, but it will be nothing more than a religious act if we do not daily prepare our own hearts to receive this blessed Seed. I do not know about you, but I will diligently endeavor to sow the seed wherever I find opportunity, and I will prepare myself for the Lord. I will sow, and I will prepare the soil. Let us, together, change this nation by spreading the Gospel and by being a People whose hearts are prepared to hear from God.

-          Dusty

How does kindness manifest in your life?

An act of true kindness is a gift from God, which is cultivated by the Holy Spirit. Kindness is often described as a divine moral attribute of excellence that requires nurturing and gentleness. It is woven with a natural affection of the heart. Showing kindness calls us to use our own resources to help another brother or sister in their darkest hour. The beautiful quality of kindness is parallel with godly quality. A quality of virtue that radiates from an outward expression from a touch of compassion that leads to an astonishing supernatural action.

In the writings of the apostle Paul, he tells us to "be kind to one another." As a Christian, our motive is that our heart should be expressive of self-sacrificing, tenderness of deeds, and actions that emanate from the mind of Christ on behalf of the less fortunate.

Recently, a full-time pastor shared a tremendous story of a random act of kindness. The pastor’s car broke down on the freeway and it could not even move or start. A mechanic checked the car and said “the engine head has cracked” and suggested that the best option is to buy another car. Now this left the pastor without any means of transportation. He certainly did not have any money to buy another vehicle.

 The pastor prayed a simple prayer of thanking God for all the years that he used his car for ministry work. Two hours later, the pastor’s phone rang and the person on the other line said, “Pastor, I wanted to sow a car into your ministry; I have the keys and all the necessary documents and they are yours to keep.”

 Kindness sows the seeds that can only bear good fruit. In the book of Isaiah 54:10 “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you.” God Is Our Model of Kindness.
Tui Tikoduadua

Oh, Joy!

Have you ever seen someone so happy over something as small as crossing the street? I recently have and it brought joy to my heart. As I was sitting at a busy intersection, I saw an older man run across the street and throw his arms up in success with a big smile on his face. He caught a glimpse of me smiling with him in his endeavor and waived to me happily as he walked past my stationary car, I could not help but wave back. As I drove away from that moment joy filled my heart and my day was blessed by the man who celebrated something so small.

I began to ponder, why I have stopped myself from celebrating the little things. As I go about my busy day, I tend to forget to stop and enjoy the scenery, the sun, even a passing stranger.

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Life for most is filled with work, errands, school, so much to do in so little time, that we can easily get caught in a “to-do” mindset and forget to enjoy the little things.

So, I pray for a spirit of thanks in my heart for the little things that I so often take for granted. I pray that the next time I cross the street I will take the time to say thank you God, today is a beautiful day, and I hope you too can find joy in the little things that many have forgotten.  

Christina Lynn-Valencia    

In God We Trust

            Have you ever thought about this phrase? It is on our money, and some say it is what our founding fathers were thinking when the United States of America was created.  But, I wonder if anyone is really thinking about it much nowadays.  I have started really thinking about it—maybe because I have been tested in the areas and things I have been putting my trust in.

            Recently, I was trusting in my financial aid to arrive and carry me through the next few months.  I also trusted that my husband’s Veterans benefits (our only source of income at this time) would arrive in our bank account as it usually does.  Due to events that I had no control over and could not stop or reverse, both of these monetary things that I was trusting in never happened!

            As I started to panic, I realized that I was putting my trust in the wrong place and in the wrong things, and that I had a choice to make (I also needed to calm myself down!)  So, I started to think about how God has taken care of my little family so far and if I put my trust totally in Him, he would and could take care of us in this situation too!

            A lot of the time, we find ourselves living from crisis to crisis—when really we should be living from victory to victory.  It is a choice to trust God in the midst of the storms, in the midst of impossible situations.  I had to change my focus and remind myself of whom God is.  He is Jehovah-Jirah, and He will work all things out for His glory!  The next thing I did was to surrender my wants, my desires, even my needs to Him, and to remember that, as my Heavenly Father, he is trying to teach me something from this—and it was up to me whether I learned the lesson.  

Because I know He is working it all out, and because I have decided “In God we trust” and to let this struggle be a learning experience that builds my character, I am now at a place of peace and hope.  There are moments, even days, when I wish this “lesson” would pass a lot quicker than it is, and when I feel like screaming “Ok, ok, I get it now God, so could we please stop with character building, lesson teaching, trust making—at least for a little while!???  But I have made the choice to trust God, to trust that this too shall pass, and I have decided to live from victory to victory, and to let God have His way, not cry and throw a fit for mine!  
By Michelle McDermott

Jealousy Beast

Jealousy is an evil beast

From my soul, it takes its feast

From my eyes, it steals my tears

From my heart, it brings forth fears

 

It follows me all my life

A bitter shadow bringing strife

Every time, I need it the least

Then it comes, this malicious beast

 

He comes between relationships

He lashes my mind with silken whips

He teaches me to hate myself

Into my heart, he creeps with stealth

 

The regret, hatred, all that guilt

From within, a wall is built

Black envy-made bricks, my heart hardens

Yet my soul, all the same, cries for pardon

 

But then it all is still

The poison doesn't kill

There in my heart, where a small break was

A beam of light shines through, it does

Crackles and tears, what beauty lies there

The beast flees! No burden for me to bear

 

For my Savior came to me

Within my heart, he'll always be

Never letting me be destroyed in the least

From Satan's pet, his Jealousy Beast

-Cherisse Peters

“The Fabulous Fading”

           Scripture likens human life to a beautiful flower, which eventually withers and fades (James 1:10-11). It demonstrates how a little of the Creator’s majesty is transposed upon human life – the beauty of a smile, the emotion of sorrow, the splendor of joy. There is great beauty in the human life; it contains many mysteries and simplicities! Simply put, the life of an individual is like a colorful and glorious flower. We have been given some luster of our own, but we should take care to let our colors and aroma point to the Designer of our subsistence. It is as though life reminds us of how the Artist is known by his works of art, yet also how the Inventor is always greater than his invention. We are “beautifully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14).

            Even with the resilience of our ingrained beauty, however, we are delicate. Over time, we wither and fade. It does not matter if our purpose is to absorb the earth’s nutrients or if it is to reflect the rays of the sun; we are susceptible to the principles of death and decay. In a day, we can wake up in our youth and return to our sleep old and faded. As quickly as we have been planted, we can be plucked out (Job 1:21). Spring, summer, fall, and winter do not need our permission – the seasons of life wait for no one.

            We have taken ownership of the life we have been given – the beauty of our created image (Gen. 1:27). But have we taken ownership of our fading? Have we forgotten that our life is like that of a flower? We have mastered the art of displaying what splendor we have left, but we easily forget about our inevitable, fabulous fading. We should be careful to not to take life for granted – what we have, has been given to us. Also, as a flower is sensitive to its community and biome, we should be aware of those around us. We should unite our purpose with God’s and help others like us – others who are fading.

            We never know when our petals will fall to the ground. It could be left to time or truncated by a sudden and unexpected storm. Either way, we can take comfort in the fact the Creator finds great joy in His creation. Like an artist rejoices over his masterpiece, God rejoices over you!

-          Dusty

Patience

When everything is going our way, patience is easy to demonstrate. The true test of patience comes when our rights are violated—when another car cuts us off in traffic; when we are treated unfairly; when our coworker derides our faith, and so on.

According to the Bible patience is simply trusting and waiting without worrying or complaining. Jesus set the standard of motivated love, compassion and patience. Patience perfects the Christian character and as a Christian, we should look into our hearts and attitudes. For example, I recently went to the grocery store to buy some milk and the lines were excessively long. As I began to sigh, I took in a deep breath then I heard people in line complaining. One woman said “why aren’t these lines moving faster!” Then another man stated, “Why don’t they hire more people?”

Patience is an essential aspect toward maturity and growth as a Christian, yet it is not a fun thing to obtain. We, as fallen humanity, do not like to wait, especially in our fast paced and fast food society. We may cry out to God and ask that He give us Patience, NOW! Yet, if He did, would we have it?

Patience will allow us to forgive (Rom. 5:8), as Christ forgave us and has patience with us. Patience will allow us to endure and go on, even when we do not feel like it. It will see the hope that is ahead. Patience will allow us to cling to Christ no matter what happens. When we are impatient, we will miss a lot in life, especially in our relationships, because we will give up too easily

So patience is a virtue, a difficult but important one for the Christian. Every day our patience is tested .Let us focus ever more clearly on the example of Christ in order to imitate him in all things, large and small. Patience is a major characteristic of our God, and that should fill us with gratitude.

Tui Tikoduadua

Test of Faith

When looking at the life of Jesus, I see a God who loved His creation so much that He sent His son to die for our sins. Jesus was not just a man born to a woman; He was both God and man. He came to do the work of His heavenly Father and serve humanity in our weakness, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus lived a life more perfect than any human can. What I have been meditating on is when Jesus overcame human trials, particularly prior to His ministry when He was tested in the desert. We all know the story, Matthew chapter 4, the devil tempts a tired and hungry Jesus with food and riches and Jesus triumphs over the devil. We have all been tested, just like Jesus, but have we all triumphed 100% of the time?

 This New Year for me was definitely a test, and I look back now and wish I could have said “God, you are in control”, but instead I had a panic attack. Let me give you the history, on December 31^st 2012, I was scheduled to work a closing shift, that’s fine, the drive home however, not so good. While driving down the freeway something under the hood of my car began to knock, the car crawled to a stop and bam--my engine caught fire, so I ran down the freeway to gain a safe distance. While shivering in the cold, I called 911 and began watching in horror as large embers dropped from under the hood to the ground. I began to cry, hyperventilate and imagine the horrible things that just happened, my car was on fire! Once the fire department put out the fire, I breathed the biggest sigh of relief in my life. There was still plenty of damage done, and I knew I was going to pay for it, but looking back today, I have found encouragement. The mistake I made was not thanking God that I was safe, unharmed and I still made it home, the damage is manageable and God has a funny way of telling me He’s still in control!

Today, still having to see my car engine all melted away and the mechanic having to replace one thing after another, the bill just keeps getting bigger and the problem is not getting any smaller. However, God has given me a tremendous, overflowing sense of peace and comfort that He IS taking care of my needs. I cannot explain how or what I would have done if I did not know God but having that relationship where I can trust in Him for everything. He knows what I need and has always provided. I will be tested and have trials but my God will always supply.

Christina Lynn-Valencia

Wished To Be Me

I dreamt this day a different me,

Someone I wished so badly to be. 

I thought, maybe, but it'll never be true,

But I saw only my point of view. 

I saw only the needle and thread,

But someone else was looking ahead. 

Somehow I couldn't see who I was,

To see the clear past the fog and the fuzz. 

I didn't see this heart of mine

Through the perspective of the Divine. 

Yet after all this wishful thinking, 

I finally see the pieces linking. 

To see through the eyes of Him,

This outlook didn't seem so grim. 

I see what I alway wished myself to be. 

It's strange seeing, I wished to be me.

This poem faces two problems many people have, including me: not  trusting God with my future and knowing that He sees the bigger picture, and wishing I was someone else, living another life. 

God knows what He is doing! He really does have a GREAT plan for your life (Jer. 29:11, Rom. 8:28), if you just let Him rule over it. He sees the bigger picture, and His focus is on the prize (Rom. 8:18). What's your focus on?

God loves you the way you are. It may be a cliche, but it's a truth too. He MADE you with gifts and talents to use for His glory! (Psalm 139:13-14) It's great to want to improve things about yourself, but stop when you start to wanna be like someone other than Jesus. This will only lead to living a life full of jealousy. Who's glory are you living for? Who are you wanting to exemplify?

-Cherisse Peters

Method or Madness?

           I have not read any books on “how to work miracles” or “ways to walk in the supernatural.” I have not even read the latest pamphlets about how to start your own healing ministry. I have not done any of these things; even though I am sure they are great resources.

            Yet somehow, I have seen God perform, and have participated with God in, countless miracles (2 Peter 1:3-4). These calloused and withering hands have, nonetheless, been used as an instrument to bring miraculous healing. Knowing my own thoughts, failures, and weaknesses, I cannot be anything other than amazed at how God can use someone like me. What’s more, it makes me ponder whether or not there is a pattern to participating with God in the miraculous – like so many books and seminars seem to portray. If there is one, I have yet to discern what it is.

            If I had to identify one quintessential reality to participating with the Lord in His wonders, it would be this: it is God who works the miracle, not us (2Cor. 4:7). Try as we like, there is no way for us to fabricate the wondrous works of the Almighty. We can pray for people, only to have them maintain the affliction until they pass away, and we can pray for people and, in front of our very eyes, watch God heal them. Perhaps, this is what should minister to us – the fact that we can pray.

            If I were to write a book on how to participate with God in healing, there would only be one page between the covers. On that page, it would only have three words: PRAY FOR SOMEONE! I suppose that is where we find our true power – by plugging into the heaven’s Source. It is through the act of praying that we create an opportunity for God to work through us (and in us) (1 Cor. 4:20).

            This is an exciting thought: we can participate with God in His kingdom endeavors! This is a new year; let us venture forth with the Lord. As we go, it will be well for us to let the compassion of our hearts be swayed. We, who know how to pray, know that God’s power can change any situation. We should be encouraged to join with God in that change. Let us look for someone with which to pray. Let us create the opportunity for God to work wonders!

-          Dusty

Peace

The Lord Jesus promised us tribulation while we were in this world, but we have been promised His peace while we endure these testing’s. This peace is not oblivious to the world, but is confident that God is completely in control of our circumstances. God’s peace was granted to us when we came to Jesus in faith. If we are right with God, His peace is increased in us, and it only comes to those who seek it.

Recently, while having tea with a friend he initiated a conversation about peace. He plainly asked, “What is your definition of peace?” I replied, “Peace is simply indescribable; peace implies that nothing is missing, nothing is broken and it is the contentment of the heart.” It comes from deep within.

Think about beauty and how beauty is an outward appearance, but inner beauty stems from the core of godliness. That results in such a tangible expression that when another person sees something or someone who possesses beauty they desire it. Or it is similar to being a conduit of the glory of God. When a person carries the glory of God, the glory resonates from the inner dwelling of the Holy Spirit that permeates outwards and shines so brightly that it becomes unmistakably visible to the natural eye. A person will begin to feel as if there is something extra ordinary about this person, but they are unable to put their finger on it!

Peace is a sweet gift from the Lord and when we are open to receive it we can enlarge our heart and accept His love more freely. God’s  promises every one of His children that  perfect peace are available despite our deepest fear of being inadequate and un-deserving of His peace. Therefore, as a child of God we accept His gift of peace that goes beyond measure and understanding.

Tui Tikoduadua

New Year’s Resolutions

            Goodbye 2012 and hello 2013, time to write down those resolutions and forget about them next month - does that make any sense? Every year, almost everyone around you creates at least one New Year’s resolution, but ask them how it’s going in a couple of months? Chances are they could still be going strong, but probably not.

Even I have followed the pattern, create a new me in the New Year and come February, I’m not focused on the resolution, but rather life’s little details, obstacles, and distractions. Are you the same way? You begin by telling yourself, I can do it this year, I will do it this time, but then it all falls apart! Do not be disheartened, there is hope!  

I have two friends who have not only encouraged me to create a New Year’s resolution, but if I do fail, to try and try again until it sticks. They have encouraged me by making their own New Year’s resolutions BEFORE the New Year, and being successful with their goals. It does not have to be January 1^st to create a goal for yourself and go after it.

So, I encourage you today, find a New Year’s resolution and ask God to give you strength and encouragement. Philippians 4:13 states “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” He is my rock, and without God I can do nothing. I intend on making a New Year’s resolution, and I intend on keeping it. Nonetheless, it is not I, but God, who will encourage me, strengthen me, and make my New Year’s resolution stick all year long.