Good Friday

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

- Mark 15:37-39

Today is Good Friday, the day that Jesus was put into the tomb.  

Even though His disciples were told He would rise again, I am not sure they believed Him.

Thankfully, we know that this was not the end of our Lord, but a new beginning for us, for 3 days later, He rose from the dead. 

Our lives were spared, because He died for us. 

Have a blessed day!

If you are looking for  Easter Sunday services, please allow me to extend an invitation to attend Rogers Christian Church
2501 W. Oak St 
Rogers, AR 72758
(479)636-9067
Worship at 8:15am & 11am 
Brunch @ 9:45am 
Egg hunt @10am 

I hope to see you there!  

FROG!

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

- 2 Corinthians 1:8-9

  

Once again we visit the idea that we should not trust our own instincts, but fully rely on God.

Years and years ago, when I taught Sunday school (don’t fall over, I got roped into it!) we had a campaign called F.R.O.G.

Fully Rely On God.

The point of the lessons was to teach our children that they do not have to make it in the world by themselves.

It’s dangerous to go alone! <- that is a Zelda reference for my youngest son, you are welcome, son.

Don’t be uninformed – F.R.O.G.

Don’t be afraid – F.R.O.G.

God is bigger than your troubles – F.R.O.G.

And never ever give up – F.R.O.G.

Have a blessed day!

the voice of truth

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

- Exodus 14:13-14

God had just told Moses to lead the people out of Egypt into the desert.

There was nothing in the desert.

The people were terrified, and cried to Moses asking what he had done.

Moses told them not to be afraid, to listen and believe, that God would protect them.

Oh yeah – another song reference!! (I can’t help it, I love music, especially when it praises my Father!)

Oh what I would do to have

The kind of faith it takes

To climb out of this boat I'm in

Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone

Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is

And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name

And they laugh at me

Reminding me of all the times

I've tried before and failed

The waves they keep on telling me

Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"

"You'll never win!"

But the voice of truth tells me a different story

The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"

The voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"

Out of all the voices calling out to me

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

There have been so many times in my life that I have been afraid.

I wish I would have learned early on to trust in God, it would have saved a lot of tears.

Now I know.

No matter what happens, we do not have to be afraid, we just have to listen for His voice, the voice of truth.

God is on our side.

Have a blessed day.

what can you handle?

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

- 1 Corinthians 10:13

Hey, kids! It’s time to play “have you ever heard the expression . . .?”

How about “God won’t give you more than you can handle”. . . I think I hear that one quite a lot.

Our recent sermon series at church was cliché Christianity, and that was one of the clichés that we covered.

Like most sayings , quotes, old wives’ tales and other various expressions, this. is. not. true.

Really – it’s not.

Think about the statement . . . God won’t give you more than you can handle.

But how much CAN you handle before you break?

For me, it is not much!! Then what?  Then I break and the world comes crashing down around me?

Or how about “God won’t take you to it if He won’t take you through it”?

COME ON!!!

Let’s just completely set ourselves up for failure here – because if we can’t “get through it” we think it is our fault and then we just get sad and angry.

Listen - God doesn’t cause bad things to happen (we’ve been over this before), but when bad things do happen He wants you to lean on Him.

And when those things happen, when you fall prey to the evil one’s games – God will provide a way for you to endure.

He loves you, you know.

Have a blessed day!

got trouble?

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

-John 16:33

In this world, we will have trouble.

Every day we face challenges, some of them are harder than others to endure, but you know what?

We can overcome, because Jesus gives us His peace.

Song reference!!!

Seated above, enthroned in the Father's love

Destined to die, poured out for all mankind

God's only Son, perfect and spotless one

He never sinned but suffered as if He did

All authority

Every victory is Yours

Savior, worthy of honor and glory

Worthy of all our praise, You overcame

Jesus, awesome in power forever

Awesome and great is Your name, You overcame

Power in hand speaking the Father's plan

You're sending us out, light in this broken land

We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb

And the word of our testimony, everyone overcome

Savior, worthy of honor and glory

Worthy of all our praise, You overcame, You overcame Jesus

Jesus, awesome in power forever

Awesome and great is Your name, You overcame

Wow.

There is nothing that can tear me down, because I have the love of Jesus.

Have a blessed day! 

why do you do that?

This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.

- 2 Corinthians 13:10

I send this email, put it on Facebook and my blog every day.

Why do I do it?

Because I care.

I want to spread the word of the Lord so that others know what a wonderful Father He is.

I want to encourage you and show you that you are worth so much to Him.

I want you to know that you are loved.

In today’s world there is so much hurt and anger, there are bullies everywhere.

It is not just kids, you see it at work, at the store, at the park.

Children that are bullies grow into adults that are bullies.

God did not make us like that!!

We were not made to be superior to one another, to manipulate and treat each other poorly.

Let that soak in.

For those of us who have been on the receiving end of bad behavior, we can’t let it get us down.

We have to choose to move past our pain, forgive the person that hurt us and keep going.

<gulp>

Yeah, here is where I get to tell you that I am guilty of not accepting the gifts God gave me.

Forgiving those that hurt us is hard, but not forgiving them only hurts us more – it has no impact on them whatsoever.

I’ll work on that too.

Because (quoting my pastor again)  “It’s not our hurt that defines us, it’s the grace and forgiveness that we extend to each other that does.”

Have a blessed day!

you are not a foreigner!

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.

- Ephesians 2:19-22

Oh yeah, song reference!

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they'll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We are not strangers! 

We are brothers and sisters in His name and together we are a strong fortress!

There is nothing in this world or any other that can tear us down if we profess our faith and trust in the one true King.

Go out in the world today and make sure that His light is shining through you, let His spirit SHINE!

  

Have a blessed day!

what is your choice?

How abundant are the good things that You have stored up for those who fear You, that You bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in You.

- Psalm 31:19

Blessings come in many forms, some are more easily recognized than others.

The blessings that are waiting for you are so extravagant that you will be overwhelmed – BUT – you need to want them, and you need to earn them.

If you don’t go to work, you don’t get paid, right?

Go to God, thank Him, praise Him, glorify His name, find strength in Him when you are weak.

He will provide.

I’ve said it before, because I’ve heard it before – when praises go up, blessings rain down.

To quote my favorite lead pastor, “God has offered us treasure beyond measure, it is not His fault if we choose pennies.”

So what are you choosing - all the treasures stored up in Heaven for you by the Almighty One, or the little tiny things here on earth that will eventually fade?

I know what my choice is, and I thank God for the gifts.

Have a blessed day.

are you sick?

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

- Matthew 9:12-13

Some people are meticulous about scheduling yearly check-ups, I am not one of those people.

I kind of go with the thought that if I am not sick, I don’t need a doctor.

But here we are told that even though we don’t need a doctor, we should still go to check our health.

If we are in perfect health, we have nothing to worry about, we can continue to maintain our good health.

If there is a problem, the doctor will call and schedule tests and follow up visits.

It is quite similar with our spiritual health, we need to check in with God often to maintain our spiritual health.

We are all sinners whether we admit it or not, so go get your spirit checked today.  

Have a blessed day!

sickness and death is not the end

When He heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

- John 11:4

There has been so much death recently.

I guess that there is always death, some of these deaths have been close to my heart over the past several months and the world lost a very intelligent man last week when Stephen Hawking passed.

As a Christ follower, I know that these deaths are not an end for these people, but a better place for their souls.

I am fully aware that Hawking was a self-proclaimed atheist, it is my hope that he had a moment prior to his death to consider the Father and change his mind. 

Regardless of whether he did or did not, the fact remains that in death, we are able to see God’s glory.   

While it hurts us here, our loved ones are no longer hurting.

And with that knowledge, we should glorify the name of the Lord, for through Him we are made whole.

Have a blessed day! 

all runners run . . .

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Here we are, talking about endurance again.

This is another message that is repeated several times over in the Bible.

When our world turns upside down, we have got to, got to, got to lean on Him.

We cannot let go of our faith.

Ever.

It is my understanding that U.S. Navy Seal training is probably the toughest training any military member goes through.

It is 6 months of grueling intense physical and mental challenges, with one week in particular known as “hell week”.

This is an excerpt from the website navyseals.com:

Throughout Hell Week, Instructors with bull-horns entice trainees to quit, mimicking the inner voice that tells you to give in to your physical pain.  The Instructors make it easy, even honorable, for students to come out of the cold: simply ring the bell that signals defeat. . . While Instructors could get anyone to quit if they wanted to, that’s not what they’re after.  They apply great physical and mental stress, sow the seeds of doubt, and give tempting invitations for trainees to quit.  It’s up to the individual student to either turn it into increased resolve, or decide on his own to quit.  The majority of the students who make it through Hell Week go on to graduate BUD/S and become SEALs.  Having survived that severe trial, they feel literally unstoppable — that they can do anything.  They have earned a place as one of the elite Navy SEALs the United States sends to do the “impossible” during times of war.

Let’s not ring the bell in our lives.

Let’s each endure every trial that we are given so that we too can be one of the elite that wears the crown forever.

We are not expected to face this life alone. 

He is there for us, the proud parent in the grandstands cheering us on until the end of the race.

Have a blessed day!

there are rewards

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

- 2 Timothy 2:3-6

This verse might be a little confusing, but I think the essence of it is that we should work hard at everything we do so that we can reap the blessings.

A soldier is going to follow the instructions of the person that is his senior, not some random person off the street.

An athlete is going to fight their hardest for first place, to earn that ribbon, or trophy, title or plaque.

All of 2 Timothy 2 is about the appeal renewed and dealing with false teachers.  My favorite part of 2 Timothy 2 (maybe I should have used this section for today) is this:

¹¹ Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with Him,
    we will also live with Him;
¹² if we endure,
    we will also reign with Him.
If we disown Him,
    He will also disown us;
¹³ if we are faithless,
    He remains faithful,
    for He cannot disown Himself.

Join with me, and be a good soldier of Christ – the rewards are amazing.

Have a blessed day!

holding a grudge?

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

- Ephesians 4:31-32

I struggle with this one.

Ask my husband, I can hold a grudge like you would not believe!

According to the Bible, this is the wrong thing to do, this grudge thing.

Be kind.

It is a tiny word, kind, why is it so hard?

Just think, if every person out there in the world would get rid of bitterness, rage and anger, we probably would not have the terrible events that we see in the paper every day.

It starts with us. 

It starts with me.

I’m going to work on this.  

Have a blessed day.

a mighty warrior

But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. Sing to the Lord! Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.

- Jeremiah 20:11,13

Like a might warrior!!

Oh my goodness, what a wonderful image to have, a mighty warrior by MY side, protecting ME!

I have mentioned before how the important points are mentioned several times in the Bible, and I believe this is one of those points. 

Think about the 23^rd Psalm – He gives us rest, He refreshes us, He protects us in the valley of death, He gives us food and drink right in from of our enemies.

How can we not praise Him?

He deserves my praise because He rescues me every single day!

Have a blessed day!

do you trust?

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

- Jeremiah 17:7-8

Trust is a hard thing to give sometimes, especially if you are trusting in someone that others cannot see.

I like that this verse compares confidence in the Lord like a tree planted by the water.

If we are the tree, and the Holy Spirit is the stream, when  we fill our souls with the Holy Spirit, we too will have no worries and we will never fail.

That is comforting to me.

Have a blessed day! 

it's in the lyrics

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.  You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.

- Psalm 59:16-17

Yup – another song reference!

There is an endless song
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring

And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives

And I will walk with You
Knowing You'll see me through
And sing the songs You give

I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne

For those who know me or have been reading my email/blog long enough, you all know how much I love music.

So much is said in the lyrics of a song.

Sometimes when words just don’t come, music does.

A lot of you know that I recently decided to go back to school, pursuing a degree in ministry and as I study each class I am finding out just how many songs, from all sorts of genres are based right out of the Bible.

God loves music too – the Bible says “make a joyful noise unto the Lord”

So sing

Sing loud

Sing proud

Sing to the Lord – praise Him with every breath.

Have a blessed day! 

need a little peace?

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

– Matthew 5:9

“MOM!!!! He’s touching me!!!!!”

I’m fairly certain that we have all heard this is some variation or another.

As much as I would like to make light of this, it is heartbreaking to look at social media and see the bullying that is going on.

Don’t fool yourselves into thinking that it is limited to a specific age range, friends – there are bullies from early childhood well into adulthood.

Don’t be a bully.

Don’t stand by and watch someone be bullied.

Be the peacemaker.

We are the only ones that can stop the madness around us – and we can only do it with the grace of our Father.

Lean on Him, and please start making changes in our world.

Have a blessed day!

it's great!

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”

- Lamentations 3:21-24

Oh, you know it! Song reference!

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Each and every day, we are refreshed with His compassion, His love, His mercy – all we have to do is ask!!

How can that not bring a tear to your eye?

How can you not feel this deep in your soul?

I am so glad that I am the daughter of an incredible King!

Have a blessed day.

can't handle it?

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.  Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

- Psalm 68:19-20

Sometimes I get so frustrated with things that are happening that I just have to vent.

Call it venting, call it ranting, call it having a come apart – whatever you call it, it is all the same.

We were not made to handle everything on our own – in the words of one of my favorite artists – you were never meant carry this beyond the cross!

How fortunate are we that our God cares enough to take our worries, our burdens and let us leave them at the foot of the cross?

My heart is filled with awe and wonder that my God is so powerful, so awesome, that there is nothing He can’t handle.

I am so blessed – and so are you.

Have a blessed day!

listen to this

Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.  Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

- Proverbs 19:20-21

I may be the worst person in the world about listening to advice (I sure am quick to offer it though!) and accepting discipline?  We might not want to go there!

But wait – the Bible says that we NEED to listen to advice and accept discipline.

The Lord doesn’t ask us what we want to do, and several times in the Bible He says “I know the plans I have for you”

We really need to “be still and listen”.

I am a planner – I like my day to be scheduled and I am not a fan of surprises, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Just maybe He has a better plan for us than we have?

Yeah, I think He probably does.

I think I better listen.

Have a blessed day! 

an invitation

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

- Revelation 22:16-17

Song reference!  

For all the thirsty in need of the river

For all the sleeping hearts waking from their slumber

For everyone still standing at the shoreline, come

For all the hurting souls running from their healer

For all the skeptics running from an answer

Let everyone who hears these words say come

For the Spirit and the Bride say come

Yeah, the Spirit and the Bride say come

For all the Pharisees, empty on the inside

For all the lovers who spent their love on a lie

For the forgotten, the Father's heart says come

For all the fatherless looking for approval

For all the daughters who've never heard they're beautiful

Let everyone who hears these words say come

For the Spirit and the Bride say come

Yeah, the Spirit and the Bride say come

For the Spirit and the Bride say come

Yeah, the Spirit and the Bride say come

Revelation 22 is the last chapter of the last book of the Bible.

These verses are a final call to give your life to God.

I hope that everyone reading this is finding their way to the fountain.

There is so much going on in the world today, and so many people searching for answers.

The answer is right in front of our eyes, we just need to open our hearts, our minds, our eyes and our ears.

Come.

This is the best invitation you will ever receive.

Have a blessed day!

P.S. – for those of you who are local, I know that I am always inviting you to my church home, this week I am singing, not just with our phenomenal praise team, but I am leading a song that is near and dear to my heart.  Come, hear me sing, listen to an awesome sermon and be filled with His glory.

Rogers Christian Church

2501 W Oak St, Rogers, AR

Services at 8:15am and 11am Sunday

are you thirsty?

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me;     listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

- Isaiah 55:1-3

OOP! Song reference!

Give me your heart, Give me your song

Sing it with all your might

Come to the fountain and you can be satisfied

There is a peace, there is a love

You can get lost inside

Come to the fountain and let me hear you testify

How is it that we are so blessed, that all we have to do is say “I am thirsty” and we are lead to the fountain?

What a wonderful gift we are given, and we don’t have to do a thing!

All God asks is that we follow His Word, is it really that hard?

I am a child of God and He will fill my every need.

All I have to do is believe.

Have a blessed day!