Turbulence: An Analogy

Turbulence: An Analogy

She dozed off to sleep sitting on the plane, the sounds of Grace Williams playing in her ears. She was awakened by a jolt that felt like they were hitting road bumps in the air. She heard the flight attendant's voice over the monitor. 

"Fasten your seatbelts, as we see turbulence ahead."

She didn't have to because she was already in her seat belt. She became more alert for a few moments but then she drifted back off to sleep.

After riding a plane for the first time, I came to understand the word turbulence in a new way. I had heard the word many times before the trip, but when I experienced it on the plane I understood what it meant from firsthand experience. The word turbulence means violent or unsteady movement of air or water, or of some other fluid. Now I would like to compare it to the christian walk. When we accept Christ into our lives, our spirit takes flight as we pass from death to life. We begin to fly high so to speak. But along the way we can meet turbulence or violent movement. This can come in the form of trials or tests. How should we respond to such turbulence in our lives. Should we get frantic and begin to worry if we will make it out alive? No, Jesus was asleep on the boat during the storm (Mark 4:37-38). Should we get on guard and become paranoid of culminating doom. No, we should already be on guard. (1 Peter 5:8) Or should we sit back and let God take us through, as we soar on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31)? Yes,we should rest in God and allow Him to bring us through. We should ask Him to give us the grace to carry us through.

 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

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Under His Wings

Under His Wings

When I was on my mission trip to Togo, Africa, I noticed a recurring theme. On each flight, my seat was either on the wing of the plane or close to it. When I looked out of the window could see the wing of the plane. At one point, I stopped and asked God was there something he was trying to show me. As I read the following verse in Psalm 91:4 which reads, "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust..." on the plane, I felt like God was trying to tell me that I was well protected under his wings, and that I could completely trust and rely on Him.We can see this phenomena when we look at God's creation to get a better idea of this concept. Mama Birds carry their babies under their wings in order to protect them from harm or to carry them around daily as a mother does. God protects us under his wings and carries us on a daily basis through our lives. When I accepted this truth, the sense of uneasiness left on the remaining flights and my doubts were constantly cast down. When I looked out of the window and I saw the wing of His plane, I knew that I was safe under His wings.

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Desert Seasons of Life: Discontentment

Desert Seasons of Life: Discontentment

Desert Series

Are you in a desert season of your life? Do you feel like you're a target of the enemy? Do you feel like your cup is half empty? God wants us to be joyful during every season of our life and in this post I will present ways to keep the right perspective during a desert season and not allow discontent to sweep in.

I'd like to start by saying don't be shocked when God leads you into a desert season. I was lead to the job that I'm currently working at and sometimes I wonder why God led me here because of various hardships, but over this past week I've been reminded that God led many people into a desert season in the bible. He led the children of Israel and Jesus into the desert literally. God has a purpose and a reason of leading us into the desert. In some cases He is preparing us, testing us, strengthening us, or causing us to completely rely on Him. Whatever the reason, we can completely trust that we are in this desert season for a reason. But if we don't see the purpose of our desert, if we're not careful we can question if we're supposed to be here, seek to escape before the right time, or grow discontent and allow ourselves to murmur and complain or try to obtain desires before the right time. 

In Numbers chapter 11, the children of Israel started desiring to return to Egypt for verses 4-6 says, "And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried way; there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes." Here the Israelites started wondering why they left Egypt. Sometimes when we are in a desert season we become nostalgic about our past and want to relive a time, which we consider to be the glory days, but God wants us to live for the here and now and desires for us to continue to grow and forget those things that are behind and move forward (Phil 3:12). In the past, we are not who we are today. In the past, we didn't know what we know today in God.  We can't grow in the grace of God if we don't move forward. God seeks to do a new thing in you now! If you want to continue to grow in the grace of God, then you can't live in the past, you must live in the here and now. You can't be effective for God in the here and now if you live in the past or the future. Verse 6 of Numbers 11 says that they fell a lusting while they were in the desert. In your desert season have you began to desire a change? Have you desired to leave a job when it wasn't time to leave? I have to admit that I've desired things that are good. But if you desire a good thing before the right time then you've become discontent with your current lot in life. You've taken your eyes off of your current state in life and placed them on something that you've yet to attain or something that you want to relive in the past. This can create a sense of discontent which can lead to murmuring and complaining. 

In verse 5 they became discontent with manna (from heaven) and started thinking about cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlick. God wanted to bless them with milk and honey and many other delicacies in the promised land but they desired a good thing before the time. They desired things from Egypt so much that they begin to despise the manna that came from the very heavens. In a desert season of our life we can sometimes ignore the things that God has blessed us with. We can overlook the special people in our life, the favor we have with God and man, and the fact that all of our needs are met. Discontent can cause us to overlook all the good in our lives and focus on the one thing that we don't have. In Phillipians 4:11-12 it reads, "Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." In this christian walk, we must learn to be content during times of plenty and in times of drought. We ought to be content when our desires are fulfilled and also when our desires haven't been fulfilled and when we are hungry for them to become a reality in our life. We will experience times of abundance and times of need but we are instructed to always be content by being content with what we DO have and getting our joy and fulfillment in Christ. 

Furthermore, in verse 6 of Numbers 11 it says "But now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes." When it seems like we are in a dry place, that is when we experience the most fulfillment because sometimes it is during these times that we realize that our complete fulfillment comes from Christ. We lean on God like no one else. We realize that true, abiding joy comes from God and God alone. In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul provides admonishment for verse 1-7a reads "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters as were some of them." 

As the body of Christ, we have all been baptized and accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts, but is God well pleased with us? Verse 6 denotes that we should use the children of Israel in the desert as our example so that we will not lust after evil things. And verse 7 commands us not to be idolaters. If we feel like we have to have something outside of God's timing, then we may be idolizing that desire in our life. But if we keep the right perspective and find our fulfillment in Christ alone then we won't idolize our desires. Verse 10 of 1 Corinthians reads, " Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer." They murmured because they were discontent. 

A few days ago, I realized that I had grown discontent and had taken my eyes off God's blessings in my life, and had taken the devil's bait, and focused on only the things that I didn't have. And as I looked back over my life I've realized how in each season I've looked ahead at what I didn't have and wasn't always completely thankful for the current season in my life. And I asked God to forgive me. May we all focus on God's blessing in our lives and constantly thank Him regardless of the season of life we are currently experiencing.

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Photography by: Dennis Behm

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Women in The Spotlight Coming Soon!

 Women in the Spotlight Series
Coming Soon....................
Please stayed tuned for great testimonies of faith,hope and power!
















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Reflections of Africa

A Reflection of my Mission's Trip  to Africa

May 4, 2015

She breathed in the cold air, bracing herself as she walked down the terminal, about to board the plane. She felt excited and exhilarated at the same time ready to experience a plane ride for the first time. She shifted her bag on her shoulder, a bit shocked by the small exterior of the plane and denied thoughts of claustrophobia that tried to plague her mind. She could do this by God's grace...

May 5, 2015 Lome, Togo West Africa

The blistering hot air clung to her skin as she stepped off the plane onto African soil in Lome, Togo West Africa. The glistening sunlight shone bright. She looked around, she had finally arrived to her destination. Her homeland, Africa. She didn't have much time to take in the sights as she shuffled onto the bus that would carry them to their destination.

May 6, 2015 Lome, Togo West Africa

She entered the church and looked around at the exposed wooden beams and the cement floor, staring up at the tin roof that was arched high above.  The members immediately started placing the benches in systematic rows. She immediately spotted a dark, chubby small baby boy with curly black hair and she pinched his cheek and held her arms out. The little girl who was holding him handed him to her. He was so soft. She squeezed him towards herself. A lady asked in French if she spoke French. She said "English." And she said, "Oh English," as she moved on.

She took a seat on a bench as a little boy of 11 came over to sit with her and his buddy. He helped her follow the song the leader sang in French from the darkened pulpit sliding his finger underneath each word. As the sunlight faded leaving florescent lights flickering, the ceiling fans ushered in a breeze. The young boy explained each part of the service, his French accent thick. He showed her lyrics to a song that he and his friends had written. She marveled that a boy so young had such a passion for serving the Lord and had such spiritual insight that she longed to see in the youth in America. When the preacher preached she sat compelled by his message although he spoke in French. Her spirit resonated with his words as she nodded and said amen with the congregation. As the children huddled around her, smiling up at her, the young boy lending her his big bible, she felt like she was home.

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