One Among 18,000

Imagine!

18,000 women in a stadium....maybe three or four brave men...and way too few bathroom stalls to accomodate all those bladders! This was the scene at the Beth Moore conference this past weekend in Birmingham. Picture for a moment: large concourse hallways outside the arena filled with joyful, sparkling women...half in lines wrapped for miles waiting for the beverage concession, the other half in lines equal in length, waiting for the restroom! Somewhat poetic and comical all at the same time.

What a thrill it was to go to this event, rumbling down the highway in a church bus driven by the most delightful woman...chatting the whole way with wonderful sisters in the Lord...and bonding with dear friends that I know I will share many years with. The whole adventure was great, and the message was so timely. So needed. So urgent. We must be a people who will share our faith, and pour our lives into the next generation. We must. And boy did Beth Moore make this point with passion! I thank God for people who stand in front of one lost soul, or in front of thousands and proclaim the gospel...and do so unashamed, and unapologetically. Thank God for willing vessels!

The cool thing about events like this is the change that occurs from the hallway to the arena. Chatting, laughing, crying, hollering, and waiting all takes place in the hallway. Then, with the beginning of the first worship song, we all usher into the arena, and into God's presence. We find our seats, no matter how high the altitude. We lay down our coats, our tote bags, and our burdens. We stand and sing with the arena choir...all 18,000 voices praising in unison...all giving glory where glory is due...and all becoming a glimpse of what the praise in heaven must look like. With the praise songs ending, and the message beginning, we search for a deeper look into the ways of the Lord we adore; into the Word He has given us as a guide. We laugh and cry at the stories of a speaker, and the accounts in Scripture...and we leave the arena purposing to never be the same.

As soon as we pass outside the arena walls, we are back to laughing, chatting, and all that - but now, we have a fresh outlook on why we are created to be so relational...why we are to be bold...why we are His...and why we must be intentional...Amen!

Handing it Back

There are so many times when we find ourselves at a cross road with God...for me it seems almost daily. Whenever I am having a tough moment, or making a tough decision, my knee jerk reaction seems to be the same every time. I visualize the thing (ministry, job, task, position, etc) as being held in my cupped hands as I offer it back to God, laying it once again at His feet.

The thing about ministry is this: it makes no difference to me who is in charge as long as God's mission is being done, and His will is being carried out. Whether it is me or someone else really makes no difference, because it is God who gets the glory anyhow.

As long as the "handing back" of ministry efforts and projects are done out of submission and not discouragement, life is good - if it is through discouragement, we need to "press in" instead of giving up. We can't let the thing God called us to do slip out of our hands as we offer it back to the Lord (if God intended for us to keep on with the mission) - we have to keep those hands open for Him to fill with the things He has called us to. Some of the things offered will remain, and others may well leave our grasp...and still more things might appear as a result of our submission to the Lord. Those who are submitted to the Lord, and obedient to Him, will most certainly receive increase at different points of time.

I guess the biggest "up side" to this whole rambling is the fact that God certainly has a way of keeping me on my knees, and keeping anything that He asks me to do in ministry at His feet - where it should be.

As believers, and leaders, we have to constantly remain committed to the work, and submitted to God.

Committed and submitted.

Much love in Christ,

JD

Fired Up And Frozen

Brrr!

What a day. Traveling across town in the bitter cold, with the wind whipping around tiny specks of frozen rain, anxious to hear words of encouragement. Off we went, my hubby and me, to listen to a seminar on workplace ministry...we figured the weather would improve as we were nestled in our chairs listening to the message...but unfortunately, we were wrong.

The morning was interesting to say the least, and it was great as always to have time spent sitting next to my soulmate, but I have to tell you the whole dynamic of the day went far beyond the seminar to me. The words of the speaker were great, the content was fine, but the weather and the message seemed to be in a dance in my mind the whole time.

Here we were, listening to information that inspired, and a video clip at the end that stirred the heart of all who search for the heart of God...we were huddled with dozens of other listeners, and collectively we were fired up for God! Have you ever been fired up for God? It is a wonderful state that we all should experience on a daily basis. But just as that moment of inspiration was impacted by a return to the elements outside, sometimes the daily life of things seems to zap that energy out of our faith walk with a brisk whip of the wind.

With that in mind, picture the scene as we left the building, ready to hurry over to our son's basketball game. We went from the cozy room of inspiration out into the cold harsh weather. We were instantly changing from being fired up to frozen! That wind was still stirring up the flakes and drops as they fell to the earth, and we were clutching our coats, with our brisk paces to the car showing the world our dislike for the artic blast.

Once safely in the greenhouse of our car, with the engine humming and the heater running, I saw a glimpse of a side of spiritual warfare I had not ever really stopped to reflect on before.

Fired up and frozen.

How simple, yet, with frozen, tingling finger tips, it became so real. We were fired up for God, but frozen...how many times does our excitement and passion for ministry become frozen as a result of a blast from the enemy? How many times do we feel so intensely warm about the things of God, only to have some sort of discouragement or distraction come along and pop our bubble? We have to remember to put our spiritual jacket and gloves on, and we have to run for those greenhouse environments that will keep us warm and protect us from the cold blasts that will destroy us. We have to put on the armor of God, nestle safely under the protection of His wings, and cry out in praise that He is with us and will sustain us. It is only when HIS name is the only name on our lips that He is honored and receives praise.

Praise Him all people - and all nations - praise His holy name!

Much love in Christ,

JD

Old Files

So the other day I was opening my computer's publishing program to work on a project when I spotted something so timely, so God driven, I had to take a second look. In and amongst the old files shown in the project listing was a simple poster I had made a few years ago for a VBS (vacation Bible school) discussion.

The page was something I had used to simply put about three sayings on, that were then printed and cut into strips, and taped on a board for a time of discussion with the kids. Those three sayings had been saved as a document and been sitting there for a few years...waiting on this God appointment in my life. What I had used to minister to others in the past was a timely ministering tool that God used in my own life.

The poster simply states the following:

TRUST IN GOD

THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM

GOD WILL PROVIDE!

That's it. Nothing else. But what more could we need? In a season in my life where there seems to be so very much going on, and so much that is a true walk of faith for me, here are the words I so desperately needed to hear...and I didn't even realize how much those words were needed until I saw them in the archived file...

So, the question for me, and for you, is simple. Do we trust in God? Even when things aren't as they seem? Do we know that God will provide? Seek Him with a child like faith! Just like the discussion I had engaged children in a few years ago, our thoughts today should go to the foot of the cross - where Jesus will be able to lead us to our Father in heaven, our Sustainer and Creator. God will hear from heaven, and He will answer when we call.

Trust. Discern. Await God's provision.

Much love in Christ,

JD

Lunch

Do you ever wonder just what would happen if the world stopped meeting for lunch? Think about this for a moment. We meet our friends for lunch, we do business over lunch, we drive across town to eat lunch...we are a people on the move - especially between the hours of 11 and 1. Imagine the lack of traffic and the destruction that would occur in our economy if we all stayed at home or in the office and had a bowl of cereal instead!

Do we give God the same priority in our lives that we give to that lunch date? I venture to guess we are more anxious to drive 10 miles to reach our favorite food joint, than we are to travel the same distance for a Christian event. God wants us to be even more excited about meeting with Him than any other dining companion!

That said, I recently returned from a wonderful two hour lunch with a dear friend. It was even more special because she picked up the tab! ;) No really, the two hours was spent speaking of the things of God, and how He is moving in our midst - changing our lives, and transforming our character.

The confessions of close friends are so dear, and they truly do reveal the heart of God. Whether our personal struggle is over edifying others with our words, or our "stick-to-it-iveness" of our obedience to the path God is leading us down, it is easy to see how God develops a person...patiently, distinctly, concisely, and in layers. God will continue to refine the process throughout our lifetime - in many facets of our spiritual growth.

Our character is built one choice at a time, one level of maturity at a time. The same category He works on us in one situation will be revisited in the future - but at each lesson point, God will refine His dealings with us, to bring forth a refined level of character and integrity in us.

Praise God for good friends, and good food. Praise God for His fingerprints on our lives! Praise God that out of the overflow of our heart we see our words describing the fruit of God's labor - the refinement of our character.

Much love in Christ,
JD

Wecome to the blog!

Welcome everyone!

I am so pleased to share with you my first step into the world of blogging...while I'd probably be left in the world of 8 track tapes if left to my own interest in technology, I realize that the rest of the world probably doesn't even remember what 8 track tapes are! I have jumped head first into the world of the future here...so bear with me as I gather speed!

What is Ministry for Life? I ask the same question from time to time. Simply put, it is a ministry that the Lord birthed in my heart years ago, and it is and will forever be a work in progress, just as I am. In an act of obedience, the ministry was birthed, and in continuous acts of obedience to the Lord, it continues to grow and develop into something much broader than I ever thought would happen. Praise Be to God for His exceedingly abundant ways!

My goal is to run after God with passionate obedience to Him, and to sit at His feet and hear His heart's desires. My life is based on a belief in God's word, and the redemptive love of Jesus Christ for all believers. My passion is found in Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8 - as this should be the overflow of every believer's heart.

I truly believe that God is connecting people with a passion for Him and His word throughout the world - and with each moment, we will watch Him network us in increasing measure as we collectively seek Him and His purposes throughout the globe.

God is looking for passionate, sold out Christians, who are willing to fellowship together without the shackles and constraints of the religious boxes that we find ourselves so often encased in. God is a God of worship and of truth, not of limitations and compromise. The body of Christ is a collective body of true believers found in every Christian denomination, color, and demographic - not just one group here, or one color there. We together make His people, and together, we stand for His truth.

Before I get off today's soapbox, I must ask you...what is your plumb line? What is the bottom line of your faith that you are unwilling to compromise on? I pray that it is the deity of Christ, and the truth of the Gospel. Let us put aside our ideas of carpet color and programs, and lift His Name high throughout the nations. For that is why we worship Him.

Much love in Christ,

JD