El Roi - I See You

Genesis 16: 13 (Hagar says) “You are the God who sees me;  I have now seen the One who sees me.”

As a mother of only one child, I try my best not to miss anything that my son is a part of.  This is challenging at times since I am also a mom who works full time and is involved in church ministry.  

I found myself in a dilemma this Palm Sunday.  My son was going to take part in a Palm Sunday Parade of Palms in our first worship service.  Because I teach my own Sunday School class during this time I didn’t even really consider being able to see this grand event.  But God….who sees me, his child, knew that I needed to see my child that day praise Him. 

Once the classroom helpers were there I hurried to the sanctuary where the only open place was in the very back.  As it turned out, when the kindergarten class paraded into the back of the sanctuary, they stopped right in the doorway where I was standing, my son stopping exactly in front of me.  He saw me!  He knew that even though I was in the back, I was still there and would get to see him. 

I was pleased with that “gift” from God.  But it doesn’t stop there.  All of the children stood in the front waving their palms and singing their praises.  From my spot in the back, I couldn’t see any of their faces at all.  None of them, except my son’s.  His was the only face I could see.  And better yet, he could see me!  We waved to each other.  Through the crowd of hundreds of people in the audience, to the very back of the sanctuary, my son could see me there, watching him. 

I’m so thankful that my God sees me.  Through the needs of millions of people, my God made a way for my son and me to connect that Sunday.  He sees me and He loves me that much. 

As a mother, I am eternally thankful not only for the privilege of being a mom but also that I am not alone in the journey of motherhood.  God and I walk together.  Hagar was not alone either in her quest to provide for Ishmael’s needs.  God saw her and God sees you and me also.  He is El Roi, the God who sees. 

How has El Roi interceded in your life lately?  If you can’t think of a time, begin watching now.  Look for God-sightings today.  Then share your God-sighting with someone else and bless their day.

Lisa Barber

Turn on the Light

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. 
Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

 

Years ago we lived in Las Vegas. We have some very good friends who lived in Carson City, Nevada near Lake Tahoe. They invited us to spend a weekend with them. My husband would typically get home around midnight after working the evening shift. Wanting to make the most of our weekend he took  Friday off so that we could head out on our journey as soon as he got home from his Thursday shift.

It is about an eight or nine hour drive through the desert from Las Vegas to Carson City. Because he had worked all night, I agreed to drive so that my husband could get some sleep on the way. As I started to drive it wasn't so bad. I could see the lights of Las Vegas and the surrounding area for a while. As I headed deeper into the desert and the many roads dwindled to one, the night became dark.  In the Nevada desert towns are few and far between and there are no light sources. With my boys sleeping in the back seat and my husband sleeping beside me in the front passenger seat, I felt alone, lost.

Even with my headlights on I had a very dim view of the road or any signs that may give direction. It was difficult even knowing if I was still on the road. I had no idea of what danger may have been lurking in the desert under the cover of darkness. I found myself longing, desperate to see any light.  Occasionally, I would see an oncoming car in the distance and would become fixated on the light given by it's headlights. I would measure the time it would take before we passed each other. Judging by the amount of time, I realized that those cars must have been ten to twenty miles away when I first spotted them. I was amazed that such a small amount of light could be seen from so far away. But more amazing to me was the comfort I gained from seeing those lights. I knew that I wasn't alone in that dark Nevada desert.

I began to think of how many souls are lost, alone, in darkness. Even when surrounded by friends and family they feel hopeless. They are on a dark road and have no idea where it is going. They are desperate to see light. Do people look at us and see light? Are we shining as we should? Jesus has called on us to be the lights of the world. Are we lighting the road that leads to Him, the ultimate light? 

When Jesus said we are the light of the world, it was a call to shine light into darkness with the purpose of glorifying God. Even the smallest light dispels darkness. Light can either attract or repel but it can not be hidden.  It repels those things which do not want to be exposed and attracts those which are lost and searching. When you turn the light on in an infested kitchen, the roaches scamper away to avoid being exposed. When you turn on a flashlight to find someone who is lost in the dark they run toward the light to be found. When we share the gospel with someone we are being light by exposing their sin and showing them who God is and what He has done for them. Some will be repelled and reject what we say but others will accept what we say and glorify God. Either way the light will shine and cannot be denied.

When day began to break that morning, the lighter it became and the more amazed I was. Astonishing beauty surrounded me. I remember thinking all of this was hidden by darkness.  God turned on the light and exposed His great work. May we turn on the light for others and expose the great and beautiful work God has done for us on the cross.

Daisy

Special Gifts For Special Ladies

With Mothers Day only a few days away here are some fun products you can make as a gift to pamper that special person in your life! All are easy & quick to make with most ingredients already in your pantry.  Small canning jars or decorative jars you can find at the store make great containers.  Add a bow & a tag and voila - pretty presents :)  You could put together a basket with some of these items, a scrubby, candle and other fun products that will make your mom, or another woman who has touched your life, feel extra special!  While you are at it make an extra one for you to enjoy! Have a great weekend as you celebrate the women who have blessed and come along side of you.  Oh & just so you know - we think you are pretty special too!  

Bath Salts

Sugar Scrub

 Body Butter
Lotion Bars

Walking In Agreement

“Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” (Amos 3:3) 

It was a sunny Mother’s Day, and the air smelled like apple blossoms.  My daughter, Rebekah, and I were out for a leisurely walk along the winding bike path at Moraine State Park.  She slept cozily in her stroller, and I pushed it along while taking in the full scope of May.  We were half-way through our walk when I noticed we were catching up to two women in front of us on the path.  What caught my eye first was how much they looked alike, presumably a mom and her teen daughter out for a Mother’s Day walk.  I smiled as I watched them overlooking the lake together, laughing and talking.  What made even my heart smile was when they turned back to the path in front of me to continue their walk.  The older woman reached out and put her arm around the teen girl’s shoulder.  As if this weren’t sweet enough, the young girl returned the gesture, and the two women ambled along in front of me on the path like this for a few minutes.  I quietly prayed that one day God might bless my relationship with my daughter so that we might share the same closeness.

A verse came to mind as I walked behind this pair: “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” (Amos 3:3)  Not all mothers of teen girls can attest to this kind of closeness with their daughters, the kind that would enable them to freely walk in such a way.  The key is that both mother and daughter must agree to walk in this closeness: not just closeness in proximity but closeness in soul and spirit.  I long for that with my daughter.  But I long for it with Christ as well.  This verse speaks to the truth that though Christ longs to walk with all of us closely, we must agree to walk with him.  He will not force us to walk arm-in-arm with him. 

May is a month when we focus on appreciating our mothers. For some it is a blessed month of celebration with family.  For others, it is threaded with sadness or loss, memories, disappointments, promises we still wait for, those we’ve lost, those who are far away….Regardless of what kind of month it is in the temporal sense, praise God we have the freedom to agree to walk closely with Jesus Christ.  Earthly relationships, even those between mothers and children, hold a tremendous capacity to either nurture or neglect, heal or hurt, uplift or tear down; but our Lord promises that he will never neglect us (Deut. 31:6), that he will use all things for his good (Romans 8:28), and that as we give ourselves to him, he will raise us up (James 4:10).  Praise God that we can turn to his everlasting arms and find wholeness there.  Praise him that even those who don’t have a close earthly companion to walk with can agree to walk with the Lord and find him inside of that covenant. 

Stacey 

Is my walk with the Lord all I could ever hope for?  If not, what can I do to draw closer to him?

My God, My Friend

Proverbs 18:24:  A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Friendship- it is something that every human being longs for.  I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t desire friends.  A good friend fills a need in our hearts.  That is a need for love, affirmation, understanding and comfort.  It seems that when God made us, He gave us the desire to be with others.

Friends are gifts from God.  When I got married and moved to a new area, I prayed earnestly for a good Christian friend.  I was looking for someone who would support me and I her as we traveled life’s path together.  Since that time, God has blessed me with several beautiful women whom I cherish as my “life support” group.  We pray. We care. We share. Most importantly, we love the Lord and we love each other.

There is another side of friendship that I have observed that seems to follow through from childhood until old age.  Friendship can hurt as easily as it blesses.  From my five year old son who doesn’t understand why he wasn’t invited to a classmate’s party, to my 80 year old mother who struggles with loneliness, the lack of friendship leaves a void that only can be filled by one person.  That person is God.

I thank God every day for blessing me with my circle of supporters, but if He chose to take them all away, could I still praise Him?  This year I want to take the time to develop my friendship with the only one who can fill my “friend vacuum”. When problems come, I want to run to God, not my phone, for He is the only one who can give my heart the peace.

He is my God (Psalm 48:14). He is my Friend. 

James 2:23- Abraham was called the Friend of God.

I want to be the Friend of God.

Lisa