A Stiff but Drinkable Cup of Take-an-Account

Vacation Revelations: A Stiff but Drinkable Cup of Take-an-Account was Brewed.

I woke up this morning in a new place, literally. I began to peruse an unfamiliar kitchen, shuffling about making coffee; I had to read the directions on the coffeemaker to ensure that I did not ruin our friends’ essential appliance. That’s right. I need a cone filter (I thought). Both this trivial and normal thought brewed, but many other complex ones were perking and stirring my heart for a much needed makeover. Removed from my normal elements and familiar patterns, God began to expose some hidden areas. On day one of our home-away-from-home getaway, I began to question the very basic actions of my everyday life and existence. Yet, I carefully drank this cup of coffee that He poured for me this morning. I slowly, purposefully, and difficultly considered every sip.

The Bible tells us to search our hearts and take an account. I didn’t wake up thinking these thoughts, but I was open to let God speak to me and deal with my heart, which was heavier and stained more than I realized. Simple day-to-day repeated patterns, actions, and conversations reveal the pitter-patters of our heart: How big, how small, who they are directed to, who they are not directed to, who they are directed to sometimes, and how they are held back or diminished. It was a strong and bitter cup of coffee, but it went down like medicine. Vacation God; this is what I am thinking: Resting, the thing I do little of and need desperately to do more of; ah yes, this was on my to-do list and NOT this inward deep-sea heart diving expedition. In short, day one’s vacation headlines read: A Stiff but Drinkable Cup of Take-an-Account was Brewed.

After getting to know the coffeemaker, I began to examine my actions. My heart beats with grandeur love pumps when I praise Jesus or thank someone, which is a worthy and appropriate focus and task, but is my heart pumping out these splendorous love bursts to the people and family around me on a regular basis? Are there chambers in my heart that are still bruised th

at keep me from loving others the way God intended (1 Corinthians 13)? Does God expect me to be perfect (I thought)? Of course not, but He does ask us to take an account. Excuse me while I grab a tissue; this is a tough one to write and a terribly difficult cup of coffee to drink!

I thought about how nice it would be to have breakfast when my husband came back from fishing. How delightful it would be to sit and eat a breakfast he has prepared for the two of us! To clarify, yes, he has done most of the breakfast cooking over the years; I don’t cook breakfast well. I did enjoy cooking meals, and I belonged to two supper clubs. But where is my love for cooking meals? I pondered: Lost! What else it lost (I thought)?

Though I was never one to cook breakfast because the smoke alarm would go off every time, I remembered how things used to be. How I used to be. How I used to love whole heartedly despite arrows and darts that would come from every direction. Though I thought I had dealt with bitterness, it appears that the root was not surgically removed, or the wound was so deep that it is time once again to go digging in my heart garden. Dissecting this vivid moment and my motives was and is no easy thing to do. Why would anyone want to go there? I want to go here Lord because I want to be more like you and less like me. I want my life to line-up with the Word, and though this is a hard task, I am all in Lord (I thought and cried). These eye-opening thoughts took me back to the days of my youth, otherwise known as the early married years, which exposed and leaked some secrets I had buried. I went back to the kitchen for a warm up. As a write this piece, I feel as if time is frozen; I am parked here drinking this cup of coffee revelation. Lord, please change me and soften my heart. Let the results of this moment bring glory to You; let me be changed (I begged, pleaded, prayed, and thought).

As the years go by, my husband does more cooking; I do less. I am not saying that you should judge your relationships by the amount of time you spend cooking or how you divide up these responsibilities, but I am saying you need to take an account. As I stated earlier, my family discovered early on that I was not gifted in making tasty delicious breakfasts on the weekends. I could never get it quite right! But I am reminded that I need to judge my actions and look inward and dissect my relationships, especially the ones close to me, which is my family, my first ministry before anything else, except seeking and serving God.

Yes, this is a hard cookie to swallow or cup of joe to drink on any day of the week. But on day one of my house sitting vacation at our friends’ home; yes, I took a bite of this cookie. Hmm. It’s going to be a long vacation. My body may do some resting, but if I allow God to peruse my recent surge of weeds in my garden, I just may have a flowered heart garden ready to be posted in one of those well-manicured garden magazines. I hear my husband walking in.......

I posted this on both of my spiritual and inspirational blogs because I felt both readers would be blessed.

And So the Story Goes

I was mediating on something that God put in my spirit yesterday morning, ironically, right after a loud outburst: You are called to praise and worship Me and to lead others into the high mountain of praise. I was corrected and put on some worship music; I apologized to my husband and God. Then I went to Biblegateway.com and began researching. I knew I had found scriptures to support what I have felt called to do many other times, but it was time for fresh oil!

I first began to think about the Red Sea and Moses’ song of triumph, as well as Miriam’s song of praise and victory. I thought about the Battle of Jericho and how the praisers and musicians led the way. They were on the frontlines! I remembered when the rituals of the Ark of the Covenant were set up in the first book of Chronicles vaguely, and that the measures or procedures were put in to place for ministers to praise God. There was even a schedule to it, but honestly, I could not remember exactly. I went to my husband, a good reference, and I went to my NIV Thompson Chain Bible.

When I was reading in Exodus, I read about Moses, a Godly leader and past murderer, who received from God. I remembered that he was called by God to deliver God’s people. No sooner did the leader disappear when he was at a meeting with God, that they were all back to the same no-good-idol-worship. They decided to make an object to worship, which was a golden calf, and break into celebration; instead, they could have danced, praise, and celebrated God. That was an awesome lesson in itself, but I was not supposed to park there. I needed to dig deeper!

I was led to Isaiah 61: 1-6 and was reminded of the words spoken and inspired via the Holy Spirit that televangelist Jimmy Swaggart preached about some twenty years ago. I had a God moment. You know one of those powerful encounters where you know the God is filling the room, sweeping over you with his presence, where your legs bring you to the ground, and you bow and worship Him moments. The Lord reminded me of the altar I had made in my living room that day. When I said yes, Lord, You have anointed me to preach the good news, help and heal the brokenhearted, to tell the good news, to set the captives free, to comfort, to give the garment of praise for heaviness, and so on… Yes, I answered His call that day! Funny thing is that I did not see that day as a defining moment or a drawing a line-in-the-sand moment, but looking back, it certainly was. It set the ball or “call” in motion.

I was meeting with a dear friend yesterday talking about my journey with God; I told her that he made himself apparent to me at specific times in my journey. As I write this, I see my life as simply a tapestry of His work, a quilt if you will. I can remember turning points in this journey and the squares or patches on my quilt have victory songs, times of mourning, times of pressing, times of training, times of joy, times of thanking, and so much more. It has been that in those quadrants of life, though they bleed over and blend, that I have answered His call. He has shown me how to live and be Isaiah 61:1-6 to a dying, hard-hearted, broken, diverse, and unique people: God’s people!

Yet, in all of this, I am STILL reminded that I praise and worship God because one, I am commanded and called. Two, because I love Him with all of my heart and am called to worship Him. Three, I am to be at my father’s business and that is to remember, thank, praise, and worship Him only!

I am reminded of when King David appointed those to minister before the Lord, which at the time the Ark of the Covenant housed the spirit of God. 1 Chronicles 16: 4 tell us that “he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the LORD God of Israel”. That’s right, He has appointed me to give honor and remember Him, to thank Him for all that He has done, and to praise Him for who He is! It’s quite a responsibility and should not be taken lightly. Yes, He is putting me and the team before the people, but never to perform; instead, to honor, praise, and thanks. These three encompass our worship to Him. It’s a winning combination that leads me straight into the throne room of God. This is where He is teaching me to take His people, which are my people too. This is where He is asking me to go.

As I have learned and submitted to the threading of the needle, the quilted lessons are bringing out an unstoppable strong powerful praise. Why He has given me praise to praise through the battle. I have learned to look to Him and praise any how. The latest lesson has really released my praise. The devil cannot take my spirit from me. My life with God is eternal. While trials and sickness are difficult, I remember that God is my refuge. When I have no fear and trust Him with abandonment, I have come to a greater place with God. Not a place of title as a worship leader, but a place of closeness with God. You see the story line here is not Ileana Reich: Woman of God.

The story line and plot that unfolded in the pages of Biblical history is the same powerful and true pattern of my quilt. If you examine both, one can read the threaded words of a God who is the King of all of His People. He is higher than all other gods and idols. He is the main character of my quilt and your quilt, not you! He is the Redeemer and Savior of all of mankind. This is His story, and He has called me to tell it. He has appointed me and threaded me into life’s quilt, which belongs to Him. What an amazing journey! Thank-you Lord!

Mumbo Jumbo Blarney Vs. The Truth

Keep it positive is a phrase I hear often; honestly though, when I hear this saying, it irks me. What does keeping it positive really do anyway? It’s a Band-Aid with no adhesive; it’s encouragement with no true fix or hope! It’s a gamble! It’s also a pack of lies!

Why do we sit and listen to this new age mumbo jumbo and take it? I guess I realized today that I have become complacent in some of my thinking or when I am considering the thoughts or points of others. The Bible does tell us to test what we hear and to line up how we live via the word of God and not me, you, Buddha, a spirit guide, etc.

Remember the old cliche “put your money where your mouth is”? Well, how dare I say “be positive; it’s going to work out” with no true substance or hope for the days ahead. I need to remember to tell people that I serve a God who is able to do all things. He is a mighty God. I can be positive because He is faithful. That’s a sure thing. No one gambles on sure things! Stop the blarney or the words we revert to when we don't know what to say, or we to fearful to tell the truth!

So, the next time you hear that phrase…. be bold and tell them about Jesus! Be bold and tell them that "this is the day that He has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it". It's a reason to hope. It's a sign that He is with us everyday and that we awaken and breath His life that He has bestowed upon us! He is alive! He moves! Look for Him; He is the one true Hope!

A Conduit for Christ

Last week I heard my pastor say that “we needed to be a conduit for Christ”. The word conduit resonated with my spirit. The mention of that word has taken me on a personal journey the last few weeks.

The first thing I thought of was what does that exactly mean? I remembered teaching a 9th grade text feature lesson with a diagram that had the word: conduit on it. I knew it had something to do with a connection electronically to make something work. But what did that have to do with Christ?

I looked in the thesaurus and I found the following words: mouthpiece, instrument, agent, and tool. This began to shed some light. I pondered the meaning of each word.

If I want others to come to Christ, I need to be his mouthpiece. If I want to draw men to Christ, I need to be an instrument that He can use. If I want to follow and obey the Great Commission, I need to be His agent-on- assignment here on Earth. If I want to love others and help them to find Christ, I need to be a tool for Christ’s use. I have to allow Him to shape me and mold me. Some days I may have to morph from a screwdriver to a hammer. Ouch, one week He may insist I am a nail. Nevertheless, in whatever situation I find myself in, will I be a conduit for Christ?

What about? Will you be a conduit for Christ?