Becoming His Dream Girl: Give Him Your Heart

Tanya closed the book with a dreamy sigh. She had been avidly reading it for a few days. She’d lived through the ups and down that the hero and heroine went through in their relationship. Finally, in the last chapter he did what the heroine had been dreaming about all along. He told her that he loved her, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

“I can’t wait for that to be me,” Tanya thought falling back on the bed lost in her world of daydreams. I can’t wait for the guy of my dreams to sweep me into his arms and tell me he loves me..."

“I love you.”

And they lived happily ever after… fade out

This is usually the perfect ending to a book, movie and what many dream would be the perfect ending in real life. However this is not how it plays out when we think about becoming the girl of our heavenly father’s dream. In His version of the love story, I love you is just the beginning…

On the television show The Bachelor, the bachelor “dates” many girls giving them a rose each week while trying to decide which girl he wants.

Can you imagine being a contestant on that show, wondering week after week, “Is he going to give me a rose?” “Will I be his final choice?” “Is he going to break my heart?” Fortunately, you’ll never have to wonder that about God. You were, are, and always will be His first choice. His desire is for relationship with you. You are his treasured daughter. Within you is the potential to become everything he has called you to be. Within you is the potential to become the girl of His dream.

So now back to the beginning… the “I love you.” In a normal relationship you get to know someone and then you give them your heart. However, with God that is the very first step. The very first thing he requires you to do when you enter a relationship with him is, give him your heart…

God makes it easy for you to give him your heart. He doesn’t just say the words He shows you in such a way that you cannot doubt that He truly loves you, that you are His choice.

Romans 5:8 states:
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. NIV (emphasis mine)

Take a moment and meditate on this verse. Isn’t it mind blogging just how much the creator of the universe love you, loves me, love all of us? The chorus to Point of Grace's song below puts into words the sense of wonder and awe that I feel when I sit and reflect on just how much He loves me…

Who am I that you would love me so gently?
Who am I that you would recognize my name?
Lord, who am I that you would speak to me so softly
A conversation with the love most high.
Who am I?

Just thought I'd share a little of what I've been working on as I continue with my writing project: Becoming the Girl of His Dream

Read part one here

Photo: Microsoft clip art

Summers are for Writing

I know I said summers are for reading, but for me summers are for writing also… Along with my list of books to read I usually have a writing project going on in the summer.

This summer I’m working on a project that I started a few months ago after I spoke to a young ladies group. I spoke on the topic, Becoming the Girl of His Dream. Because of the positive feedback I decided to expand it into a Bible Study for individual or group discussion. Here’s an excerpt from the introduction...

Dear girls,
What do you dream about? You know the kind of dreaming I’m talking about, the kind where you write in your diary or talk with your friends, or just sitting and daydreaming, fantasizing about the woman you want to become, the type of lifestyle you want to live… beautiful clothes, big house, cool cars, a handsome guy…

For some unexplainable reason, before young ladies even know what it means to truly love we are in love with the idea of love, of finding the “guy” of our dreams, riding off into the sunset and living happily ever after. However in our dreams do we ever evaluate ourselves to see if we are the girl of his dreams?

Did I peak your interest? Well keep reading and I’ll tell you a secret that will help you in your quest to become the girl of his dreams. If I’m remembering my teenage years correctly, you probably already have a picture of the cute guy at school in your mind. Nevertheless before you get too excited, the “HIS” I’m talking about, it isn’t the guy you’re probably thinking about. Before we can become the girl of some guy’s dreams we need to become the girls of our heavenly father’s dream… Does that sound weird to you?

Do you know that God has bigger dreams for you than you can ever have for yourself?

Jeremiah 29:11 states:
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)

Your creator has big plans for you. He wants you to have a great future. He has such high hopes for you that before you were even created he designed a plan for your life. He created you for a purpose. You were destined to be a young lady of excellence, integrity and impeccable character. He wants you to achieve your dreams. But first, He wants you to be the girl of His dream. By now you’re probably thinking, “God has a dream girl? I wonder, what’s His type?” Well join me in this quest and let’s find out…

I’d love to hear your opinion on the following…

What characteristics do you think God’s dream girl would have?

How can someone become God's dream girl?

Photo credit: Microsoft clipart

Walking in the Spirit of Excellence - Conclusion

There are so many areas that I covered during my Becoming a Women of Excellence bible study. However if I try to cover them all I’ll be here another three weeks lol. Some of them included discipline, discretion & wisdom, all areas I’m still growing in. I gained much strength and encouragement in my Christian walk as I worked through the study. I would highly recommend the study to anyone who is interested in the topic of excellence.(My somewhat battered copy is pictured)

These are some of the things that stood out most for me as I worked through the Bible study and studied the life of Daniel. As you can see there’s a lot that God requires of us as we walk in the spirit of excellence. However he also blesses us with a lot. When we walk in excellence:

1. We attract attention.
a. We attract God’s attention. He studies us, he walks with us and he brags on us.

b. We attract man’s attention. Daniel attracted the king’s attention and was promoted because of the spirit of excellence that was upon him.

2. Excellence inspires change. When you walk in excellence you will inspire others to do likewise. Daniel inspired the king with his spirit of excellence and his faith in his God.

As Christian women we are in a unique position to change our homes, our workplaces and our society simply by the way we conduct ourselves. The eyes of our families, peers, our coworkers and our communities are upon us. Our walk with God should inspire them to change their own path in life if they're not following God's path. Hence we should always strive for excellence because we want the best for others and ourselves. God has given us the mandate, to walk in the spirit of excellence. Are you willing? What are you willing to sacrifice? How are you willing to change your life to fit into his definition of excellence? Are you ready to forget the world’s standard and live up to his standards?


Note: Daniel was not one a part of the actual Bible Study, however since I was actually studying his life when I started the study I found myself referring to him often.

Walking in the Spirit of Excellence Part 4

Trust and Obey

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

John H. Sammis

I went to a wedding recently where the bride had major issues repeating the part of the marriage vows that dealt with obeying. In fact the minister had to prompt her several times before she could get the words out of her mouth. Where does that fit into this study? Well it just illustrates the point that obedience isn’t exactly easy. Promising to obey in essence says I trust you with my life. I believe you know what’s best for me. I’m going to defer to your judgment.

There are times when we may have followed the directions of someone in the past and it didn’t turn out well. However this isn’t the case with God. God’s purpose in giving us commands is always for our benefit or the benefit of others. He wants us to practice the act of obedience until we do it without thinking or without questioning him. Our obedience shows him how we feel about him and how much we trust him. Daniel showed God that he trusted him when he refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzer’s golden image. Lot’s wife on the other hand had been given a specific command to not look back but disobeyed. She unfortunately didn’t trust God’s plans for her future.

Like Lot’s wife and the bride who had issues promising to obey, I too have my struggles in the area of obedience. In fact as I got deeper into my study on becoming a woman of excellence I wrote the following in my journal when I began the topic of obedience.

I am still doing my Becoming a Woman of Excellence bible study. This is really not quite what I expected it to be. In fact it is much more. I know I said it before but excellence encompasses so much! I am now on the chapter entitled “Excellence, Exemplified by Obedience. This is truly my area of weakness. I really need to learn to obey God in spite of what is going on around me and in spite of what my critics may say. If I want to become a woman of excellence obedience has to become a habit. I want to be in God’s perfect will. I want to walk in the spirit of excellence. Obedience then is my goal. To listen and obey and allow God to have his way in my life.” My Journal, May 19, 2003.

Obedience, four years later is still sometimes a struggle. But I remind myself that excellence doesn’t mean I get it perfectly every time. It means I keep trying.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

Sometimes the struggle with obedience comes when we question whether or not we’re really hearing God’s voice. However as you can see in the above verse, his Holy Spirit is there to guide us and always prompts us to make the right choice. Also, when we’re not sure we simply need to seek his counsel, spend time in prayer, study his word and ask him what is his will for our lives.

And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:8

God's ultimate desire for us is that we would become more like his son. As Christians, Jesus is our role model. Just as he was tested and tried so will we be. However, the question is will we obey even in the difficult times?

Read part one, two and three.

There are so many new nuggets I'm finding as I go through this study again. However although there is so much that I can say I will bring it to a close next week.

Walking in the Spirit of Excellence part 3

The Pursuit

As we continue the pursuit of excellence we have to first seek to become more like Christ, to develop a deeper more intimate walk with him.

Our desire to be strong delights Him but we must allow him to teach us that excellence is a life long process and that He is our only source of strength. Growth occurs when we maintain our walk with God remembering that the Christian life is a process rather than giving up in frustration because we cannot live up to the perfect standards.
Cynthia Heald

When we focus on developing a deeper relationship with God, he begins to reveal to us what it is he requires of us in our pursuit of excellence. And one of the main things is total, undeniable, complete surrender. For excellence is rooted in surrender. He wants us to relinquish control of our lives and totally surrender to him.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

The above verse shows a portrait of total surrender, the verse below shows the price…

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 NIV (emphasis mine)

According to Luke 9:23 I have to

1. deny myself: put the things of God first even if it means not doing the things I want to do.
2. Take up the cross – seek to do the things that pleases him even if it means self-sacrifice.
2. Follow him:- follow Christ, he has left his word for us to follow.

It is only possible to do those three things when we have died to self and given control of our lives over to the one who died for us. When Daniel was confronted with the reality of being thrown in the lions’ den he totally surrendered the situation to God. He was willing to give up his life for God… What are you willing to give up? Walking in excellence requires you to make the tough choices, to stand out when everyone else is blending in, to take on God's character when others have compromised. Excellence sometimes requires you to give up your family, friends, life as you know it. But when we surrender our lives, our hopes, our dreams, our everything to God he has a way of working it out for our good. However he wants us to take the leap of faith and simply surrender all to him.

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live-

Read part one and two

Check back on Wednesday for part 4 Excellence - Exemplified by Obedience

Walking in the Spirit of Excellence Part 2

What is Excellence?

The word excellent is one that has become much overused and under valued in our society. In fact it has become almost common. We hear the word excellent being used to describe the latest movie, a nice car or home, a good friendship and the list goes on… Many people use the word without even thinking about what they are attaching this word to. Because of this the the pride and esteem, that the word should evoke is no longer there.

I myself have been guilty of misusing the word, not deliberately but from a genuine misunderstanding. I had been looking at and defining excellence according to a secular viewpoint. The world’s view on the subject is totally different from God’s viewpoint.

Excellence is defined by Webster’s dictionary as the possession chiefly of good qualities in an unusual degree. Hence, according to this definition if you’re perceived as dressed fashionably much more than unfashionably, then you have excellent fashion sense, If your house is clean and spotless more than it’s untidy, then you have excellent housekeeping skills, If you’re almost always present at work , do a job that impresses your employer then you are an excellent employee. While you may be all of these things are your really walking in the spirit of excellence?

The world I realize, seem to view excellence as having the best or highest paying jobs, the best clothes, cars, houses, being in the elite group in society, or being the best at whatever you do. However, I’ve realized that following society’s definition of excellence I will never measure up. If society’s paradigm were followed there wouldn’t be enough room at the top for everyone to walk in the spirit of excellence. Yes, I may be the best for a while but sooner or later someone better will come along.

There will always be someone with more education, a better job, a bigger paycheck, more beautiful clothes a nicer home etc. With all of this in my mind I had to redefine my view of excellence.

Excellence Redefined...

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, Colossians 1:10

Part one of the Bible Study, I mentioned in my previous post was titled, Excellence –A Goal Worth Pursuing. As I went through the study I came up with my own simple “definition” of what it means to have the spirit of excellence and walk in it based on a few scriptures I read:

Walking in the spirit of excellence, God's way, begins first of all with having God’s love in your heart. It also includes walking in God’s way and doing the things that he expects of you, in a way that pleases him, even if it is different from what the world says. Walking in excellence as a believer means striving to gain God's approval in everything you do not matter how big or how small. It doesn't mean doing things perfectly but it does mean doing your best.

As I continued my quest for excellence I came to realize that while it seemed hard to measure up before, the world's standard requires me to give a whole lot less of myself than God’s standards because He expects us to give our all. There is a price to pay for excellence but, there is so much to gain...

January 22, 2004
Women’s Ministry Meeting


Come back Monday to read part 3:


Part one

Walking in the Spirit of Excellence - Introduction

My Quest

Then Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was in him and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Daniel6:3

Several years ago I was doing a study of one of my favorite Old Testament characters Daniel when I came across the above verse. The phrase " because an excellent sprit was in him" for some reason just resonated in my spirit. It brought about a new yearning in me. It made me yearn for, crave, desire excellence. In fact I wrote a note in my journal to that effect.

It is important that everything we do be done with excellence. When we do things with excellence we attract attention. We stand out from mediocrity. Daniel moved from prisoner to prime minister in a strange land only because everything he did was done in excellence. If I want to attract God’s eye, if I want to attract positive attention excellence has to be in me. I want to be excellent in all that I do as a woman, a teacher and most of all a child of God.
Excerpt from My Journal September 10, 2002

Although, I had a desire for excellence at that time I still had no clue what excellence was all about. However, I desired it and I longed for it. A little over a month after I made that entry in my journal I was invited to a woman’s conference by a coworker. When I received my package on registering I opened it and pulled out a book. It was a bible study called, Becoming a Woman of Excellence by Cynthia Heald. I could only stare in disbelief. God had seen the desire of my heart and had given me a tool that would aid me in my quest. This confirmed what I already knew, that if God sees a genuine unselfish desire in our heart he helps us to realize it. Consequently, armed with my Bible and my new Bible Study I began my quest to find out how I could become a woman of excellence, who walked in the spirit of excellence.
January 22, 2004
Women’s Ministry Meeting

Several years ago I was asked speak to the women of my church on the topic, Empowering Women to Walk in the Spirit of Excellence. Over the next few Mondays & Wednesdays I'll be sharing my notes (edited version) from that talk.

Stop by on Wednesday to read part 2, What is Excellence?

Becoming the you, that you were meant to be

Conclusion

Part one and two

What do you think God sees when he looks at you? Do you think he sees the sulky young person your parents sometimes see or do you think he sees something greater? Do you think you can become what God wants you to be? Get a picture in your mind of how you think God sees you. Think about how much he loves you. Think about how much your parents love you. Don’t you think someone who loves you wants the best for you? Start to see a different you than you are right now. Begin to work on becoming the person God wants you to be. Ask him to help you to see yourself as he sees you.

When God looks at us he’s not seeing us as we are. He is seeing the much more we can become if we stay close to him.

Gideon allowed God’s vision of him to wipe out the vision he had of himself. At the end of the seventh chapter in Judges we no longer see the defeated Gideon we met in chapter six. By the end of chapter seven he was the mighty warrior that God had named him in chapter six. However although God saw Gideon as a mighty warrior Gideon had to step out in faith and began working towards becoming what God had already seen him as. So God spoke it, Gideon believed it and Gideon worked towards it and then he became it.

A note to parents

Parents, before your children can see themselves as God sees them they have to know how you see them. It’s hard for them to imagine this beautiful, positive image the creator has of them if their earthly parents don’t have the same image. Are you saying things to them that will cause them to see themselves in a positive light? When you say hurtful things to them that goes beyond discipline do you ever apologize?

If you want your children to have a relationship with God then they have to have a relationship with you in their home first because they will see God through the same eyes that they see you through so I ask, what image of God do they have?.



Youth's Sunday
May 15, 2005

Becoming the you, that you were meant to be Part 2

Read part one here

Young people, who are you? I see the handsome faces, the beautiful smiles, the stylish hairdos but really, who are you? Do you even know? Do you know you were created for a purpose? Are you the you God meant you to be?

When the angel of God met Gideon he said to him in verse 12 The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. At that moment Gideon felt nothing like a warrior, in fact he felt defeated, like a nobody. He felt forsaken by God and he said so. He wanted to know, if God was with them then why was all of these things happening to them.

Isn’t it amazing how we question God doing the bad times? Why is it that we think he’s like our fair weather friends who are only with us doing the highs in our lives and leaves us during the lows? Why is it that when everything is going well we have no doubt whatsoever that God is with us but the moment something bad happens we think he’s forsaken us?

God didn’t promise us sunshine always. He didn’t say that nothing would ever go wrong in our lives. However, we know that through the storms of our lives he is only a prayer away.

At Gideon’s point of greatest weakness, of darkest despair God called him to save his people. Isn’t it just like God to wait until we feel like we’re at a moment of weakness to call us to do something that takes a whole lot of strength?

And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. Judges 6:15

At this point Gideon couldn’t see in himself what God saw in him. God saw a mighty warrior but Gideon saw himself as the runt of the litter. How do you see yourself? What is it that is hindering you from becoming the person that you were meant to be? Do you believe in yourself? Do you know that God has called you to be more than you are at this very moment?

You may be broken, you may be wounded, you may be scarred. Your self esteem may be in pieces. It may seem to your parents, your family, your friends that all is well with you but inside you know that you are hurting. You are still hurting from some hurtful comment that your parents made. You may be still smarting from some careless remark that your teacher made. You may be one that is picked on at school, you may be under some intense pressure or dealing with something that we know nothing about. Even your best friend may have left some scars on your heart. All of these things have come together to form the concept that you now have of yourself. The concept that has stunted your growth as a young man, a young lady, a mature man a mature woman.

But God is saying today, in spite of all of this I still see the you that you were meant to be. I still have a future planned for you and I still want you to become the person that you are meant to be. All you have to do is believe in me. Accept as your reality the picture I have of you.


Youth's Sunday
May 15, 2005

Becoming the you, that you were meant to be

Part 1

Judges: 6:1-16

12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."
13 "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian."


Do you ever take a moment out of your day to try and figure out why you are here, or are you just drifting through life? Have you ever sat and thought about the future? If you have where do you fit in to the future? Do you play a leading or a supporting role? How do you see yourself? Do you see yourself as less than God sees you? Do you see yourself as less than you are? Do you see yourself through the eyes of God?

The way we view ourselves is very important. It can make or break our future. You are really only as strong, as smart, as powerful, as beautiful, as handsome as you think you are. People can tell you how smart you are, how beautiful you are… they can compliment you from sunup until sundown however, if you don’t believe it then it’s still of no consequence. Hence you can hinder your own dreams your own future because of your self concept.

When we meet Gideon for the first time he is living a defeated life. He has a low self-concept. He has been beat down by the Midianites, the Amalekites and others. It had gotten so bad that he had to hide to thresh wheat. Here he was one of God’s chosen people and he had come to this. He wondered where was God while he was going through all of his situations. Where was God when they had to hide out in caves because of their oppressors? Where was God when they planted their fields and before they could even reap the harvest the Amalakites and Midianites came and stole it away from them. Where was God as he watched some of his people starve to death because their oppressors didn’t even leave them with enough to feed their families.

Anyone ever been there? Ever been in a situation where you wondered where God was? Is He here? Is he listening? Can he hear you when you cry? As children of God it is difficult to understand why God seem furthest away when we’re going through troubles, why the times we feel the most hurt, the most pain we feel most separated from him.

In response to the angel's greetings in verse 12, Gideon responded like many of us today...

13 "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian."

We have the concept that as Christians we are not supposed to experience hardships everything is supposed to be smooth sailing. It’s in these dark seasons in our lives that we began to doubt God. We begin to doubt his plans for our lives we begin to question our very existence. But if at our moment of hardship, of pain of disappointment we would begin to see ourselves as God sees us then we would know that everything is going to be alright. If at that moment we would see our future selves thorough the eyes of God then we would do whatever it takes to get us to that place.


Youth's Sunday
May 15, 2005

Let Your Light Shine Part 4

Both girls grew quiet and reflective. They began to realize the importance of light, not a flashlight a candle or a lamp but the inner light that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. They realized that the light that shone from within them could lead someone to choose a better path in life.

How do I let my light shine, you may want to know. Well there are several ways in which you can let your light shine.

Let your light shine by being proud of who you are and the light that is within you. Whatever you are ashamed of you will hide away. You can relate this back to your relationship with God. If you are too intimidated by your friends to let them know that you are a Christian then you will simply try to blend in with them and try to put Jesus into a neat little box in your heart that you only bring out when you're alone. However, your relationship with him should be something that you're proud off, something that you want to show off to the world.

In Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) Jesus said,
14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

As Christians God is expecting us to let our light shine. The job of light is to defeat darkness so when you try to hide your light away and try to fit in with your friends you're really not being true to who you are. God didn't call you to blend in, he called you to stand out, to be a true witness for him to win souls for his kingdom.

Let your light shine by setting boundaries for yourself and sticking to them no matter what pressures and temptation you're faced with. As a teenager, I always had set boundaries for myself (along with my parents many rules and regulations). I decided that there were certain things that I was not going to do no matter who was doing it. Consequently, when I was faced with temptation to do something like take a drink for example, it wasn't as difficult to say no as it would have been had I not already made up my mind it was simply something I was not going to do.

Let your light shine by living an exemplary life before your peers and others. This goes back to setting boundaries for yourself. There may be times your peers may pressure you or expect you join them in something that goes against your personal value system. However, if you consistently say no and stand your ground they will respect you for sticking to your beliefs. They may even want to know what it is that makes you different... perfect opportunity to witness.

Remember also that in verse 16 Jesus said:
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

As I emphasized during this series, actions often speak louder than words. So I encourage you to think of some good deeds that you can do that will help draw the people around you who may not know Jesus Christ as lord and savior of their life closer to Him. I remember in high school a classmate taking her free time to help tutor me in Accounting which thanks to her I passed with a pretty decent grade. I also remember another classmate whose Christian walk I was impressed with. I remember that she invited me to a Christian Student Movement meeting and it was there that I accepted Jesus as Lord.

Remember, some people may never enter the doors of a church so their only encounter with Jesus may be through you. Make it a positive one. Take care of the light that is within you. Stay connected to the source Jesus Christ. Take time out of your busy schedule to fast, pray and stay in the word.

Let Your Light Shine Part 3

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.


It seem that no sooner that the words came out of Alicia’s mouth that she saw a bright, steady light in the distance. As the light came closer towards her she heard a voice calling her name...I’m so glad to see you Alicia cried as she hugged them, thank God you had a light because my batteries are dead.

The light you burn is not just for you, your light gives others hope.

In the story Alicia’s light went out. However, K’deidra had a light and because she let her light shine she was able to lead Alicia to safety. It was K’deidra’s light but at that time Alicia needed it more than she did.

I have had more than one experience in my life where I needed someone else light to guide me, to give me hope. None comes to mind so much as a few months ago when my beloved mother died. I was devastated and after only one week off, I had to face a class of 26 fourth graders. I would have been totally unable to cope had it not been for one of my colleagues stepping in. She took over everything except my classroom duties. She made sure all of my copies were made, she did most of the final exams for the grade level, she even spoke to my students when their behavior was more than I could handle. Everything she could do to assist me she did, without ever having to be asked or even expecting thanks. This went on for at least two months until I slowly began to come out of my grief stricken state.

At that time my friend didn't try to help me with a lot of comforting words, that wasn't what I really needed at that time. I knew my mom was home with Jesus, but I was missing her here on earth. My friend let her light shine by relieving me of whatever burdens she could so I was able to do what I had to do. At that time I needed the light that she let shine into my life. It ministered to me, soothe me and let me know that someone cared.

This is what God requires of us as Christians. We are to be an example of Jesus Christ here on earth not just by our words but by our deeds as well. We do this by letting our light shine where ever there is a need and trying to influence the world around us in a positive way while not allowing ourselves to be influenced in a negative way. As the world watches us and sees the life that we are living then it will draw them to Jesus Christ.

Stay tuned for part 4

introduction
part 1
Part 2

Let Your Light Shine, Part 2

Read part 1 here

Life Lessons from the story Alicia's Light

Quotes in italics are from the story Alicia's Light in Part 1

"As the evening grew darker Alicia became more and more afraid. She was totally lost and had no idea which direction to turn. ... Consequently, Alicia ended up missing her turn to K’deidra’s house and walking down a dark deserted looking area. "

1. Good people can sometimes end up in bad situations.

Alicia had been to her friend’s house many times before but that one night she got lost. She also thought she was prepared in case of an emergency, but she wasn’t. When she really needed it to, her light did not shine.

What about you? As teens and young people there are many times you may feel that you are prepared to handle a lot of situations that may arise in your life. However, there may be times when the situation may be beyond you. For example you may hang around with friends who do not have the same values as you. They may encourage you to drink, swear or participate in whatever they’re doing and you may say no nine times out of ten. But, what about that one time when you’re not strong enough and you give in? You had been strong around your friends all along but that one time you got distracted, you wanted to fit in so you gave in.

There are times you may feel that you are prepared for something but you may not be as ready as you think. For instant the big debate these days among young people is that they want more freedom, they want to date, they want to enjoy life. However, can you handle the freedom? Are you as strong, as prepared as you think you are?


“Oh my goodness" Alicia thought to herself, "I forgot to check my batteries and they’re dead. What am I going to do?"

2. Be sure to evaluate yourself every now and again

Alicia had a flashlight, she was certain that she was prepared in case of an emergency. Unfortunately, when she needed her light it was of no use to her because her battery was dead, she had not checked her light. How often do you evaluate yourself? Do you check yourself to see how strong your beliefs and values are? Can your beliefs and value system stand the test of peer pressure? Do you evaluate yourself to see if you have strong boundaries for yourself? If you wait until you’re faced with peer pressure and other temptation before you try to set boundaries or decide what you will and will not do you would have already lost the battle.


"Jesus help me!” Alicia cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. I’m scared, I don’t know what to do help me.”

3. When you're in trouble seek help.

In the story when Alicia realize that she was lost and that she really couldn’t get herself out of the situation she called for help, in that situation she called on God. Who do you call to when you need help? There are some situations you will find yourself in as a young person that will be totally beyond your capabilities. However you have choices, you can stay in it and let it totally overwhelm you or you can get help. God has placed people in your life who are capable of helping you to get through any situation you may find yourself in but, it’s up to you to utilize that help. If you hold your problems to your chest no one can help you.


Check back on Saturday for Part 3

Let Your Light Shine, Part 1

Read the introduction to this series here.

Text: Matthew 5:16

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Topic: Let Your Light Shine

What is light? My personal definition of light is that it is that it is something that overwhelms, defeats and conquers darkness.

No matter how tiny the light even if it’s only a pinprick it cuts through the darkness. Darkness will never overwhelm a light that is brightly burning unless the light yields to the darkness. As Christians it is important that we let our light shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. It is easy at times to try and blend in with our surroundings but as Christians God is calling us to stand out from the crowd and let His light be reflected in our lives.

Below is a short story that I will refer to several times as I share with you what I shared with the youths at my church.


Alicia's Light

As the evening grew darker Alicia became more and more afraid. She was totally lost and had no idea which direction to turn. She had decided to take a short cut to her friend K’deidra’s house. This was a walk that Alicia had taken many times. However this night she was deep in thoughts. She had something on her mind that she wanted to talk to K’deidra about. Consequently, Alicia ended up missing her turn to K’deidra’s house and walking down a dark deserted looking area. To top it off it seemed like the electricity went off because she could only see darkness all around her.

Alicia grew more and more afraid because she could not make out any familiar landmarks to pinpoint exactly where she was. As she started to panic she heard a quiet voice within her say “Alicia, let your light shine.”

"Oh, thank goodness," Alicia whispered to herself, "I put my flashlight in my bag for just in case it got dark before I reached." She took the flashlight and turned it on, nothing happened. She tried again, still nothing happened. Alicia gasped in horror, "I forgot to check my batteries and they’re dead. What am I going to do?"

As Alicia stood there, she saw a tiny light but as she started to approach it flickered a few times then went out. By this time the tears were pouring down Alicia’s cheeks. She was terrified, she couldn’t see where she was going and she was afraid to call out because she wasn’t sure who exactly was out there.

“Jesus help me!” Alicia cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I’m scared, I don’t know what to do help me.”

It seem that no sooner that the words came out of Alicia’s mouth that she saw a bright, steady light in the distance. As the light came closer towards her she heard a voice calling her name. Alicia quickly began to walk towards the light. As she got closer she realized that it was her friend K’deidra and her parents. There had been a power outage and they realized that she must have taken a wrong turn in the dark and had come to look for her.

"I’m so glad to see you!" Alicia cried as she hugged them, "thank God you had a light because my batteries are dead."

As they walked towards K’deidra’s house Alicia realized that she was nearer to the house than she thought, but she must have been going around in circles because of the darkness.

“Next time I’ll be prepared,” she thought. "I’m going to check my batteries often, I’m going to make sure that my light shines, what if K’deidra’s light had gone out too?"

As they walked she toldK’deidra about how she had seen a light but it flickered and went out and how she called to Jesus to help her. K’deidra gasped, “You’re not going to believe this. When we started looking for you the light started to flicker a bit and get dim. It seem like the battery was low but all of a sudden it just came on brighter than ever. Do you think it was because you prayed?”

Both girls grew quiet and reflective. They began to realize the importance of light, not a flashlight, a candle or a lamp but the inner light that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. They realized that the light that shone from within them could lead someone to choose a better path in life. They also realized that a flickering light or dead light was no help to anyone because it couldn’t be depended upon during difficult times.

The most important thing K’deidra realized was that her light wasn’t only for her it was to give others hope as well. "Just think she told Alicia, your getting lost taught us both a lesson, isn’t God good?"



As you read the story you may have thought to yourself, “That’s silly! I’d never get lost walking to my friend’s house. However that little story has several life lessons in it, and over the next week I'll discuss some of them.

Still going strong?

January 2007 is almost gone. In a day or two it will be just a memory. This is the time when most people (myself included) begin to get a little inconsistent with all of the wonderful things they planned to do throughout the year. However, I hope that this year will be different. Hopefully all of the plans, resolutions, goals, dreams etc. won't be finished with as soon as January is finished.

I decided that in this new year I wanted God's presence in my life to speak louder than my words. I want to show by my actions that I am a child of God. Yes, I know that there are times when actions are not enough, but God is able to prompt us at those times when we need to let our voices be heard.

In keeping with my main goal for this year, I've decided to share parts of a sermon I gave at a Youth's Conference at my Church in February of last year. The conference theme was "Let Your Light Shine." It's amazing that a year later God began to deal with me on the very thing I had spoken about.

I will begin posting this week.