I will admit, I don’t have a story that is such a drastic change in lifestyle. I wasn’t living wildly before my baptism. But we all have a journey in learning to trust and obey God, and there is change involved even if it doesn’t seem drastic on the surface. We know that we are all sinners. Thank God that He sent His son Jesus to forgive us!
Raised in a Christian Environment
I grew up in a Christian home with parents who took us to church every Sunday and every Wednesday. In this regard, I was so blessed to be brought up in such an environment. I will be forever grateful for the example my parents have been in my life. Along with my parents, I grew up surrounded by many wonderful Christian people. I remember some wonderful Bible class teachers whom I looked up to and learned so much from. Even my grandparents were Christians and we always attended church with them when we visited. My grandma was a Bible class teacher, and for as long as I can remember, she was always actively serving in her church.
At some point as I was growing and learning, I remember becoming conscious of the fact that I did believe in God. I did believe He sent his son Jesus to Earth to sacrifice himself in order to save us.
Coming to a Decision
When I decided to be baptized, I was ten years old. Although that is young, my parents studied with me and talked with me to make sure I understood what it meant. What I remember the most from those studies came down to understanding that Jesus is God’s Son and he died on a cross to take away my sins. I remember wanting to be obedient to God and live the rest of my life for Him.
Now that I’m older, I realize that I definitely didn’t know everything or understand it in its fullness. The important thing is that I understood what Christ did for me and I wanted to give my life to Him. I think no matter how old we are when we give our lives to Christ, there is no way to fully understand how much God loves us. In fact, those of us who have been living a life for Christ for many years still learn more every day what it means to trust and obey. Being a Christian is a daily walk we must take with God to grow closer to him.
To Walk with Christ Means to Trust and Obey
Since that day on October 14, 1990, when I was baptized, washing my sins away and promising to live my life for God, there have been many ups and downs. That’s part of walking this life, even with God. Even in my lowest of lows, I have felt God’s presence and even was brought closer to Him in those moments. I continue to walk on, knowing that no matter what may come in the future, He is there with me. I have learned on my walk, that every day is a new day and He is always there to walk with me. So I continue to trust in Him and obey Him to the best of my ability, to grow closer to Him and live out His love. I’m so glad that I made that decision twenty-six years ago.
Trust and Obey
by John H. Sammis
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.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil he doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]
But we never can prove the delights of his love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor he shows, for the joy he bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet,
Or we’ll walk by his side in the way;
What he says we will do, where he sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for giving your own Son so that I might be saved and live with you for eternity. My thanks will never be enough to repay you for that. I pray that every day I continue to walk with you and lean on you for everything. No matter what is going on around me, I pray that I will focus on you and your Son and all the love you have for me. I ask that you help me block out the world’s noise so that I can look to you alone as my strength. I love you and I praise you for all that you do for me.
Some things just have a lasting impact on you. In middle school, I learned a beautiful song called “Inscription of Hope” that had that kind of impact on me. From time to time I remember it’s beauty, words, and especially it’s hope. Maybe I was reminded of this song because of the New Year and the idea of a new beginning, new possibilities, and the hope that that brings. Of course, the story behind the song is what is the most touching to me.
The words were originally written on the wall of a cellar in Cologne, Germany during World War II by Jews who were hiding from the Nazis. Although the original author is unknown, the lyrics to this song leave a lasting impact on all who hear the song. Here are the words and a link to the song below.
Inscription of Hope
I believe in the sun
Even when it is not shining.
And I believe in love
Even when there’s no one there.
And I believe in God
Even when he is silent.
I believe through any trial
There is always a way.
But sometimes in this suffering
And hopeless despair,
My heart cries for shelter
To know someone’s there.
But a voice rises within me
saying, “Hold on, my child.
I’ll give you strength, I’ll give you hope.
Just stay a little while.”
I believe in the sun
Even when it is not shining.
And I believe in love
Even when there’s no one there.
And I believe in God
Even when he is silent.
I believe through any trial
There is always a way.
May there someday be sunshine.
May there someday be happiness.
May there someday be love.
May there someday be peace.
This year, may you find that the new year brings sunshine, happiness, love, and peace. And may you feel God’s presence in your life even when He is silent.
A couple of years ago I came across this recipe and immediately fell in love with it! It’s the ultimate comfort food, especially on a cold winter day. Another thing I love about it is that it’s two recipes in one. One day you can cook the chicken with your choice of sides and the next day you can use two of the leftover chicken breasts for the soup. The chicken itself is very flavorful and juicy when cooked this way. Then it adds a lot of flavor to the soup. We like to eat the soup with rolls or crackers. I hope you enjoy it!
Baked Lemon-Basil Chicken
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine (or use chicken broth)
Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400*F.
2. Place chicken in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Whisk together garlic, wine, lemon rind, and basil; pour over chicken.
4. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
5. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until chicken is done.
6. Sprinkle with lemon juice; reserve 2 chicken breasts for Chicken Noodle Soup.
Recent times have been stressful and full of emotions, divisions, anger, and hatred all across the US. I have been brokenhearted to see it all play out. I am grieving the dissension among so many in this country, and I have shed tears over it. I have prayed and asked God to please help heal our land. I’ve asked Him to take it all in His hands, as if it’s not already.
I’ve been trying really hard to focus more on the positive than the negative. I’m choosing to try to only speak positivity and love instead of the opposite, no matter what my opinions and emotions tell me. You see, all this negativity and conflict fill my heart with anxiety, fear, and sadness. I cannot live like that.
As I began to focus on more positive thoughts, the load began to slowly lift off my heart. I was busy doing chores at home one evening and I looked out the front window and saw the most beautiful sunset. It was one of those sunsets you just had to stare at because of so many beautiful colors. I stepped out on my porch and took a quick photo. It immediately touched my heart and warmed it. My God was sending me a heavenly sign. It was as if He was saying, “I am here, child. I still love you. I will always be here. Trust in me and you will see what I have planned.”
I knew immediately that I needed to put a scripture with this photo. It was so beautiful and it just came naturally.
God’s Heavenly Signs
I really believe God sends us His heavenly signs of love in many different ways and always at the perfect time. This reminded me that not only is He always there, but I should praise Him all day, everyday, no matter what is going on around me! He needs to be the One I focus on and put my priority in. I immediately felt His love when I saw this and I wanted to share it. How could I forget to praise Him, when He is the one who has given us all things?
Dear Heavenly Father,
I praise your name! You are so great and so loving. I do not deserve the grace you show me, but I am so grateful that you extend it to me. Please forgive me for forgetting to praise you from the rising of the sun to its setting. May I always remember at every moment to bring you praise and honor through my actions, words and thoughts. Help me to block out the negativity and conflict that is always happening in the world. I love you and I thank you for your reminders that you are there.
It’s in Jesus’ name that I pray these things,
Amen
I encourage you to always look for ways God is speaking to you! How have you experienced God’s heavenly signs of love from above?
I’m sure the song “This Little Light of Mine” is familiar to a lot of people.
For me, it was one of those VBS and Bible class songs that I don’t even remember learning. It was just something I always knew. It has a great lesson for us and our kids. Of course, when I was a child I didn’t necessarily completely understand its full message. It was fun to hold a finger up to represent a candle and move it around to show how we let it shine. We sang about not hiding it under a bushel, but putting it out in the open for everyone to see. We also sang about not letting Satan blow our light out. Sometimes we would even sing about where we would shine our light, all around the neighborhood or city.
Shining Light into the Inner City
Growing up attending church and being involved in a youth group, I had many opportunities to go on mission trips. Those experiences touched me in profound ways. On one particular mission trip to an inner city location, I was in in awe of the missionaries who dedicated their lives to serving that community. I was only there a week, but I knew it was not an easy task to live in an area with lots of crime, drugs, poverty, and many dark places that needed God’s light. I wondered how someone could possibly be strong enough to shine their light there on a daily basis.
Those missionaries weren’t aware that not only did their light shine for the community to see, it shone to me and the other teens on that mission trip. It wasn’t just the missionaries whose lights shone, but also the trip’s chaperones who showed love to the kids in this inner-city community.
I’ve been so blessed to grow up among so many wonderful Christian adults who taught me not only what God’s Word says, but showed me through their actions. Obviously my parents are some of the biggest examples I learned from, but because they raised me in the church, I had the chance to be affected by so many other wonderful Christians. Whether they were aware of it or not, their examples impacted me in ways that will affect me for my whole life.
An Interest in Mission Work
I guess it’s no surprise that during college I became so interested in mission work that I ended up moving to Germany and doing mission work there for five years after I graduated. Those five years were some of the most exciting, challenging, life-changing, and rewarding years of my life. God put a love of the country and the people I met there, as well as a passion to reach out and shine my light, in my heart. I will never be the same because of these experiences.
Mission Work and Kids
Even now that my family is living in the States again, we continue to have that passion and love for Germany and missions. We try to return as often as we can for short-term mission work. Now that my husband and I have two kids, it can be challenging to travel abroad and do these trips. Never, even for a second, have I considered not taking them with us. People ask us if we will take the kids and I’m sure many have wondered why or how we do it with kids in tow. The answer is always, yes, the kids will absolutely go with us! Not only could I not fathom leaving them at home (even with family members) for the duration of our trip, but one of the best things about taking them with us is that they get to have these amazing experiences as young children.
They will grow up knowing that we go on these trips to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to others around the world! What better example is there for them to see God at work, than to take them with us and let them see it first hand? They always talk about our times in Germany with anticipation and wonderful memories. They love that we go, and maybe don’t always know all the reasons we are there, but hopefully when they get to an age that they fully understand, will see not only the “why” but the “how” of what shining our light means.
Shine Your Light Where You Are
Some of you may be thinking, “that’s great, but I can’t go to Germany or another foreign country with my family.” I know that this may not be for everyone, although I do encourage you to try to go on a mission trip at least once in your life. However, you don’t have to go to a foreign country to shine your light. There are so many ways you can shine your light, even in your very own neighborhood. There are so many opportunities around us. We just have to look for them. Find something you know you can help with, or maybe you will even find a passion for something you didn’t know you had. Perhaps you can donate your time to a clothing or food drive. Look for outreach opportunities or ways you can help in the community.
Involve your whole family in mission work. Ask your kids to think of some ways they can help others. Start out small by making some treats and delivering them to your neighbors. Let your kids see that serving others and letting your light shine is fun. They will start asking you to do it again! These will make the best memories for you and your family. Who knows, maybe this will start conversations with your neighbors or others in the community and lead to them asking more questions about who you are and why you serve the way you do.
A Command to Serve
I’m not encouraging service just because it can be fun. It’s a command. 1 Peter 4:10-11 says:
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
This verse talks about using our gifts to serve. One of the main reasons I went to Germany to begin with was because some of my choir friends had told me about the trip and how you get to sing. I thought it would be a great combination for me: mission work, which I had already enjoyed in the past, and singing, which was also a huge passion for me. Who knew one trip to Germany after my sophomore year at college would turn into a lifelong passion? You might be surprised if you try to get involved in some form of service using your talents, too! It could bring a lot of joy to your life.
Bringing Glory to God
God also wants us to shine His light so that we can give glory to Him. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus says,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Let’s do everything we can to bring God glory! It may not always feel comfortable, but it is what God wants and what He calls us to do. One of my favorite verses is in Isaiah, when God commissions Isaiah to go speak to the people. Isaiah’s reaction is just how I want to be. Isaiah 6:8 says, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.” I pray that we can all be so eager to do what God has called us to do! Go and shine your light!
