God has blessed us with a great big world, and I try to go see it whenever I can!Admittedly, I have an unusual life where I get to teach what I love 8-9 months out of the year and then go travel and serve the Kingdom in my other home the rest of the time:Edmond, Oklahoma and Vienna, Austria. A lot of what I write revolves around what God teaches me through those experiences and I invite you to "travel" with me in those times! Basically, I want to be Rick Steves (the travel writer) and Lysa TerKeurst (Proverbs 31 Ministries) when I grow up! :)
I have a bunch of college "kids" I call my own, 2 dogs named Abby and McGee (yes, I love NCIS) andI get to be "the cool aunt" to 2 beautiful nieces and 3 handsome nephews.They make great play dates!
Given the opportunity, I want to encourage people when I can and remind them of the power of God in their life...or help them find Him in different ways.Fair warning:I'll ask you the tough questions!I treasure deep relationships - especially ones that will allow for "iron sharpening iron."
I love being outside, and I'm a huge fan of turning off the phone whenever possible to soak up God's creation! Actually, I'm a huge fan of turning off the phone in general...as the phrase goes: "Wherever you are, be all there", and if you are where I am, then I'm going to be all there!
I'm flawed, but saved by grace and learning daily to be loved by God.I'm thankful for the times he lets me wrestle with him because he knows my heart of hearts, and I'm ok with my hip being messed up (Genesis 32: 24-26) because growth comes from it.I encourage you to join me in the journey!
When you look at this bouquet, some might see flowers, some might see weeds, but I just see God and his people.
These flowers came from one of my favorite places on earth: Schwarzwaldeckhaus. That’s a mouthful, isn’t it?! Sitting on top of a mountain in the Austrian Alps is a three-story cabin that serves as a retreat center for youth camps, church retreats, and other fellowship times. It is a place that has been very near and dear to my heart for many years.
Because the house sits on top of a mountain, the views are breathtaking, the cows are entertaining, the sunsets are exquisite, and the stars are indescribable. The quiet is deafening, but the time there–no matter how it is spent, alone or with others–is refreshing. It truly is a place to breathe in God and all that he creates for us to enjoy. If God were to have an earthly throne room, I think it would be here, on this mountain top.
A while ago, I had the honor of taking two dear friends, a son and his “seasoned” mom, up to the house (haus, in German). For one, it was a time to reminisce about her experiences from her younger days; for the other, it was his first view of the mountains. Like many before them, their reaction was similar to most–awe.
She related memories of being at the haus with college students and how they would walk the mountain trails, breathing in the clean air, and the soul-refreshing moments with God and each other. But one story in particular caught my attention. On one of her early morning walks, she decided to pick one flower, and only ONE, of each kind she found growing on the mountain. By the time she got back to the haus, she had a large bouquet of flowers in her hands. The week after their visit, I was blessed with time on the mountain by myself (well, and a black lab named Cara) so I decided I was going to test her story myself. You know what I found? The Church. I found God.
Cara and I started our walk down the mountain trail and I began to do the same thing my seasoned friend had done those many years before. I picked one flower of every kind I could find. It was amazing to notice how many different kinds there were. Although I walked only twenty minutes away from the haus, my hand was getting full of flowers so I decided to turn around and walk back.
I began to really admire all of the variations in my hand: the diverse, rich, and beautiful colors, the different shapes and sizes, and the beautiful intricacies of God’s designs. It was fascinating!
As I walked back towards the haus, I found other flowers I hadn’t noticed before because my perspective had changed. And, when I started to REALLY notice ones I had never seen up there before, it made me want to look even deeper into the fields of flowers. It became a source of joy and reflection of how powerful God’s hands are and the creativity in his creation.
But then, I realized I was putting God in a box by even saying he was “creative”…that was almost too “human” of a word to describe him. It’s cool to know that he didn’t really have to “think” about his designs–he just spoke the words, and they were! Admittedly, the designer in me loves to think of God, sitting in front of an enormous marker board, dreaming up every flower imaginable. A storyboard for every season, every climate, every country.
And, as random as this is, I loved that they all had one thing in common–a green stem.
Cara and I returned to the haus with our bouquet of flowers. I was curious to see how many different kinds there were, so I laid them all out on the kitchen counter. There were thirtydifferent kinds of flowers, some with many similarities between them, but they were all still different.
After arranging them into a bouquet, I put them in water and enjoyed them the rest of the week…and what God was teaching me.
Faith-Building Moments
I’m sure you can extract your own faith-building moments from the story, but these were some of the things God spoke to me about:
The Lord has no equal and all that he has made is good!
Isaiah 40:14 and 26 says, “Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing!”
You could say the same thing about the flowers…he created all of them, they all have a name, and they were created exactly for where they belong, and even for the proper season to flourish in.
Now compare that to God’s people and his church! We are all created differently, each of us with our own particular details and intricacies given to us by God, and that is what makes us unique.
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it!” Psalm 139: 14.
God has placed us where we need to be to bring him the most glory.
John 17:4 says, “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”
And while he may only put us where we need to be for a season, his ways are always higher.
“Who knows if perhaps you were made for just such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14).
God doesn’t call us to understand the season, he calls us to be faithful!
1 Peter 5:12 encourages us, “…what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.”
And another favorite of mine: “Now if you will obey me and keep my commands, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.” (Exodus 19:5)
Perspective is also beneficial as God’s people
We all come from different situations and life stories. Yes, they make up a part of who we are–or at least who we were–but looking at people through eyes of love and God’s grace allows us to see the embraceable differences we have that make up the body of Christ.“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multiple of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8.
Looking deeper into people’s lives also opens up the door to ministry and sharing the Gospel, as Philippians 2:4 suggests: “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too.”
We are unique, we are different, but when we are all put together, we’re beautiful because of Christ!That “green stem” is Jesus. As a body, we have in common the forgiveness he offers us and the ability to live for him, bringing him glory. What a humbling honor! That the God who knows my name calls me to be his own: “…he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing (righteousness), he gave them his glory!” (Romans 8:30)
God has blessed us with a great big world, and I try to go see it whenever I can!Admittedly, I have an unusual life where I get to teach what I love 8-9 months out of the year and then go travel and serve the Kingdom in my other home the rest of the time:Edmond, Oklahoma and Vienna, Austria. A lot of what I write revolves around what God teaches me through those experiences and I invite you to "travel" with me in those times! Basically, I want to be Rick Steves (the travel writer) and Lysa TerKeurst (Proverbs 31 Ministries) when I grow up! :)
I have a bunch of college "kids" I call my own, 2 dogs named Abby and McGee (yes, I love NCIS) andI get to be "the cool aunt" to 2 beautiful nieces and 3 handsome nephews.They make great play dates!
Given the opportunity, I want to encourage people when I can and remind them of the power of God in their life...or help them find Him in different ways.Fair warning:I'll ask you the tough questions!I treasure deep relationships - especially ones that will allow for "iron sharpening iron."
I love being outside, and I'm a huge fan of turning off the phone whenever possible to soak up God's creation! Actually, I'm a huge fan of turning off the phone in general...as the phrase goes: "Wherever you are, be all there", and if you are where I am, then I'm going to be all there!
I'm flawed, but saved by grace and learning daily to be loved by God.I'm thankful for the times he lets me wrestle with him because he knows my heart of hearts, and I'm ok with my hip being messed up (Genesis 32: 24-26) because growth comes from it.I encourage you to join me in the journey!
Chip and Dale–the famous Saturday morning cartoon duo we all know and love. What a pair, right? Chances are you have childhood memories of Saturday morning cartoons. Perhaps you watched ChipandDale, the furry little chipmunks made famous by Walt Disney. If you were like me, you ate a bowl of Lucky Charms while still in your PJ’s.
Chip and Dale were quite the pair. They were always stirring up trouble or trying too hard to get a simple job accomplished. Trying to outrun or outsmart Donald Duck or cramming their tree full of acorns was the norm for those little guys. Chip was always the thinker, and Dale was always getting them both into trouble. But no matter their troubles, they always managed to show up together the next Saturday morning. And that encouraged me.
They were two different characters but they worked well together. They needed each other. Chip and Dale were also famous for putting the other one first when they came to a hole or small space they needed to squeeze through. They would stand there for minutes at a time just trying to allow the other one to pass first. Cheerfully, they would stand next to the opening, with a hand opened towards the hole.
“You go,” Chip would say.
“No, you go,” said Dale.
“I insist, you must go first.”
“No, after you!”
They would almost get to the point of getting caught by Donald Duck before they would make up their minds to see who would disappear down the hole first.
Imagine the Chip and Dale of Christianity–the way it should be! We are all different because God created us that way, but we all need each other: to serve each other. We may be like Chip with the brilliant ideas, or we might be a little more like Dale, who seems to get into trouble a little more often than we’d like. Or, perhaps you have a wavering faith–not because you don’t believe in God, but because life tends to win front row seats. Either way, we all need to help build each other up and put each other’s needs first by bearing each other’s burdens in love.
Humbly serving others with our talents and gifts causes great things to happen in the Kingdom of God! If we all had the attitudes of Chip and Dale, everyone would just want to serve each other, even if our “enemy” is right on our furry little tails! When serving others wholeheartedly, we allow God to work through us to minister and reach out to others by putting them first. In today’s world, that seems to be a rare concept. If only life were more like Saturday morning cartoons with Chip and Dale!
In a way it can be, if we’ll begin to look at others as better than ourselves, serve without reservation, love unconditionally, and seek God in new ways so that we can become more like the verse in Isaiah that says “Here I am, send me!” (6:8). Then, watch that “life abundantly” thing that John 10:10 talks about become even more evident in your life.
Toni was born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma.She graduated from East Central University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics.After college, she returned to her hometown to marry her best friend, Charles.Toni is a stay at home mom to their three teens, two boys and a girl, whom God led them to homeschool.Her goal is to raise her children to love and serve the Lord.They live on a farm where they grow produce to sell at several farmers markets.She also plays the piano at church and teaches piano.
I have shared a few of my pastor’s messages recently. For the last several weeks, they have really hit close to home and have been very convicting. It really was making me uncomfortable. As we visited with the pastor one Sunday, I told him that I was going to have to change churches. Understandably, he was a little concerned. I then told him that his sermons were convicting me and he needed to stop. Thankfully, he understands my sarcasm and understood that was a compliment. But, nonetheless, I have been convicted of so much recently.
So many “TV preachers” only preach inspirational messages.
They hardly ever open the Bible and quote Scripture. They do not call sin, sin. If they offend someone with their message, they would likely lose money, so they only preach “feel-good” sermons. We need preachers who are not afraid to offend and who are not “politically correct.” We need to be discerning of the “preachers” we watch or listen to. If your preacher’s message on sin makes you uncomfortable, God is probably convicting you about something. When a message challenges us, it is good, because we need to be convicted by God when we sin. We need our preachers to preach the Word of God. They should fear God and not man.
I am not saying that the preacher can not give an uplifting sermon. We go to church to fellowship with other believers also. I would not want go to a church that was all doom and gloom, either. The purpose of going to church is not entertainment. Do not get me wrong; we have fun at our church, but we also have a preacher who preaches the Word of God. We go to worship and learn. If you are not getting this at your church, it may be time to prayerfully seek out a new church.
Wife, mom, daughter, teacher, blogger, crafter, organizer - but most and best of all, I am a Christian. I am passionate about my family and my God. I am married to my best friend and am blessed with a one year old son who keeps me busy all the time staying at home with him. And I am glad to be in the service of our incredible and awesome God.
As a wife, daughter, granddaughter, niece, and cousin of preachers, I have been blessed in many respects with a rich spiritual legacy. It is really a blessing to have grown up and watched men and women in my blood family as well as my blood-bought family serve God with fervor, throughout trials, and despite unbelievable odds.
But I have a very special place in my heart for those “first generation” converts–the ones who came to Christ later in life, perhaps not knowing God from childhood. Not being blessed to be raised in a Christian home. They seem to have a special spark, and I love to see it.
Later converts tend to have a better understanding of how close to the precipice of death we all stand.
Having come to Christ at a later (and perhaps more drastic point) in their lives, they have a higher sense of urgency to reach the lost. Realizing how close they came to being eternally lost, they understand and see the world around them with compassionate eyes for lost souls.
They have a special empathy for those in the “muck” of the world.
Let’s be real here. Sin makes life messy, whether in the Christian’s life or the unbeliever’s life. Sin makes things complicated, awkward, hard, tearful, and exhausting. The difference? In the Christian’s life, we have the hope of better things. The later convert really understands the unbeliever’s struggle–and the fact that they do so without the hope of heaven afterward.
They have truly counted the cost.
Later converts came from a life centered around self and sin and move to a life submerged in the blood of Christ. They “gave up” their free time on Sundays and Wednesday nights. They “gave up” their previous pastimes for service and Christian fellowship. And they also realize what a precious gift we have received in return.
They spark joy, energy, and life into the church.
Having been convicted by the Spirit to conversion, they have an incredible, burning zeal, and it is contagious. That joy spills into all parts of their lives–at work, among non-Christian family, in the community. They are a breath of fresh air and a stirring up among us.
Later converts have an incredible sense of loyalty and gratitude to their church family.
When you are converted later in life (especially as an adult), you are often left without your blood family. But in return you gain a precious gift–a blood-bought family stretching across countries, borders, and cultures. You are granted the gift of people who, like you, have an understanding of their own great debt to the One who paid it all.
I am so grateful to those “late” converted Christians in my life. You inspire me, you push me, and you humble me. I am often drawn into complacency or weariness, and you urge me to realize again the great gift God has given us, simply by your lives, steeped in the service and grace and love of God. I am thankful you are a part of my “real” blood-bought family.
I’m Lana, a native Oklahoman. Married 17 years to the first boy I ever dated. Mama to two amazing, darling girls. I’m a coffee-drinking, book-reading, home-educating night owl! An accountant in my life B.C. (Before Children), my dream job would be getting paid to read all day.And if you’re into Meyers-Briggs personality tests, I’m an ISTJ. Most important of all, I’m a follower of Christ.
This past week, a terrible tragedy struck the congregation where I grew up. A young mother of two suddenly passed away from complications of a rare blood disorder. Waves of shock and grief quickly rippled through her circle of family and friends. But in the midst of this horrible event, I have been witnessing the church living out their calling to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
When the news first came out that this woman was fighting for her life, I saw a call to prayer go out all across social media. I saw Christians immediately respond, both with written and spoken prayers. I saw people drop what they were doing and drop to their knees, pleading with the Father on behalf of someone they didn’t even know.
When word came that she had lost her physical battle, again I saw many praying. Anguished prayers of hurt and sorrow. Intercessory prayers for comfort for her loved ones. Joyful prayers of thanksgiving that she would receive her heavenly reward. Hopeful prayers that God would be glorified through this trial.
I witnessed her friends comforting each other. Older women encouraging and mothering the younger women. Acquaintances sharing memories of how she had touched their lives.
And I saw the church spring into action, stepping in to help care for her children, to bring meals, to provide for whatever the family might need immediately and in the days to come.
On Sunday morning, I sat in the pew, surrounded by fellow Christians. As we sang, prayed, and worshiped our God, I saw the pain on faces around me. But once again, I witnessed what it means to live in community, to let Christ shine through their compassion on each other.
Men prayed for this family. Tissues were passed to wipe tears away. Scriptures were read, reminding us all of the hope we have of heaven. Friends shared hugs, husbands tenderly consoled their wives, and parents cuddled their children just a little longer that morning.
Later, I witnessed elders and other men of the congregation surrounding this young man who had just lost his wife. They laid their hands on him, prayed over him, and wept with him.
Perhaps the most touching sight was a young teen who left her pew and went to where the children sat. As tears streaked their faces, she hugged them, wiped away their tears, and stayed with them for the rest of the service. At that moment, the authenticity of these Christians’ faith struck me. Their compassion was evident to all, from the oldest members to the youngest.
In the midst of a terrible situation, I have witnessed the church, both near and far, act as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. From physical needs to emotional support to spiritual comfort, these people made manifest the true work of the church. As 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT) says:
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
Spur One Another On
Although I did not personally know this young mother, her passing has impacted and influenced my faith. By witnessing how the local church stepped up and ministered to her family and friends, it has given me a greater desire to likewise minister to those around me who are hurting.
