Embracing Transition

It has been nearly six months since I have taken the time to write on my blog. Many things have transpired and transition has come. Of course it has not come in the way I expected…but does it ever? God likes to keep us on our toes and trusting in Him fully. My daughter Anna has moved away from home. A release has taken place in knowing that I am no longer responsible for her decisions and that she now has to answer to God for her choices. My assignment now is to pray for her and support her. Another transition in our lives is that Pastor Derek and Robyn, our beloved youth pastors will be moving soon. They have been a vital part of our lives for 8 years. It is bittersweet knowing they are going to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives, but we will miss them more than words can express.

So transition has come. And still it seems as I am yet in the middle of transition.

In the midst of transition, God has given me the privilege of allowing a new friend to come into my life. A friend that challenges me to go higher and reach deeper in my relationship with God; Someone who is all about the truth of God and His Word; Someone who walks daily sharing the gospel on a personal level with those he comes in contact with. Someone who sees the need for repentance in the body of Christ and is bold enough to proclaim it.

On that note, allow me to share a recent experience I encountered…I just had the rare privilege of meeting a man who has impacted my life in a major way. He is one of the most gentle loving men I have ever experienced. His name is Arthur Burt. He is a 97-year-old man who resides in the small country of Wales in the UK. He was a young pastor and evangelist in the UK and has since traveled all over the world as the Spirit has led sharing the love of Christ. Many years ago he traveled and ministered with Smith Wigglesworth. As he sat in a chair between two of his traveling companions, much like Moses with Aaron and Hur, he waited on God for several minutes before speaking. At 97 years old, he was in no hurry. It reminded me of reading of the great Welsh revivals when Evan Roberts would come into a church and simply wait, sometimes for hours, to hear from the LORD before he would speak a word, because he knew it wasn’t about him, but what the Holy Sprit wanted to do or say.

Arthur’s message was simple; the body of Christ needs to learn to love (Romans 12:9a “Let your love be sincere.”). The body of Christ needs to forgive. He made this statement, “There is no forgiveness for unforgiveness.” (Matthew 6:14-15); And the body of Christ needs to repent. Truly repent. As we were driving home, I was talking with Joseph, who had attended this meeting with me and I said, “Love, forgiveness, repentance…who does that sound like?” The obvious answer is Jesus.

What and honor to meet a saint who has stood the test of time and is continuing to press on knowing that his assignment is not yet finished. Four strokes have not stopped this mighty, meek man of God. How humbling. I felt as though I had been I the presence of one of the saints of old, someone who knows how to wash feet and simply wait in the presence of the LORD. Of course we are not to place any one on a pedestal, but we are to give honor where honor is due. Before we left, we had the honor of blessing Arthur, who sat humbly in his chair to receive all who wanted to speak with him. After thanking him for his years of faithful ministry he turned to me with the most sincere purity in his eyes, and he simply said, “God Bless You” then as a precious father, he kissed me on the cheek. Those simple words had so much power behind them that this girl will never be the same. God’s timing is perfect. He knows what we need when we need it. I am truly blessed by my Almighty, personal God.

So in God's perfect timing, knowing what we need and when we need it…comes our life's transitions. He gives us new friends and old saints to urge us on during change and transition. I am starting to think that in the times we are living, that transition may just be a continual part of our lives. We have to be positioned where God wants us so that He can use us, so that we can be clay in our Master Potter’s hands. We have to be pliable to His will and His direction. We have to be ready at a moments notice to go where He sends us. We cannot be attached to the things of this life that will hold us down. We can’t “GO” if we are tied down to stuff. There is a peace which far surpasses understanding that comes in surrendering to the changes God allows. I’m learning to accept transition and with the strength of the LORD, I’m learning to embrace it…

God Bless you as you embrace all the transitions of your journey…

Jewels

Drippy Contention, Logs & Splinters

“A continual dripping on a very rainy day, and a contentious (person) are alike.” Proverbs 27:15.

Have you ever been around someone whose very presence brought a sense of contentiousness? A moodiness that changes the whole atmosphere? I recently had this experience when someone came into my workplace and immediately the whole atmosphere was changed into a tense, uneasy feeling. Throughout the day, this precious person just seemed agitated and frustrated about everything. I finally had to excuse myself from their presence because the feeling became so heavy. I thought, “Man, what an awful feeling, I don’t even want to be around that. LORD, help them!”

And just like Himself, the ever faithful Holy Spirit began to deal with me. I soon remembered a time (or two) that I behaved similarly toward my family. I remembered a time recently when I had a difficult day, then came home to a messy house and had to say, for what seemed like the ‘ump-teenth’ time, to pick this up, put that away, etc., etc. And let’s just say, I probably didn’t use my most pleasant voice. The look on the faces of my children said it all. Looks like, “What is the matter with you?” or, “Who are you and what have you done with my mother?” Ever received one of those looks from the kids? Oh, yes you have!

It all goes back to logs and splinters. It’s so easy to get bent out of shape when someone is showing contentious spirit around you, but it’s much more difficult to recognize when you are the contentious one. Proverbs 21:19 says, “ It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman” (or man for that matter!). Contention brings strife and an unpleasant atmosphere; and who wants that?

So we seek after peace and in humility, go to the LORD and ask, “What can I do to ensure to check my contention or ‘mood’ at the door (or better yet, at the cross)?” It all goes back to spending time with Him and in His Word. The more we look in the mirror of His Word, the more we begin to look like Him, and less like contention, tension, strife, etc. Who ever knew that logs and splinters could be so powerful?? Well... God did.

Wood for Christmas

This is a beautiful story that a friend sent me; a story that will remind you what "IT's"all about...

Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving. It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible; instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though; I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. Soon Pa came back in.

It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what. Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high sideboards on. After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood---the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What was he doing?

Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I'd been by, but so what? "Yeah," I said, "Why?" "I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the little sack?" I asked. "Shoes. They're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunnysacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy." We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern.

We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, and then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt. Could we come in for a bit?" Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp. "We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children---sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out. "We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak. My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people. I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us."

In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it. Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes. Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine. At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs.. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away. Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say, "'May the Lord bless you,' I know for certain that He will."

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that. But on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunnysacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand." I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children.

For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensen's, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night; he had given me the best Christmas of my life. Don't be too busy today...

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

Back-to-School

September (and sometimes August) is always that “Back-to-School” time of year! My favorite commercial is one that ‘Staples’ puts out each year. They are singing the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” traditionally a Christmas song. You then see a dad pushing and sometimes riding on a cart through Staples buying his two children (who don’t look very happy) school supplies. It’s a classic commercial for parents!

Speaking of Back-to-School…some of you know and others may not, that I recently started back to school myself. I’m currently attending North Carolina College of Theology. They are based in Carolina Beach, NC, but have a satellite campus here in Charlotte. It’s a small class with lots of room for one-on-one, in depth teaching of the Word and Biblical principles. This is such a great opportunity for me. It allows me to be able to attend Bible school (a lifelong dream) and not have to place my life on hold while doing it! The hours are minimal and on weekends. No words can express my gratitude to the LORD and to the staff of NCCT; and I have to give kudos to my friend Jessica, who introduced me to this wonderful school! I’m so blessed!
Jewels

Lights Coming On

My God did something extraordinary for me this morning...permit me to share?

It has been obvious to me, and to those who know me, that I’ve been in a place of transition since early this year. A friend of mine asked yesterday how the transition was going. This was my reply:

"Transition not going as "planned"...but when does it ever? I've been struggling some, but ok. Just in a place where I've never been before and it's mighty uncomfortable. The best way I know to describe it is that every other transition I've been thru in life, I've been able to see the "marks" or each goal toward the high call...now, it's dark and the Lord is asking me to simply hold His hand and trust Him for the next step...which I don't see or have any clue as to what that step is? I sort of feel like I'm in a holding pattern, waiting, and allowing Him to take care of some things in me before I land into that next step or place."

Then, this morning, when I got to work, another email awaited me from a different friend with the following article attached:

"All New Things Begin in Darkness: Transitioning Through Your Dark Night" by John Paul Jackson

"This is a year of transition. As this is the eighth month already, no doubt you’re aware that transition means things are changing. If you allow God to move in your life and do what He wants to do, you’ll enjoy the change. And if you don’t … then you won’t, for obvious reasons. In this e-letter, I would like to talk to you about something that goes hand in hand with transition. It is the hardest part of change, actually, and is what makes change so often difficult. Jesus said that whoever loses his life will find it (Matthew 10:39). Growing spiritually is possible only if you’re willing to let go of the old in order to gain the new. In other words, you gain by losing; you give up your life in order to find it.

But there’s a secret in that. What you need to give up is the thing that’s holding you back. You might think it is good, but it is actually keeping you from your destiny. It is a virus, an infection, a germ that needs eradicating before it can metastasize. If God asks you to give up something, it is only what will destroy you — i.e., this isn’t something you want to keep! Here’s the catcher: The in-between time when you’re coming to that conclusion is usually confusing, painful and completely black. You can’t see a thing, and you have no idea where you’re going.

Have you felt like that this year … yet?

Three Levels of DarknessFrom pregnancy to creation, from anointing to new days, everything begins in darkness. It has been that way from the first day of creation, and it will continue to the end. New things begin in darkness. There are three levels, or deep times, of darkness that we encounter on the road to our destiny and true, pure spirituality: the Dark Night of the Wilderness or Desert, the Dark Night of the Soul and the Dark Night of the Spirit. With each one, you will feel like you are immersed in a deeper darkness than you have ever been in before. You will see less clearly, if at all, where you thought you were going. You most likely will not understand the purpose of it and why God is allowing you to go through such a dark, difficult time. Depending on what God is after, this time may shake you to your very core.

The First Sign of Healing

At some point in all three phases, you finally realize that what you have self-justified (the thing you’ve been trying to hold onto) is actually hindering your destiny, and with this realization, there is often a sense of failure or sorrow or both. But even here, do not give up hope, because this sense of failure is actually the initial sign of healing: You are on your way out. You have allowed God to remove the blinders, and as He does so, the first tendrils of light become visible again.Immediately after this point of despair, everything changes. Here you see the light at the end of the long tunnel. You have hope for a better life, and it is soooooo refreshing. Though you know the rest of the tunnel still lies ahead of you, you see the light at the end, and you know you will make it, even though, up until this point, you were pretty sure you wouldn’t.So many of us are walking blindly today, because God sees where we’re heading, but we do not.

As this is the eighth month already, no doubt you’re aware that transition means things are changing. You can’t get away with the things you got away with before; your Father has asked you to come up higher. He may have asked you to give up the “good” thing in order to give you the best. Times are dark. The way is hidden.The secret is this: No matter how dark your transitional time has been, you were always going to make it in God’s book, even during these times when the light has been hidden from you. If God is your Captain, you will survive this year — and the next year and the one after that.But for right now, as God transitions you and you walk through intense times of not knowing, don’t lose hope. As the sun rises from behind the peaks and you see life again for the first time in months … you’re going to fall in love all over again. God never leaves His children in the dark. You’ll see.

As I began to read…the light came on. Wow, so that’s where I am! If you are going through something similar, please let me know so that I can be praying for you, because I need prayer as well. I have an inkling of what God is asking me to let go of, and if it’s what I think it is, it’s a big one for me. I’m not quite to the point of that realization, but when I get there, I will let you know.

Looking to the Light, Jewelya

Transition: Boldly Going ...

Webster’s defines transition as simply: “passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another: change or: a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another.

From early this year there have been ‘buzz’ words flying around concerning what God is doing in 2008. Many have said this is a year of "New Beginnings," divine repositioning, change and transformation. Earlier this year we experienced a time of local super-natural occurrences in the weather. We had unprecedented winds and tornado warnings in this area like never before. Without sounding too deep, I believe that the natural was lining up with the spirit. I do believe that God is positioning His body where it needs to be for this season.

My family and I are personally experiencing these changes in the natural and in the spirit. The Lord takes us from one place to another with different assignments. We see this over and again in the New Testament as people finished what they were called to do in a particular place, the Holy Spirit would direct them where to go next. In Phillip’s case, the Holy Spirit literally picked him up and set him down into his next assignment.

The Lord has been teaching me so much about Himself during this time of transition. One of the biggest lessons is trust. Whenever the Lord has brought about change in my life in the past, there seemed to be a pattern, things I recognized. This time…it’s completely different. I’m in brand new territory. I’m feeling much like a pioneer in that the excitement of something new is grand, but the trepidation is very real as well. You know, the whole, "Going boldly where no man has gone before," thing! The process this time has caused me to rely on and trust in the Lord on a whole new level.

Something else I have learned is how much the enemy would like to take something beautiful that God is doing, and add in his two filthy cents to try and cause strife. Oh, how we need to be on guard against him and know that we wrestle not against flesh and blood! In a recent service I attended, the Lord spoke so clearly to the Body to simply “STOP believing the lies of the enemy.” If it was for not one else in the room (which is rarely the case), it was for me! Like any war strategist, we should know our enemy and his cunning devices.

Faith is another lesson. It never fails to amaze me how faith, hope and love work together in every situation. The actions that these three words accomplish is unfathomable. The life they bring. The expectation. The power. And through all of life’s transitions and changes this powerful stanza remains, “God changes not, His compassions they fail not; great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.”

If you find yourself in the midst of one of God’s many life transitions…embrace it! Ask, “Lord, what do you need me to learn in this?” Learn it!! So you don’t have to do it again! Embrace His will and purpose for your life. Pursue Him with all of your being. Delight in Him (and His ways) and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Embracing transition with determination to reach the next mark of the high calling of Christ~

Jewelya

Are you THAT in love?

I get so disturbed with women who seem to always be asking God to “change” their husbands, but are rarely willing to get the log out of their own eye. I can hear someone now, “Oh, but you just don’t understand!” On the contrary, I do! Take it from someone who has been there, done that…married is better any day!! Don’t misunderstand, we all want our husbands to walk in their God-given potential and be all that God has called him to be; But if we aren’t careful, we can cross the line into ungodly praying…even into forms of manipulation, which is witchcraft. You see, we always want to pray Ephesians 5:25, but what about Ephesians 5:22 and 23; and my personal favorite, verse 33. Verse 33 in the Amplified reads, “…let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband, that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates and esteems him; and that she defers to him. Praises him and loves and admires him exceedingly!” Let’s get real… a while back, I didn’t even know ’venerate’ was a word!! It means “to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference “OR “to honor (as an icon or a relic) with a ritual act of devotion.”

In a recent prayer meeting the LORD brought this verse to my attention. The LORD said to me, “Just as men should love their wives like I love My bride, women should love their husbands with the same kind of fervency they love Me;” We should love no one with the same passion we love Our LORD, however, in the same way that Ephesians 5:33 explains, I believe He wants us to love our husbands with a passion that is surpassed only by our love for HIM.

In a recent blogpost, I mentioned Enoch and how he was “Encountered” by God. Then I saw this quote from an article by Rick Joyner, check this out…: “Think about this: Any one of you reading this could become God's best friend in these times and do the greatest exploits for the sake of the Gospel. Nowhere does it say that any one of us cannot do what Enoch did--get so close to God that He just takes us straight to Heaven without passing through death. In fact, it could be that this is what the real rapture is--the Bride, the Church, becomes so perfect, without spot or blemish, and so in love with Him that He just takes her."

And that made me think…what an incredibly beautiful thought, that we could be so in love with our LORD that He simply sweeps us up into the arms of heaven! Are we that intimate with HIM? Can you feel his pulse and the beating of His heart? His breath on your face as you gently recline on his chest? Are we that in love with HIM?

My challenge to you today, is to be THAT in love with Jesus…and almost that in love with your Husbands…as the Bride prepares herself to be swept away…