hcfwomen

Christmas, General, God's Presence, Holidays, Love

The Greatest Gift of All

December 2, 2021December 2, 2021by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

Editors note: For the month of December, our theme is “The Gift of Jesus” and our focus verses are found in Luke 2:10-14. “but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord- has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger. Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

What a wonderful time of year this is! What makes this time of year special for you? It might be being with family and friends. Maybe it’s the decorating, food eating and gift buying that brings you joy. What about Jesus? Does He have a place in your life during this season?

Let’s talk about gifts. Gifts are exciting! All the pretty wrappings and the suspense of what is hidden beneath those wrappings. We have all heard and probably sang the classic song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. Someone tried to add up how much it would cost to give the gifts named in this song. The grand total came to about $15,000! It seems we get all tied up in the busyness of the season and we forget about the simplicity.

Christmas, a wonderful story and a gentle reminder of the true meaning. It is about the gifts. However, it is not about the gifts that can be purchased with a credit or debit card.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is GIVEN, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. “ Isaiah 9:6

The real message is not the gifts we give each other but the gifts God has given to each of us. His gifts are the only ones that keep on giving. Let’s look at 4 things:

1. God’s gift to us was a total surprise. Who would have imagined that Jesus would be willing to leave perfection to come into a sinful world and in human form?

2. God’s gift came to us in humble wrappings. He wasn’t born in a palace. We all have been taught that He was born in a stable. The reality is He was born in a cave. This cave was a cave where lambs were born to be used for religious sacrifices. The lambs had to be perfect, it was mandatory that they were unblemished. Therefore, they were wrapped in rags to prevent blemishes. We know ultimately Jesus became our sacrificial lamb, which will become another gift in the future. Just as the lambs were wrapped, Jesus was wrapped in cloths or rags and laid in a feeding trough.

3. We don’t deserve this gift. We usually give gifts to those we love and care about. We don’t usually give gifts to those that have been unkind to us. Yet, God still gave us His Son as a gift, because of love, even though the human race had become an enemy of his. They broke religious laws. To top it off,Jesus was already rejected even before his birth when there was no room in the Inn. (Luke 2:7)

4. The gift tells us something about the giver. Just as we think ahead and plan what we want to give to others, God did the same for us. Through Jesus, our gift, He gave us an opportunity at eternal life. However, we first have to accept the gift. Then we must unwrap that gift. What are you going to do with the gift after you unwrap it? Push it to the side and think about it later or start utilizing it and discover everything it has to offer? If we choose to utilize it we will discover that not only is Jesus THE gift but He also brought other gifts with Him. He brought peace, hope, forgiveness, healing and purpose. He also brought a new way to live and see, a joy that can’t be taken and a way to relate to others. He brought so much more that we are still trying to unwrap it all.

It’s not about the gifts that will be under your tree. These gifts are temporary and will be gone one day. Life is about knowing the God who made you and gave you the greatest gift you will ever receive. His gift is eternal and will never wear out. His gift always fits and you never have to return it. Most importantly, His gifts are worth more than $15,000, they are priceless. Jesus is THE greatest gift of all.

We would like to thank Kathy Jones for writing this blog post.

Faith, God's Presence, Love

Being Generous with Our Love

November 25, 2021November 25, 2021by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

Editors note: For the month of November, our theme is Loving Big. The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:7-8, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. Bug anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” This month, you will hear from the ladies of our church about how to show God’s love to others.

Have you ever given someone a gift that you made or created just for them? I love to write and when I was a girl, I would write stories for my little brother. Since I didn’t often have money, this was something I could give him that came just from me. As I grew older, I became a little more hesitant about sharing things I write with others, but sometimes, I write a poem or a passage for a close friend or someone I love. And the things I value most are those treasured, handmade gifts that have been given to me. These things are, in a sense, part of the person who made and gave them and that makes them special.

In this passage in 1 John, we see that ‘love comes from God’. It is both His gift to us and the essence of who He is. God is giving himself to us when He is giving us love. But this is a gift we are not to keep to ourselves – it is something we are asked to share with others.

When I was in fifth grade, my mother made cookies for my school Christmas party. They were sugar cookies with red and green colored icing. We didn’t have much money at the time and cookies were a rare treat in our household. I remember struggling all the way to school with the temptation to hide the cookies. I didn’t want to keep them all to myself, but I didn’t want to share them with everyone in the class. I only wanted to share them with my friends so there would be cookies to take home and share with my brothers. Unable to hide a plate of cookies, I ended up setting the cookies with the other goodies for the party, and I was pleasantly surprised that there were a few left after the party. But I still remember the struggle to share with the kids in my classroom that I did not know or like.

How generous are we with our love? John gives us a simple command here, “Dear friends, let us love one another,” and there is a love that we can easily offer to others because it flows from God, in and through us. However, I think we’re often called to something more – particularly in regard to fellow believers who worship and fellowship with us. However, if we’re honest, it’s probably not easy for most of us to offer more than just greetings to those we don’t know. Most of us realize that the more we know someone and the more intimate the relationship whether family or friends, the easier it is to love them. John even says this about our relationship with God, “everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

People need to be seen and known. There are lonely people all around us who are just waiting for someone to see them – really see them – and to know them. They may know they are loved by God, but still long for loving relationships with other believers. I was once one of those people, and while I had Sunday acquaintances and companions at church, I was still lonely. It was years before I had friends that knew me and encouraged me in the gifts and calling God has placed on my life. So, to offer love to our fellow brethren, we may have to offer connection – something more than a warm greeting, short general conversation and well wishes for their day. We may need to offer to exchange phone numbers or an invitation to coffee. I asked earlier how generous are we with our love, but the real question may be, how generous are we with our time? For it too is a gift from God. So, like John, I encourage you, ‘Dear friends, let us love one another…’

We would like to thank Sheila Campbell for writing this blog post.

Love

Me Love Big?

November 18, 2021November 18, 2021by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

Loving big. In I John 3 and 4, the disciple who calls himself the one that Jesus loved gives his readers much counsel on how and why they should love:

“Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.” I John 3:10

“If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life.” I John 3:14

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” I John 3:18

“Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.” I John 4:11

My favorite, though, is I John 4:16: “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love.” In theory, all these admonitions from John make sense to me, and I know that I really am called to love not only fellow believers, but Jesus even goes so far as to tell me to love my enemies! (Luke 6:35). I have found, though, in my own life, that there are obstacles to loving big.

One of the big ones is rejection.

I was a baby when I was adopted into my family. My adoptive parents raised me and treated me as their very own, and I knew I was adopted from as far back as I can remember. It wasn’t a big deal, even though my mom gave birth to my younger brother. That was my family. One day when we were kids, my little brother said, “Your mom and dad didn’t want you, so they gave you away.” Well, I told my mom, and my brother got in trouble for saying it, but that stuck in my head. Those words introduced me to a spirit of rejection that I battled for most of my life, and which still tries to rise up on occasion.

This spirit of rejection can be caused or enhanced because of many life circumstances: abuse by a parent or loved one, death of a parent or someone dear, negative words spoken by teachers or caregivers, rejection by a group at school or by a boyfriend or girlfriend, failure at a job or school, divorce; the list goes on and on. As a person experiences these things as a part of life, she may begin to believe that God has also rejected her. Rejection also has self-fulfilling consequences. A person feels rejected, so she pushes people away, afraid to get close to anyone, and she often causes the cycle to continue. She pushes people so far by her words and actions that they reject her, so it’s confirmed that no one wants anything to do with her.

Rejection causes me to focus on hiding myself, when love wants me to reach out to someone who is lonely, who is hurting, who needs someone to listen and to pray. Rejection says to me, “Who do you think you are?” Love says, “Who can Holy Spirit touch through me today?” Rejection’s focus is self-protection, while love’s is ministry. Rejection is always looking inward. Love is always looking outward.

It’s clear that a person can’t go around living in this rejection mode and still fulfill the law of love, right? In Philippians, Paul tells his readers, “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” (Philippians 2:4). The only way I’ve found to move forward is to realize that I AM accepted in the Beloved (in Jesus). (Ephesians 1:6). The more I receive the love, and believe the love that HE has for me, the more I can open my arms to the people around me and love THEM. It’s scary, at times, because there is always a risk that people will reject me, but Jesus never will reject you or me. We can love despite the risk.

“Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love’s perfection. Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us.” I John 4:18-19

“Afraid of punishment” means “fear is suspicious” in the Aramaic. We can overcome our suspicious fear of rejection and love BIG, knowing that we are safely in the family of God, no matter what.

We would like to thank Sheri Warren for writing this blog post.

Love

To Love as Christ Loves

November 11, 2021November 11, 2021by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

In order to love big, one must first know Love—not just head knowledge, social-media profile, surface kind of know. Rather, a gut-level, day-in-day-out, wash-the-dishes, clean-the-poop, kind of know. It’s knowing relationally through life’s messes and celebrations.

Head knowledge remains such a valued commodity in our society (in Jesus’ society too)and yet, application of that knowledge makes all the difference. Head knowledge means nothing without gut-level application. Pharisees’ head knowledge and religious application set them apart. Yet Jesus frequently called out this “brood of vipers” as bad fruit condemned to judgement (Matthew 12), as hypocritical blind guides leading themselves and others to destruction (Matthew 23). Jesus contrasted these criticisms with storing up good in your heart and accompanied them with warnings about caring meticulously for appearance while ignoring internal decay. Knowing and even doing what is right is abhorrent without the right heart and motivation.

Our knowledge of love, our knowledge of God who is love, must well up from within. So how do we love? Ask.

1 John 4:15 says, “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.”

Choosing to follow Jesus is eternal salvation, yes, but as believers, we are also called to bring God’s kingdom to earth. Praise the Lord for eternal salvation. Praise the Lord that salvation includes the Holy Spirit who empowers us to walk in love now, empowers us to live in God’s kingdom here on Earth as it is in Heaven. If you have not yet made the decision to follow Jesus, please do today. Contact your Christian friends and we will celebrate with you! Without this relationship, we cannot love. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

So how do we continue in love? Walk in love? Abide. Remain.

John 15:1-17 speaks of bearing good fruit by staying connected to the vine. Verse ten says, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love.” It’s not a to-do list. Verse 12 says, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” Jesus lay down his life for us, for sinners. Verse 17 repeats, “This is my command: Love each other.” How do I remain in God’s love? Obey. What’s the command? Love each other as Christ loved. Because of God’s love, I am able to love.

Practically, what does loving each other look like? In Jesus life, ultimately laying down his life. Until that point, his ministry was full of loving others. He loved crowds, taught them, healed them, fed them. He took time away from the crowds to remain in God’s presence. He saw what the Father was doing and did it too.

At my house, loving each other looks like doing dishes, scrubbing toilets, watching basketball, reading books, playing games, wrestling, tackling, tickling. Yet these mean nothing unless my heart is right. They are useless acts that drain unless my heart does them out of love. When I walk in love, these acts are life-giving, joyful responses to knowing who I am and whose I am.

Loving big is patient, kind, humble, honoring. Loving big protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres.

My constant prayer from Psalm 139 is “Search me, God, and know my heart…lead me in the way everlasting.” Friends, our words and actions overflow from the abundance of our hearts. What are you filling your heart with? May love well up from the core of who we are. As we abide in God, may the fruit of our lives be expressed in love.

Holy Spirit, empower us to love big!

We would like to thank Mary Coleman for writing this blog post.

Love

Loving BIG

November 4, 2021November 4, 2021by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

Jesus loves you and He loves me…BIG!! This love is different than the love the world knows or recognizes. The world does not know this love because they do not know Him. As we look around at the world today, it seems as if the spirit of love is hidden or even lost. Let’s be honest, people are messy and sometimes hard to love. Yet our verse for the month, 1 John 4:7-8, tells us to love one another. He’s not just telling us but He is commanding us to love.

What does your relationship with Jesus look like right now?

The past couple of months God placed the following in my spirit: Do you have intimacy WITH me before doing work FOR me? Or are you trying to do work FOR me BEFORE seeking my intimacy?

When we jump into doing work for the Lord before seeking Him, we are relying on our own works, our flesh. That includes loving people. We are called to open ourselves to God’s love so God can love others through us. When we love one another we represent God to the world. When we leave intimacy with God last, loving each other is hard.

What does being intimate with God look like? For me, it’s being in His Word first thing in the morning before the activities of the day begin. Personally, I enjoy following verse by verse studies of what is really being revealed in His Word or diving into a particular topic or theme. I enjoy the stillness and quietness of the morning and just being with Him. Enter in worship music off and on during the day. Your intimate time with God may look different. Whatever that may be, it is CRUCIAL that before you do activities FOR God that you have spent time WITH God. It is in this moment where His Spirit guides and directs you.

Loving others is a call to action. John 13:34 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”. Jesus makes love a priority. Love stirs the spirit and makes an impression on the soul. Genuine love requires more than calling someone tender names. We often think that love is a sweet, sentimental feeling. Biblically, love is self sacrificing, caring and committing. It’s always searching for the good in others. There are so many ways we can love each other. Here are 10 ways to get started:
1. Pray for each other ( James 5:16)
2. Worship together (Hebrews 10:25)
3. Fellowship/ show hospitality (1 Peter 4:9)
4. Serve/ help each other (1 Peter 4:10)
5. Be humble (Ephesians 4:2)
6. Be encouraging ( 1 Thess. 5:11)
7. Forgive (Ephesians 4:32)
8. Be in peace with each other (Romans 12:18)
9. Speak the truth in love ( Ephesians 4:15)
10. Be loveable (Romans 12:10)

Love is not an optional virtue for the believer. It is to be the distinguishing mark of the church in the world. Despite what language you speak or what nation you live in, love has the ability to be understood across the broad expanse of this universe. Since God lives in us, we are to give the love God has given us and give it to the world. It’s a gift to be given and not kept for ourselves. We are called to love again. Will you be obedient? It’s time to bring the light called love into the dark places. The time to love big is now!

We would like to thank Kathy Jones for writing this blog post.

General, serving

Heart to Serve

October 28, 2021October 28, 2021by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

Editors note: For the month of October, our focus verse is found in Matthew 20:28. It states that, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus is calling the disciples (and all who are in Christ) to follow the same path to greatness: humble, sacrificial service to each other.

“Can we go home now?” was the usual complaint from me on a Sunday afternoon. My family was the first ones to show up and last ones to leave any given church event. Serving was modeled for me long before I could walk it out. One of my favorite memories is getting to sneak out of “Big church” and help my mom serve in nursery, but I’m not so sure my heart was in it for serving as much as it was for the snacks.

For many years serving was something that I just did; just did to be with friends, just did to get the approval of my parents, just did to play out the “good” Christian girl. What I didn’t realize was that serving from myself and for myself would lead to disappointment and exhaustion. When we serve out of our own need for approval, we end up pouring from an empty cup. God created us with a heart to serve. It says in Matthew 20:28 “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve”. If Jesus, who was God, was meant to serve, how much more are we, who were created by God, meant to.

Serving is an inside-out reality that requires a constant connection to the Father in order to be life-giving. 1 Peter 4:10-11 says “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen”. We can’t serve without God’s strength. His strength allows us to push past our own desires and love without promise of return.

As you are empowered by Him, He will reveal the desire of where to serve. For some it will be front and center, but for others, it might be more behind the scenes. My call to serve came when I was a teenager sitting in youth group. My desire to help walk students through difficult times and watch them encounter the Gospel stirred my heart to serve in the children’s ministry and then youth. I am encouraged by the bold faith of the next generation. As pastor Brad always says, “there is no junior Holy Spirit”. The wisdom that comes from their innocent faith teaches me how to live unashamed of the Gospel.

Serving was never optional. We must consistently realign our heart to want to serve God first and through that love serve others. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and try serving in a new area. God just may awaken new desires in your heart. Serving, when done from a full cup, leads to the abundant life that Jesus promises us in John 10:10.

We would like to thank Savanna Ludecke for writing this blog post.

General, serving

Jesus, the Servant

October 21, 2021October 21, 2021by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

Have you ever thought of Jesus as a servant? There is no doubt that when Christ came to earth, He revealed his skills as a leader. However, He also showed himself as a servant. He laid aside His majesty to come to earth to show us the love of God. As a result, the action displays the attributes of Jesus as a servant- leader.

Looking back over my life, from youth to adulthood, I feel as though I have always been a servant. I didn’t know enough about Jesus or His word to say my service was a call to be a servant for God’s glory, but I knew I loved to serve.

Even though I didn’t know about Jesus and His word, my mom did. She set the tone for me to be a servant, by her acts of service.

Reminiscing on my life as a youth and all the ways my mom served her family and the church was somewhat unbelievable. If you ask me, my mom was a Proverbs 31:10-31 type of woman.

A Proverb 31 woman is a noble woman who is productive and ingenious. She can even be intimidating to women who would seek to follow her example. But while everyone can benefit from her example of initiative and hard work the main lesson she offers is her outlook rather than her output.

All of this woman’s qualities and accomplishments grow out of the fear of the Lord. Fearing God is our central virtue, and this attitude towards God is as crucial for today’s woman as it was then. The fear (respect) of God not only undergrounds our growth in the wisdom but also draws us to the grace of Christ who forgives our sins and equips us for righteous living.

Another timeless virtue of this woman is her service to others, her husband, her children, her servant, and the poor and needy. She serves them with eagerness, resourcefulness, and strength. She is neither hindered nor demeaned by serving others. Rather, she is fulfilled by it, because godly service is the source of her nobility.

Proverbs 31: Is the saying of King Lemuel, who shares his wisdom that came from his mother, stressing the role a mother can have in building character into her children? The wisdom that King Lemuel’s mother stressed to him is much like my mom’s character.

Because mom was such a loving, and caring woman, I wanted to be exactly like her. I think that’s why, whenever I see a need and I can help, jumping all in with both hands and feet comes natural for me. I don’t have to be front and center. I am ok being behind the scenes. I just love to serve in God‘s kingdom. Serving makes me happy and giving makes me very happy.

We are all called to serve if we are Christians (Christ like). In Matthew 20:28, Jesus says, “just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus, as a servant leader, is a powerful example to follow. It would benefit any leader to follow his example. John Scott put it this way: “The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion.”

John 15:12-15 “My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, For everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Be a servant for Jesus, do what He commands, and He will call you friends.

We would like to thank Georgia Wall for writing this blog post.

General, serving

Serving is a Sacrifice of Praise

October 14, 2021October 14, 2021by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

Each one of us is called to be a servant and have been given gifts used by God to serve others.

1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

As a child, I was in church and watched others serve, so this was just part of the culture I grew up to know. I did not question the why, how, or where of these actions. After I accepted Christ as my Savior, then I began to wonder about the gifts that Jesus gave me. I do not know that I ever actually asked what my gifts were, I just started serving others. First, I began in the music ministry. Yes, I sang specials in front of the congregation! I was never one to speak to a group of people, but I could sing of God’s glory!

There have been several ministries that I have been involved with over the years in different churches: music ministry, children’s ministry, Bible studies, administrative, and hospitality. My husband, Robert, and I now serve on the coffee team and host a life group at Harvest Christian Fellowship. Serving others also continues outside of our local church in our community and where we work.

Hebrews 6:10 “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your word, and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do.”

As I began to pray about my personal gifts, I began to realize how gifts were meant to help others. God wants me to glorify Him and bless others. This is what I am created to do! I find joy in serving!

Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

This is one of my favorite quotes from Ann Voskamp: “When you are waiting, do what waiters do: Serve”

Aren’t we waiting for something most of the time? We wait for God to speak to us, for prayers to be answered, for life changing events, and for changes that come in each season of our own lives.

Serving is a sacrifice of praise. Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, do in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

How are you using your gifts to honor God? Look around and there will always be an opportunity to serve others. Galatians 6:10 “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

We would like to thank Sharon Biles for writing this blog post.

Faith, General, serving

Serving Man or God

October 7, 2021October 7, 2021by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

I am a servant. No matter how many times I take the gifts test, my number 1 gift is always servanthood. I have even thought about changing my answers so I can be something more “spiritual”, but it still comes out “servant”.

Even as a child, I always wanted to help. I loved helping my grandmother wash dishes, cook and clean. She always said I was too young to help so I would sneak around the house and find something to clean just so I could please her. I believe this is where I started my journey of serving just to please others.

In Matthew 25:21 it says “…well done good and faithful servant.” This is what I always wanted to hear from everyone…look at me, look at me! I didn’t grow up in the church so I probably didn’t know this scripture, but it is what I wanted to hear. I was all about pleasing everyone, but not the Lord.

When I started attending church with a friend in junior high, I wanted to please everyone and started doing all I could for everyone in the church. You see, I was going and hearing the word, but I really didn’t understand it all. I thought I needed to serve people!

When I grew up and got married, I was still going to this church and I was still not saying no. I did everything, except teach. I am not a teacher, and I didn’t know much about what needed to be taught. I was learning more but still felt so inadequate, so I served more. I helped with youth, was in the choir, and I was even the church treasurer for a time. I was doing all I could to fulfill Ephesians 6:7, “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” I felt that the way to get to heaven was to serve more. Yes, I had asked Jesus into my heart and really loved Him and wanted to serve Him, but I was a little mixed up about needing to serve God and not just men. Colossians 3:24 says, “Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.” This is the part I was missing. When you serve Jesus, you are serving man also, but you need to have the right perspective and serve the Lord first. I really started feeling kind of condemned no matter how much I did.

I left the church, divorced my husband, and decided that I couldn’t measure up. Because of all I did, it got in the way of just loving and serving the Lord. I was burned out and was so tired of “serving God”. I started living in the world and saying I didn’t need Him or church. But He never left me. He very patiently stayed with me and every chance He got, when I would get out of the way, He tugged at my heart. Thank You, Jesus for loving me so much!

This world was not my home and I got tired of living worldly. It took me several years, but I went on a Walk to Emmaus and headed back to the Lord. I met Dewitt who is also a servant and together, we knew we wanted to serve the Lord.

In December of 2010, the Lord led us to Harvest. I finally heard the truth and I got it. I had heard the truth before, but the key here is that I GOT IT! We loved our church and had a strong desire to serve. I learned so much more about serving and the main thing for me was that you can say “NO” sometimes. Romans 12:11 states, “Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord.” I serve because I love Him and believe that He has saved me from the darkness. God has freed me from a life of inadequacy to a life of joy and rest.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you; then choose for yourself this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

I am still a servant and feel blessed that God chose this gift for me. I serve Him through praise and worship, communion, tithe and offerings, altar team, making coffee, laundry, sewing and whatever else He calls me to do. I love serving Him. No matter what I do, I can never out-serve Him.

“Just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

We would like to thank Debbie Crosby for writing this blog post.

Faith, Family, Health, Identity, Scripture

Choosing What We Think About

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

Editor’s note: For the month of September, our focus verse is Colossians 3:1-2. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Our mindset is our responsibility and I pray that you will begin to focus on your life in Jesus.

When I was asked to write a blog post for the September theme of “My Mind is My Responsibility,” I laughed out loud at the email. I hardly felt qualified to write a post like this because my mind and I have been at war for months.

Only a couple weeks before that email arrived in my inbox, I had my first full-blown panic attack. I didn’t even know what was happening until I woke my husband up from his dead-to-the-world sleep and tried to get out the words that I couldn’t breathe. Howell jumped out of bed, turned on all the lights, and started to pray over me. As he helped me take deep breaths, he told me, “I think you’re having a panic attack.”

For real?

Even as my breathing slowed and the pain in my chest eased and the feeling like my throat was closing went away, it still took hours for my heart to slow down so I could fall back asleep.

How did I get to this place?

That particular night, I had a bad dream, and when I woke up, I began to dwell on it even more. Fear overcame me like I’d never experienced, and then, before I knew it, I was struggling to breathe.

But while dreams (and maybe even our physiological responses) may be out of our initial control, I believe I had entertained quite a bit of fear and anxiety in my thoughts in the weeks and months leading up to that point.

Since then, I’ve asked God to help me learn how to be free from these feelings of anxiety. And in full disclosure, I’m still learning these truths as I share them.

I choose what to think about. I really, really, really wanted to blame that event on my pregnancy hormones, which I swear are double the amount with twins. And on some level, yes, my hormones are a real thing right now. But just as I’m not victim to my emotions, I’m not victim to my hormones either. So with reluctance, I had to face my role in all of this.

I have probably long been a what-if, worst-case-scenario thinker. It’s part of my “planner” personality—and God’s okay with my personality. What’s not okay? Fixating on the future more than the present. Becoming fearful of the unknown. Or assuming control of my life rather than surrendering to our sovereign and perfect Lord.

Bill Johnson once said, “I can’t afford to have a thought in my head that isn’t from God.” Neither can I! So when I’m dwelling on something (almost always at its root, anxiety or fear), I have to ask myself, “Would God want me to think about this?” And if the answer is no, I simply say, “Jesus, help me to take that thought captive.”

I choose to ask for help. When we’re talking about our minds being our responsibility, let’s not forget that God gave us community and never once expected us to do life alone. When I couldn’t breathe, I automatically asked for help. That feels natural, right?

Howell already knew the struggle I had all summer with anxiety because I’d asked for help long before that night. I’d been more hesitant to share with friends, family, and my doctor, because frankly, I was embarrassed and felt like I shouldn’t be feeling this way. I would tell myself I know better. I should be standing on God’s truth. And I wasn’t usually this anxious or this overwhelmed with my thoughts, but I’d get it under control.

After that night, I realized I needed to reach out for help. I needed prayer and support—and you know what? That’s what I got. No one judged me or laughed at me or told me I was crazy (which is honestly how I felt).

To end, I want to share two verses that I meditate on regularly right now, especially when I’m redirecting my mind to change whatever it is I’m dwelling on. These are my paraphrases for myself, but if you’re struggling with anxiety or stress or fear or worry—whatever label you want to give it—I hope these words will encourage you, and I would challenge you to say them out loud when you feel anxious:

Isaiah 26:3: “God, you keep me in perfect peace when my mind is stayed on you because I trust in you.”

1 Corinthians 10:4-5: “Laura, you have the authority and the divine power to dismantle and demolish any thought that opposes God and his way of thinking. And you can insist that those thoughts bow in obedience to Christ.”

We would like to thank Laura Brandenburg for writing this blog post.