SoZo: Psalm 124 :)

Hey, SoZo!

Since we don't have Bible study tonight ... lousy weather ... I thought I'd share a "lesson" with you here on my blog. That way, we can still "meet together" this week.
So ... go grab your Bible real fast ... and I'll wait here. :)

Okay, you're back ... here we go.
We've been talking about relationships in SoZo lately. Last Sunday, we talked about confronting others when they need it and being confronted when we need it for ourselves. Tonight, I want us to think about how we should respond when people "rise up against us," like it says in the Scripture passage we're gonna look at.

Open your Bible and read Psalm 124 - yep, the whole chapter. It's pretty short. You can also read it below, if you so desire ...

Psalm 124
"If the Lord had not been on our side - let Israel now say - if the Lord had not been on our side when people rose up against us, they would have swallowed us alive because of their burning anger against us. The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives. Blessed be the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart! We escaped like a bird from a hunter's trap. the trap is broken, and we are free! Our help is from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth."

Take a second to think about how people "rise up against us" sometimes. Write down some of your answers somewhere if you like. But think about it ...
~ What does it mean for someone to "rise up against us?"
~ How do people rise up against us?
Maybe by gossiping about us ... by calling us names or tearing us down ... by not believing in us? What about someone dissing our family or the way we sing or the way we play soccer ... or maybe someone making fun of us or being hateful to us because we stand up for Jesus? Have any of these things ever happened to you? Think of some of your own scenarios ... when have people risen up against you? What was it that they said or did?

Now ...
How did that person or situation make you feel?
Probably pretty crumby. It is never fun to be persecuted, looked down upon, disliked, or slandered.

Psalm 124 (and our own life experiences) tells us that these situations might "swallow us up" and "overwhelm us." Basically, when mean or evil things happen to us, it can really start to bring us down ... we may even become super distracted or even consumed by our discouragement. BUT!!! What I want y'all to think about tonight is the HOPE Psalm 124 gives us. ... Look at verse 1 again ...

"If the Lord had not been on our side ..."

That means that God IS on our side! And that means God is going to help us through those times when people rise up against us. It is inevitable that people and situations are going to discourage us, tear us down, humiliate us, harm us, make us feel horrible ... BUT GOD will sustain us. He will be our HELP! ... Look at verse 8 again ...

"Our help is from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth."

Yep ... the same God who made everything we see on this planet loves us, EACH of us, enough to be our Helper ... to stand by us and build us up ... in the most difficult of times. So take courage in that, my SoZo-ers! If you are discouraged or feel beaten down today because someone is hatin' on you, take heart! Cry out to God for help. He is ready to comfort you and give you strength.

Take a couple of minutes to seek God for His help and strength. Meet with God ... He is ready to fill you up! :) I love you guys! See y'all Sunday morning. And don't forget about lunch at my house from 12:30 to 2:30pm this Sunday afternoon. Hope you can make it! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 25

Day 25 - A picture of your favorite season

Without a doubt, my favorite season is fall!!!!
It's gorgeous ... not too hot and not too cold ... great weather for walks in the park, playing sports, puttin' on jackets and sweatshirts ... and toward the end of the season, hats, scarfs, and gloves ... the leaves change colors; the leaves "crumple" beneath your feet ... you can see your breath in the air ... 50-degree weather and 60-degree weather (my all-time favorite weather!) ... some rain, which I also like ... fall is just the perfect season! Love it! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 24

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

Reading.
I wish I could like reading.
Although I am trying to change this ... I think it's gonna be a process. I have to really like a book to read it for more than a few minutes at a time, day after day. Occasionally, I find one. I'm reading A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. It's about a 500-page book. I think I started it the day after Christmas, and I'm on page 361. That's pretty awesome for me. So I'm working on changing the fact that I don't like to read. But it's still pretty hard to pick up a book a lot of the time.

30-day Jesus Day 7: Reaping the Harvest

Ever been in a season of life when you can't believe how much God is at work??? I sure hope so 'cause it's incredible! Most of 2011 was a spiritual drought for me, but over the past few months (and what I know will be for ALL of 2012 and beyond), I've been reaping a harvest of lessons and Holy Spirit stirrings and peace and guidance that felt so distant and non-existent last year. It's great! It's more than great - it's absolutely cool, yo!

The only downside I can see in this kind of season is that because God is so at work, it's hard to keep up! I mean, it's like lesson after lesson keeps coming my way ... I've barely begun to grasp, let alone learn and DO, one lesson, and God starts workin' on me in some other area. Take the revelation "believe without seeing" for example. Man ... I'm not even close to putting that to TOTAL work in my life, and yet God is already (and has been for a while) convicting me about my attitude (more so in general than about my current life circumstances) ... and I'm only beginning to change my attitude in small ways day after day (I've still got soooo far to go) ... and He's moving on to "Do everything without arguing and complaining" (Philippians 2:4). ... Wow! Will it ever end???!!! Hahaha!

Thankfully, no, it won't.
God is too faithful to leave me the way I am. And boy, am I thankful for that!!! I want to be more like Jesus, people! Don't you?
It's amazing how God works when we let Him.
Be sensitive to the Spirit, my friends ... He's got so much to teach you! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 23

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Ah ha! I was able to get two in one picture!
Books are hard for me ... hard to narrow down, believe it or not, since I don't like to read ... but they are also hard because I don't comprehend or retain very well. So ... when I tell you that these two are my favorite books it's hard to tell you why. And of course you want to know WHY. ;) The titles of these books say a lot ... "Calm My Anxious Heart" and "Having a Mary Spirit." And like all good titles, they sum up what each book is about. But, to be truthful, I don't remember any specifics about these books ... I only remember that, in the season of life in which I read them, they changed my perspective. And believe me, if you don't know it already, texts that change your perspective on life, God, trials, anything really, are invaluable! :) And that's what I remember from these books ... that they taught me some great lessons when I read them ... ha! Too bad I can't remember those lessons. Too ridiculous, huh? But again, they were invaluable THEN. And so they are my favorite books for the time being ... until some other books come along and teach me some more perspective-changing lessons, I guess. :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 22

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were (naturally) better at

Singing.
I can do a little more than carry a tune in a bucket ... but I'm a pretty average singer all in all. Which is great. I'm thankful I can sing. I got to be in Warrior Choir and Encore and Music Shoppe while I was in high school and Delegation in middle school. And those were some of the best experiences of my life - especially Encore - Danville's show choir. Wow, that was a blast!
I've done some singing throughout my life ... but I've always struggled. I love harmony - I'd prefer to sing it over the melody just about any day ... but wow, is it tough! I can hear some harmonies on my own but not many. And man, it takes me such a long time to learn harmonies I don't naturally hear. I would love to sing trios and quartets with Uncle Mike and the guys at church more often (all the time, really!) ... but it takes me so long to learn parts ... I don't like to bother them with my "slowness."
I love Southern Gospel music. I love trying to hear the different parts and sing with the singers. And I'd love to sing more Southern Gospel with the guys ... oh, to be a better singer!
But again ... I need to be thankful. But the challenge did ask for a picture of something I wished I were better at ... and singing is what I pick. Just being honest. :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 21

Day 21 - A picture of your favorite late-night snack

You may find yourself craving some yumminess from time to time, but you scour your fridge and pantry and cubbards and find no ice cream or oreos or pie or donuts ... or anything with the tons of carbs and sugar that you so desperately crave. So what do you do? Well, let me tell you. You take graham crackers ... left over from your last bonfire. You take some chocolate chips (only semi-sweet chips for me!) for your next cookie baking day. And you take some peanut butter (preferably crunchy, if you're like me). And put 'em altogether; nuke 'em in the microwave; and you have a delightfully delicious treat that has all the carbs and the sugar and the yumminess factor that you so desire. Yep, chocolate peanut butter graham crackers are a yummy late-night treat for me ... and for you - try 'em! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 20

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you wanna travel

NEW ZEALAND!!!!
Oh, yeah! Ever since I first saw the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I've wanted to see New Zealand. Man, it looks incredible! I'd love to go hiking through the sites ... maybe hot air ballooning. But just bask in God's beauty for a few days. I know it would be entirely incredible - maybe even life-changing.
Yep, if I could go anywhere ... New Zealand would be the place - fo sho!!! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 19

Day 19 - A picture of your favorite dessert

Porch blueberry pie is definitely the winner! Mmm ... scrumptious! If for no other reason, you must stop by for lunch at The Porch sometime to try my mom's crust. Oh my goodness, it is delicious! She uses the same crust for her blueberry pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, and chicken pot pie. You will not taste better crust. And you probably won't taste better food than what we serve at The Porch!

The Porch
Open Tuesday-Saturday 11am to 2pm.
2411 E. Main St. Danville, IN 46122 (across from Beasley's Orchard)
Come try us out for lunch sometime!!! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 18

Day 18 - A picture of something you think everyone should try

CHOCOLATE CHEWY OATMEAL COOKIES!!!!!!
Oh my goodness, these are good!!! Probably the best cookie I've ever eaten and one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth! They are so stinkin' good!!!
Heather brought them to youth group one night a couple months ago, and I took one bite and instantly became Bob (ya know ... "What about Bob?" at the dinner table?)!

1 package of fudge brownie mix
1 cup of quick oats
1/2 cup of veggie oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of water
1 cup of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, oats, oil, eggs, and water - stir with a fork until combined. Dough will be stiff. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookies sheets.
Bake 12 minutes or until just barely set in the center.
Let cool, and DEVOUR JOYFULLY!!! :D

Woot, woot! Just in case you want to try 'em. I'm off to my kitchen to make some now!!!! Yummy!!! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 17

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

My "This Season" blog post/facebook note that I put up recently kind of gives a vague back story of what this John 20:29 picture is really all about. The short story is that the past year of my life has been the most challenging year ever - spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Between some crazy life lessons, depression, whacked out emotions, and physical ailments, my life was a mess in 2011. Starting a few months back ... I think it was sometime in early October ... God really started teaching me some things. The young women's Bible study that we did at my church over the book, Lies Women Believe, was a huge factor in helping me learn a very important lesson that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I've blogged about it before, but the recap is that during 2011, the trials I faced threw me into a crisis of faith. I really struggled to believe that God is good. I played the pain card ... just like so many people do. My faith was rocky. I would ask the question, "How could a good God allow this junk into my life?" I struggled with my faith, my calling, my position in life, my thoughts, my attitude, my life ... for months. And Lies Women Believe ... the very first lie of the book addressed my question - "Is God really good?" The lie is that He is NOT good. But the simple and undying Truth is that He IS good. And as I wrestled with this TRUTH, for weeks upon weeks, I finally came to re-realize and re-accept that GOD IS GOOD. And I learned, through all of my wrestling and seeking God, that God is good (and faithful) ... and His Goodness and Faithfulness is totally unrelated to me ... and unrelated to how much I need Him to be Good and Faithful. He is Good, and He is Faithful not because I need Him to be to survive this existence but because HE IS. All by Himself. All for His own glory. And as I rolled this Truth over in my mind, I continued to see how mighty our God really is. He is Good, and He is Faithful because that's who He is ... and it's all for His glory ... and yet, He shares His Goodness and Faithfulness with me every single day ... by giving me my every breath, by providing me with food and shelter and clothes to wear ... by giving me incredible parents ... by teaching me more about life and purpose and Himself ... and the list goes on. A God that big and great doesn't need me. He doesn't need to give me even just glimpses of His Goodness and Faithfulness ... but He does. *Big Sigh* Wow! ... Get excited about this people!!! This is incredible stuff!!!! And all because we serve an incredibly perfect and gracious and giving God! :D

But I still haven't told you about this picture. I took this picture at the Calvary Ladies' Retreat this past October. It's an awesome picture for a few reasons. First of all, God had spoken this verse into my heart and mind a few weeks earlier, giving me a HUGE revelation about my current circumstances and about His will for my life. Incredible, right? It's also an awesome picture because I was using this verse as one of my key talking points in my talk at the ladies' retreat (the theme being based on the book Lies Women Believe - still cool, I know!). But I like this picture the most because I found it hanging above a door on a cabin at the camp. When I first arrived at camp, I couldn't remember which path to take to get to the lodge - I took the wrong path. But on this path was a row of cabins, each with a verse hanging above the door. And whatta ya know ... my verse! The verse God had been pressing upon my heart for weeks, teaching me so much! ... I remember sitting in the car for a second, tears coming to my eyes (no, I didn't cry ... but it crossed my mind), and laughing to myself. I wouldn't have found that verse on that cabin if I had taken the right path to the lodge. Wow. ... And so this picture is very important to me. A huge gift from God, really. It is a constant reminder to me that I must BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING. I must BELIEVE that God is Good, that God is who He says He is, that God is Faithful, that God is working at all times and in all seasons of my life ... even when I can't SEE what He's up to. I don't wanna be like Doubting Thomas who had to SEE Jesus' nail-pierced hands and side before he could believe Jesus had risen from the dead. I want to be Mical Masterson, the woman who believed in her Savior with her whole heart, never wavering, always believing without seeing. Oh, Lord ... that's what I want. Please help me become that woman of faith.

And that's why this picture has made such a huge impact on my life recently. A long-winded post, but wasn't it worth it?

Lord God, keep growing me into the woman you've created me to be. Pick me up when I fall. Help me keep running the race, even in blind moments ... help me believe in you! Thank you, Jesus, for your call. Thank you choosing me and teaching me and loving me. You are Faithful, and you are Good. Be glorified in me today and always. I love you, Lord.

Tim Tebow, Faith, and an Offering to God

I've been reading Tim Tebow's book, Through My Eyes, for most of the evening ... really good so far ... I just finished chapter 8, and Tim brings up some really interesting thoughts about God's will and God's work in our lives that I'd like to hash out here a bit.

In this particular chapter, Tim is telling us, his readers, about his recruiting process. Dozens of colleges tried to recruit him during his senior year of high school, and once he finally narrowed it down to two schools, he had a really tough time deciding which school to go to - Alabama or Florida. He really liked both schools and their football programs ... but he also really liked both of their coaches. In the book, he describes his inner turmoil over the decision. Weeks before he was supposed to announce his decision, he didn't know which school he would pick. Days before, he still didn't know. Hours before he got up on the podium to announce his decision, he still didn't know. Walking up to the podium, he STILL didn't know! Ahh!

But in this chapter, Tim talks about how he sought God through this decision. This is what he said ...
"I had been praying about it regularly, and my family was praying as well. I had no doubt that the Lord was leading throughout this whole process, but what was unclear was determining where He was leading. ... People often seem to think that when you're following the Lord and trying to do His will, your path will always be clear, the decisions smooth and easy, and life will be lived happily ever after and all that. Sometimes that may be true, but I've found that more often, it's not. The muddled decisions still seem muddled, bad things still happen to believers, and great things can happen to nonbelievers. When it comes to making our decisions, the key that God is concerned with is that we are trusting and seeking Him. God's desire is for us to align our lives with His Word and His will. ... But that's part of faith, what the writer of the book of Hebrews describes as a belief in things that we cannot see" (Tebow, 85-6).

I love this because I totally agree. God promises to never leave us or forsake us ... He's always with us, no matter what. But He never said that He'd give us all the answers when we need 'em. Sure, He gives us answers when we need 'em sometimes ... He shows us many things, teaches us many lessons, guides and directs us through various circumstances in our lives ... but is He ALWAYS clear? I don't know about you, but I'm with Tim ... God is not always clear. It would be great if God spoke audibly, or like Tim goes on to say in this chapter, it would be nice if God would write messages for us in the clouds. But for reasons only God knows, He doesn't work that way. And it's probably because of that little "f" word - FAITH. God wants us to exercise our faith so that we will grow in Him, and ultimately, become more like Jesus. Cool, huh? :)

I want to share one more cool thought with you ... the thought behind this post.
After I got done reading chapter 8 in Tim's book, I started journaling a prayer to God, talking to Him about this specific part of Tim's book. I immediately thought, "Read your next chapter in Psalms." (I've been reading through the Psalms for quite some time). "It doesn't matter what the next Psalm is, just read it." That's what came to my mind as I asked God some questions in my journal. So I picked up my Bible and turned to Psalm 96.
Verse 8 says ...
"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts!"
That word "offering" is key here, I think. Just like faith is believing in something we cannot see ... an offering is putting our trust in something we cannot see. ... Think about it. Have you ever given an "offering" at church? A tithe is setting aside a certain amount of money each month for God's purposes - usually giving money to your church. And an offering is giving more than your tithe. I like to think of an offering as giving God more than you think you have to give. Maybe some months, you're really tight on money, but you decide to give God your tithe money and then some ... trusting that He will bless it, bless you, multiply it, use it for great things, maybe even reward you for your faith. When we give God an offering, we are giving Him our trust, no matter what the situation and whether or not we know what the outcome is.

I hope I'm not taking this verse out of context or making something up that doesn't align with God's Word. But for me ... I asked God how we can know His will when He doesn't give us His guidance ... or doesn't give it clearly ... and then I went to His Word to find the answer ... and this is what I found - "Mical, no matter what your situation, give Me all the glory; seek My face; and give Me your offering - your worship, a sacrifice - believe without seeing. That's all you really need to know and do."

So no. God doesn't speak audibly. No, He doesn't always give clear direction. He wants to teach us to believe without seeing. He wants us to give Him a sacrifice of praise, an offering of trust ... no matter what happens.

And that's that. My ponderings for the evening. :)