Peace found in a Savior

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Has there ever been a time in life where you lacked peace?

This past week has been a whirlwind-some over the top experiences, amazing memories, stressful busyness, and one big jab to the heart. As things have settled a bit, I realized the unexpected news and what the future holds did not give me peace of mind. There is no doubt I left God’s peace out of the equation. I dare to say you might have been in my shoes a time or two yourself where your life lacked peace.

Somewhere this week I ran across a short analogy that hit home. It simply stated: “During the rush of angry weather, a bird sat on her nest with peace.” (Clearly that wasn’t me this week!) The story went on to define peace as truly having a calmness of heart amid the stressful chaos and trouble. What really caught my attention was the fact that peace was described as a state of mind, not a state of surroundings. This really went against my thinking: peace means to be in a place where there is no noise or trouble-NOT! Why would I need peace if there wasn’t a need for it?

If real peace is a state of mind, not the state of the surroundings, how can it be obtained? Listen, there was no way I could have produced the peace I needed a couple of days ago. However, my mindset was different when I settled down and called on the Holy Spirit’s power living within me. There is no doubt the peace and hope I received were a precious gift from the Father. A complete comfort washed over me when I stopped, focused, and relied on the LORD.

In John 15:13 we read, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” What peace comes when you know someone has your back, especially God. He is always with us, even when chaos is all around.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

There is music in these words, spoken by Jesus in John 14.

I realized this week that I must practice the peace of God. I have to condition my mind to live in the father’s peace. It is essential for me to claim God’s peace within my body and practice what I preach: getting the body into a quiet state and breathing in the peace of God and exhaling the tension.

As you walk through the second week of Advent, I encourage you to allow the Almighty God to touch the depths of your soul with His peace. Ask Him to fully disclose the meaning of what He said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Please know His presence alone can deliver peace over any issues in your life. May He empower you with His peace and fill you to overflowing.

December 6, 2021 0

Hope found in a Savior

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!”

Lamentations 3:22-24 (NLT)

Welcome to Advent season. The Refining Ministry is excited to offer an online study this year to devote intentional time focusing on the hope, joy, peace, and love found in Christ Jesus. Our kickoff began last night. We will continue this study for the next three weeks on Sunday afternoons at 4:30 p.m. (CST).

Have you ever had a time in life when you felt hopeless? Maybe after a loss, accident, broken relationship, or completely spent because of life. During these times, we desperately search for a sustaining solution. We cry out for something beyond encouragement-we need hope within our soul to give us a glimpse of better days ahead.

Not much has changed in over 20 centuries-humans continue to have problems. In fact, I would dare to say the advancement of technology has increased the numerous issues for society. However, regardless of the challenges we face or not, each one of us need hope-a hope beyond what the world can supply.

Prior to the birth of Christ, the world waited expectantly for a redemptive King, one who would impart a resolution for their craving of nourishing hope. They never imagined Emmanuel would enter the world during a wintry darkness let alone as a baby in a humble manager. BUT GOD-He fulfilled all needs and delivered an enduring gift which would rescue everyone from sin and unrighteousness.

The Messiah came to provide hope, joy, peace, and love through His redemptive gift of salvation. God’s exceedingly great love embodied in Christ Jesus extended a way for us to be with God now and forever if we so choose. Emmanuel, being fully God, became fully human, to live among us, and die in a humiliating fashion as a sacrifice of love. Wow-what amazing hope we have because of the price Jesus paid.

Derwin Gray describes Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as the greatest gift—God’s presence on the tree. I cannot think of a grander act in all the world that can truly supply enduring hope than what was displayed by our sacrificial King. For all who believe, Christ is a vivid ray of hopefulness. We have so much to look forward to-the second coming-eternal life with God.

May your confidence in the Lord grow this Christmas season. Through His presence and promises, may you find great expectations for better days ahead. Let the hope found through the gift of Jesus deliver strength to face any issues at hand. Together, we pray for God to fill our hearts with optimism and encouragement as we journey through daily life.

Let us end with a prayer of Hope:

Heavenly Father, thank you for being our living hope. As the Advent season begins, we come to you in need of hope. Lord, we need your endless hope for many areas in our lives. Lord, we have feelings of sorrow, depression, anxiety, fear, health concerns, and so much more, but today, we intentional pause and lay these issues at your feet. Help us to cling to your unfailing love.

Father God, empower us with your hope. Fill us to overflowing so we may reflect Your hope for the world to see. We are so grateful for you being our only hope. May we always remember You are our hope-yesterday-today-and forever. We love you LORD. Amen.

November 30, 2021 0

How Visual Bible Intake Changed My Life

Wow! What an amazing fall day we are experiencing here. Crisp air, warm sun, slight breeze, and brilliant colors. It is days like these I want to capture and relive over and over because of the peace it seems to stir within my soul. The calmness of the weather washes over me in such a way that it fills me with tranquility despite any of life’s storms fulminating around me or within. Funny how quickly days like these can be wiped away when the 50 mph winds begin to blow and the temperatures drop into the single digits. This glorious day becomes an extreme distant memory I can barely revive.

When I encounter days like today, it brings me back to a time in my life where I desperately needed to encounter God and His Word differently. I longed to find true peace, joy, harmony, and calmness. I wanted it so infused into my veins that it would never leave my thoughts. There was a deep desire to seize the goodness of the LORD in such a way that I could seriously retain what the Father revealed to me through His Word.

That was three years ago! In 2018, God opened the doors to many things and the Holy Spirit revealed a way for me to go beyond my stagnant spiritual intake. It took me getting really honest with the LORD and confessing my issues. (I had a lot & still do, my friend) Permit me to share one of the biggest issues.

Have you ever attended a Bible study, sermon series, or studied a book of the Bible and in the midst of it been blessed beyond measure? I know I have over and over. That feeling is like experiencing the most impeccable day. You feel empowered and encouraged. It always fired me up for the next book, sermon, bible study, etc.

However, for me, months down the road I could only say, “Yes, that was a good study.” I could not truly verbalize my take away or seem to pinpoint the personal message for me. The only recollect was “it was good while it lasted”-much like a triple chocolate ice cream cone with a dark chocolate shell on a hot summer’s day. I felt like I was just going through the motions and then forgetting the goodness of God and His promises.

Now let me be very transparent, this journey hasn’t been easy but God answered my request. He has gently and ever so patiently been revealing ways for me to visualize my relationship with Him. The LORD has shown me methods to remember beyond the sermon, book study, etc. and how to hold myself accountable. He has given me a beautiful gift beyond my wildest imagination. I am slowly learning to infuse more of Him into my daily living while leaving a visual legacy of my relationship with the LORD for generations to come.

The Refining Ministry will be sharing these simple, creative techniques through workshops and retreats in 2022. We are super excited about the new year and what God has in store. Let us show you how your individual Bible intake can be memorable through fresh and creative means. Be on the lookout for details coming your way in January.

November 11, 2021 0

Relationship Advice from Jesus

Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

We all have various relationships-those which we inherited, those which we chose, those which were chosen for us, or simply those which just happened by chance. I dare to say, we all probably have one or two which we might still fantasize over because the connection never blossomed the way we hoped. But oh, the joy that comes from those precious relationships we hold near and dear. And how do they become the side of the coin where we say “Heads-I win”? Time-Conversations-Togetherness-Listening-Etc… What are your thoughts?

The Lord’s Prayer was given to us by Jesus as a roadmap to building the best relationship we could ever have-a connection with God. Our Savior did not set out for this to be a recited prayer as we know it today. In Matthew chapter 6, we find the building blocks to establishing a strong connection. It is His directives for us to carry out when seeking the most fulfilling relationship we could ever have – a personal connection with God.

Jesus wanted us to know how to start a quality relationship. As with anyone, it begins with sturdy framework. The LORD shows us over and over that relationships incorporate things like a desire to love unconditionally, to give of one’s self, and to be committed regardless of what comes. Jesus conveyed the elements of this foundation through the main concepts we find in the Lord’s Prayer.

Jesus tells us -like every conversation we have- we must recognize who we are in conversation with. When we call 1-800-heaven let us remember we are talking with the Creator of the universe who cares for each one of us. This is no ordinary person. This is GOD! But in all relationships, we need to really know who we are connecting with and that takes dedication.

Relationships require intimacy and genuine care for each other (even the junk which comes with it-good days & bad). Remember, not everyone wants to get into the nitty gritty depth so they will only want a surface level connection. However, unlike some of our earthly relationships, God wants to be intimately involved in every part of our life. He cares for each one of us. He truly listens to us. Yes, even in our ranting and raging moments or when we are caught up in sin, God hears us, sees us, and loves us. That’s why Jesus advices us to pray for God’s plans will be worked out in our life (“your will be done”), and to bring even the most mundane matters of everyday living into our conversation with Him (“give us today our daily bread”).

Next, we want our relationships to be free of any barriers or miscommunication. Same with our LORD. That is why Jesus directs us to look at our sin. This three letter word is a roadblock between us and God and between us and others. Our Father wants us to have a heart willing to confess and repent our sins (“forgive us our debts”) and to forgive those who have wronged us (“as we also have forgiven our debtors”). In Matthew 6:14-15, the Bible highlights the significance of forgiveness and how important it is to extend mercy to those who have hurt us.

Finally, God wants us to live free from the painful consequences of sinful choices. We pray “lead us not into temptation” because we need His strength and assistance to keep us from temptation. Is it nice to know He has our back and promises to never leave us nor forsake us. God cares about us and wants us to live in community with one another. We are all His children and He is our ultimate Father. Yes, He wants us to live as one big happy family.

There is great value in relationships and may I dare to say abundant knowledge in all: precious or a struggle. Listen, our Lord didn’t intend for us to walk this pathway alone. That is why He is always with us and is open to hear what we have to say. But He wants us to live in relationship with others.

So take a moment and think about all the relationships in your life. How does God want your half of all relationships to look?

Let us be encouraged to embrace God’s method and be devoted for a lifetime to extend mercy, forgiveness, understanding, gentleness, kindness, hope, encouragement, joy, and most of all love to every relationship we have been gifted. May we be encouraged to not only make our time on earth matter, but chose for our lives to be a radiant beam of outstanding love so those after us will be encouraged to do the same.

November 1, 2021 1

Offensives Can Blur Our View-Part 3 (Guest Writer: Sheyanne Brown)

“Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.” Matthew 18:15

“Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24

How can we prevent the hurt we experience from turning into the sin of offense?

When you’re hurting, you need to talk about it with the person who hurt you. Most importantly, the intent of the conversation must be reconciliation. As we see in Matthew 5, God cares more about the state of our hearts than the sacrifices we bring to the altar. He cares less about my faithful church attendance and more about what’s in my heart while I’m in the pew.

It’s not enough to do all the “Christian” things. If it were, the Pharisees and Sadducees would have been pleasing to Jesus because they literally did everything “right.” Jesus chunked a grenade in the middle of their theology when He started calling attention to the condition of their hearts.

Instead of withdrawing when we are hurt, we must go to the person who hurt us and do everything we can to reconcile. It takes a lot of humility to admit you’re hurting. Pride will keep you from “going to your brother,” and that same pride will keep you in sin and outside the presence of God.

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6.

But… what happens if you go to your brother, and he refuses to reconcile with you? What if your brother does not see how he has hurt you, and instead inflicts more pain with his prideful resistance of your humble attempt to reconcile? What if you leave the attempt at reconciliation more wounded than when you came in? (Been there, done that, got the t-shirt).

You forgive. (notice the period)

Forgiveness is a God-created concept, which means you do not have the power to do it on your own without God’s empowering grace. So, rest in knowing He doesn’t expect you to do this by yourself.

Your emotions will never desire to forgive, but that’s ok, because forgiveness doesn’t begin in your emotions anyway. Forgiveness begins with obedience. Forgiveness is required of every believer, because as we have received unmerited forgiveness from God, so we must give the same undeserved forgiveness to others.

Forgiveness does not mean that what they did wasn’t wrong. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you swing wide the doors of your heart and life to them again. Forgiveness simply means that you release someone of the debt they owe you, and you bless them even when they don’t deserve it.

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” Luke 6:27-28

The key to forgiveness is blessing your enemy. If you find yourself on the same hamster wheel of trying to forgive but not feeling like you’re getting anywhere, begin to bless your enemy. Pray God would bless their hearts, their minds, and their bodies. Pray God would heal them and give them favor with Him and man. Pray over them what you would want someone to pray over you.

As you begin to obey the Word, you’ll find your heart will begin to release the hurt… the wounds will begin to heal… and your heart will be kept pure.

This “honeymoon” period at my new church may end and one day I might find myself knee deep in the messiness of life with people and new opportunities for hurt and offense. I’ll find out the Ark of the Covenant is not in the basement after all, and the reality that I am part of a family of imperfect believers will set in.

However, I have come to the place in my life where the most valuable thing I possess is access to the presence of God. I don’t want to go one moment without feeling Him near me and hearing Him speak.

There’s no wound or offense worth keeping compared to fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

I pray you will allow Him to begin softening your heart to His voice, and allow Him to heal the wounds you’ve been protecting. I pray in this place of healing, you’ll experience Him like you never have before.

October 26, 2021 0

Offensives Can Blur Our View-Part 2 (Guest Writer-Sheyanne Brown)

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10 NIV)

Jonah had answered a call, preached the Word, and watched the glory fall. Can you imagine watching as everyone in your city falls to their knees in repentance and worship? Can you imagine watching the Holy Spirit blow through and cleanse the land, healing, restoring, and delivering right before your eyes? Jonah saw this very thing. He saw an entire people group turn wholeheartedly to the Lord.

But instead of riding the waves of glory, he found himself alone and angry outside the gates. How was it possible for him to physically be in a place where the glory of God was so overwhelming, yet not experience Him at all?

I can’t really pick on Jonah because I am Jonah. Jonah was offended at the people God had called Him to minister to, and as a result, he missed out on revival. He missed out on what God was doing in the land. He missed out on the healing, the refreshment, the growth. He missed out on the most valuable thing in the world… the tangible presence of Almighty God.

In every church service that I’ve ever attended, God has been there. Whether or not I experienced Him had nothing to do with the location, leadership, or style of worship, but had everything to do with the condition of my heart. What I discovered through that early morning conversation with Jesus was that I have a responsibility to keep my heart pure, and I’m the only one who can do it.

When we experience wounds, our initial tendency is to withdraw. Withdraw from the people who hurt us, from people who could potentially hurt us, even withdraw from God. The pain makes our head spin, makes us question everything and everyone, causes us to retreat. At the end of the day, it’s just a survival response.

God isn’t mad at us for experiencing or acknowledging pain. Hurt is not your fault, hurt is a natural result of living in a fallen world. Good Christians are going to hurt you. People who love you are going to hurt you, even though they don’t want to. Hurt is going to happen. It’s ok to not be ok, it’s just not ok to stay that way.

If we allow our hearts to stay in a place of hurt, eventually the wound is going to turn into an offense.

A better description of offense is bitterness or a grudge. An offended heart holds on to the hurt and refuses to heal. An offended heart finds every reason why its bitterness is justified, and doesn’t mind telling other people about it. An offended heart is heavily guarded against anyone who reminds it of the person who hurt it. An offended heart nurses and rehearses what happened and uses its pain as an excuse. An offended heart cannot grow past the place of its pain.

When I gave Jesus permission to see into my heart, I realized that I had both hurt and offense living inside. My fresh hurts were beginning to scab over and turn into offenses because I had turned to isolation instead of intimacy. Instead of drawing near to God and his people for healing, I had turned inward into my own feelings and had been nursing my wounds on my own. And if we’re going to be honest… I didn’t want my hurt to heal because if it did then it felt the same as me saying that what “they” did was ok.

My hurts had morphed into offenses, my offenses were sin, and that sin was preventing me from experiencing the presence of God.

In my previous church, I was offended at some of the people in the room. I didn’t expect to experience God because I didn’t expect that God would move through the people I didn’t like. (Does this sound like Jonah?)

I would enter church with an impure heart, and my experience would then further justify my feelings. I wasn’t feeling God’s presence, and I thought it was because He wasn’t there.

When I came to Freedom Fellowship and began experiencing the Lord, it was because no one in the room had hurt me and I was not offended at anyone. I expected to experience God, and I did.

My heart breaks at the realization that all that time I spent not feeling or hearing God could have been prevented if I had just kept my heart pure.

I would like to propose that God desires to manifest Himself to His people. I would like to propose that God is always speaking, is never silent, and is always present where two or more are gathered in His name. I would like to propose that the lack of revival in American churches has much to do with the offended state of the hearts of the people that fill the pews. When we turn on the switch of offense, we create a block in the current of the Holy Spirit. But when we repent and forgive, we remove the block and allow the Holy Spirit to move in and through us.

As we well know, hurt is unavoidable.

There is no perfect church because there are no perfect people.

TO BE CONTINUED…

October 19, 2021 1

Offensives Can Blur Our View-Part 1 (Guest Writer-Sheyanne Brown)

*“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”* Proverbs 4:23

Our family recently relocated from a four year stay in the cornfields of Kansas back to our home territory of Amarillo, Texas. Moving, for me, proved to be extremely difficult. I left my beautiful dream home, dear friends who had become family, an exhausting but fulfilling job in foster care, and not to mention our home church where we had been lay pastors for three years.

Becoming pastors was never something that my husband or I had imagined for our lives. But, when the call came, we knew it was from the Lord. We jumped in with both feet and hit the ground running. To say we loved being in ministry is an understatement. We had never known such fulfillment, such purpose, such joy. And on the flip side of that coin, we had never known such pain, such sorrow, such burden.

The day we walked away, we knew we had run across the finish line absolutely sweating, having given everything to obey the short-term call God had commissioned us with. But when we crossed the finish line, it was with a limp. There were wounds inflicted (by the same call that had brought us joy) which caused us to wince every time we walked through the church doors. Wounds that were merely the result of life lived with people. We were tired, and we were hurting.

The Church at large is just… messy. Ministry is messy. Life lived from the heart is messy.

We loaded up the moving trucks and came home to Texas. We were looking forward to sitting on the back row of a church service, where no one knew us or needed anything from us, where we could just take a minute to breathe and recalculate, to receive instead of give, follow instead of lead.

We soon found ourselves weeping on the rows of Freedom Fellowship. The glory of the Lord washed over us every week. Surrounded by believers from every age group, all collectively worshipping the Lord in unison, we began to revive. We began to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit again. We woke up on Sundays and were excited to go to church. We signed up for small groups, our kids begged to go to kid’s church, and my daughter began telling me about visions she was having during worship. How much better could it get?

After such a difficult previous season, it was easy to find myself thinking that Freedom Fellowship had the secret sauce. They must have found the lost Ark of the Covenant and stashed it in the basement because the glory was thickkkk. The pastors must be the most holy people in ministry, the congregation must be extremely mature and Spirit-filled for the environment to be this wholesome.

I was reveling in the thought that we had found the hidden gem of revival when the Holy Spirit spoke to me very clearly one early morning as I was just beginning to wake up. You know the place… that early morning moment when your head is groggy and silent but your spirit is stirred and speaking. With my head out of the way, my heart began to listen to the voice of my Father.

“I want My glory to rest in every church, on every row, in every heart. I offer Myself to every person who comes to Me. It is My joy to come into the room. As a matter of fact, whether you feel Me or not, I’m there because I promised that where two or more are gathered in My name, there I am in their midst. The reason why you’re experiencing My presence and My voice more at this new home that at the last is not because your new church is special. Your experience with me is different because you’re not offended at anyone here.”

As I began intently listening, I laid my heart bare before the One who made me, who knows me, and who loves me. He began putting salve on my fresh wounds, while at the same time pointing out the scar tissue that had developed over the older ones. The results of this conversation with the Holy Spirit had radically changed the way I view church, and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again.

To be continued…

INSIGHT INTO THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR: Sheyanne Brown is a work-at-home mom of three tiny people, wife to a very attractive cowboy, and a small business owner of Sparrow Budgets. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Oral Roberts University, shamelessly eats peanut butter by the spoonful, absolutely loves to mow the yard, and is passionate about marriage, family life, healthy relationships, and Jesus.

October 13, 2021 1

What am I – An Encourager or A Discourager?

Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.” (Haggai 1:5, NIV)

As the Refining ministry continues the series “Major Wisdom through Minor Prophets”, I have found myself reflecting on the book of Haggai. I have been preparing to facilitate the upcoming one-night study by digging deep into various messages and translations on the material. No matter the view or angle, it seems the perspective of God is gently asking me to self-evaluate and answer the question: What am I?

Let me explain. Many of you know I tend to squawk out “Why?” when studying God’s word. Why this, why that, why would God use them, why didn’t the people just obey, why is this so hard, why does God want me doing it this way, why am I going through this valley again, etc. I am sure those around me are busting at the seams to really say, “Stop it with the whys! Just have faith and trust. Not everything is meant to be analyzed.” Yet, for me, my whys seem to be exactly what I need-WHY? Because they generate the real question God needs me to hear.

How true this is when it comes to Haggai. In an outstanding message by Gary Hamrick, he made this all too clear. He simply asked the question of WHY? Why did the Jewish exiles lose their fire and desire to rebuild the Temple of the Lord?

Well in my human, fleshy thinking I could come up with all kinds of reasons. I could even become extremely judgmental and place my thoughts on the situation without even stopping to put myself in their shoes. I might even go so far as to say, “Why in the world would they be released from captivity and not do everything possible to rebuild the Temple as God instructed?” Seriously, He is the one and only Lord who saved them from the enemy.

BUT…Did I ever stop to think about the opposition which discouraged them? Did I even once give thought to hostile neighbors threatening and enforcing legal allegations if they tried to rebuild? Did I take the time to put it into modern day perspective and reflect upon the discouragement around myself which stifles my own efforts in living for God? (I think you know the answer to these questions)

After almost two decades of discouragement, they seemed deflated and unmotivated to carry on any restoration of the Temple. So, they used the materials to build their own homes because this would cause they less stress and opposition. Sound familiar? I know it does for me. The discourager’s taunting pulled their attention away from the simple truth—The truth that we are saved from enemy when we are God’s children! We are released from captivity and the discouragement is straight from the enemy. He does everything in his power to use whoever he can to keep us from having faith and trusting in God.

YET…a turning point happens within the heart of these Jewish exiles. WHY? Because Haggai comes as an encourager. He inspired them to get back to work and put their energies into the things of God. They felt strengthened to step out and put the Father first. They choose to stop denying the Lord because of Haggai’s message. Judah was back on track and within five years they accomplished what the Lord had ask of them two decades before. WHY? Because Haggai encouraged them!!!

What Am I? An Encourager or A Discourager?

What about you?

September 24, 2021 0

Do you see GOD in the DiaGnOsis?

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4 ESV

Thank you, sweet friends, for allowing me the time to take care of family matters. Death is never easy-sudden or expected. This journey has been complicated and layered yet simple and straight forward. The bottom line is God has been, is, and will be glorified through each aspect. I want each of you to know your prayers and extension of love is greatly appreciated. There is a lengthy list of people who have gone above and beyond which I will forever be grateful.

Life lessons come in unusual ways. The Lord has been conveying lots of wisdom this past month-some of it I have been willing to receive and some-well let’s just say I am processing it. 😊

Lately, the word DiaGnOsis has been very present. You know that term easily defined as, “the identification of the nature of an illness or problem by examination of the symptoms” according to Webster. Permit me to share:

It is stage 4 cancer, and we need to do more tests.
Their condition from Covid is now fatal.
Good news-we can treat this ailment and restore your health.
The diagnosis 2 ½ years ago was conveyed: Limited lifespan.
It is not a sprain-it is a spiral fracture.
Hey! This is repairable and not as costly as I once predicted.
You have a condition which doesn’t respond to pain medication.
Super-you can ring the bell-the cancer is no longer present!
On closer examination, we have detected serious issues.
Fill in: _______________________________________________

We are continually given a diagnosis for many things in life. Good, bad, or ugly: the choice is to discover GOD in the midst. It is not always easy to see the Lord when receiving devastating and/or unwanted news. On the flipside, many times we forget to realize the Almighty Father is also in the middle of the good analysis as well.

God has allowed occurrences lately to force me to sit quietly. Being the “why bug” that I am, I have tried to identify the reason for the recent events. It seems the answer is basically to “look for Him”. Discover Him in my sorrow, physical pain, blessings, overwhelming joy, worship, conversations, family, interactions, work, commute, travel, cleaning, struggles, laughter, marriage, friendships, etc. WHY? Because I need to remember He is my Commander in Chief and Christ Jesus is my Kinsman Redeemer. No matter the situation or circumstance, God has clearly conveyed the true diagnosis: I AM GREATLY LOVED!

How do you face analysis in your life? Do you search for GOD in the DiaGnOsis?

In Philippians, Paul taught us the importance of seeing GOD in all things. He modeled the posture the Lord wants us to embrace in good times and in bad: count it all as joy. While in prison and before his execution, Paul wrote, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14 ESV).

Our obedience and attitude of faith helps us see GOD in everything regardless of the analysis. This is so evident in the life of Paul. He chose to cling to God’s assignment no matter the cost because he embraced the glorious outcome. Beaten, bruised, and knowing execution was around the corner, Paul continued witnessing and professing how the Lord was using every minute of his life as a testimony and encouragement for others. Regardless of the worldly DiaGnOsis, he saw the hand of the Lord in it all. WOW! Just WOW!

Paul’s life is a challenge for us to see GOD in all things and continue the race before us regardless.

I think I need an attitude of faith adjustment.

What about you?

May GOD be glorified in all that we do so others will know the one true Lord.

September 15, 2021 0

When does the Refining stop?

Hello sweet friends. I have missed chatting and sharing with you recently. My current life trials and struggles have been trying, yet I know my Father has gone before me and prepared a pathway for His plans. The recent events of losing a biological father and a precious sister have left me with a layered mountain of emotions along with memories of the dark valley lasting five years which began in 2013 when my brother passed.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

Those difficult years produced a ministry-Refining! God knew the process I needed to endure to produce a great work in me and through me. He made sure the world would see this ministry as a reflection of His glory and that I could not take credit for any of it. The only part I played was humbling surrendering to His authority and giving up control over my life.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

Being refined hurts! Yes, it burns every life dimension. It molds you into something beyond your imagination. And–it doesn’t happen overnight. The days, weeks, and years are grueling. There are times when the overwhelming burdens feel like a life-sucking, unbearable weight you cannot endure. Yet, the Lord promises He is with you and He will carry the load for you.

knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. James 1:3

God knows the exact precision of time in the fire. (Don’t I wish I knew His timeframe!) Although we all wish for this to be a once in a lifetime occurrence, the refining process can happen often. The ebb and flow of the Father’s purification requires great faith in His miraculous outcome. Frankly, it is a personal choice. A decision no matter the pain and cost to remain under His authority.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 Timothy 3:1

Let me share a story with you from the following source: http://www.ribessj.org/the_silver_refiner.pdf

GOD SITS AS A SILVER REFINER AND PURIFIER
(Malachi 3:3)
The Story

A Bible lover was puzzled by this Bible statement. He called a silversmith and made an
appointment with him to watch him at work. He didn’t mention anything about the reason
for his interest, beyond his curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As the silversmith, was at his work, he kept holding a piece of silver over the fire and let
it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle,
of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
For a while, our man thought why God should hold us in such a hot spot; then, he
remember again Malachi’s verse that says: ‘God sits as a refiner and purifier of silver,
and asked the silversmith whether it was required that he sat there in front of the fire all
the time.

The man answered yes and added: “Not only I have to sit here holding the silver in my
hands , but I have to keep my eyes on the silver all the time it is in the fire, until is
fully purified, If the silver were to be left a moment too long in the flames, it would be
destroyed”.

Our Bible lover was silent for a moment. Then, he asked the silversmith, “How do you
know when the silver is fully refined?” He smiled and answered, ‘”Oh, that’s easy –when
I see my image reflected in it”
(Adapted from a story of unknown authorship)

Lessons from the story:
* In moments of trial. God holds you in his hands and intently looks at you.
* When you feel the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eyes on you.
* He keeps watching you until He sees His image reflected in you.

SO, in this season I will cling fast to the fact that God is embracing me from head to toe and intentionally looking upon me as His daughter He loves dearly. When the grief hits, the earthly dealings overwhelm, and there seems to be no end to the mess left behind, I will see God all around me. He sees me and knows my pain. His loving gaze upon my life will fill me with His joy and He will give me strength beyond compare. I will continue to draw close to Him as He shapes me into His image. The Lord has BIG PLANS for His ministry through all of this. I cannot wait to see what is yet to come. But for now—I must endure the flames and understand the purpose of this trial.

Our family would love your prayers during our days ahead. Please know you each play a large role in our grief process and we are extremely grateful for you. If you would like to add to the memorial of my sister, Shawn Colleen Welborn, we would request a donation to be made to the American Cancer Society or your local Breast Cancer Center in her honor.

Big Hugs, lots of Love, and sincere Prayers…until we meet again.

I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

Jeremiah 24:7

August 23, 2021 2