“Are You Listening?” January 23, 2012

I was reading this weekend from the book of 1 Samuel, verses 1-21, regarding the young boy Samuel. What an incredible encounter he had with God! I so want an encounter like that!!! Well, I kind of had one like that, but rather than with God, it was with my 11-year old daughter, Danielle. Have you been sleeping soundly when suddenly you become startled and wake up? I have numerous times, but this time was just plain weird. I was sleeping soundly and something startled me. I turned my head to the right and there looking at me was the face of Danielle. I thought I was going to come out of that bed and hug the ceiling.  “Dani, what do you need?” I asked. All she could say was, “I just needed you, mommy.” And all you moms said, AHHHHHHHHHHHH!  Well, at the moment, I couldn’t believe I was awakened by someone calling my name and staring at me, but now that I think about it, I love it! Even in the middle of the night, she needed me and she wanted me to know that. She waited patiently and watched me, until I recognized her presence there beside my bed.

God longs to be in a relationship with us.  He will go to extreme measures to get our attention, and He will be very patient. Have you heard from God lately? When was the last time you were “still” and heard His voice?

If you recall the story in the Bible, Samuel was living in the temple, having been separated from his family.  Hannah, his mother dedicated him to work in the temple with Eli. As Samuel was sleeping, he kept hearing his voice, “Samuel”. And of course, Samuel thought it was Eli calling his name, and responded with “Here I am”. This happened a couple of times. It wasn’t Eli calling for Samuel, it was God himself.  When God spoke the final time, Samuel responded with “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

So I will ask it again, are you ready to hear God’s voice?

How do we do that? By being ready and prepared to HEAR his voice. And we do that by spending time with Him in prayer and in the Word. Through His Word, we can learn to be faithful, obedient, humble and willing to serve. God revealed himself to Samuel through His Word and I KNOW He will do that for us today!

Psalm 84 says,

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;   my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.  Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.   I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.  For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord  bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.“

I would encourage you to humbly invite God to speak to you – but be ready, because it will bless you more than you can imagine! Desire to dwell within the sound of His voice. Better is one day in His Presence…… be ready, be prepared, because when you least expect it, God will call your name. SHHHHH! – Are you listening?

Loving you today and praying for you -

Debbie Carr

Just “Be” January 16, 2012

Good Morning! Grab your cup of coffee or cup of steaming hot tea and let’s chat a bit.

I couldn’t hardly wait to share with you something I  heard and felt the Lord speaking into my life about.  To make it even more “powerful”  Pastor Greg spoke about it just yesterday and it was a part of one of our INSTE lessons this week. Crazy how God does that!!!

On my way to work last Tuesday morning I was praying in my vehicle and all of a sudden, over the airwaves I heard this phrase – “We must simply stop focusing so much on ‘DOING‘ and concentrate more on ‘BEING‘”. I don’t know about you, but it was definitely a wake-up call for me. I could not shake that phrase all week.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in doing all that we can do for the church and for Jesus Christ, and that is not necessarily wrong. But it is when it takes precedence over our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Eph 5:1 says, “Beimitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

  Phil. 3:7-11-  ”But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared  to  the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

 I Peter 1:13-16- “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

Jesus tells us that we are to be like him. Our Lord is more interested in us, His children, than in the work that we do. By reading His Word and spending time with Jesus, deepening our relationship with him, we can learn from Him how to live - (the Being aspect of it). And once we fully understand who we are to become in Christ, the ”Doing” will just come naturally.

Phil. 4:9 says, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

I pray this speaks to your heart as it has mine. My greatest desire is to BE all that God wants me to be – fully surrendered and obedient to His will and calling on my life.

There is a Scripture I want to leave with you and it is found in Matthew 11:29-30  - and most specifically one small phrase:

                    Jesus is saying, “Take my yoke upon you and LEARN FROM ME…….

Spend time with Jesus and learn from his words and his actions.     BE all that Jesus wants you to be!

Loving you today,

Debbie

Victory! January 9, 2012

2012 – I still can’t quite grasp the fact that we are into a New Year. What about you?

Now what we have before us is the New Year – what will it be like? What are you hoping and praying for?

Last Sunday, January 1, I woke up with the anticipation of going to church and celebrating the New Year with my family and friends – and that I did! But as I was getting ready for church, I could see the word, “VICTORY“, plastered at my every turn. As I was in the shower, doing my hair and makeup, getting my cup of coffee, it was as if that word was imprinted on my face. And I couldn’t shake it! I knew God was telling me something.

VICTORY is described in Webster’s Dictionary as: the decisive winning of a battle or war; success in any contest or struggle involving the
defeat of an opponent or the overcoming of obstacles.

The Word says:

Psalm 60:12: “With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.”

I Corinthians 15:54-57: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I John 5:4-5: “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

I love sports and I love to watch football with my husband. Our favorite team is the Green Bay Packers and yes, we sit together, watch and cheer
them on to victory. And yes, we are hoping for another Super Bowl Win!!! But what I love to do even more, is cheer my daughters on to victory when they are playing volleyball, basketball, softball or soccer. Yes, I have sat through all of those games, and still not done, because Danielle is still in 6th grade. But there is nothing more exciting than to have your team down in the last few seconds of the game and then to have your team, specifically, your own child, make the winning point and win the game. Victory, sweet Victory!

The Word of God shares many battles, war cries and victories, but none other that intrigues me more than the march around Jericho for 6 days. And on the 7th day, the trumpets were sounded, the victory cries were shouted, and the walls came a tumblin’ down. God promised the Israelites a victory and the victory was theirs. How do you think they felt – were they excited? You bet they were! Because everyone loves a Victory!

Can you relate? Do you need a victory this year – in a relationship, in your marriage, with your job, or maybe, in your finances? Are you desiring victory in your walk with Jesus?  In order to receive a victory, there has to be a time of struggle and obstacles. And with God, we will gain the victory. He will trample down our enemies.

Remain faithful and remember that God is with you at every turn, fighting the battle with you. Are you in the game for a victory? I know I am!

Who is it that overcomes the world and all of the battles that go with it? YOU and ME – Why? Because we believe that Jesus is the Son of God!!  VICTORY IS OURS!

Have a blessed week -

Love you lots -

Debbie

The Night Love Was Born December 20, 2011

I came across this poem, written by Ann Voskamp and fell in love with it:

The Night When Love Was Born Christ the babe comes in Christmas
as Christ the Savior comes on the cross seeking only our love and embrace.
The mystery so large becomes the babe so small and infinite God becomes infant.
And if there is no cross in my Christmas, then my Christmas has lost the Christ

What is the manger if not for the Messiah, the One who saves us with the scars?
Christmas isn’t a product to wrap, but a person to unwrap. Christmas cannot be bought.
Christmas cannot be created. Christmas can not be made by hand.
Christmas can only be found in the creche, in the cradling trough, in the mire
and the stench and the unexpected and unlikely and only in the person of Jesus Christ.

The circumstances around Jesus’ birth were not the greatest. Think a moment about the dirty manger, the indifferent community of Bethlehem, the not-very-impressive first visitors after Jesus’ birth, the stinky, smelly animals and the list goes on….Jesus was not born into (as the world would call it), riches, cleanliness and wealth. He did not force his way into our world as the powerful King that He truly is. Instead, Jesus chose to enter the world in the humblest of ways. But He came to give hope and life to the sinner, the hopeless, the dirty, the stinky, the not very impressive people, just like you and me. Yes, I said it!! Of course, his humility did not stop there, for it led to the cross. Jesus himself said, “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to be a servant – to offer His life as a ransom for others.” This Christmas, my prayer for all of us is that we would show Christ’s love to the hungry, to the thirsty, the sick, the dirty, those without hope or any type of direction in life, the unclothed and those who are completely forgotten. This is what love is all about! What an incredible way to worship Christ this Christmas! Have a blessed day and Christmas season!

Loving you always

Debbie Carr

“Ornamented” with the Beauty of Jesus December 12, 2011

My prayer for you today is that you would be a reflection of Jesus Christ and whoever you come in contact with will see Jesus in you!!

Have you ever held up an ornament in front of your face and seen your reflection in it? I am always so fascinated by those big, shiny bulbs. Sometimes the reflection can be a bit distorted and out of proportion and other times, it is a perfect reflection of who we are.   Our family has a Christmas tradition where we let our daughters pick out a new ornament for the tree – an ornament of their very own and of their own choosing.  Some years it becomes quite the adventure to find that “perfect” ornament. As I look at our beautiful Christmas tree, I see a wide variety of ornaments. There are homemade ones made by little child hands and lots of love (my absolute favorite), nutcrackers, glass and very breakable, sparkly and glittery ones and some that reflect the true meaning of Christmas.  I love them all and each one has a story behind it.  I couldn’t help but think of the following Scripture  found in I Peter 3:4. It reads:

 ”Let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament
   of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

Rebecca St. James quoted this verse as follows:
“Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe
yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within.”

I remember my mom always telling me that it is what’s inside your heart that counts.  As I have grown through the years, I see how important that is.  I am trying to instill that in my own daughters.

The Bible is not saying that outer beauty is not important, but it is telling us that it should not take first priority. We should not let it define who we are.  We need to be known for the inner beauty that only comes from a genuine relationship with Jesus. Outer beauty is the first impression that someone gets of us; but inner beauty is what makes a lasting impression. Everything we say and do comes from our heart. People are watching us. Our family and friends, and even the people we meet on a daily basis are watching to see how we act and live our lives. Just like one of those Christmas ornaments hanging on our trees, our hearts and lives are on display for all to see.

How are we representing Jesus Christ? Is it with corruption, or is it with a meek and quiet spirit? I want to be an “ornament” for Jesus – one that is beautiful and lovely – full of meekness and a quiet spirit. I want my life to be a reflection of what is in my heart.

Proverbs 31:30 says,  “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11, “God has made everything beautiful in its own time.”

Psalm 139:13-14 “You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it.”

I Samuel 16:7   “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance of his heaight, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

My prayer for you this Christmas is that you become “ornamented” with the beauty of Jesus.  Allow Him to cleanse your heart and make it beautiful.   In Jesus’ eyes, you are priceless!

Loving you today!

Debbie Carr

The Perfect Gift December 6, 2011

Here we are, already into the last month of 2011. It is hard to believe. I am sure you are all very busy with everything surrounding the holidays. What is your favorite part of Christmas? I don’t know about you, but I love it all. But if I were to pick one thing, it would be the giving of gifts to those in need. We as a family for the past several years, have picked one or two names off of a Christmas “gift” tree and went shopping for someone we didn’t even know.  What joy that has brought to our hearts and it is always so fun to see how our daughters have been touched by this.  And not only have we bought presents for that  “someone,” but we also do our best to include that “someone” in our prayers, that God would touch their heart  and bring them to a saving knowledge of Him. (Personally that would be the best gift ever!)  But lots of times when we are in the gift-giving mood, we struggle with that “perfect gift.” What can I give? Have you ever asked yourself that question?

Today, I want you to ask yourself, “What can I give to Jesus this Christmas?”  There is a short poem, written by Christina Rosetti, that I just love and I want to share it with you.

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part.
Yet what can I give Him?
I will give Him my heart.

Sometimes it is so easy to lose focus of the true meaning of Christmas. There are so many distractions…lots of parties…Christmas school programs…cookies and goodies to bake…gifts to purchase…cards and family pictures to get in the mail…lots of decorating to do….You get the picture!  And all of these distractions can be very stressful and overwhelming.

Ladies, today, let’s give everything over to Jesus. Let’s lay down all of our problems and concerns at the foot of the cross. Let’s begin today by giving thanks for all of His countless blessings, and surrounding our ALL to Him. This will be our gift to Him – our heart, our ALL! What an awesome, incredible gift that we can give to Him!

Have a blessed week!

Loving you today,

Debbie Carr

A Thankful Heart is a Blessed Heart November 21, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving! I love this wonderful time of year – Take a moment today, this week, to truly be thankful for all that God has done for you.  Are you thankful for your family, your home, clothing, your church….. those are all a given…..but what about His strength, His healing power, His love and mercy that He showers on us each and every day, and joy, peace, our salvation….and countless others?

Psalm 136:2 says, “Give thanks to the God of gods, His love endures forever.”

Psalm 118:21 says, “I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.”

“O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever,”  Psalm 30:12

Colossians 2:6-7 says, “Continue to live in Jesus, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and
overflowing with thankfulness.”

“O, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. For His mercy endures forever,”  Psalm 136:1

Are you a thankful Christian today? This Thanksgiving, let’s realize all that Jesus has given to us and truly thank him and praise him.

I wish at times we were better “programmed” to be more thankful to God, to lift prayers continually throughout the day.  I encourage you to spend time this week reading Psalm 136. It is a beautiful tribute of thanks to God and a wonderful portion of Scripture to read on Thanksgiving Day.  Believe me, a thankful heart is a blessed heart!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Loving you today,

Debbie Carr

A Work In Progress November 15, 2011

Philippians1:3-6:
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of  your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in  you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Paul was such an amazing man. He was sitting in a dirty, smelly jail cell and he was able to look beyond the imperfect and thank God for his fellow
believers and pray with joy for their partnership in serving Jesus. As he prayed for them, he was assured that what God had begun in them, would be completed and perfected.

Have you ever started a project with all the intentions of finishing it and it is still yet to be finished? Sadly, I have to raise my hand to that question. My intentions were all so good to get out my sewing machine and make “music” curtains for my daughter’s music room. I even went as far as purchasing the material at Hobby Lobby and now… a year later… the material is still sitting, nicely folded in my sewing cabinet.  As I looked at it the other day, it seemed to scream back at me, “Are you ever going to finish me?” Well, I intend to get them done soon!

Like those curtains, you and I are a work in progress. Complete means to fulfill, to be thorough , to make whole or perfect, to finish.

This scripture in Philippians is so reassuring to us as women. I don’t know about you, but I am an imperfect individual, with lots of imperfections.  But thank goodness, God won’t and hasn’t given up on me. And even better than that, HE is going to finish what HE started. Now this doesn’t excuse me from being frustrated with my husband or short with my children. But it does give me and you, the assurance that one day our imperfections will be perfected – and that will only be done when Jesus Christ returns for His church.  On that day we will be whole - we will be completed - we will be perfected!

My prayer for you is that today you will praise and thank God for the work He has begun in you and continues to do in you and that regardless of the situations you are in, you will PRAISE HIM!  Let’s praise Him that His promises are forever and AMEN!

“Seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness….” Matthew 6:33

Loving you today,

Debbie Carr

One Thing is Needed October 31, 2011

Psalm 63:1: “O God, you are my God, early will I seek you; my soul thirsts for you…”

Psalm 27:4  ”One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” 

Do you have a busy schedule today? Lots to do and not enough time to do it? Dishes to wash, laundry to fold, kids to get off to school, 20 minute commute to work – a boss breathing down your neck, deadlines to meet, supper to plan … you know what I’m talking about!  Too many demands and pressures to get everything done?

 What is really important? What should be at the top of our list each and every day? How are you starting your day today, or how are you going to end it? Remember the story of Mary and Martha?  Martha’s priority was the work and getting everything done as she had planned, but Mary took time to sit at the feet of Jesus, feasting on every Word that came out of His mouth – she was loving Him and learning from Him.  She knew there was work to be done, but she had her priorities straight. FIRST, time with Jesus, SECOND, the work would get done. Our lives should be like that! And I believe God will honor that!

When we take the time to meet with Jesus, then He will empower us to meet the challenges of our busy and hectic days.  I don’t know about you, but I want to be like Mary. I desire to be still in His presence, listening to His voice and receiving all that I need to live my life like He commands. Jesus, himself, also took time to commune with His Father – Scripture tells us that he slipped away from the multitudes and sought time alone with God. Jesus saw and understood the need for rest and refreshing in the presence of His Father. We need to learn this!

Father, teach us to take time to find a “quiet place” to sit at your feet –  to draw strength, healing, rest, power and so much more that You have    promised us!  We need refreshing and rest at Jesus’ feet. It is available for us any time of the day, if only we will take the time.

…”in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.”  Isaiah 30:15

Loving you today,

Debbie Carr

Are You Ready to Listen? October 24, 2011

I have such a funny story to share with you. It happened Friday night as I was getting my 11 year-old to bed. It amazes me how God will use situations, whether they be funny or serious to speak to our hearts.

We had been gone for a good portion of the evening and arrived home about 9:30pm. We proceeded down to the family room to unwind and catch up on some television and news. Danielle, our eleven year old loves to play the “Quiet Game.” I really don’t know why because she always loses. Any one who knows her, knows that she is always talking. But I think she likes to play it, because some day she hopes to get her dad or I to be the one to talk first. Well, long story short, she lost and I decided to go upstairs and help her get ready for bed. I still had not talked and it was driving her crazy. She said, “Mom, you can talk now. You are the winner!” Well, I decided I wasn’t quite ready to talk, so I used sign language to communicate with her( what little I knew!) The whole time she was getting her p.j.’s on, brushing her teeth and even saying her bedtime prayers, I remained silent. It got to the point that she was begging me to talk. “Mommy, please, I just want to hear your voice. I need to hear it! Please, talk to me,” she said. Just as I was getting ready to kiss her goodnight, I leaned in real close, and whispered, “I love you so much!” She squealed and said, “Oh mom, I love to hear your voice. That is just what I needed!”

What a delight! That captured this mommy’s heart! What about us Christians?  Are we that desperate to hear God’s voice – do we have that type of longing, just to hear Him speak to us? Oh, I hope so! Nothing can satisfy our longing for God except hearing His voice and spending time with Him!

Isaiah 26:9 says, “My soul yearns for You, O Lord, in the night, yes, my spirit within me seeks You earnestly!

John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

The world makes it so easy to drown out the voice of God and push Him into the background of our lives. We tend to get so busy that we forget to just sit back and “listen.” Wouldn’t it be great if God decided to use billboards, “sky writing”,  or a scoreboard at a ball game to speak to us?   Now, that would be just too easy! Well, believe it or not, God does speaks to us every day, more subtlely, of course; but we need to know that He does speak to us and wants to lead, guide, and encourage us in our everyday lives.

I love Jeremiah 33:3 - “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

God is a very real and personal God who loves us and desires us to know Him and to walk in His ways. God spoke to Moses in the burning bush – Exodus 3;  Habakkuk knew the sound of God speaking to him -Habakkuk 2:2, and Elijah described it as a still, small voice -I Kings 19:12.

We recognize God and the better we get to know Him, the more clearly we will recognize His voice. Hearing the voice of God is as natural as hearing your best friend talk to you. He speaks to us in the ordinary moments of our life.

Do you want to hear God’s voice? Are you longing to hear Him speak to you? Then you must be ready to listen. God may choose to speak to you today through His Word, through another believer, in the midst of a situation or circumstance, an impression or even His audible voice.

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”
Isaiah 30:27

Pray and Listen – they go hand in hand! Prayer is exciting when we allow God to do most of the talking! – Ecclesiastes 5:2

Loving you today -

Debbie Carr