Make every effort

2 Peter  4-9:

It is a constant struggle against the grain to be all that God wants us to be. We are not inherently good. Despite our salvation, we are still not perfect or love filled humans. We are filled with envy, jealousy, bitterness, greed, shame, rejection, anger, gluttony, slothfulness, passions, etc. We must work towards goodness every single second of our day.  We must fight against the wrongness of our thoughts and fleshly desires.

You may look at the people in your church with envy and think, “I can never be them.” In reality, no, you never will, but you don’t want to be! EVERYONE, not just you, comes with their own sets of sin struggles that they bury.  Do you think they would wear their weakness on their sleeve so that anyone can see it? Of course not! But it is their own private battle with the flesh and satan. This is the daily battle that we ALL face. People just aren’t talking about it the way they should.

I am constantly catching and rebuking myself due to wrongful thinking and sometimes wrongful speech. It is for this reason that I doubt myself and my purpose. How can one be chosen to do what I feel compelled to do for Christ if I cannot keep my flesh from speaking for me, even if it is just in thought? This is where my “less than” mentality tries to take over.

Non-Christians believe we should be different because of the ‘front’ they see. Unfortunately, when we slip up and act human, they are put off by us and call us hypocrites. No! We are humans who are trying to follow Christ and do what He has asked of us, but we will by no means ever rid ourselves of our flesh until we join Him. We are, and always will be human!

Earlier I said that “people just aren’t talking about it the way they should.” This is what I mean by that. Have you ever been to a church and felt out of place? I have.  Perhaps talking to some of the members made you feel as if you will never be good enough to be a part of their church. Many of us have. But give this some thought: Have you ever met someone who instinctively let their guard down and let you know that they too are broken and struggling? They didn’t expect a drum roll or fan-fare, but just showed you their humanness at the first opportunity so that you would feel comfort in yours? THAT is what we should do for others. At the first opportunity, show them the weaknesses we can afford to share so that they can be made whole in theirs. Let them know that underneath the beauty and grace of the body of this church is human hearts and stories that match their own. They need not feel like foreigners in their own land. They can be a part of this church and learn and grow as we all do. Daily.

But God gave us a way to be forgiven and find salvation. It is up to us to become who He wants us to be. It is a constant work, a constant refining process. You will find the strength for that work in the bible, in fellowship, in serving, in faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, Godliness, mutual affection and mostly in LOVE. We have been forgiven, we have been chosen and we will succeed because of Christ! Nothing WE can do will work. But our goal is to do the best we can to serve and to please Him. Show love, people. Expose the weaknesses that will draw others to God. Show them how He heals.

Air1 - The Afters "Broken Hallelujah" LIVE

Called Me Higher

Say this to the One who Gave His Life for you. So often we just want to bask in His glory and do nothing for His Kingdom. So often we may want to just rest in His love and absorb what he gives, but not allow it to affect us or others. he didn't give you a lamp to put under the lamp stand. He gave it to you to bring light to others. Trust Him. His plans are far far better than yours or the worlds.
 
From the song "Called me higher" by All Sons and Daughters

I could just sit
I could just sit and wait for all Your goodness
Hope to feel Your presence
And I could just stay
I could just stay right where I am and hope to feel You
Hope to feel something again

And I could hold on
I could hold on to who I am and never let You
Change me from the inside
And I could be safe
I could be safe here in Your arms and never leave home
Never let these walls down

But You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You will lead me Lord
You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You lead me Lord
Where You lead me
Where You lead me Lord

And I could hold on
I could hold on to who I am and never let You
Change me from the inside
And I could be safe
I could be safe here in Your arms and never leave home
Never let these walls down

But You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You will lead me Lord
You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You lead me Lord
Where You lead me

And I will be Yours, oh
I will be Yours for all my life

And I will be Yours, oh
I will be Yours for all my life

And I will be Yours, oh
I will be Yours for all my life
So let Your mercy

And I will be Yours, oh
I will be Yours for all my life
So let Your mercy light the path before me

Cause You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You will lead me Lord
[x4]

Where You lead me
Where You lead me Lord

Dirty Rags

Lost and dirty rags I wore,
Distrust and Selfish to the core,
The who I was, even I abhorred,
but I'm not that person any more.

No shame for wrongs and all for me,
even good, was publicly,
trapped in sins abundantly,
but You forgave and I am free.

Blocked it out but lived in pain,
consequence hit time and again,
Ignored the Truth and took the shame,
But in Your arms, I overcame.

I owe a debt I can't repay.
You do not want it anyway.
Your Precious Son who was betrayed
has taken all my sins away.

I question myself, just the same,
But Your purpose, Your glory, I remain,
Anxious just to serve Your name,
Lord, give me ample chance to proclaim.

I'm at Your mercy, I declare!
now I'm on fire with love to spare,
So many needs, I wish to bare,
Lord, show me how I can prepare!

The gift, the need

Are you Christian with a great compassion for others when they are hurting? Do you find it easy to research biblical answers online quickly? Do you find it natural to respond to others with love? We need your light to shine in this dark world.

Groundwire.net answers chats from people from all walks of life. Though we don't push our faith, we do understand the importance of guiding them in truth as the situation requires. We deal with every age group in all stages of distress including suicide, cutting, relationship... Etc

Groundwire is an international chatline for anyone, believers or not, to chat about their life issues with caring spiritual coaches 24/7. We have automatic translation tools as well. So basically, we have partners all over the world with links to our Charline. Like: I am second, klove, air1, my broken place groundwire UK, and more.

There is no time commitment. Once you are through the application process and training, you log on when you can. The application process is thorough but easy. Just make sure you pray before you log on each time. Pray about it. We are growing exponentially and need your help.

New Self

I encourage you today, to examine your faith. Dig deep and ask yourself if you are living it... or simply skimming the surface. And what blessings do you hope to gain. I claim all that He has promised. Ephesians 4: 22-32 (I love Ephesians)
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen. and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every from of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Now, I know our humanness can get in the way but the idea is to fight through our humanness to be what God has predestined us to be. If you don't believe He can use you in His service, if you believe you are 'too bad to save" or not worth it, you are so wrong. It is in our brokenness that He can use us best. for we serve and speak to those who are lost and broken, and who better to reach them than one of their own?

Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

God prepared in advance what we are to do…how we are to do good. While we aimlessly wander around in the flesh, in the world, lost, He is waiting for us to come to Him. All we have to do is have faith in Christ, repent and ask Him what we should do. His Holy Spirit will guide us to our purpose. God not only wants us to follow Him but He PLANNED for it.

Sense of Community

Sense of Community 10-9-13

You know, this has come up many times before and many ways, but not with me. I, like the rest of you, feel very needy and never quite had enough money once I paid bills and met my children’s needs. I used to make what I now consider a ton of money, but looking back, I almost sold my soul to keep it coming in. How slow I was to learn that I would rather be rich in faith, love and joy than poor in spirit, regardless of money. 

One of the major motivators in this country is money. Not so much faith. People want more money so they can get more stuff and be in more debt. After all, who pays cash for a car or house these days? Who buys a television straight out and not on credit? Who can afford school clothes for three kids without using ‘credit?’ The bottom line is that we are so conditioned to think we have ‘needs’ instead of ‘wants’ we put ourselves and our families at risk. We can’t afford to pay our tax bills, we can’t afford health insurance, we can’t afford our monthly bills at times, and we sure can’t save money in case of a crisis, such as losing a job or a catastrophe. So who should pick up the slack when we are in need?

Well, in the days of Christ, and in the New Testament, there are examples of how we should live:  

James 1:27: ^27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” And 1 Tim 5:7-8: ^8 “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

We are supposed to take care of each other. The best way to do this through our community is through the church. Churches used to, and some still do, step in and assist families in need. We, as a part of our community, also used to take food to families in need… if we were aware they were struggling. We would help them look for jobs and take care of their basic needs. This isn’t something that has to be sanctioned by the church or ‘approved’ by anyone. If the Holy Spirit moves you to help someone, even if you have no clue what that feels like or what it means, we should do it. Between us as citizens and the church, we should be able to support those in need in our own community. This can be done in so many ways, but you have to be “in” the community to know what the needs are. 

I remember a few times when family or friends came over and I wasn’t sure if I had prepared enough food. In fact, even though, at the time, I wasn’t living in service to Christ, and was living for myself but believing in Christ, I prayed for abundance. One of the few stories I recalled hearing from the bible was that of the loaves of bread and fish. Despite my heathen self, God provided and we had left overs. But see, this was a selfless prayer, I wasn’t asking for me. I was asking for my family or friends not to feel uncomfortable because of my lack. 

Acts 20:35 - I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Of course, it helps if you read the bible so you can recount to God, in prayer, His promises. People, God loves us so much, when you pray selflessly, with faith, He will answer and provide for you. You can see miracles happen and communities come together, when you give as the Spirit moves you, out of love. But see, you have to read the bible and know what it says in order to develop that kind of trust in God and solid faith about His promises for us. He will use the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to so many blessings.

There was one particular year in my life that I could not financially make ends meet because of the price of gas and my commute to work. I thought I would lose my job. It was just me and my granddaughter Angel. I had already raised my children. I was in tears, but I decided to trust God for it. That year was the only year out of the 18 years that I raised my children that I ever received child support. It came out of nowhere and just during that one year that I needed it. This is only one example of the promises of God. I could give you so many more.

Mark 12:42-44: ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. ⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Somewhere along the line, while attending a very blessed church, I decided to tithe. My church was giving and doing so much that I knew they needed the parishioners support. I mean, after all, I wasn’t out there helping the poor or trying to save lives, the church was. I would leave church and go home to my world and forget until next Sunday. Sometimes I would worry and tell myself I was going to be sorry I extended myself. But I stepped out in faith and trusted that if I did what was in my heart to do, God would take care of me. I never felt the hurt from giving to my church. Not once. My heart was glad.

Matthew 6:24-28: ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.”

We must give what is in our hearts to give and have faith that we will be okay. Essentially, our churches can’t step out in faith and conduct outreaches to the poor, if we don’t tithe to our church. We also tend not to tithe regularly if we don’t attend our churches regularly. The bottom line is that our communities are always in need, whether we attend church that week or not. There are so many people living in darkness, with addictions, without food or clothes or warm jackets, without the faith and joy that we have to offer. Those needs don’t go away just because we don’t attend church that Sunday. Our churches need this money to support the financial needs of the church, to spread God’s word to those who are in darkness, to conduct outreaches here and abroad. They need it to help you and I when we are down and out.

2 Corinthians 9:7 - Every man according to his purpose in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.

Let me share a story from a book I am reading and what sparked my reflection on this subject: From: “Ministerial Ethics: A guide for spirit filled leaders:”  “A modern-day parable tells of the young man who approached his pastor with a prayer request for greater income. The pastor prayed and in gratitude the young man promised to tithe faithfully in the future. God heard the petition and in less than a year the man’s income soared. He came back to the pastor with a complaint: “Pastor, it was not a problem to pay the tithe when my income was low. But do you have any idea of the size of the check I place in the offering each week at the present?” The pastor’s response: “No problem--- we will pray again and ask the Lord to reduce your salary to its original amount.”

Examine your heart towards money and the ‘stuff’ that it buys. Consider your feelings and your spirit towards giving to help others. Your giving doesn’t have to be money. It can be food, clothes, time, service to the church, encouragement and other gifts unique to you and your purpose under God. But money is always necessary to operate within and outside the church. So when you can give it, and the Spirit moves you to be generous, then please do so from the heart and with no concern.

2 Corinthians 9:6 - But this [I say], He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

2 Corinthians 8:12 - For if there be first a willing mind, [it is] accepted according to that a man hath, [and] not according to what one does not have.

Make sure you are giving whole-heartedly and without resentment. Make sure you are giving with total love and faith that God will provide for you as He provides for others. Make sure you give in secret, and not shared with anyone, so that your giving isn’t to draw attention to yourself. Give what you can, when you can and for the right reasons and never grudgingly. I find that I am never in need and am blessed with such a peace and joy when I give from the heart and trust God to provide for me as He does the birds of the air. But by all means, whether it be money, time, food, clothes, encouragement, love, understanding, compassion, please give.

Wounds
PS: Teen Challenge is NOT just for teens! They serve all ages!

9-13-13
I was thinking about my girl, Brandy, and her journey in life. In fact, I popped out of bed at about midnight with an analogy of what we go through in life and how the Home of Hope, Teen Challenge, deals with wounds. You see, for someone like Brandy, you would think that the big scars do the most damage. She was molested by an uncle at the age of 10 and never told me. That is when the drinking and acting out started. She ran away several times after that and was raped while house sitting. Then the drug use to numb the pain started.  Later, her husband would beat her, dump her in the desert to make her walk home then later ran her over with a suburban, almost taking her life from me. She didn’t want to think or feel. She just reacted. She self-medicated for most of her life.
You might think that these ‘wounds’ would make an extremely large impact. But you must understand, for your sake, and everyone’s around you, that it is the dark lies that wound the deepest. It’s the things people speak at you and to you, and the things you think about yourself that cut the deepest. And for every bad choice you make, you also speak darkness and accept another poisonous lie about yourself. So you can imagine, with all the bad that happened to her, and all the bad choices she made for her life, she was very adept at accepting all manner of dark poisonous lies about herself because outwardly they appeared true. (She was the only one who couldn’t see the beautiful loving person that she was. You couldn’t convince her.)
For every wound we carry, there is scar tissue and a poisonous dark lie that we accepted in that circumstance. That is why when you say something to someone, and they lash out for ‘seemingly’ no reason, you likely pressed on a wound. Tread lightly on those things you do not understand.
When a doctor cleans a wound, he must first touch it all over again and cause pain. It isn’t enough to just clean the outside, because the poison is still inside making that wound fester.  He must cut into that wound and extract the poison, and clean it like new, to make it truly heal. That is why 30 day programs usually don’t work. How can you take years and decades of pain, wounds and poison, dig deep enough to reach each wound, extract all the poison from each one, clean it and fill it with healing light in 30 days? That is why many leave those programs and for a little while they do ok… until the poison surfaces from their wounds.
The Teen Challenges around the Country, and my Home of Hope understand this. Their program is 13 months for a reason. It takes every bit of that to dig deep into these broken soul’s wounds. Teen Challenge Home of Hope staff are quite skilled in teaching the women first, to recognize their wounds. The girls there used to laughingly say, with an undercurrent of truth, “That’s a wound.” (I miss Gabby.) That helps them identify why they react the way they do to life issues. Once they find the wound, it is time to dig deeper to understand what poisonous dark lie that they accepted with that wound. This is the longer process because those lies are raveled around half-truths and some truth and it becomes very difficult to extract just the lie and leave the rest intact. Do you know the secret to that?
God. You cannot fight the dark without the Light. You cannot heal the fear and pain without Love. You cannot combat the lies without the Truth. The Holy Spirit within us can and does guide us into all truth to help these women. When they accept Jesus Christ as their savior, He then works from the inside out to heal them and bring them to a personal relationship with Christ!  So the thing to understand is this isn’t just a program that saves them from addiction, though that is what they are most known for. This is a program that witnesses to the dying, heals the sick and, if the Holy Spirit leads them to it, sends them out to be disciples for other lost souls. Or in some cases, keeps them there as staff to counsel and love on others. And as an added bonus, they teach life skills, emotional intelligence, business acumen, parenting, accountability, team building, and all manner of knowledge to help them be a productive member of society.
Do you know anyone who drinks or uses drugs? Most of us do. Maybe it is your parents, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends, teachers, neighbors, ex’s, the postman?  Maybe you don’t know how to begin the conversation? Well, we started by pleading with Brandy to take a tour of this awesome facility where she could literally take a break from life’s responsibilities for a year. She could live in a clean environment with other women and children, no bills, no outside stress, just a break from the world. Initially she said no. She had it all together and didn’t need anyone. The weekend we took her on a tour, her plans to get an apartment fell through because she broke up with her boyfriend, her cell phone broke and if that wasn’t enough to convince her she needed a break, the company she worked for went under. That quick. Plant the seed and trust God do the rest. He loves us THAT much.
 Maybe you don’t know anyone. You are lucky. But in this dark world, addictions tend to be the norm, not the exception. There are many people out there abusing prescription drugs and you many never know it. And as you know, addictions sometimes lead to crimes, sometimes unspeakable. So I urge you… if you can’t find someone to save, support someone who is already there. When you sponsor someone from Teen Challenge, you aren’t just affecting A life. You are affecting EVERY life that person touches. When people see the transformation of that one life, they too could be saved. You don’t have to give a lot. Give monthly what you can. Let the Holy Spirit lead you and what He asks you to give, give. He will bless you in ways you cannot imagine.
Brandy’s salvation and healing has transformed the lives of many in her family and because of her and the Home of Hope, my deepest desire is to start a women’s and children’s Teen Challenge ministry in Flagstaff. Because of a little idea planted by Pastor Diane, I am now in ministry classes at the Arizona School of Ministry. My husband, who initially used to argue with me about his idea of ‘Christians’ in a negative sense has now seen the deep selflessness of the Home of Hope and Assemblies of God churches associated with Teen Challenge. He not only loves the women and children of our Home of Hope, but he sees what a true Christian should look like. His heart has gotten even bigger than it already was. But more than that, when I am down, he is the one to remind me of what the bible says. He supports me whole-heartedly in my ministry goals. His plan is to be the maintenance and father figure in the Teen Challenge.
Now how many lives do you suppose we can affect because of our first meeting with Megan Garrison in the back hallways of that Home of Hope? How many lives do you suppose all of the parents and friends can affect through their conversations, facebooking, emailing, and living deeper in relationship with God? There is no limit with Him. There is no better contribution to society nor easier way to help others find salvation and healing through Christ.
Praise God for all the people who impacted a life in this manner.

Clothed in Righteousness

                                                    

Have you ever just watched people? I don’t mean follow them around a store and then home like a stalker. J I mean, have you ever seen someone you love completely metamorphosis in a setting with other people? Someone who was simply content to be themselves around family or close friends, completely changes their mannerisms, the way they dress, the things they say that they believe. At times, even their pattern of speech will change around certain people. They try so hard to fit into that setting and appear cool.

Most of us relate that to kids trying to look cool for friends. But this also fits for people who try to fit in with our churches. Most of us, and we must remember this at all costs, feel completely out of place and lost when in a new church. Sometimes it becomes so uncomfortable that we literally stop going and just send the kids. We may feel inadequate physically, economically, socially, spiritually or any other way that our little brains surmise, but we just don’t feel that we fit in.

Sometimes even a sermon can put us off because we have had no exposure at all to the bible and when we do, it speaks of hell and brimstone and sin and death. We can’t get out of their fast enough because, my goodness, that didn’t feel good and we have already been filled with enough negative stuff in our miserable world.

I remember years ago, in a church setting, feeling inadequate, less than, and completely out of my environment.  I was in my early twenties. It was my first attempt at church after being saved by the door knockers. I looked around in that church at the women, because we always compare ourselves with our own kind. They had their hair nicely done. My hair was straight and uncut. They wore pretty dresses. I wore jeans. They spoke softly and sweetly. That was foreign to me. I just spoke like me. But I was filled with the fire inside. I went to church at least three times a week bringing my three kids with me each time.  I always felt a little patronized, instead of accepted. The women smiled and said hello, but it felt obligatory and insincere.

I remember going straight to Yellow Front to buy a dress, just so I fit in. It was the only place I could afford to shop. I bought one sundress with spaghetti straps, as that was the only style they had. When I wore it, I pulled the straps tight and lifted the dress high to avoid being revealing. I actually thought I would fit in better. I felt so much better about going to church the next time. I felt more like a young lady.

At the end of service, the pastor’s wife came over and greeted me. I smiled big and felt that she must have noticed that I had a new dress. Instead, she said that I shouldn’t wear it because it showed my shoulders. I explained my situation. She offered that I could wear a shirt under it, which I knew would look dumb because I really didn’t have one that would look right. Then she offered me some of her old dresses. Not trying to be rude here, but she was taller than I and preferred the long past the knees dresses that fanned out. I would have look like Pippy Longstocking in her mother’s dress.

Long story short, what started out to make me feel like one of the women folk, like I fit in, ended up humiliating me and making me feel even less like a true member of the church. Maybe I should clarify that I do believe wearing low cut clothes that show your breasts or high cut skirts or tight fitting apparel that leave nothing to the imagination is not appropriate in church or at most workplaces.  But I don’t believe that showing my shoulders was inappropriate. I did my best with what I could afford, raising three kids alone. I don’t even know if thrift stores existed back then. J

Our deep need to be accepted in this world is usually stronger than our deep understanding that God already does. If God woke your spirit up and is leading you to church, then ignore those led by another spirit all together and go where God wants you to be. No one, and I mean NO ONE, else matters. God has a purpose for you. You could be the difference in someone’s life between life and death. You could learn something and pass it on that turns someone’s life around. You could be a spiritual dynamo! So don’t accept the unspiritual messages satan has others give to you. People who think like that live in the dark and desperately need prayer.

The bible says:  

James 2:1-9 {NIV] says: Favoritism Forbidden:

“2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. ² Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. ³ If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” ⁴ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? ⁶ But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? ⁷ Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

⁸ If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”^[a] you are doing right. ⁹ But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.”

Please know that they do this because they are hypocrites and are not following the love for others that Christ showed us. So if you are approached, understand that God loves you and is grateful that you are learning His word despite opposition. Don’t feel dejected or humiliated by the approach. Feel sorry for the arrogant brother/sister in Christ and pray for their enlightenment. Not all churches will put more value into how you dress instead of the love in your heart.

Also recognize that if it is just a parishioner, and not the pastor’s wife or leadership telling you this, then it should not reflect on the church itself.

Matthew 23:5-10 [NIV]

⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries^[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷ they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

⁸ “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.

Decades later, I attend a church that is so filled with love and acceptance that I crave being there in that spirit. I work six days a week and the only day I get to myself is Sunday. I also don’t sleep well due to pain. So some days my physical self struggles with my spiritual self to drag my own self up out of bed and get ready on Sunday. Some days I wear shorts, some days jeans, but I make it there. Why? Because I know that if I miss church, it feels like I am a spiritual ship in a muddy bog and every time I miss I get a tiny hole in my ship. The mud starts seeping into my ship all week and I begin to feel tired, nasty and dark.  I NEED the spiritual filling to get me through this dark world. So I go to church and they fill the little holes with spiritual food and I float out of there like I could fly. THAT is how your church should make you feel.

Now, find a church that loves you as you are and understands that God is working in your life or you wouldn’t be there. I can’t recommend that all of you move to Flagstaff and join my church, so I will say this; The Assemblies of God churches are all over the place. This is not to plug them, but to tell you that they are straight bible believing filled with love churches who understand that we are led by the spirit to accomplish certain things.

God bless and keep you