Going for the Gold

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

      I pray there is no “quit” in you, for he that perseveres to the end receives the reward.

     Today I want to talk to you about “Going for the Gold.”  Do you love to watch the Olympics?  Do you love rooting for your nation’s team as they compete?  Do you feel a sense of pride as one representing your country climbs the stand to receive his/her medal as the National Anthem is played?  I do.  In fact, the Olympics are the only sport I watch and it’s for these reasons I enjoy it.

    My pastor, Scott, used to compete in track and field.  He ran the 400 meter race (once around the track).  This is not an endurance race like a marathon.  In this event, you run full-out at 100% from the second the gun goes off until you cross the finish line.  There is a point, Scott shared, at about the 300 meter mark where every athlete, no matter how well trained or how honed his physical condition, hits the wall.  It’s the point where the lungs can’t get enough air, the cramps set in, the legs feel like jelly and everything in you screams, “Quit!  I can’t go on!”  Those who finish the race, the winners, are the ones who press on through the wall and continue to the finish line.   

     Phillipians 3:13,14 talks about this very thing.  The Apostle Paul says, “…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  Forgetting those things which are behind is not just referring to not living in the past.  It’s referring to being in the moment, having all your attention and focus on the task at hand.  Pressing toward the mark is pushing through the wall, resisting the urge to give up when everything in you is screaming,  “Quit!  I can’t go on!”

     The Greek words translated as “the prize for the high calling” in this scripture literally mean “a medal stand” (like they use in the Olympics).  It’s the point where you’ve pushed through the struggles of this life, make it to Heaven and think, “Whew!  That was close, but I made it!”  Then Jesus takes your hand and says, “No, you’ve more than made it.  You’ve stood fast in adversity, you let your light shine in the darkness, you trusted Me.  Come, climb up here and receive your reward.”  And He gives you and imperishable (gold) crown.

     I want to encourage each of you to go for the gold, beloved ones.  There is a race to be won, a prize to be obtained.  We only need to be focused on the task at hand, push through the obstacles and never give up!

I’ll see you at the finish line, Raelynn

Money Talks

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,
   
     I pray your trust is in the Only One True God  for He alone can save.

     Today I want to talk to you about "Money Talks."  I'm sure you've heard the saying, "money talks".  It implies that if you have enough money, people will listen to what you have to say.  If you have enough money, you can call the shots; you'll be important; the world will be at your disposal. Money talks.  

     For this reason, people more often than not, put their trust in money.  They trust it to bring them opportunity, security, a life worth living.  The truth is: money is not trustworthy.  It has no power to do anything.  It is just a tool.  Did you know that pennies are no longer being minted in the US? That's because they cost more to make than they are worth.  They no longer are of any value.  Our dollar bill has also lost its value.  At one time in our history, every bill printed in the US was backed by its value in gold kept in Fort Knox.  That gold is long gone, given to other countries who refused our paper money to settle the debts our country owed them.  Our dollars today are not worth the paper they are printed on, yet people continue to trust in money.

     The truth, beloved ones, is that money does talk.  Have you read a US coin or bill lately?  It says, "In God We Trust".  Our money is screaming at us, "Don't trust in me!  I will fail you!  Trust in God!"  

     This world and everything in it will pass away.  Only God remains faithful and true and does not lose His value.  You can trust in Him.  He won't let you down.  Money talks, beloved ones.  The only question is:  Are we going to heed its advice?

Trusting in Him alone - Raelynn

Today

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that you woke up with a song in your heart, praise on your lips and that your day is filled with the joy of the Lord.

     Today I want to talk to you about "Today".  No, that's not a typo.  I want us to learn to appreciate the gift God has given us called "today".

     Because I'm the planner/organizer type, I'm always looking forward to the next event I will be planning, the next trip to Benson, the next letter I write.  My mind makes a cursory stop in the here and now but usually it's way ahead of my body.  My ex-husband, on the other hand, lived firmly rooted in the past.  He spent so much time there instead of in the present with me that I eventually lost him to it.

     There is a reason it's called the "present", my friends. It's God's gift to you and me.  He painted that sunrise just for you; bestowed new mercies just for you; gave you 24 hours in which to live, love, learn, hear what you need to hear, see what you need to see, do what you need to do, and be what you need to be.  We can't fully appreciate the special gift God gave us in today if we are rushing off to tomorrow or are unwilling to leave yesterday.

     My favorite thing about Christmas is choosing the perfect gift for each person on my list.  It doesn't have to be anything expensive, but just the one thing that says, "I know you, I know what you like, I was thinking of you, I love you."  It makes my whole Christmas to see someone I love open that gift and watch their eyes light up and joy fill their face as they recognize that something special was just done for them and they are loved.  I try to choose a gift like that for each person in my family each year.

     Last year, my youngest granddaughter was so excited about Christmas that she tore into my gift, barely looked at it and tossed it aside, eager to open the next gift.  When my nephew got his, we had to pry him away from the last toy he got and was already playing with so he could tear enough of the paper away to see what was inside.  He said, "Oh, thanks, Aunt Rae", and went back to the toy he'd been playing with while my carefully chosen gift sat half-opened and temporarily forgotten.  I'm sure both kids loved my gifts when their attention finally turned to them, but I didn't get the response I was eagerly waiting for.  I didn't get the thing that made Christmas special for me.

     I imagine this is how God feels when we don't take the time to live in and fully appreciate today.  He created each new day just for us and He's waiting for our eyes to light up and joy to fill our faces as we realize He did something special just for us and we are loved.

     We are meant to learn from the past, anticipate the future and live in the present.  Let's learn to appreciate the gift God has given us in "today".  You'll be surprised how much better each day seems when you're looking at it from this perspective.

     THIS is the day the Lord has made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it.
Raelynn

Reflectors

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

      I pray you know what you are called to be, what you are called to do and are operating in that calling.

     Today I want to talk to you about “Reflectors”.  Do you remember bicycle

reflectors they used to put in the spokes of bicycle wheels?  The purpose of these pieces of plastic was to reflect the headlights of cars so the bicycle would be more visible at night.  Did you know that like the plastic attached to bicycle wheels, you and I were created to be reflectors as well?  It’s true.

     People often ask, “Why were we created? What is our purpose for being?”  The more spiritual among us might answer, “To fellowship with God” or “To worship God”.  As noble as those answers may be, neither is correct.  God had perfect fellowship, perfect love, and perfect unity within the Trinity.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are complete.  God didn’t need us for fellowship.  He didn’t create us because He was lonely.  As for worship, it is the constant state of Heaven.  God was already surrounded by non-stop worship.  He didn’t need to create us to worship Him.  So why were we created, then?  Let me tell you what I believe.

     God looked out into the darkness of the void and thought “What a dreary place.  We need to brighten it up.”

  And because nothing is brighter than the glory of God, He decided to create reflectors of His glory.  Psalm 19:1 tells us the Heavens declare the glory of God.  We are also told in the Word that everything in the earth, everything above and everything beneath was created for His glory.  In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image”.  The word “image” used here means “likeness as reflected in a mirror”.  All of creation including mankind was created to be a reflector of the glory of God.

     You know the rest of the story:  Sin entered in and creation went to Hell – literally.  Mankind no longer knows the reason he was created.  There are very few doing what they were created to do.  So how does one become the reflector he was created to be?  The first step is to acknowledge the Creator and His glory and that we are the creation whose purpose is to reflect His glory.  The second step is to accept the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross to bring us back into right standing with the Father, giving ourselves and surrendering our will to serving Christ.  The final step is to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us and empower us to reflect the glory of God in the darkness that surrounds us.

     Like the bike reflector was created to reflect a car’s headlights, we were created to reflect the glory of God in a dark and chaotic world.  Shine brightly my friends.  Be what you were created to be.

Reflecting the One True Light,  Raelynn

The Small Stuff

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

      I pray that you are taking every care to the Lord and are leaving them all in His capable hands.

     Today I want to talk to you about “The Small Stuff”.  My mom has a saying that has ministered to me on many occasions throughout my life.  She says, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.  Everything is small stuff.”  Because I’m one who tends to freak out when things go wrong and make a mountain out of a molehill, this is really valuable advice.

     Hold your hand in front of you and look at your palm.  Now stretch your fingers as wide as they’ll go. 

With your hand stretched like that, look from the tip of your thumb to the tip of your pinkie.  That distance is the span of your hand.  Isaiah 40:12 says God holds the entire universe in the span of His hand.  To make the illustration easier, though, let’s say He has just our world in the span of His hand. 

Picture the world in the span of your own hand; picture the continents drawn on it as on a globe.  Now locate your continent and picture the United States of America with each state’s boundaries drawn as on a map.  Locate your state.  Locate your city, your neighborhood, your street, your house, your room, and finally, yourself.  How small has that speck gotten in the span of your hand?  Now in that speck, pinpoint your mind and the biggest issue or problem that is currently on your mind.  How big is it really?  Pretty small stuff, huh?  Now compare the size of that issue or problem to the size of the God who holds the entire universe between His pinkie and thumb.

     Our Bible tells us to be anxious for nothing.  Why?  Because compared to God, it’s all small stuff.  “Don’t sweat the small stuff.  Everything is small stuff.”  It’s the best advice my mom ever gave me.  I’m doing my best to follow it.

Keeping things in perspective - Raelynn

Haven't Got a Prayer

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

      I pray that when there seems to be nowhere to turn, you choose to turn to prayer.

     Today I want to talk to you about “Haven’t got a Prayer”.  I am very blessed to have loving, caring brothers and sisters in the Lord who will pray for me at any time, in any situation, with a single phone call.  I haven’t always had this, though.  There have been times in my life when I’ve felt completely and utterly alone and was too distraught to pray for myself.  I could’ve used the group of prayer warriors that I now rely on in those times.

    Have you ever been in a situation where there seemed to be no way out, no answer in sight, leaving you feeling helpless and

hopeless?  Perhaps you are there now.  It’s been said of ones in this condition that they “haven’t got a prayer”.  But no matter how desperate your situation, I’m here to tell you, you’ve got a prayer - in fact, you’ve got two.

     Romans 8:26, 27 tells us that the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us according to the will of God.  The word “intercession” means to stand in the gap or to represent the needs of one who is unable to do so for himself.  When you are unable to pray and there’s no one around to pray for you, the

Holy Spirit Himself represents your needs to the Father and His prayers are better than that of any human prayer warrior because he always prays God’s will for your life.

     And if the Holy Spirit praying for you isn’t enough, listen to what Romans 8:34 says: “Christ has died and is risen again and sits at the right hand of the Father to make intercession for us.”  Jesus prays to the Father for you, beloved ones!  No situation is hopeless when 2/3 of the Godhead is praying on your behalf to the other third who is able to do all things!

     Next time the enemy would like to convince you that you haven’t got a prayer, remind him who prays on your behalf.  Stand firm in the knowledge that God knows, God cares and God, Himself, prays for you.  No wonder it’s said there is power in prayer!

In good company as I pray for you, Raelynn

Dazzlingly Brilliant

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

      I pray that you are letting your light shine brightly so those in darkness might see the way.

     Today I want to talk to you about “Dazzlingly Brilliant”.  When you hear those words, what comes to mind?  For most people it’s a diamond.  Any jeweler will tell you that the beauty and value of a diamond is determined by the four “C’s”: carat, color, clarity and cut.  That’s because a

diamond gets its brilliance by allowing the maximum amount of light to be reflected and dispersed back through its facets.  Did you know that there is one thing more dazzlingly brilliant than any diamond?  Of course, it would be the One the diamond was patterned after – its creator, our God, the Everlasting Light.

     I John 1:5 tells us that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  Isaiah 24:23 tells us that the moon is ashamed and the sun disgraced by the light the Lord radiates.

  In fact, God is so dazzlingly brilliant that no one can look upon Him and live!  He hid Moses in the cleft of a rock so he’d be shielded from the full force of His brilliance, yet when Moses came away his face shone from just its reflection!

     I did a study on the word “facet”.  It means face, surface, characteristic or attribute.  Did you know there are over 100 Hebrew names for God each describing one of His characteristics or attributes?  I honestly believe God has more characteristics and attributes than our vocabularies have words to describe them.  And like a diamond, it is all these facets that make God dazzlingly brilliant.  I wouldn’t be surprised if He created the diamond just so we could carry small reminders of Him around with us!  Is it a coincidence that diamonds are given as a pledge of everlasting love and fidelity?

     The Bible talks about a time when “the sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your Everlasting Light and your God will be your glory.” (Isaiah 60:19)  We don’t have to wait for that day beloved ones.  Behold His glory now.  Let Him hide you in the cleft of the Rock and gaze upon His dazzling brilliance and let its reflection shine upon your face for all the world to see.

He is truly this girl’s best friend - Raelynn

Attitude of Gratitude

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

      I pray all life’s finest blessings upon you and the grace to truly appreciate them.

     Today I want to talk to you about “An Attitude of Gratitude”.

  How do you say “Thank you” for the really big things in life?  Like when a fireman rushes into a burning building to save your child, a

stranger gives one of his kidneys because yours are failing, or a father gives His only son to die so that every mistake you will ever make can be swept away like it never happened?  There are times when “Thanks” just won’t cut it.

     The reward for the fireman and kidney donor is in knowing they saved a life.  What if after receiving the kidney, the recipient goes on to live the life of the alcoholic and dies of alcohol poisoning a year later?  How would the donor feel about giving up a kidney then?  How many times has the Father seen the lives He sacrificed His son for end prematurely through reckless living and end up in Hell anyway?

     In his song, Good to Be Alive, Jason Grey sings, “All I want is to give you a life well lived to say thank you.”  I know I can never repay the big things that have been done for me in my life, but I can live my life in a way that shows my gratitude.

  Every decision I make, every path I choose should reflect an attitude of gratitude for the sacrifice that was made for me.

     How do you say “thank you” for the really big things in life, beloved ones?  Live your life well.

Making the sacrifice count - Raelynn