Consolidate....

Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with a young man (25-year-old) to look at some possible updates to our website. The young man is very wise for his age and probably doesn’t even know it. Notice I said ‘wise’ not ‘intelligent.’ However, it just so happens he is very intelligent, too! What a powerful combination!

I want to focus on his wisdom in the blog today. As I said I was meeting with him to look at our website together and get a ‘younger mind’ perspective. In the character of the apostle Paul he started out by telling me the good things about our website. He even went on to share that we had most of the guts (my word) needed for a website to communicate. He then shared with me that while the look of our web site isn’t bad, it is just out of date. We then proceeded to talk about how to make it more user friendly, communicate what we wanted communicated more clearly and improve the look. Then he made a statement that I shall forever have packed away in my little ‘nugget bag’, “The goal isn’t to tear away features but to consolidate.”

My mind immediately switched gears from our conversation (of course he had no clue my mind had left the table) to how many marriages, families, churches, ministry organizations, etc., I have watched be destroyed over the past many years because someone didn’t like something anymore and instead of having the wisdom to know how to consolidate, they became a wrecking ball. (Please note: I realize that sometimes you cannot consolidate, so there are exceptions but I am talking generically.)

Consolidate means to:

1.      Make something physically stronger or more solid “the first phase of the project is to consolidate the outside wall.”

2.      Combine a number of things into a single, more effective or coherent whole “all manufacturing activities have been consolidated in new premises.”

Synonyms: combine, unite, merge, integrate, amalgamate, fuse, synthesize, bring together, unify

The goal with our website isn’t to go in and tear away features but to consolidate them, to do whatever it takes to make the website stronger, more effective, and a more coherent whole. 

In marriage and/or family counseling, I’m not looking at the gaping hole in the wall but I’m listening to see if I have any building materials left to work with to bring the marriage and/or family back together. To consolidate, make it stronger with what I have left to work with, not to destroy it all because of a hole. 

In churches and organizations the trend is for someone to come in and tear away the features of that church and/or ministry organizations instead of looking for and listening for ways to consolidate those features and make it stronger and unified. That is a missing piece of wisdom in our leadership today in many churches and ministry organizations. 

Can I ask you a question? Is it time to ‘listen’ instead of focusing on the hole in the wall in your marriage, family, church, and/or ministry organization? Is it time to apply the wisdom of learning that you don’t have to tear away all the features but you need the wisdom to know how to consolidate, bring together, unify, etc.?

Please be willing to step back and ask yourself these questions. Be willing to kneel before our Heavenly Father and ask Him to show you if Satan has deceived you into believing a lie that God isn’t big enough to consolidate and strengthen what the enemy has tried to take a bite out of!

Be praying for Southeast Asia. We are zeroed in on our hotel and hope to open up registration to the m’s come the first part of March. Our theme is Fight the Good Fight from 1 Timothy 6:12. 

Because we have two conferences going back to back please make sure in your giving to designate to which trip you want sponsorship for the m’s to go - Southeast Asia (September) and/or Mexico (November).

Love you all and can’t wait to watch all that God is up to for the m’s that will be attending these retreats.

His,

Vickie

 

 

Pushed out......

Have you ever been in a situation where you were 'pushed out' of your position? Maybe standing in line for tickets to an event, boarding a plane, in line to enter an event, etc. Our flesh certainly rises up in those circumstances, doesn't it? That flesh nature of ours wants to respond immediately with "Hey! Who do you think you are?" Translated, “What about me?" Sometime we are more politically correct with a smug "Excuse me" which still translates “What about me?” Our flesh nature loves for us to snuggle up close to it! Otherwise it means death to the flesh!!!

Well, recently in reading one of my favorite authors, A.W. Tozer, he made this statement as part of his prayer, "O God, My Father, Fill me with Thyself until all myself has been pushed out."

Wow! I love that word picture. I can see and know the battle between my flesh and spirit. I can see my flesh fighting for position! I know my heart desires to submit to His spirit in me. I cry out too, LORD fill me with Thyself until all myself has been pushed out!" How ‘bout you? Need a little push today?

Teams are beginning to form for three trips in the near future. The first trip will be to Southeast Asia in September 2016. The second trip is Guanajuato, Mexico, in November 2016. And finally, Athens, Greece, February 2017.

If you are interested in going on any of these trips contact me now at vickie@purejoyinternational.org. The teams are already forming.

Love you all!

His,
Vickie

Line Leader...

My great nephew is 3 and 1/2 now. As I have mentioned before he attends Little Lambs Learning Center in our hometown. One of his favorite things to do is be the 'line leader' for the day. In fact, something he asks frequently when entering the class in the morning is, “Am I the 'line-leader' today?” Now understand, ‘line leader’ translates to helping with cups at breakfast and lunch, helping the teacher at circle time, and picking centers first for inside play. But, the important thing is – they are in charge of helping. ha,ha,ha,ha,ha

  

The seriousness of the role of being 'line leader' came out Sunday night as we were celebrating my sister’s birthday. My great nephew and I made the cake and he decorated it.

As I leaned in as if I was going to help blow out ALL (sorry, sister, ha,ha,ha,ha) those candles and sing Happy Birthday, he leaned in front of me and looked me straight in the face and said, “I’m the line leader!” and proceeded to lead us in singing Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles. We all burst out laughing. It was too precious.

  

Observing him asking that question so often upon entering his classroom during the week has made me think about something God has given me a real heart for over the past years - healthy leadership in our churches and para-ministries. 

  

May I share a couple of truths with you that are pretty common sense but good to be reminded of when it comes to healthy leadership:

• Healthy leadership is God-centered not people pleasing. When a leader is God-centered they trust God to take care of pleasing the people. They keep their eyes on God and move in a spirit of love. 
• Healthy leadership is God-centered and not moved by circumstances. When a leader is God-centered they trust God to deal with the attacks against the plans He has instructed them in and do not take up an offense, become defensive, and/or blame others when questioned. They know Whom they have believed. 
• Healthy leadership is God-centered and does not have a need to be in control. When a leader is God-centered they are a humble person that knows Who is in control. You will not sense a haughty spirit (pride) in someone who is trusting God. You will not see scheming, dishonesty, or manipulation at work. 
• Healthy leadership is God-centered and does not intentionally bring harm to others in word or deed. When a leader is God-centered they desire spiritual growth in the lives of those they serve and serve with. They promote unity not ‘yes men’.
• Healthy leadership is God centered and does not hold grudges and un-forgiveness. When a leader is God-centered they understand the need for repentance and forgiveness and extend it to others.

These are just a few important reminders to us who are called to be 'line leaders' of some form or fashion, whether in a church, lay ministries, para-ministries, etc.
The following cartoon is one I use in leadership training. It is a sure sign of dysfunctional ‘line-leaders and follow-ship. The reason being it promotes the proverbial “no talk rule”.

It really needs no words. But to stay with our topic of 'line leader,’ allow me to encourage you to never blindly follow a 'line leader'. It may lead you off a cliff spiritually. My 'line leader' is Jesus. He does not ask me to blindly follow Him. He asks me to step out in faith because He has made Himself known to me. 

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." Proverbs 29:2 (KJV)

Please know that all of us are capable of being unhealthy ‘line leaders’ throughout any given day if we are not anchored to HIM.

May all of us who have been asked of God to serve in the capacity of ‘line leader’ of some form or fashion bow the knee and recognize that only by His Grace can we bring glory to Him in the journey He has called us to.

Love you all so much.

His,
Vickie

I've come to the Garden...

I apologize for no blog last week....

You know, my grandmother used to love the song “I’ve come to the Garden Alone”. I can remember her singing it and playing on the piano when I was a young. If you have never heard it please take the time to go to this link http://youtu.be/mhWOKhGdUZY

I love that song because it says I’ve come alone to a place to meet with Jesus. Sometimes we come on our own and sometimes life circumstances bring us there. The place where only Jesus is the voice that will sooth our soul. Here are the words:

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.

He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.

I'd stay in the garden with Him,
Tho' the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go thro' the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling.
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.

P.S. Don’t forget about the trips on the books so far this year. Be praying about what God want you to do. We are in the process of locking in our hotels and dates for Mexico and Southeast Asia. If you are interested in any of those trips please contact me as soon as possible with your questions. The teams are starting to form. vickie@purejoyinternational.org

Hanging in the Garden,

His,
Vickie
 

 

 

Look back but don't buy a parking place there...

As we come to the end of another year many shows on TV and many conversations that take place in the next couple of days that have to do with the year 2015.

Many of you have heard me make the statement God has covered the past, He holds the future, but He dwells in the present.    As you assess the year 2015 look over it well.   Celebrate those things that are worthy of celebrations:  new jobs, births of children and grandchildren, a new home, the sale of a home, being newly married, maybe you became a believer in 2015, maybe you decided to truly submit to him as LORD for the first time in 2015, etc.  Grieve the losses: many of us lost dear ones in the year of 2015, many of you lost homes, jobs, income, etc.   Learn from the mistakes: Relationships that weren’t handled well, business decisions gone wrong, broken promises, etc.  The list could go on and on.

  

But hang on to this truth.  No matter what 2015 brought into your life, it is past.  You have no control of it.  It is done.  You can’t change it.  You may be having to make decisions today based on the outcome of some of the things that happened in 2015, whether those be good or bad.  But the actual events themselves are over.  Again, look back, celebrate, grieve and learn from it.  But don’t buy a parking space there because any car left parked there will rust.

Do step into 2016 with your eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of your faith.  Hang on to this truth as well.  Things are not getting better.  God’s word is clear that we are in the last days.  I see more and more people “feeling” hopeless and I am talking about believers!   This year commit to the truth of “clinging to Christ alone.”  He is our hope!  He dwells in the present.  He holds the future!  He’s covered the past.

Matthew 6:32-33 (ESV)
For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Psalm 118:24 (ESV)
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Love You All

His,

Vickie

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL THE STAFF, BOARD AND ADVISORS OF PURE JOY INTERNATIONAL.

And the winner is.....

Monday night my sister sent me a text at 9:04 p.m. Her exact words were “Oh my gosh, they made a huge mistake on the pageant.” (She had texted me earlier to let me know the Miss Universe pageant was on but my mom and I were too far into a Hallmark movie by then.)

My initial thought was what can go so wrong in a pageant that could be such a big mistake. So I asked, “What happened?” She went on to tell me that the MC announced the winner as Miss Colombia. They crowned her and she actually took the walk down the walkway only to be told by the MC as he addressed her and the audience again, he had made a mistake and Miss Colombia was the first runner up with Miss Philippines being the actual winner of the Miss Universe pageant. She went on to say they took the crown off of Miss Colombia and put it on Miss Philippines. My stomach sank for a second because I could only begin to imagine the awkwardness between the MC and the contestants and the two contestants themselves. Then I saw it on the news a little later and my heart sank again with compassion for both of them caught up in the MC’s human error. I say human error because the MC acknowledged his mistake and even held up the announcement card to the cameras to show the truth of what he was saying regarding his mistake.
 
Can you just begin to imagine what that would be like to have all the emotions of victory, knowing what you went through to get there, excited that it all was worth it and paid off and then have someone step up just as quickly and say there has been a mistake, you didn’t win? Whew!

Immediately, after seeing that on the news a thought came to me that made my stomach sink even more. There are a lot of people in this world who are being told by the MC of this world (Satan) there are many ways to heaven, pick one. Good works will get you there. Your parents were Christians therefore you are one too by osmosis. Just go to church and read your Bible. Be nice. The difference between the MC of the pageant and the MC of this world (Satan) - the MC of the pageant made a mistake. The MC of this world (Satan) is very intentional about deceiving people.

As we gather our families together this Christmas season with those we love may we be reminded that the Christ Child was sent into this world to defeat the enemy so that you and I could be crowned victorious in Christ, through the shedding of His blood (the perfect Lamb) on behalf of the guilty (sinners) that we may have eternal life. 

Oh, what a terrible thing to stand before the audience of God someday and hear Him say...

Matthew 7:23 (ESV)
‘I never knew you; depart from me…’

God’s word is clear... There is one way to victory and eternal life.

John 14:6-7 (ESV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

John 11:25-26 (ESV)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

My precious ones.  God’s word is clear, it is truth, and it is life changing. I pray that the day we stand before the audience of God we will not be left bewildered as Miss Colombia was Monday night as they removed the crown from her head. But we will rejoice together as we exalt and praise the Most High God!!!

Love You All,

His,
Vickie
   
       Merry Christmas to You and your Family!

He knows You....

Stop! Before you start thinking this is going to be a blog on how God knows and cares about you, it’s not. Even though those things along with many more are true of His Goodness towards us, that isn’t what this blog is about.

This blog is about something that really got my attention this morning (Tuesday) around 5:10 a.m. I was on my way to walk with my walking partner. I turned the radio on to listen to a little praise and worship as I drove to our walking area. Immediately, I was caught up in the middle of a conversation where a man (a believer now) was sharing about how he grew up in Palestine. He ended up joining the Hamas Palestinian Islamist militant group. As he and the talk show host talked, the host asked him how many people he had killed. He stated he didn’t really like to talk about that but he remembered the first time he had ever killed someone and how he felt. The announcer went on to encourage him to discuss how he had actually become trained as a sniper for the militant group. As the man told his story the thing that grabbed my attention was listening to him share how as a sniper he came to know the person (his target) better than they knew themselves. He learned everything about them - their habits, where they worked; where they went; and their friends, family, and schedules.

Then a passage spoken of so often in the church realm came to my mind in a whole other perspective. The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy - John 10:10. Satan and his demons are trained snipers. Wow! They know us better than we know ourselves. They know our habits; where we work; where we go; our friends, family, and schedules; what is coming out of our mouths; lies we believe; things that discourage us; things that cause us to have fear/anxiety; things that cause us to doubt; the people we are leading and or following; our ministries, etc. Like a sniper he and or his demons are just waiting to take us out! 

One might say, “Well great, Vickie, thank you for sharing that with us.” You’re welcome. Because the truth is we do not take seriously enough that we have an enemy who is stalking us daily and wants to destroy us. The good news is that in the spiritual realm we have a better chance of distinguishing the sniper (enemy) than in the physical because God’s Word exposes the workings of him and his demons. The following are just a few of the verses that speak to the identity of our sniper. He is crafty, a deceiver, prowls like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour, masquerades as an angel of light, and is a liar.

Genesis 3:1 (ESV)
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

2 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV)
 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV)
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 (ESV)
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

2 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV)
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

John 8:44-45 (ESV)
 He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

How do we overcome this sniper? John tells us we overcome Satan when “the word of God abides in you”. Jesus cited scripture in Matthew 4:1-10 when the enemy addressed Him in the desert. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, is our only offensive weapon against the enemy.

I say this all the time and I say it again today. My precious sisters in Christ you must be in the WORD! The Word must be in you! There is no other way to Overcome and have Victory in your life!

Love you all,

His,
Vickie

James 4:7 (ESV)
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.