Do Not Fret

I dislike anything that has to do with dealing with car issues, financially and/or mechanically. These problems always seem to have a way of sneaking up and becoming bigger than originally expected. So I was pretty proud of myself that I thought I was slightly ahead of things when renewing my car tabs. Renewing my tabs means that every other year I must go and get an emissions test which I always seem to fail. So it wasn’t a surprise that yet again my car failed and I would need to find a trustworthy emissions certified mechanic to pay $150 to get a waiver to get my tabs. I would need to take part of a day off from work to drive to the mechanic and wait. My brakes needed new pads as well, but one thing at a time I kept telling myself.

After getting my car looked at and having them tell me all the things I needed fixed (upwards of $3000) I got my waiver and went on my way. Next stop emissions again and it’s only 2:30 so I will have enough time to get my tabs after that. Then all of a sudden I hear a sound & my brakes fail!! I press my brakes down as far as possible and veer off into a parking lot. Thank God I didn’t hit someone! I stop and catch my breath. I begin to pray and calm down repeating to myself not to panic, breathe. Next I hear loud as day, “Do not fret,” ok God I hear you. Over and over again, “Do not fret.” So now what do I do? Can I drive? Do I call someone? Who do I call? Again I hear, “Do not fret.”

Fret: To be constantly or visibly worried or anxious. Gradually wear away (something) by rubbing or gnawing. A state of anxiety or worry.

Some of you may be reading this thinking, “Everyone has issues and you’re complaining about a car?” Let me explain a bit further about why this hit me like it did. As a single mom I'm the only one. I don’t have a husband and I don’t have a boyfriend. The father of my child lives in another state and is rarely apart of our lives. My father lives somewhere else and there are many issues between us from my childhood. Most of my family is back home in Hawaii. I get in a panic, in self-reliance mode because I've been doing it by myself for so long (most of my life in fact) that scouring for every solution is second nature because if I don't do it who will? And no one likes a single mom who needs something; I mean they put themselves in that situation right? This is not to gain sympathy it is just simply facts about my life. It is a situation that many may not understand as they do not live it and others in similar situations will get. I am certainly not discounting the hardships in others’ lives or saying that being married is easier, because I don’t know that. What I have known all my life is it is up to me and I have no help. God has been teaching and molding me in the last couple years that HE is my rock, my fortress, my helper, my provider, my anchor, my husband, my heavenly father as well as my daughters. I do not have to fret if I trust him that he will provide at all times.

So I started my car up and tested the brakes to see if I could make it to pick up my daughter and make it home safely. I was able to make it home. I got out my Bible and continued to pray, “God, I don’t want to fret or panic please help me and give me peace.” I opened my Bible. I have been reading the Psalms recently and the night before I was reading Psalm 33-34 so I starting reading after that. First thing I saw was where I had written a couple years ago above Psalm 37, “Do not fret x3.” I laughed and began reading all the underlined verses regarding “do not fret.” You know those moments when you look up and think God you really hear me and you really where speaking to me?! Those moments thrill me beyond measure. Those moments are so intimate. I laid down for a few minutes in complete peace thanking and praising Him. I turned my fret into thankfulness (“a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”- Isaiah 61:3). God, thank you for blessing me with a car in the first place because many do not even have one. Thank you for providing me a little bit of money from my tax return to be able to use towards what needs to be fixed. Thank you for keeping us from harm so that we could make it home safely.

Many times when we fret and panic we make quick and usually unwise decisions. Instead, we need to pray and think things out prudently. We need to examine all the options and solutions. We need to allow God to lead us even if it is uncomfortable to wait on the best answer. We determine how we wait and how we react to situations. We must remember that God has a solution for EVERY problem and often times it is not something we expected, God is not usually conventional.

Do not fret means:

Do not lose sleep over it.

Do not allow it to control you, your emotions or your thoughts.

Do not allow it to create panic leading to an unwise decision or quick fix.

Do not allow it to steal your peace.

My prayer for you this week is that no matter what situations may arise that you do not fret, but allow God to meet you where you are. Allow God to be your provider and protector, you couldn’t be in better hands. As always, every one of you is important to the kingdom, so put your crowns back on, throw your shoulders back and act accordingly to what God says about you!

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Author: Leilani Glassmyer

Leilani is a single mom to a beautiful 4 year old little girl. She is in love with the Creator of the stars. Her mission is simple yet so big, to encourage and bring Jesus to all in need. To bring hope by loving people, writing, photography, music, poetry/spoken word and meeting people right where they are. Gods Grace is her air.

Wise Counsel

I am in a masters program for Mental Health Counseling, and a teacher of mine shared some scriptures with the class to help us understand the importance of being a counselor. She wanted us to know that is not only essential to have knowledge but to be spiritually sound as well. Christians often are in the position to counsel or give others advice without understanding the level of significance and weight that it bears. Sometimes people are seriously ill or hurting internally and need help and giving them a scripture, telling them to pray and sending them on their way is not the answer. I just want to share some pertinent and spiritual information as it relates to the role of a counselor [advisor]. This is only a small morsel of the vast world of counseling and definitely not me telling you to follow what I say. I am simply sharing what I have learned from my own perspective. These are not the views or beliefs of all counselors or professionals in the field; this is my subjective opinion.

Isaiah 61:1-4 (New Living Transalation) Says: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released, and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.

This scripture has several guidelines or principles from a Christian perspective that a counselor can use to understand one’s role when being called upon to help others.

One can relate these scriptural guidelines to the general ethical principles found in Clara E. Hill’s third edition of her book entitled Helping Skills.

Verse one of the bible says “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released, and prisoners will be freed” (Isaiah 61:1 New Living Translation). This scripture can be in connection with the principles of beneficence, and nonmaleficence. Beneficence refers to counselors being committed to help others grow and develop. Nonmaleficence speaks of not harming or neglecting one’s clients. God has called counselors to help by empowering others, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to use the God-given tools within to shed light on dark areas that need to be healed and strengthened. This would also allow one to see oneself as Christ does.

​Verse two states, “He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies” (Isaiah 61:2 New Living Translation). This verse can relate to the ethical principle of justice. Justice is a person having a fair opportunity to be heard and get the proper help that one would need to not just survive but live. Counselors have the responsibility to provide service to those in need who may not be able to pay or lack in some way. God has called his people to serve the poor and the hungry, and this may not always be of financial benefit, but it could be in the spirit of one’s mental and emotional needs. People are starving for more than just food.

​Verse three, “To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory” (Isaiah 61:3 New Living Translation). One could think of the principle of veracity in relationship to this scripture. Veracity is the counselor providing the client with the truth. Being genuine and honest is important, so that the client has something solid to lean on. The counselor can help give one the strength to stand firm in the power of the truth. A counselor can guide the client in seeing the truth of the matter instead of the deception or lies others, particular experiences, situations, or oneself may have been fed.

​The last part of the scripture says, “They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations” (Isaiah 61:4 New Living Translation). Autonomy and Fidelity connect with this final principle. A counselor’s therapeutic relationship with the client is important. Fidelity, meaning a counselor being able to keep commitments and confidential information private, so that one does not feel violated. Just these simple, yet complex things can help restore the idea of relationships in a client’s life. It can help restore one’s view of connecting and communicating with others in a relationship, and with God. When one feels as though a relationship is possible, one is able to understand one’s needs and boundaries in order to grow. This is where autonomy comes into play. Autonomy is a person’s right to make the choices that will empower one’s beliefs and values, as well as taking the necessary steps to put these things into action. A counselor has the ability to empower one to make decision that will ultimately benefit one’s life and the world around one.

​A counselor has a lot of power but even more guidance of Christ. Not only are the mental and emotional aspects being dealt with but the spiritual part of one’s self as well. A counselor can give a person an outline of what a healthy life and relationship looks like. God knows every part and intricate detail of one’s being and a counselor has the opportunity to walk along side him, through the intimate parts and places of one’s existence. This is only with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This role and level of access should always be taken seriously because the counselor has a hand in deepest areas of one’s life. This is why it is important for the counselor who is a believer to study academically but also biblically, so that when one does receive access within a person that leads to unknown realms, one will have the creator of it all throughout the process.

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Author: Francine Ott

Francine is truly thankful to have a relationship with God and is seeking Him daily for guidance and any opportunities to walk closer with Him in truth and love. Francine is a choreographer/dancer, teacher, and soon to be counselor who has a heart to see God's transforming power, renew, restore, and heal the minds, souls, and bodies of people's lives.

Uniquely You

I love people. I am a talker, and I love nothing more than to sit down with someone and have a conversation. The intricacies of the different stories and lives we live fascinate me and it blows my mind to see how big our God is and all the ways that he works so precisely in our individual circumstances. The way that each person expresses and describes their story differently is so interesting and telling of their personality, and I could watch and listen all day long.

I would be lying if I said I never wondered what other people thought of me. I know as well as any other Truth-seeking Christian that the only opinion that matters is God's, however, this doesn't keep me from wondering how I come across to the world. We are human. We see each other and immediately our brains process some sort of information: She's cute. She's funny. She looks mad. What's up with her teeth? Her legs are really short. I like her hair. I think she has two different eyes. Her nostrils are big.

We can be brutal without intention. There have been a few times recently that I have felt uncomfortable while I was carrying on a conversation with someone whom I've recently met, and I noticed them looking at various things on my face while I talked instead of making eye contact with me. It made me extremely aware of every thing I did and I wondered what their thoughts were. Did they hear anything I said? Was my breath bad? Did I have broccoli in my teeth? My biggest concern is always if I seem genuine. Now, wait a second before you go thinking that I'm a phony. The reason I worry about my authenticity is because I don't talk as easily as I type. I stumble for the words I'm looking for, and in the silence of the search, my comfort level goes into the danger zone.

I am not so much a fan of being vulnerable.

But I realized today that as much as I look to others for their approval or acceptance or just to feel like I'm not alone in being a weirdo, it's not about them. And it's not about me. I can't keep living day in a day out wondering what that girl was looking at on my chin, or why someone stopped following me on twitter, or how come that friend of fifteen years stopped calling. These thoughts should be fleeting and my mind and heart need to stay focused on being who God is calling me to be...even if that means it's the girl who shares too much and cries too much and uses the word awesome too much. As long as it's pointing to Him, and my heart is soft and pliable for His hands to work with, I'll be ok.

And He won't let me down. He won't let you down either. Trust Him and be who you are; everyone else is already taken.

Truthfully, we are all so consumed in our own flaws and too busy worrying about them to notice anyone else's. Wouldn't it be so incredibly mundane and boring if we all looked, acted and thought the same? Jesus came so that we may have life and have it in the full! So I think it is far past time to stand boldly and firmly as the person He created us to be!

Lovely. Brave. Spirit-filled. Honest. Joyful. Faithful. Kind. Peaceful. Self-controlled.

You can't strike out when you are true to yourself.

John 10:10

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Galatians 5:22-25

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

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Author: Emilee Lowe

Emilee is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

Pure and Holy

I recently read some rather shocking information in a recent Christian Post article. In a survey of 716 Christians, conducted by Christian Mingle, released in January, only 11 percent said they would save sex exclusively for marriage. Instead, 60 percent said they would be willing to have sex without any strings attached, while 23 percent said they would have to be "in love." Five percent said they would wait to get engaged.

These are very alarming statistics. How could Christians, followers of Christ say that they would be willing to engage in sex outside of the covenant of marriage? And, not just engage in sex, but engage in casual sex without being in love?

Unfortunately, this happens every day. Boy meets girl. Boy takes girl out. And on first date, boy and girl have sex.

This is disturbing on so many levels. Our society has deemed sex outside of the confines of marriage as acceptable and normal. We can hardly turn on the television and watch anything without viewing a sex scene where premarital sex is not promoted.

We as Christians are not to be conformed to this world. But, we're called to point the world to Christ. Not to allow the world to point us to sin and compromise.

God's standards of purity and holiness are still the same even though times have changed and people would rather adhere to their own standards.

(1)And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (2)Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1, 2 NLT)

What the world says is okay, is not okay in God's sight. His standards are still the same. He desires that we honor Him with our bodies. That we refrain from behaviors and practices that the world says are acceptable.

Just because coworkers, friends, family or your favorite celebrities are doing it, does not mean it is for right, nor is it for you.

When we present all of ourselves to God, seeking to please Him with our lives, that is worship. And it is absolutely beautiful to our Father. God want us to worship Him with our lives. To honor Him with all we have. One of my favorite worship songs is 'Here I Am To Worship'. There is one line that says, ' Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that You're my God.' Our very lives should release that sweet melody to The Lord. Everyday as we present ourselves as living sacrifices which are holy and acceptable, our lives should speak and say to our Father, "Here I am worship!" Choosing to remain sexually pure brings great honor to our Father. Listen to the words in the scripture below.

Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NLT)

God wants us, as His daughters, to honor Him with our bodies. To live holy before Him. To live in such a way that your life is rendered unto Him as a sweet smelling fragrance. Purity and holiness smells good on you and it's oh so sweet to Him.

Prayer: Father, may I always honor you with my body. Help me to flee sexual temptation and sin. And, to always remember that my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. I can not do with it, what I please. I make a choice to present myself as a living sacrifice. One that is acceptable and pleasing to you.

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Author: Pamela Bell

Pastor Pamela Bell is a passionate, lover of God, who desires to see God's people walk in the knowledge of who they are in Christ. She resides in Mobile, AL and serves as an Elder at her church, Gulf Coast Christian Center. Pastor Pamela enjoys reading, spending time with friends and all things chocolate.

Where’s the Mission Field?

‘Tis the season… For spring break mission trips! It seems like almost all of my friends have headed down to Mexico for this week to minister in different ways. One group is going to build a house, and another is working at an orphanage. And here I am, sitting at home. While everyone was leaving, I was really bummed that I couldn’t join them. I was able to go down to that orphanage a few years ago, and I would love to go back. Last year, I didn’t go with the house-building group, and I remember feeling really left out when everyone came home and had bonded and made new inside jokes that I didn’t get. Overall, this spring break was not looking very fun for me: sitting at home alone because all my friends are gone and then feeling even worse when they all get back. But then I got to thinking about it… What is it about mission trips that is so special? Is it the scenery? Maybe. The friendships formed? That’s part of it. But the real thing that makes mission trips so awesome is something that we don’t have to go to another country to do: share Jesus!

It’s easy to feel left out or feel like you’re making less of an impact than other people when they get to go to another country and serve, and you’re stuck at home. But you know what? That is simply not the case. Jesus never told us that we have to go to a country that we’re not from in order to shine his light. He just told us to go into all the world (Mark 16:15). Guess what? Where you’re from is part of the world, and he wants you to evangelize there, too! That’s not a perspective I think of often. Especially if you live in a small town like me, it’s easy to think that there’s no way for you to make an impact. But that’s not true either! There are more people than you might think out there who really have never heard the gospel. Maybe they’ve heard of Jesus, but they haven’t all heard the real good news or why Jesus is even important. And how are they ever going to know unless we tell them? My pastor has told us that he grew up in a big city with lots of people, went to public schools all his life, and never even heard the gospel until he was seventeen years old, and his friend in his computers class told him about Jesus. Isn’t that crazy to think about? We get in our bubble sometimes, I think. It’s easy to assume that the people who aren’t Christians are all just people who have heard the gospel and rejected it. But the truth is that while that may be the case for some people, there are still people out there in this world – even where you live! – who have never, ever heard about it. It’s up to us to tell them! The mission field isn’t limited to foreign countries. The mission field is wherever you are.

I’ve heard the phrase, “Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.” I don’t think I agree with that entirely because a lifestyle in and of itself with no explanation given for it can’t present the gospel to people. But I do think it makes a good point. How we live our lives and what we put on display for the world are the things that are going to make people want to know what we have that they don’t. Our lifestyles themselves don’t preach the gospel, but they can draw people to us, which allows us to preach the gospel to them. In Philippians 2:15, Paul calls us “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom [we] shine as lights in the world” (ESV). That’s encouraging in one way, but it’s also a call to action! We have to live our lives in that blameless way that Paul talks about. People judge Christ based on the Christians they know. If they see someone who says she’s a Christian but doesn’t live like a Christian, people will assume that all Christians are hypocrites. You see how that works? We have to actively make an effort to live our lives in ways that will push people toward Christ, not away from him.

Even if you are stuck at home alone while all of your friends are away on a mission trip, don’t feel like you can’t have the same impact they do! Your mission field isn’t just a foreign country. Your mission field is wherever you are. Get out there and shine brightly!

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Author: Hannah Bryant

Hannah Bryant is a worship-leading, cat-loving, pizza-eating redhead who doesn't take much seriously apart from her relationship with Jesus. She is currently finishing up her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education at Southern Oregon University. You can finder her blogging at Redwood Seed, her personal blog. redwoodseed.com.

Servant Vs. Doormat

Throughout my life I have allowed myself to be used as a doormat. A “doormat” is a submissive person who allows others to dominate them. There are times in my life and relationships where I have allowed others to treat me unfairly or poorly in hopes of getting them to love me more or obtain more of their attention. I was always taught that putting others needs and wants ahead of my own was honorable and noble. What I did not understand is serving a person is honorable and is the highest form of love, but that being a doormat for others was a lack of love of myself and ultimately a lack of love for others. It has not served others or myself well.

A thought that I have pondered and struggled with is being a servant verses a doormat. Being a servant is a main theme in the Bible and as beautiful as it sounds I do not want to be a doormat. After lots of prayer and reading I have come to understand the difference and there is a BIG difference.

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”-Galatians 5:13

Many of us fear that serving people leaves us vulnerable and leaves us open to be taken advantage of. While others, serve people as a form of manipulation.

A servant does things for God.

A doormat does things for people or self.

A servant see’s themselves as an instrument of God.

A doormat see’s themselves as a victim.

A servant is free.

A doormat lives as a slave.

When we serve others with the understanding and design of God we serve because of our love for God. We serve because God freed us and we want to see others freed by His love as well and that is shown by serving others.

When we become a doormat for others we are usually doing so to get something out of it: ei: I let my boyfriend stay out all night without any consideration for me or I accept him calling me names because I don’t want to lose him. I will put up with all he does even if it hurts me because I want to keep him. So being a doormat is really not noble or truly loving someone, it actually is the opposite. It’s putting up with poor treatment to gain something from that person.

The Bible says, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’(Mark 12:31). Do you see that? How you love your neighbor is really a direct reflection of how you love yourself. So if you’re allowing yourself to be treated as a doormat, you believe you are and should be treated as a doormat.

So how do you know the difference?

If you are serving there will be no feelings of resentment or feeling taken advantage of, because you are serving for God and with the right mindset and motives. On the other hand if you are allowing yourself to be treated as doormat you will feel resentful, used and taken advantage of. You will be doing things out of obligation, with the wrong motives usually self-serving (though you usually won’t see it that way).

Take inventory of your feelings and motives. Forgive yourself and others and release them. You are loved and accepted no matter where you may be right now. Let HIM meet you where you are. Every one of you is important to the kingdom, so put your crowns back on, throw your shoulders back and act accordingly to what God says about you!

About the Author :

Leilani Glassmyer is a single mom to a beautiful 4 year old little girl. She is in love with the Creator of the stars. Her mission is simple yet so big, to encourage and bring Jesus to all in need. To bring hope by loving people, writing, photography, music, poetry/spoken word and meeting people right where they are. Gods Grace is her air.

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