GodandMe2theMax

When we know what we need, we'll know when we have enough.

When we know what we need, we'll know when we have enough.

I went to visit with a client a few weeks ago, and I had the privilege of sitting in on their staff chapel while I was there. The president's wife was sharing a devotional, and she said these words. "When we know what we need, we'll know when we have enough." When you think about it, those words are pretty profound, really.

This Christmas, like so many other families I know, we've had to come face-to-face with identifying needs and wants. Between extra medical bills this year, lack of income for the ministry, and one of Frank's clients having a large unpaid balance on an invoice, we've been faced with tough choices. Praise God that at the end of the day, all our bills have been paid, without one of them being late. But we can't take the credit for that, this is truly due to God's miraculous intervention on numerous times!

I'm so thankful that my children are not materialistic. They don't have long Christmas wish lists. Last year, Amber asked for one thing - the Indiana Jones trilogy. This year, just one thing again - a lock for her door. And Jacob, well, he just had his birthday party, so he doesn't have much on his list, either. A few months ago, I told my husband, "For Christmas, I would really like a pair of cowboy boots." He quickly replied, "I don't think that's going to happen. You don't really need cowboy boots." I really couldn't argue with him, knowing our financial situation; I knew he was right. But in my mind, I definitely thought "Doesn't every girl who lives in Texas need a good pair of cowboy boots?" :)

Philippians 4:19 says, "My God shall supply ALL your needs, according to His riches in glory..." So this morning as I contemplate those words my client said, what do we really need? Let me draw the circle around myself. What do I really need?

There's an old Gaither song that goes something like this: "Loving God. Loving each other. Making music with my friends..." It kind of answers the question. Sure, besides the obvious, we "need" food to sustain us (some of us less than others!) We "need" warmth and shelter to make it in the cold night. But what do I really need? No, it's not a pair of Cowboy boots. And to be honest, the list is not very long and can be simply put, God, family, and friends. But in reality, He could choose to take away even the family and friends part of the equation...leaving the one true need - HIM.

This last week I was humbled beyond imagine as I was leaving my worship team practice. As I was walking off the platform, my worship pastor stopped me and handed me a small red bag with a greeting and a hug, "We want you and your family to have a Merry Christmas." It was from the rest of the team.

I was floored and speechless, and I must be honest, I'm a much better "giver" than "receiver". "This can't be happening," I thought. "No, I'm the one who usually gives. Why did they do this?" I made a mad dash out of my church and cried all the way home, even before opening the card inside. I knew what was in it, and I knew the love and sacrifice behind it. I got home and opened it with my family and found a wad of cash and a beautiful ornament. I've wrestled with that "receiving" over and over. God knew our needs as a family, and He met them. But the giver in me said, "Isn't there someone else who needs this more than us?"

Either way, God's promise in Philippians was fulfilled once again, in a miraculous way, He met our needs. He doesn't promise to meet our wants...but in reality, He even does that so often!

Matthew 22:37-38 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

This holiday season, with today's cares and tomorrow's concerns, I remember God's wonders and faithfulness of the past. He sustains. Always. I'm figuring out the difference between my wants and my needs so I know when I have enough. But one thing I know, I never can have enough of God. The more I understand Him, the more I realize how much deeper into this relationship I need to go.

 

--Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Pass the oranges, please...

Proverbs 11:25  "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

On Saturday, I sat outside in the sun at my son's soccer game.  The wind was gently blowing, but frankly, it was stinkin' hot for being so early in the season.  The sun was beating down on my already sunburned arms from last week's game.  Now, I've never been a big fan of oranges...they're just too messy for me.  But as the sun was beating, I started to think how refreshing an orange would be about that time.  You see, it was our turn to bring oranges for the half time snack.  We were well into the second half of the game, so I went on the hunt for some leftovers.  I found several bags were left, still on ice.  Wow!  For someone who doesn't really care for oranges, I inhaled in a matter of minutes the equivalent of about three entire oranges.  "Refreshing" doesn't even begin to describe it.

Now think about it.  What if you could offer ice cold, fresh oranges to someone in the hot Texas sun?  What if you saw someone out there who was dehydrated, and you could offer exactly what they need?  How would that make you feel?  Take a look at the verse to memorize for this week.  Proverbs 11:25  "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." 

Our Sunday morning worship service was a tremendous example of this verse.  Our church is involved in a community development  project in a little village called Bukabwa, located in the Mara region in Tanzania, East Africa.  Bukabwa is a community of about 5,000 people that before a few weeks ago, literally had no hope.  Two of our pastors and my husband Frank just returned from Bukabwa last week.  Our church's vision for this community is to not only meet their spiritual needs (there's no church even in this entire area) but also to partner with the African Inland Church to teach them micro-finance, transforming little by little, the entire community.  Our pastor shared with us that to sponsor a pastor for one year, build a church building and a home for the pastor next to it, it will take only $5,000.  He then did an uncharacteristic move.  He asked our church family to donate on the spot to meet this need.

Now, he didn't just take an offering.  He asked people to come forward and lay their offering on the platform.  I sing on the worship team, and I can't even start to tell you what this did for our team as we sang.  "Give me one pure and holy passion."  People started lining the aisle.  "Give me one magnificent obsession."  One by one they came forward and left their offering on the alter.  There was a line to get to the front of the church.  "Give me one glorious ambition for my life.  To know and follow hard after You." 

God's people gave generously Sunday morning.  It refreshed me.  It refreshed so many on our worship team that at one point in the response song, several of us were so filled with tears that we couldn't even sing.  I don't know the final numbers yet, but I do know that there was a lot more than $5000 given. 

As if God didn't already show up and show off, a friend unexpectedly handed me a generous donation today for the mission trip to Colombia my daughter and I will be going on this July.  Fundraising has been slow for us, and this gift definitely was an unforeseen blessing.  Half of the money is due by the end of the month, and we are still far from that goal, but this gift definitely helped boost us closer.  Yes, in more than one way, God's people brought ice cold refreshing oranges to church.

We have probably all been recipients of unexpected blessings like I've mentioned above.  But, how many of us have been the giver?  Have you ever given out of obedience, even though you don't really have the money to do so?  The Bible is very clear about the principle of giving.  Give, and it will come back to you.  I've seen it over and over again.  (Luke 6:38)  There's been several times in our family's life that we knew God was definitely telling us to give, even though we really didn't have the means to do so.  I can testify that every time we've been obedient in giving, God has refreshed us in return.  Sometimes the refreshment is monitary, but always it's spiritually refreshing.

Break out the oranges and give where God leads.  Abundant, refreshing blessings are waiting.  Try it.  You might just find you like oranges!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

No distractions. No excuses. No ADD surfer moments.

Hebrews 12:2  "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Distractions.  Losing sight of the goal.  It happens to the best of us.  Sometimes we just get so focused on what we think is really important that we lose sight of what should be our real priorities.  I recently saw this exemplified last week while watching an episode of Untold Stories of the ER.  This particular one featured an ER in Hawaii with two surfer dudes as the prime focus.  Let me just say that these guys were ADD in action.  You see, they had decided to go out spear fishing, and I might add that they actually seemed pretty good at it.  Sure enough, one of the guys spotted a beauty of a catch, and with meticulous aim, he got it.  The problem?  He speared the fish right into his buddy's leg.  They arrived at the ER with one main goal.  I don't know about you, but I can think of a few things that should have been at the top of their priority list when arriving at the ER.  Perhaps questioning if the spear could be removed safely.  Perhaps focusing on not bleeding out when the spear was removed.  Perhaps getting medical attention to avoid infection.  But no.  The main goal of the two guys was to save that fish, still entangled between the leg and the spear, so that they could eat it for dinner.  I think these two surfers lost sight of what was really important, don't you.      

If you've been a member of Groupies4God very long, you might remember that back in September, we learned Hebrews 12:1. It encourages us to persevere in this race called life.  This week, we'll memorize verse two of Hebrews twelve, and it tells us how to persevere -- by fixing our eyes on Jesus!  That's the goal.  Focus on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith!  Our faith began and will be finished in Him.  He started it, and He's perfecting it in us, daily.

The verse  then goes on to say that "for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame."  Do you really think Jesus found joy in going to the cross, and suffering pain and shame for my sins and yours?  I don't think so.  In fact, in Matthew 26, we see Jesus praying that "the cup pass over Him."  I do believe, however, that the joy Hebrews 12:2 is talking about is the good that would come from His death.  Jesus knew that by enduring the cross, He would conquer sin and death so that we could have eternal life.  It was the greater good.  Yes, He gladly went to the cross on our behalf, without distractions.

Honesty time here.  If you know me, you probably also know that I have a bent to be just like those surfer guys.  When I am extremely stressed, my ADD brain kicks in, and it's hard for me to prioritize the fog clouding my brain.  Work, family, and friends distract me from what I know I should be doing.

What about you?  What has God called you to do that you aren't focusing on with all your effort?  Has He clearly told you to go on a mission trip, and yet you're holding on to your fear?  (Matthew 28 says go, that one should be a no-brainer!)  Has He asked you to serve in a particular area at church?  Maybe it's even more simple than that.  Maybe God is telling you to follow Him whole heartedly.  He's been pricking your heart to spend more time with Him, praying and reading your Bible daily.  What is it?  Take some time to write it down.  For me, writing it down in ink is the hardest part.  That's where I become honest with myself.  That's the point of commitment for me, no turning back.   

What distractions are in place that keep you from fixing your eyes on Jesus?  Financial pressures?  Stresses of work?  Busyness of life?  What about your friends?  Yes, even your "bestest" of friends could be distracting you.  All these things can lead us to give the same answer the disciples did to Jesus in Matthew 26, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."  The disciples wanted to pray with Jesus, but they were just so stinking tired!  How many times do we use the excuse, "There just aren't enough hours in the day!"  Think about it.  Search your soul.  Ask our Father in Heaven to show you and reveal truth in your life today.

Back to the surfer dudes in the ER.  The cool thing is that even though they got distracted from the important issue, the doctor was able to bring their focus back.  He was able to help them realize what the real priority should be - removing the spear, not saving the fish.  In the end, they actually got the best of both worlds and came back that night with dinner for the doctor, a special thank you gift. 

I believe God, the Great Physician, is a lot like that doctor.  He helps us gain focus, and He heals us spiritually so that we can accomplish His will.  Are you ready to serve without distraction?  Are you ready to stop using excuses?  Get your pen and paper handy, and get honest with God.  No more distractions.  No more excuses.  And no more ADD surfer moments.

 ---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

In Search of Hidden Treasure

January 12th, 2010

 

I’m really a pretty simple girl. To ‘get’ something, sometimes God has to hit me over the head with it. I can’t really read a detailed instruction sheet on how to put something together. I just don’t process things that way – I’m more of a visual learner.

 

That’s why I love IKEA. Their instruction sheets have no words – only pictures! So, I love it when God gives formulas in the Bible. I don’t have to be smart to figure out what to do. I don’t have to be a Bible scholar to understand what He’s trying to say.

When I see the word “IF” then I know there’s going to be a “THEN”. “IF” I do a certain thing, “THEN” He will do something else. In Proverbs 2, God uses Solomon to give some pretty clear instructions for living.

 

Proverbs 2: 1-9 “IF”…
---I accept His words

---Store up His commands within me
---Turn my ear to wisdom

---Apply my heart to understanding

---Call out for insight

---Cry out for understanding

---Look for understanding like it is silver

---Search for it like it is hidden treasure

“THEN”…

---I will understand the fear of the Lord

---I will find the knowledge of God

---I will understand what is right and just and fair

---I will understand the right path to take

 

“If” is a conditional word.  It requires action on my part.  The ‘knowledge’ is  the easy thing for me.  The ‘action’ is a bit harder.  Now, I’m not opposed to physical labor.  I think everyone should do it once in their life.  J  But I am lazy.  There.  I said it.  The cat is out of the bag.  I am not a slob.  My house is clean.  I keep my laundry up.  But physcial exercise and exertion are not high on my ‘top 10’ things to do every day.

 

One of the most physical things I’ve ever done in my life is go panning for gold out in California.  We saw a segment on the Travel Channel a few years ago that talked about the richest river in the country.  More gold has come out of this river and creek then any other water source in the nation.  They said you could pay a per person fee and go panning with a professional.  So, on a cross country road trip, that’s what we did.  My family, along with a few other families that heard about the same opportunity, went to the river.  It was there that  I experienced the most physical exertion of myself that I ever hope to do.  For about 5 hours, we dug in a river bank, lugged jugs to sift through the mud and dirt, slueced the dirt, over and over.  I can’t tell you how miserable I was from just being cold and dirty…but more than that, my back ached like never before.  Hats off to those people long ago who made a living out of pannign for gold.  I’ve had my fill of it, and I can scratch that one off my bucket list.

 

Just like our guide gave us step by step instructions on how to find gold, God gives us clear instructions on how to find His treasure.  As I read through the “IF’s”, the one I’m challenged by today is ‘store up His commands within me.”  I made a decision to ask Christ to take control of my life at a young age.  I grew up in a Christian home, went to a Christian school my entire life, and I went to a Christina college.  I’m thankful for this, now.  I was required to memorize a lot of Scripture.  At that time, I couldn’t internalize or apply most of it.  They were just words to memorize.

 

But now, the words of Scripture have so much deeper meaning to me.  When I read a verse I have memorized in the past, it’s lik e it comes to life.  But like I said…I’m lazy.  And I’ve let myself rely on my previous memorizations and havn’t been active as of late in ‘storing up His commands within me.’  So, that is what God is saying to me this morning.   I love all these “IF” and “THEN”s…they give me clear direction.  They can be prayed out to God in request form.  But what God is saying to me is that I need to be more active in memorizing new Scripture, not just reviewing Bible verses I’ve already learned.  I’m going to start today.  How about you?  I would love to meet for 15 minutes a week with some of my friends to memorize scripture together.  Will you consider doing this with me?

 

My verse for this week:  Proverbs 1:33  Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.

 

Oh, and by the way, after the hours of physical labor in searching for gold, yes, we did find some.  We have a precious vial of gold, worth about $85.  Less than what we paid to try to find it.  But it’s something we will cherish as a fmily forever because of the hard work that we put into finding it.  Oh, if we only would search for God and His will as hard as we search for earthly treasures!

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

Where is my heart?

January 5^th, 2010

 

Matthew  6:21    For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Such a great reminder. Things are going great for our family right now. We have a beautiful new house. Jacob is healthy. Amber is a teenager and not rebelling. We love our new church. I will be singing on the worship team this year. I am cancer free. (I could go on counting my many blessings!) But the Lord reminds me that in a split moment, it can all be gone. If that happened, what would my reaction be?

When I think of this verse, 'where your treasure is, that's where your heart will be', I'm also reminded of Proverbs 4:23 - "Above all else, guard your heart. For it is the wellspring of life."

WELLSPRING. I'm not an expert, but the imagery I think of is a fire hydrant flowing! I want to be a fire hydrant flowing waters of life.

Remember to put your focus on God.  Sometimes He blesses you with other tangible ‘treasures.’  Sometimes it’s in other ways.   But, when you prioritize to make Him first in your life, everything else seems to fall into place.

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com