GodandMe2theMax

I Have Only Done My Duty...

Do you ever feel like you need a little extra credit for a job well done? Maybe a little more affirmation than what you are receiving? Do you want to somehow find a way to humbly brag about something really cool you've done? I've been there, and if being completely honest, most people would say they've been there, too.

I have been reading in Luke 17:7-10. "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"

We have only done our duty.

As I read those words, I stopped still in my reading. How many times have you thanked someone for something and they said, "No problem; I was only doing my job." I've heard that response many times. In other words, no extra credit was necessary, it was all in the 'line of duty.'

So I started to think, what exactly does this mean when it comes to spiritual matters? What is MY DUTY, in relation to God? And when I do what God has called me to do, am I being a self-promoter or a God-promoter? Ouch! Certainly, as a blogger and song-writer, there's nothing wrong with sharing the talents God has given me with others. But the difference is in the attitude of the heart. Who is taking credit for the end result? Am I out there saying, "Hey everyone, look at this cool song I wrote?" Or am I out there saying, "Let me share with you what God has allowed me to do!"? Or "Let me share with you what God is teaching me."

This is a tough one for me. I wouldn't say I'm a proud person, but I'm definitely not a naturally humble person either. The truth is, I'm a talker. A communicator. And I'm the kind of person that likes to share everything going on in my life with my friends and family. However, I've been told by a close family member that "all my talking" comes across as bragging sometimes. That's a tough one to swallow.

So back to the phrase, "I have only done my duty." What is it that God has called me to do? He's called me to obedience. He's called me to write. He's called me to tell others about Him. But when the praise and accolades come from the various "work" that I do for Him, is my heart's response, "I have only done my duty."? Definitely, this is a convicting phrase for me.

I think it's no accident that this passage in Luke uses the words of a servant in the master's home. Isn't that what we each are supposed to be, a servant? We must be serving each other, not self-serving. The words to that old Maranatha song ring loudly this morning...

Make me a servant. Humble and meek.
Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.
And may the prayer of my heart always be
Make me a servant. Make me a servant. Make me a servant today.

Father, keep me humble. Let me give all the glory in any accomplishment to You. Without You, I am nothing. Without You, I have nothing. And without You, life is not worth living. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart always be acceptable to You. Let my response always be, "I have only done my duty."

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Branding. What's your Life's Tag Line?

**I'm lovin' it!**Be all that you can be! **The Breakfast of Champions**Good to the last drop! **It takes a licking and keeps on ticking! **Just do it! **Melts in your mouth, not in your hands! **So easy a caveman can do it! ** Taste the rainbow! **Finger-lickin' good! **Have it your way! **

The list can go on and on of slogans, marketing programs, and branding techniques so good that you instantly identify the product with the phrase. Most people reading this will know every single one I listed, maybe even sing the jingle. I think perhaps one of the best and my personal favorite is that of Target. All they have to do is show their logo, no name, nothing else, and the consumer just knows who it is. I remember the first time I saw a commercial with just that red bullseye. I stared blankly at the screen for literally two seconds, and then my brain connected the dots to Target. Brilliant!

So lately I've been thinking a lot about branding. Branding in two senses. Of course, first I think about cattle out on a field. They are branded so that there is no discrepancy as to who owns them. They are marked. It's clear. If a cow wanders off or gets through the fence, everyone in the farming community would know who it belonged to so they could return it to the proper owner.

Then there's intentional branding, like what a marketing person does. This is when you do certain things to make your product recognizable, more attractive, well-known, and likeable even.

Leave it to my random ADD mind to be consumed with this thought as of late, but I can't shake this idea of spiritual branding, both kinds. Paul says in Galatians 6:17 that "he bears on his body the marks of Jesus." He was branded! After Paul became a Christian, I think everyone who came in contact with him knew who he belonged to. It was how he was identified. But what about me? No, I don’t have a physical brand on me. I have no tattoos, and I’m not planning on getting any. Physical pain is something I try to avoid. But like Paul, “Do I bear the mark of Jesus?” When I wander outside my fences of home and church, can people tell who I belong to? Is the fact that I am a Christian recognizable to others? Or do I just simply blend in with the crowd? Sure, blending in isn’t always a bad thing. I don’t need to be flamboyant in my Christian walk. But the Bible clearly teaches we should be set apart. Different. And I believe, like Paul, we should be branded.

Then I think of the spiritual aspect of branding when it comes to marketing. How do we market Jesus to others? I know, I know, that doesn’t sound quite right. But think about it. Isn’t spreading the Gospel entail “marketing” in the truest sense of the word?

I was reading an article recently on lessons to learn from branding mistakes. It says “Brand extensions should be carefully considered and with a deep understanding of the core brand and its appeal. Fans will not flock to a new product just because they think your brand is the best thing since sliced bread, not to mention one too many disappointments, and they’ll be flocking to a competitor instead.” http://kpbj.com/headlines/business_tools/2012-03-02/famous_branding_mistakes_and_what_you_can_learn_from_them

Did you get that? It says brands should be considered with a deep understanding of the core brand and its appeal. People may come to Christ or even come visit church because it’s exciting at first, but of course, that excitement eventually wears off. Then what happens? They move on. To another fad. Another interest. Another market. Just like the article says, I must have a deep understanding of my core brand. And what’s that? It’s Jesus. It’s His power. It’s His love. It’s His creation. And it will take a life-time of devotion and study to develop that deep understanding so that I can represent Him with appeal.

So what’s your brand? What’s your logo? What’s your tag line? I’m challenged today to write my own. Seriously, take a minute to write what you think others would say your life’s tag line is right now. If you’re brave enough, ask one of your friends what they would say your life's tag line is currently (and not one of your church friends or your family, either!) Then take a minute to pray about what God would want your tag line to be. Is there a difference? If so, like me, you probably need to work on your branding.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Pulling off the blindfold...

When I was a teenager, my friend Anne and I used to take turns blindfolding each other while the other would drive around town. When we were done, the one who was blindfolded had to try to guess where we ended up. We always tried to be pretty creative with our turns and circles, so much that in the end, no matter how hard we tried to follow the turns, the guess of the final destination was usually wrong. Our sneaky lefts and rights had left the other disoriented enough to not know the truth.

That's where I was last night. Blindfolded by some sneaky lefts and rights thrown at me from the deceiver himself...so much to the point that I was disoriented from the truth.

Do you ever get in one of those moods? Maybe you can relate. Everything sets you on edge, and you have this angst in your spirit. Well yesterday evening, I was overcome with that exact emotion. I didn't feel it earlier in the day, but I have a feeling it's been there for a while...building. One thing set me off, and needless to say I got pretty ugly. And stayed that way. Even after everyone went to bed, I laid in bed, unable to sleep, just being plain miserable. Miserable with everyone around me. Miserable with situations out of my control. Miserable with my emotions. Miserable with...me.

As I often do when I can't sleep, I started praying. It's amazing when you ask God to reveal Himself to you how His Holy Spirit does just that. It didn't take long for me to see the problem. Me. (It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out - the problem is always me!) I've had a busy week, back and forth to Jacksonville, Florida, lots of extra hours at work to catch up from being out of the office, and something had to give. Unfortunately, I made the wrong choice, and the thing that "gave" for me was my quiet time.

As a seasoned Christian, I made a calculated error. "It won't matter if I miss spending a few days with my best friend. I'll catch up later, when I have time." The truth is, for me, if I'm not seeking God every single day, then I'm not growing. I went to bed thanking God that His mercies are fresh every morning. I went to bed knowing changes needed to be made in my morning schedule, and today will be different. He removed that blindfold that was disorienting me.

This morning as I sat down to read, the Lord brought my attention to these verses in 2 Peter 1:5-9.

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. "

"Make every effort." Hmmm...nope, definitely I haven't made every effort to do much of anything but work lately. Ok, well, maybe I've made every effort to do the exact opposite of some of these things. Truth is, it comes so naturally that I didn't have to try much at all. I've defininitely not made every effort to add to my faith goodness, knowledge (and we won't even go there with the self-control issue when it comes to my raging temper the last few days!)...perseverance, godliness, mutual affection (what's that?!?) and love. Love? I've been so blinded.

"Add to your faith." ... "Increasing measure." Not only does God give me a big list of things I should be working on here, but He says to add to my faith and possess these qualities in increasing measure. If I can't measure my growth, if these things are not being added to my character daily, then it doesn't matter how seasoned of a Christian I am, I'm not in God's will, and I have been blindfolded.

You know, most people who are blind do not lose their sight overnight. Sure, some are born blind, and some have injuries that cause immediate blindness, but the majority of people lose their sight, over time. It's a process. And that's just how satan gets us. A little at a time. He chinks away at us when we least suspect it, when our guard is down, hoping to disorient us to the truth of who we are and where we should be in Christ.

I decided I would write what was on my heart about this, and I was shocked to see that I haven't even blogged once this year. Not once. Shame on me. I love writing. I love sharing what God's been doing in my life. But it looks like that blindfold has been attached a little longer than even I was aware.

Let me never forget what God has done for me. How he saved me. What a filthy person I could be and am without Him. Let me never allow the enemy to blindfold me, even for a moment. He is the great deceiver. He will go to no lengths to make lefts and rights and trick me into thinking I should be somewhere else. I am God's child. I will add to my faith. Increase in measure. And I refuse to go blind.

--Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Integrity

Psalm 25:21 "May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in You."

Proverbs 2:6-8 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.

Integrity, Defined as a firm adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished. Unimpaired. No, integrity doesn't mean you're perfect. As someone once said, it just means you do what is right when no one is looking.

You know, your reputation is something you can destroy in an instant. With one bad decision. It's also something someone else can attempt to destroy pretty quickly, too. What I've been struggling with lately is the latter. I made some completely upright decisions that others weren't too happy about, and my integrity is being threatened. In my adult life, that's one thing I've always been very proud of, and if I'm honest with you and myself, it is eating me alive that my integrity is being questioned.

But every time I pour out my heart to God about how unhappy I am that this is taking place, he just reminds me that He knows the truth. My hope is in Him, and He will protect me. He is my shield, guarding my path of justice.

Admitedly, I am a people person. No, I don't make decisions based on what people will think, but I do want people to like me and know the inner me. I want people to know the truth and believe the truth, especially if they have formed other opinions. I want to defend myself. It's the inner lawyer in me! I think that's human nature. But when I lose sleep over what people think, then it's wrong. When that happens, I'm not trusting in God. I'm not having faith that the truth will eventually come out. At that point, I'm more concerned about what people think of me than what God does. And if I'm honest with myself, that's called sin. I'm reminded of Psalm 20:7 that says, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."

I ask myself today, "What am I trusting in?" Am I putting my faith in my reputation that I've worked so hard to build? Or am I putting my faith in Jesus Christ, my solid rock who never changes?

I resolve today to try to let go of these things that others are saying. They are but fleeting. I resolve to trust God more and think less about what others might believe. I resolve to let God be my shield and defense. With Him on my side, I can't lose!

If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters. ~Alan Simpson

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Hibernating through the winter storm...

Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save; He will take great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing."

Last night, Frank and I were watching a television show called "Mantracker" on the science channel. It's another one of those reality tv shows; yes, I might need therapy. Emphasis on the word "might." Anyway, the premise of the show is that two individuals are dropped off in the middle of a rough Canadian terrain with a goal of getting to a pre-established "finish line" without being caught my "Mantracker." "Mantracker" has a horse, and attempts to use nature's clues to track down the couple before they get to the finish line. The Science Channel does a pretty good job making it an entertaining show to watch. I could never do it, for sure. Admittedly, I'm too bug-phobic and pampered. And last night, there were plenty of bear tracks to be found. No thank you, I will stay in the warmth of my media room and watch others be hunted.

So last night during the show, a bear fact was flashed across the screen. "Did you know that a bear's heart normally beats forty-fifty times per minute, but when a bear hibernates, the heart drops down to about eight times per minute?" That's more than a 75% decrease in activity!

This morning as I was thinking about that fact, I started to relate it to what we do as Christians sometimes. When the cold comes, when we feel alone in the Canadian tundra, when we feel like we're being hunted by "Mantracker", what reaction do we have? Do we thrive? Do we maintain the same number of heartbeats? Or do we go into hibernation, trying to hunker down til this winter storm is over?

When those storms of life come, I believe God has a purpose for them. ...And the purpose is not to hunker down and try to make it through. Either God wants to glorify Himself through the situation, teach us something, increase our faith, draw us closer to Him through the event, or any combination! But God does have a purpose in each trial we face. Sometimes we don't ever know it, and sometimes years later we understand. But I wonder, just like a bear in hibernation, how often do we allow our heartbeat to slow down during the winter of our lives? What reaction do we have when the trials hit?

On the contrary, when going through tough times, that's when our heart beat should speed up, not slow down. That's when we should hunker down even deeper into our Heavenly Father and His Word. Are you in hibernation today? Are you trying to "make it through" until spring and warmer weather hit your household? This verse in Zephaniah is one of my all-time favorites. I memorized it in 2010, and I'm reminded of it once again this morning. Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save; He will take great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing."

No matter what the winter of life is that is causing you to want to hibernate, don't do it. Remember God is there. He delights in us. He quiets us with His love. He sings to us! Don't miss the voice of God because you're in hibernation. My God is mighty to save...even from the mantracker!

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Twenty more hours...

Twenty more hours.

That's how much longer I have until my husband returns from Africa. Just twenty more hours. In many ways, this has been the roughest trip for me with him away. You see, when we're most vulnerable, that's when the enemy tries to attack. And attack he did the last two weeks...mostly in our family. Many of you know Jacob's past health struggles, and unfortunately, they have decided to come to the forefront again, just in time for me to deal with them all on my own.

And therein lies the problem. The words "on my own." How often do we go through life, thinking we're 'on our own' with the feelings we have. We have our little pity parties because things aren't going the way we think they should. We think we're the only one who feels this way. We focus so much on ourselves that we forget to look outward. It's when we look at others, we realize how insignificant and small the problems we deal with really are. We get ourselves up in a tizzy thinking about all the issues at hand instead of thanking God for his bountiful blessings.

And truly, I am so blessed and rich with friends in my life. While Frank has been gone, one friend brought me dinner, another family had us over for dinner, and another family took us out to a restaurant for dinner. How awesome is that? Beyond words. Lord, forgive me for thinking "I'm on my own." Even more, Lord, You are here. You are here when Jacob struggles with behavior. You are here when Amber struggles with more hours of homework than she gets sleep. You are here in my sleepless nights of solitude. You are here, and I am never alone. Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you or forsake you."

And so, twenty more hours. That's twenty hours to turn my frown upside down. Twenty more hours to offer a helping hand to someone else. That's twenty more hours to try to encourage someone else. And that's twenty more hours to praise my God in the storms of life.

So when you're in a countdown, like I currently am, holding your breath until that moment you've waited for finally arrives, instead of trying to hold out, use every minute that you can for God. Praise Him. And thank Him that you have just twenty more hours.

 

Psalm 66:1-7 "Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious. Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, the sing praise to your name. Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf! He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the waters on foot, let us rejoice in Him. He rules forever by His power, his eyes watch the nations – let not the rebellious rise up against Him.’”

Who is my god? The object of my affection...

Yesterday I downloaded a new book on my kindle called "Craving God: A 21 Day Devotional" by Lisa TerKeurst.  It was free, and published by Zondervann, so I figured I couldn't go wrong.  The book is about craving God instead of food.  (At least with the given title and my limited reading so far, that's what I can tell.)

As I read the first chapter, I was quickly allerted to the fact that this "devotional" had only a vague reference to Psalm 139 with us being fearfully and wonderfully made.  Sure, the content has been good so far, but when I finished the first chapter, I definitely didn't feel "fed" spiritually.  You know, just because something says "devotional" on it, doesn't mean it's filled with God's Word.  And to grow spiritually, we have to be cautious to not fill our mind with words from good people...we have to focus on God's inspired Word.  Ironic, yes, coming from a blogger.  But true, nonetheless.

Like I said, the content has been good, and I'm going to finish this book.  Struggle with food has always been a life-long battle for me.  Here's some quotes from the book so far...

"I had to get honest enough to admit that I relied on food more than I relied on God, I craved food more than I craed God."

"Is it possible we love and rely on food more than we love and rely on God?  Now before you delete this, hear me out.  This question is crucial.  We have to see the purpose of our struggle with food as something more than getting to wear smaller sizes and receiving compliments.  Shallow desires produce shallwo efforts...The process of getting healthy has to be about more than just losing weight and focusing on ourselves.  It's not about adjusting our diets and hoping for good physical results.  It's about recalibrating our souls so that we want to change for the right reasons."

But as I contemplated the words from the book, I turned to God's book, and for whatever reason, he led me to Psalm 23.  The Lord is my shepherd.  I shall not be in want.  Interesting that the Lord led me to that.  If I am craving food, maybe I'm not letting the Lord be my shepherd.  Hmmm...  He leads me...He restores me...He guides me...He's with me...He prepares my table...

So as I contemplated the combination of my new little "devotional" book with God's book, He led me to write this poem this morning.  It's a question we each have to ask ourselves, not once, but every single day.  Who or what is our god?  Who or what is the object of our affection?  I'm renewed today with an even greater desire to keep my God with a big - G on the throne.

Who is my god?  The object of my affection.

Wake up super early, phone by my bed.
No time for breakfast, gotta get the kids fed.
Must have my coffee, can’t live without it.
Then find time to work out so I can stay fit.

Making good progress, now it’s my time for me.
Kids are at school, and I’m finally free.
On the docket today, shopping and fun.
And of course some facebook while I’m on the run.

A glance at my watch says it’s time to stop
Kids will be home soon and the floors still need mopped.
Dinner is served.  Homework is done.
Kids are in bed.  Watch out tv, here I come.

The end of the day, it’s quickly in sight.
I got it all done, with all of my might.
Almost asleep.  Whoops, gotta say a quick prayer.
Then God speaks back in the dark night air.

“Who is your god?  You’ve replaced Me, you see.
The day is over, but what about Me?
You have time for shopping, you have time for fun.
You have time for friends, but time for me, there’s none.

Who is your god, the coffee, your phone?
Is it your food, your chocolate, am I still on the throne?
Am I King of Your life, ruling supreme?
Or have I been replaced with more important things?”

“But God, I just had so much to do.
Tomorrow will be better.  I’ll find time for You.”
But the pattern continues.  Night after night.
“I’ll change, God.  Tomorrow will start off right.”

Truth be told, nothing changes until the heart is clean
With motives and sin on the table to be seen.
The object of my affection each day must be You.
My big G-God, my provider, my only love true.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Silence is golden...

I can't believe it.  It's been nearly six weeks since I've blogged.  I used to be so faithful...at least once, if not twice a week!  What happened?  I'll tell you what happened.  I quit my job, thinking I'd have all the time in the world to write and deepen my passion for writing, then I found out I needed shoulder surgery.  Then all my plans puffed up in smoke.

Earlier this week, five and a half weeks after surgery, my doctor released me from this massive heat-retaining immobilizing brace I've been confined to wear.  It was now time to start "intense physical therapy", and summer is officially over.  Summer.  Just a fleeting thought in the whirlwind that has been my existence the last several weeks.  It's over, and what did I accomplish?  Not anywhere near what I wanted to, that's for sure.  OK, ok, I'll try not to be too hard on myself, since much of it was because of the surgery, but as I sit at my computer and try to get back in the groove, I ask myself why my plans didn't work out.

One thing for sure is that I was uninspired.  Yeah, I don't get it either.  All the time in the world on my hands, no commitments to bog me down, yet I experienced a time of draught spiritually.  Now, don't misunderstand me.  I don't spend time with God so I can write.  But what usually happens is that God inspires me while I'm spending time with Him, and my writing is just an expression of what He's teaching me.  But that just didn't happen.  I would have my quiet time, but I felt like God wasn't speaking to me, let alone inspiring me.  What did I get instead?  a big goose-egg.  Nothing. 

But what I've learned is that times of silence are not a bad thing.  Psalm 62:1-2 says "For God alone my soul waits in silence, from Him alone comes my salvation.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, I will never be shaken." 

Do you see a little theme there?  ALONE.  David's soul was in silence, maybe in the desert spiritually, feeling alone, but the one constant was that He was not alone.  He was waiting only on God, who ALONE provides salvation.  In God ALONE is the rock and fortress that allowed him to not be shaken.   

I was chatting with a very wise young friend from Colombia about my little spiritual drought.  OK, to be honest, maybe I was having a pity party for myself.  I hate having plans and letting them fall by the wayside, and I was in a bit of a depressed state over my situation.  Anyway, he gave me some wise advise that went something like this:  "Beth, be faithful.  This is God's plan.  Grow in Him, and when You get to the other side, His words are going to be just pouring out of you after being replenished."  I can't remember his exact words, but they went something like that, and they were really just what I needed to hear at that time.

So, I'm not really out of the desert yet, but I feel like I'm finally crossing over to the other side, six weeks to the day after my surgery.  And spiritually, I know God is growing me, even though I don't necessarily feel the growth on a daily basis.  Just like a child grows each day, sometimes you don't recognize it right away.  God uses times of silence to grow us, too.  Silence to remind us to rely on Him fully.  Silence to make me shut up and contemplate His will.  Silence to obey.  Coming from a jabber-jaw, silence isn't always easy, but in the end, it's golden.

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Opportunities Lost...

My daughter Amber is one of those teenagers that moms dream of.  She's a content girl who rarely asks for anything.  We are blessed, and considering the headaches that I put my parents through, I don't deserve her.  Definitely. 

Well, Amber's birthday was in May, and figuring out what to give her is always a challenge.  For example, at Christmas time, the only thing on her Christmas list was the Indiana Jones Trilogy.  For real.  True story.  But this year, I came up with a great idea for her birthday gift.  Amber loves American Idol, so I talked to my husband, and we decided to get her American Idol concert tickets.  We've been able to go twice before, and this would be a perfect gift.  However, we couldn't even find four seats together in any of the concerts in the entire state of Texas.  So we quickly made the decision to drive to the Oklahoma City concert.  It would be Amber's birthday gift, not to mention a nice time for our family of four to get away together.

The concert was incredible.  Of the three we've been to, it was by far the best, even though our seats were pretty high up.  As we were getting ready to leave, I stopped to ask my husband Frank if we could go check to see if they were signing autographs.  He quickly denied my motion.  "It's late.  They've never done it before.  Let's go."  Yes, it was a pretty matter-of-fact decision.  I asked again, and I received the same reply.

Now, I'm pretty strong willed.  Usually if I want something, I'll do it.  I have no idea why I didn't follow my normal Beth-instincts and do what I wanted to do...at least asking an usher to confirm my question.  Nonetheless, I complied with my husband.  Yes, a rare moment for me.  We went back to our hotel room, reminiscing about the great evening we had together as a family.

The next morning, we went to IHOP before starting back to our home in Texas.  In the room, two other families were gathered.  We could hear them also talking about their experience at the Idol concert the night before.  Being the nosey person I am, I started to eavesdrop.  However, I didn't like what I was hearing.  One mom was talking about meeting Scotty and Lauren.  Wait.  How could this be?  I piped in across the room.  Did you meet them and get their autograph?  You know the answer I heard.

I looked at Frank with a glare, and a forced smile, trying to be a good example.  I missed my opportunity.  I couldn't believe it.  I had the chance.  I even wore my I AM SECOND t-shirt to the concert, in hopes of meeting Scotty.  I had the chance.  I missed my opportunity.  Over and over the thoughts ran through my mind.  I wasn't mad at him.  I was just frustrated.  I was so close, but obviously so far away.

I had a long ride in the van to think about the situation.  I even brought God into my thoughts.  Imagine that.  I prayed for a better attitude.  And just as quickly as I did, He told me there were plenty of other more important missed opportunites that I should be concerned with.  Missed opportunites to tell people about Him.  I had a chance to tell those people at IHOP about God, but I missed that opportunity as well.

If you follow my blog, you might note that I haven't been writing as much lately.  Actually, I have been doing a lot of writing, but just not a lot of blogging.  God's been using my writing to write songs with one of my best friends.  I don't publish most of them, because one day we hope to be able to get them recorded.  As I contemplated about "Opportunites Lost", the Lord just gave me the poem below.  I hope you'll look for opportunites to share His love with those around you.  Let's do it together!

 

Opportunities Lost
© by Beth Banfill

Colossians 4:5-6  “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Sometime things just happen
And I’ve got no control over them
I miss a chance to fulfill my dream
And I’ll never get it back again.

But life is filled with near misses
Opportunities gone.  Lost kisses.
And it’s so easy to cast the blame
“It’s not my fault.” - playing that game.

Then I hear God’s voice very clearly
While He looks at my tightly clenched fist.
“Just how many opportunities
To tell others about Me have you missed?

What about the lady at the store?
Did you tell her that I love her more?
And what about that dirty man on the street?
Did you walk by in fear as he begged at your feet?

And at church when they passed the plate?
Did you give willingly or hesitate?”
Missed opportunities – they abound.
God open my eyes, they’re all around.

Yes, sometimes, things just happen.
And we’ve got no control over them.
We miss a chance to fulfill our dream
And we’ll never get it back again.

But we always have an opportunity
To be Jesus throughout our community.
We just have to look with eyes open wide
Through the eyes of God and swallow our pride.

God let me be Your hands.  Be Your feet.
Let me sieze the opportunity.  Carpe Diem.
Let me be Your voice, no matter the cost.
So I have no more opportunities lost.

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

They are people. They have names.

 

They are people.  They have names.  As I mentally start to process everything I experienced in the last week in Barranquilla, Colombia, that’s all I can think of.  They are people, and they have names.

Last Monday, I posted a lot about multiplication and math facts.  But sometimes we tend to give our “mission trip report” based on the numbers.  How many people were saved.  How many people heard the Gospel.  How many people were in attendance at the new mission site.  And truly, those numbers were incredible.  Our team of forty-four North Americans shared the Gospel (at last count) to 3033 people.  Of those people who heard the Gospel, we were able to see 2136 people make professions of faith in Christ.  That’s 2136 people with names, ages, addresses, and follow up information given to the local pastors.  That’s 2136 people who now have their name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life that weren’t recorded just one week ago.  Our team worked in twenty barrios across Barranquilla, and throughout the week, seventy-four  “Yo Soy Segundo/I am Second” discipleship groups were started!   Yes, the numbers are good.  But these numbers represent people, and they have names.

My team of six, from our Firewheel youth and adult worship team worked in two areas throughout the week, Malambo and Ciudadela.  As I said in a previous post, I worked in Malambo three years ago, and the church I helped start then was now birthing a second generation church.  But let me tell you about the people.  The stories.  Their names.  Their needs.

 
 
Pastor Jesus Donado (pictured above) is the new pastor of the mission site in Malambo.  What a cool name he has, literally meaning “Jesus donated!”  The name of the new mission church is Bautista el Gran Trono, literally meaning “The Great Baptist Throne.”  Please pray for this pastor, his wife Candida, and the church workers who will be following up and discipling these 100 new baby Christians in his barrio.

Lizardo de la Cruz Avila - This is the first person I was able to share the good news of Jesus with on Monday morning.  She was already a Christian, but she asked for prayer to be more bold in sharing her faith.  I asked her who she planned on sharing the Gospel with, and she quickly said the first person who needs to hear is her next door neighbor.  Pray for Lizardo to get involved in the local Bible study group and new church plant that is being started in Malambo.

Gustavo Carmago – accepted Christ on Monday – our Independence Day.  We spent time training him on presenting this newfound faith on his own.  Before he left, in simple terms, he could share his decision of accepting God’s free gift of forgiveness on his own.  He asked prayer for strength and boldness to share Christ with his wife and three daughters, who are deep in the Jehovah Witness faith.

 
Esneider Castro, Audy Castro, Jose Ivan Garcia, Liliana Paencia, Neiver de la Cruz, and Shirlys de la Cruz, and Juan Dios Castro Acosta.  Juan is 58, and the partriarch in this family of seven.  How awesome it was to sit outside under a shade tree, initially with only six of these seven people.  They knew the story of Jesus dying on the cross, but they had never connected the dots that He is offering to everyone a free gift of salvation that is not works-based.  We trained them all to share their faith using the E-Card, and just as we were finishing, another family member walked into the circle of chairs.  How amazing it was to watch one of the brothers, Jose, articulate the plan of salvation.  Before we left, one more name was written in ink, on top of the six family members who were initially sitting there.

Ruby Baron – please pray for this decision to solidify in her life.  We talked to her on her front  porch, and although she seemed to make a genuine decision for Christ, I ask that you pray for her specifically.  Only God knows the position of her heart when she prayed with us, as He does with everyone.  At times she seemed a little distracted, looking away and down the street to the hustle and bustle of the other team members.

Luis Carlos Lopez Martines – We shared with Luis at the same time of sharing with Ruby.  However, unlike Ruby, he was clued in on our every word.  I prayed to receive Christ, and when I pulled out an E-Card to train him how to share this faith in Christ with others, he told me, “Oh, I have one of those.”  I was a little confused and shocked.  However, then the real story came out.  A few minutes earlier, another team member shared the Gospel with him, and he just wasn’t ready to make a decision.  However, as the Bible says, some sow, some water, and God gives the increase.  And that’s exactly what happened with Luis Carlos.  I told him God wants us to be a shining light in the world.  Before we left to visit with other people, he worked through the E-Card and was able to share the Gospel with my translator, Christian.  I wondered if would really share with anyone.  Then about fifteen minutes later, I looked up to see Luis Carlos sitting in front of another home, getting a pedicure, and sharing his E-Card with the lady doing his feet.  In the heat of the day, I had goose bumps all over and a huge smile.  Please pry for Luis Carlos to be strong in his faith and bold in his witness.  He also asked pray for God’s blessing on his fish business.  He is a street vendor in Malambo.

Yoveli Arayou Caballero is a young girl who was also present when we shared with Luis Carlos and Ruby.  She has a strong Jehovah Witness background, and she prayed to receive Christ.  However, when we asked her what day would be good for the Malambo’s mission pastor to follow up and do a discipleship visit, she hesitated to commit.  She walked away knowing how to use the E-Card, but only God will be able to water that seed and grow Yoveli into a true disciple.  Pray for her and her family.

Pastor Evelio and his wife Luz Elena Gonzalez will be shepherding the new mission point in Ciudadela.  (The picture above is from the Victory Service on Friday night when we commissioned all the pastors and their families in their new work.  Luz Elena is the lady in the front in the purple with the black purse.) The name of their church is “Para el que cree, todo es possible.”  What a great name for a church, and how true: For those who believe, all things are possible!  Please pray for them as they begin to do follow up visits with the 90 professions of faith in their neighborhood.

Mirella Jolis, age 49.  Mirella was the first person I was able to share with in the Ciudadela barrio on Wednesday.  As we were breaking up into teams, deciding which team was going to work on which side of the street, she walked up to me and asked, “What’s this all about?”  So on the side of the street, with beads of sweat pouring down my back, I shared God’s love with her.  After about thirty minutes of talking , she prayed to receive Christ as her personal Savior.

 

 

Jorge Bevnal is a 38 year old from Ciudadela.  (Above)  He saw all the commotion in the street, and when we were dividing up into the smaller teams and deciding to where to work, we apparently walked right by him.  He wanted to talk to us, but he figured perhaps we were going house to house.  So what did Jorge do?  He planted himself down on his small patio, shirtless, and decided to “take a nap” to see if we would walk right by him.  I started to walk around him, then I peeked over to see if his eyes were open.  I could see he was awake, and Thais, the national who was leading us through the neighborhood, asked if we could share our story with him.  Jorge sat there, eyes glued on every word I shared.  He then said that the night before he had a dream that a ghost (which he named Lincoln) was fighting for his soul.  He had woken up in the middle of the night, screaming and fighting this evil spirit who was trying to take control.  He had prayed that God would help him fight Lincoln off, and then we showed up in his barrio!

When I asked Jorge if he wanted to pray to receive God’s free gift of salvation, he asked if he “had to right now.”  Interesting.  I could see a tug of war for his heart, and I told him so.  I asked him, “The question is, Jorge, who is going to win that tug-of-war?”  That is what God used to break his heart.  Jorge accepted Christ as His Savior, and the change was immediate.  After he finished praying, he shared with us that as he prayed and asked forgiveness of his sins, he literally felt the burdens being lifted.  And when he asked Christ to come into his life and be Lord, he said he felt the Holy Spirit come in.  Now mind you, I did not even tell him yet about the Holy Spirit!  He then immediately started asking us deeper biblical questions.  Questions like, “How do I know what God wants me to do now?”  “What happens if I sin again, because I know I will?”  We spent the last hour of our visit with Jorge doing discipleship, answering his questions by  showing him God’s instruction manual, the Bible.  Jorge asked prayer for boldness to share Christ with his neighbor, his brother, and his friend.  He came to the evening discipleship (Yo Soy Segundo) group, and I have no doubt that I will meet Jorge again in eternity.  What a total God story he has!

 

 

Henry and Mariella (above) are a brother and sister in Malambo, and they are now my brother and sister in Christ, too.  Henry requested prayer for boldness in sharing his new faith with his girlfriend.

Delna Garcia is an older woman.  I started sharing with her how I came to Christ as a small child.  Just then, her husband appeared at the door.  He was excited to hear from us, but he also told us “I’m a Catholic for life.  It doesn’t matter what religion you are, you just must repent and give your life to Christ.”  He was in a hurry, but we asked as many follow up questions as we could before he left on his motorcycle, to be sure had Christ in his life.  I have my doubts about Delna’s husband.  He had all the right answers about salvation and God’s free gift of forgiveness, but the interaction was so brief, I just don’t know.  But then again, I don’t need to know.  I need only to be obedient to share the Gospel.  God is in charge of the rest of it.

But Delna, on the other hand, I have no doubt.  She told me she knew all about Jesus dying on the cross for our sin.  But she never realized her faith was not in Jesus Christ, but her faith and way to heaven was in her good works.  She prayed to receive Christ, and then uttered almost exactly the same words that Jorge Bevnal uttered the day before:  “When I was praying, I felt the burdens being lifted right out of me!”  She held out her arms, and although we were all sweating profusely, she had goose bumps everywhere, even on her head at the base of her hair.  It was amazing!  I wrote down all the verses that we had looked at, even using her Catholic Bible, so she could share them with her husband.  Please pray for the Garcia family!

 

   

Ana Zapata, Yakelin del Rosario, and Edwin Zapata (above) are one of the final families I was able to share with in the barrio of Ciudadela.  I shared my testimony with them, and then began sharing the Evangecube by asking one simple question of each of them, “If you were to die today and go to heaven, what answer would you give God for why He should let you in?”  Each of them had a different answer, and they were all works-based answers.  They retrieved a Bible out of the back room, and I shared with them Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, John 14:6, and all the verses in Romans.

By the time we finished, Ana (the 73 year old mother of Yakelin and Edwin) had John 14:6 memorized and was quoting it for us.  They all had prayed to receive God’s free gift of salvation and the excitement in their eyes was beaming.  I asked them what I could pray for them about, and Yakelin’s request was for her health.  She is struggling with diabetes.  Ana asked prayer for boldness to share with her other children (she is the mother of eight adult children, all living in a small little cinderblock home, doubling as a school in the front room.)  And Edwin just began to cry.  The smile could not be wiped from his face.  He just wanted me to thank God for this free gift and for me sharing my gift with him. 

The three of us held hands together, crying, and praying.  The change was so evident.  So convicting.  Please pray for salvation to come to the rest of this family.

These are just some of the names that God allowed to touch my heart this week.  We had seven other teams in eighteen other barrios.  Each of our team members has similar stories as mine and yet very different.  These are God stories.  Ones we can’t make up or even orchestrate.  These are people.  They are God’s people now, and they have names.

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com