GodandMe2theMax

Observations from Amsterdam...

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  
Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery...
You, my brothers, wre called to be free.  
But do not use  your freedom to indulge the sinful nature;
rather, serve one another in love.  
The entire law is summed up in a single command:  
'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "  
Galatians 5:1, 13-14

 

For those who are my friends on Facebook, you know that I've spent the last week primarily in The Netherlands.  The purpose of the trip was for work, but I had the privilege of going in a few days early with a friend so I could see the city.  
I've been through the airport in the past, but I've never been able to go experience the Dutch culture, and this was my perfect opportunity.  

But as I reflect on my time there, I have some observations to share...

First, most Americans are lazy.  
OK, I really can't fairly speak for the majority of Americans, but I can speak for myself -- I am lazy.  There, I said it.  Over the last week, I walked and hiked more than I have in the entire last year, and that even includes the walking conducted on past shopping excursions (that's a lot, by the way!).  

When I want to go somewhere in the USA, I jump in the car and take off.  I don't use public transportation.  And, I definitely never consider jumping on my bike that is hanging in my garage, probably full of cobwebs, untouched since our move to this house 5 years ago.

But in Amsterdam, a motorized vehicle is a minority.  Bicycles, well they are the majority.  There are multi-level parking garages full of them.  There are no cars in the garages; no, they are 100% full of every kind of bicycle you can imagine.  Old, new, locked, unlocked, and probably some broke ones, too.

 

And that leads me to my next observation.  In Amsterdam, pedestrians do not have the right of way.  Ever.  Although I never saw an accident while I was there, I did experience my friends saving my life time and time again.  Just when I thought it was safe to cross the street, someone grabbed me to hold me back, because a bus, taxi, or more often, 50 bicyclists were about to converge on the same area where my feet were headed.

 

 

Third, Amsterdam has some pretty delectible treats to offer.  
From the Stroupe Waffles I brought home with me, to the breads, and the incredible fresh fruits, combined with the various pastries, well, let's just say that this girls's sweet tooth was pretty content.  My favorite meal was at this place below.  The man in the picture makes fresh crepes with each order. My friend and I each ordered a different crepe and then split them, so we could try them both.  So by the time I left, I had a half of a mozzarella crepe, a half of a strawberry crepe, topped with nutella and chocolate, and then finally, for desert, I had a pastry filled with strawberries, nutella, chocolate, ice cream and real whipped cream.  My taste buds thanked me for taking them.  My hips did not.

 

 

Next observation: Amsterdam is a beautiful city.  Truly, some of the features are incredible and the architecture is gorgeous!  I love the way that parts of the old city has seemingly stopped in time.

On top of that, Amsterdam hosts the Anne Frank house.  I could have spent hours upon hours reading and re-reading the excerpts from the Diary of Anne Frank as I toured the house she and her family hid in.  The outside of the house was under renovation, so the only shot I got was this one below.  No pictures were permitted inside, just like in the Van Gogh museum, so you'll have to go for yourself to check it out.  It's a must see, and you also really need to buy tickets in advance if you don't want to wait forever in line for a timed entrance.

However, as beautiful as this city is, I guarantee you I could live the rest of my life without passing another sex shop or storefront selling "magic mushrooms", and in doing so, I would be fully complete.  

Depending on what list you read, Amsterdam either tops the list of the ten most sinful cities in the world or at least ranks in the top 5.  While I was there, I took a canal cruise, and the recording that told about the sites in the city said something like this, "Amsterdam was founded by a group of citizens wanting freedom.  Amsterdam is not known for its great churches and cathedrals, but rather for its red-light district."  

Friends, from my observation, let me tell you, this is a true statement.  Dispersed between the souvenir shops and restaurants downtown is every kind of immoral site you can imagine.  I saw a sign that said, "The sex workers do not want to be photographed."  I passed by at least one "Sex Museum", probably multiple ones.  Mechanical things I can't really describe in this blog were openly on display in windows.  I walked across a sidewalk with a sculpture of a woman's breasts with a man's hand on one of them, which of course seemed completely appropriate, given the city I was visiting.

In The Fault in Our Stars, John Green wrote, "Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth, it is a city of freedom.  And in freedom, most people find sin."  

As I think about this quote, I realize the depth of truth it offers.  Freedom.  As a Christian, I believe Christ died to give us freedom, freedom in Him.  He doesn't impose His will on me; I have a choice.  I can choose to pursue fleshly desires and live a life of sin, or I can choose to deny self and follow Christ.  And I have to ask, which one offers true freedom?

When you're surrounded by the "norm" being the antithesis of everything you believe in, the freedom of choosing sin over Christ is a real possibility for even the most seasoned Christian.  I found myself quoting Scripture about renewing my mind and taking every thought captive.  When you're in a foreign land, the enemy quickly whispers, "no one is watching."  Now don’t worry, I didn't visit any inappropriate places while I was there, nor was I even really tempted to do so.  But I did find my mind wandering with curse words being the first thought to enter my brain when I would hit my head on a short doorframe, which is quite unlike me.  (Another observation - the Dutch are apparently not very tall people, and I have several knots on my noggin to support that observation!)  In short (pun intended), It's easy to let your guard down without even knowing you've done it.  

I Corinthians 6:12 says, "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial.  Everything is permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything."  So I wonder how many freedom seeking people involved in this lifestyle are mastered by it.  I would venture to say there are many addicted, and the freedom they think they have is really no freedom at all.  In reality, they are slaves to the sin.  The Bible says in Hebrews that sin is fun for a season.  Proverbs 16:25 says "There is a way that appears to be right, but the end is death."  

I Peter 5:8 says we have to be sober and alert because the enemy is prowling around looking to devour us.  So my challenge to you (and myself) today is from these Scriptures:

2 Corinthians 10:5 "Demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ."  

Romans 12:-2  "Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you will be able to prove what is good and acceptable and pleasing to God."

Am I perfect?  No, of course not.  I am a sinner, saved by God's grace.  And please understand I'm not trying to write this with a premise of being a "holier than thou" Christian who does no wrong.  Lord knows that is far from the truth, and if in doubt, just ask my kids who will quickly write an expose on their mother.  

I just want to be the best Beth that I can be in God's eyes, through His strength, not my own.  Even in the midst of the evil, there was so much beauty in Amsterdam that my heart felt a pang about leaving.  But that's how satan works, you know?  Because my final observation is that it doesn't take much for satan to get a foothold on a little piece of your heart, and that little piece can easily turn into a big hunk, and eventually he'll claim squatters rights on a large oversized portion.  His control slowly grows as I let him.

I'll close with one of my favorite songs that I keep on my playlist.  It's by Casting Crowns, and it's called "Slow Fade."  All it takes is for satan to get just a little piece of your heart, and from there, it's a slow fade, so slow, that we often don't even realize it's happened until we've messed up so badly that we hit rock bottom.

Be cautious.  As cautious as pedestrians crossing the road in Amsterdam.  Don't take one step into the street when possible danger (or a bicycle) is headed your way.  Look left.  Look right.  And look left again.  Do a double, even a triple take, because as quickly as bicycles appeared out of nowhere with the intent to run me over, satan himself will attempt to do the same thing.  

 

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray 
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray 
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

 

Salt or Salty?

“You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."  Matthew 5:13  

 

 

Having 2 teenagers, I tend to learn a few old words that have taken on new meaning.  In fact, I even throw them into conversation from time to time to help me feel ‘hip and cool’ among today’s generation. (Word to the wise – it doesn’t really work…)  Anyway, one such term is “salty.” 

salty  adjective 
The internal attitude that develops when you find yourself a victim of unfair circumstance and feel like you were given the short end of the stick. 

Maybe you don’t get bitter; maybe you’re even able to work through the situation emotionally, but the moment the subject is brought up again, you’re right there on the salty bandwagon again.  Even discussing the situation stings...like salt in a wound.  When that happens, you’re described as being really salty.

Then there’s the other salty that we are all familiar with - as in salty food. 

salty  adjective 
Tasting of or containing salt; saline

Have you ever met someone who automatically adds salt or pepper to their food before they even taste it?  Maybe you're one of those people.  It's a given, the words “pass the salt” come from their mouth just after hearing the “amen” in the prayer…or maybe even before.  

Well, let’s just say that I tend to be both extremes with these two salty descriptions.  I don’t really get bitter when I’m dealt a hand in life that I think is unfair, but sometimes, no matter how much I try or pray for God to help me, I do get a bit salty about the situation.  Just when I think I’m emotionally healed, something happens, and the thick scab is ripped open with salt being poured into it.  Ouch!  It’s not a good feeling, to say the least.

On the other hand, when it comes to food, I am not one of those salty people.  In fact, although we do own a salt shaker, it usually stays up in the cupboard with the spices, only making an occasional appearance at the dinner table when we have company in need of some extra flavor.  I don’t know if that means I have a bland palate, am a content person, or if I just love to eat so much that I don’t appreciate good flavor.  I’ll let you make your own deductions.

Well, if you follow my blog at all, you’ll notice a huge void over the last year.  Massive time seems to span between posts.  I’ve never really been one to not have something to say.  Ever.  But over the last year, that is not the case at all.  I have countless blogs started, only to delete them and never complete them.  I had a lot of half-thoughts, but not too many complete God-thoughts that I felt compelled to share.  Why?  At times that has been my eternal question to God.  Why do I feel so useless?  Why can’t I even seem to write a paragraph about what You’re teaching me?  Why does this hurt so bad?  As I tried to find answers, the repeated answer I received was that God wanted me to pretty much shut my mouth for a period of time.  When I stop blabbering, then I am a better listener for His still, small voice.

Thankfully, I’ve never had to endure a hurricane, but I do know that when a hurricane is about to hit, you really have only two choices: 

1)  Run for safe cover with your valuables and family
2)  Hunker down and endure the storm

Let’s be honest.  Hunkering down is not easy.  I would much rather choose the option behind door #1.  But over the last year, that’s not what God told me to do. 

He said, “Stay put and endure the storm.” 
He said, “I am your shelter.”
He said, “I am your provider.”
He said, “I am the only friend you need.”
He said, “I am all you need.” 
He said, “It’s not going to be easy.  People will fail you, but I never will.”
He said, “Trust me.  I know what is best.”

So imagine me, huddled up in a ball, protecting my heart, trying not to be hurt by the storms of life, all while waiting on God to show me the next move.  Every so often I would peak out the cracked window hoping to see a shimmer of light, only to realize the waves are crashing in again and it’s not safe to come out.

I don’t know how better to describe it.  In truth, if you don’t have a relationship with the Lord, you may dismiss what I’m describing as just going through “a funk.”  But for me, it’s truly been a year (plus) long massive hurricane of emotions.  It’s been a period of God silencing me so He can work on the deepest part of me.

You may not understand what I’m trying to say.  You see, some people are artists.  They express themselves through painting, and it’s what they have to do.  Some people feel that way about cooking.  I wish I felt that way about cleaning (others in my family may wish that, too), but I don’t.  However, I’ve always felt that one of my biggest ministries over the last few years has been through this blog.  When it comes to sitting down and stringing together random thoughts and simple applications that help point people to a relationship with Jesus, well, that’s my happy place.  And when there are long intervals between spending quality time in your happy place, even if God tells you to hunker down, it’s a tough place to be emotionally.  It’s like an insatiable craving for something you can’t have, even though that object of your craving is right in front of you. 

On Sunday evening, the weariness of hunkering down all these months had just about gotten me.  I felt so empty inside.  Frank and I talked through the whole gamut of emotions I was feeling, then we did the only thing we knew to do – pray.  After we finished praying together, I silently cried myself to sleep begging God over and over to start using me again, to bring back joy, and to not put me on a shelf to collect dust.  (Side note – Philippians 1:6  “I am confident of this that He who started a work in you will complete it!”  I was just too weary to remember this promise when I cried myself to sleep in prayer!)

It’s amazing how a good night’s sleep and some sweet Holy Spirit peace can change your perspective.  Monday morning I began my normal routine and started to have my quiet time, and as I read, my heart started to go to its happy place.  The more I read, the more He showed me, and the more excited I became.  With a glance out the window, the sun was shining, and this time I didn’t sense any big waves right behind it.  The next morning, my experience was similar, except the excitement and burning in me was a little hotter, deeper.  I finally felt as though God was gently blowing the dust off me, promising me He wasn’t done with me yet.

This week I had started reading in the book of Matthew.  I have two pages of observations and applications of what God was showing me in just the first four chapters, and then I got to chapter five. 

Matthew 5:13  “You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Did you catch that?  “If the salt loses its saltiness, it is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out.”

Good for nothing.  Thrown out.  Isn’t that the same thing as God putting me on a shelf?  My biggest prayer and concern was addressed right before my eyes.  But as I read it repeatedly, I noticed the conditional statement.  It says IF the salt loses its saltiness THEN it is no longer good for anything. 

I read the verse again.  Multiple times.  And as I did, I prayed over it, asking God to show me the truths He wanted me to see.  What He showed me was that I had allowed myself to become a salty person.  And when I’m even a little salty about things, it prevents me from effectively being the salt of the earth.  In essence, the more salty I am, the more I lose my spiritual saltiness and the more useless I become. 

When God would allow one of those salt-water hurricane sized waves to encompass me, it would rip open scabs that I thought had already healed.  Then the cyclical burning of the salt in my wounds would start all over again.  The end result was little by little, I was becoming a salty person. 

But as I read this passage, I realized God wasn’t bringing the waves to make me feel the pain again.  He was allowing them to engulf me so that He could heal the deepest part of me.  Can I say this big revelation from God has brought about 100% healing at the time of writing this blog?  No, of course not.  But I do believe that just being conscious of what He’s trying to teach me has helped me discern His will better.  It’s given me renewed joy, and it’s definitely allowed me to have peace about the situations in my life that He has allowed.

I don’t know if what I’ve written resonates with anyone else but me, but it really doesn’t matter, actually.  What matters to me is that I am confidently reassured that God is not done with me.  He will complete His work in me.  Have I arrived?  Of course not.  He has so much more work to do on this self-imposed salty girl.  But as I daily take up my cross and drop my will for His, as I allow Him to wash and clean my deeply set wounds, He will continue to infuse that spiritual salt in me.  He will transform me into the kind of salty girl He wants to use. 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

It's a Simple Recipe, Really, it is...

"The voice of the Lord is over the waters...
The voice of the Lord is powerful...
The voice of the Lord is majestic...
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars...
The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightening...
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert...
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forest bare...
The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace."
Psalm 29

 

If you know me at all, you'll know that for the several school years, I've been a huge advocate of our high school's debate program.  This year, my daughter Amber is the Debate Captain, so I stepped up and agreed to be the Booster Club President.  That may have been a mistake.  Check back with me at the end of the year to see if I'm still fogging a mirror.

Anyway, last night I slept solidly for about 2 hours, at best.   You see, we have a huge fundraiser coming up in a few weeks, and so far, we haven't enlisted enough parent volunteers to get everything done that needs to get done.  I'm not a worrier, mind you, but I am a list maker, and apparently while I was sleeping, my subconscious was multi-tasking, making "to-do" lists, prioritizing other things, and thinking of new things to add to that growing list.  True story...because I woke up with my list complete, wide awake.  One problem: it was about 3:30 AM.

I tried to go back to sleep, but try as I might, sleep was alluding me.  It was pretty apparent that sleep was not in my forecast, but as I deliberated about getting up, the Lord brought to my mind a verse I had memorized long ago:

Isaiah 26:3  "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusts in Thee."  (Yes, I memorized it in the King James Version, but if that's a foreign language to you, here's some other versions below...)

The New Living Translation says, "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You."

The New American Standard says, "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You."

When I have a lot of pressure on me to get things done, I feel the stress in my joints and upper back. I start to feel as though my body is filled with my old friends Arthur and Itis, and I long for relief from some ibuprofin.  But this morning, the Lord gave me a very clear recipe for the stress relief and peace I need, and it wasn't "take 3 aspirin and call on Him in the morning."  He reminded me that my #1 responsibility is not to Debate, not to work, and not even to my children or husband.  My #1 responsibility is to keep my mind focused on Him and keep trusting Him.  If I do that, He will provide the peace I need.  And you know what?  He's big enough to take care of all the little things on my "to-do list".  In fact, He can even take care of the big ones on that list, too!

What does all this have to do with "the voice of the Lord" and Psalm 29?  Well, over the last few days, I've really been focusing on this passage.  I've been "stuck" on it, in fact, not really feeling the freedom to move on to something else.  I've been enchanted by the power of God's voice, as visible in nature.  I've been captivated by how strong the voice of the Lord actually is - strong enough to split the cedars!  Yet sometimes my voice is so much louder than His that I don't hear Him.  Sometimes I walk around with my earbuds glued in my ears, or maybe even an index finger in each ear, intentionally drowning out anything I don't have time to hear.  I have my agenda, my "to-do" list, and I have my day planned out from start to finish.  I try to merrily go through life with a good attitude and cope with what comes my way, often paying no attention to the voice screaming loudly (and sometimes whispering softly) in my ear.

I re-read the passage again this morning, for the fourth day in a row.  You know what?  I find it a bit ironic that all week my attention has been on the powerful images described in Psalm 29 about "the voice of the Lord"...ironic, because I never even noticed the last verse in the passage:  

"The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace."  

PEACE.

That's exactly what I need, and it's exactly what God promised me at 3:30 this morning.  Keep my mind on Him, and He'll keep me in perfect peace.

I think it's no mistake that God whispered Isaiah 26:3 to me in the wee hours of the morning and then later had more promises of peace for me in this same passage that has captured my attention for four days straight.

"Lord, may I never speak so loudly that I cannot hear Your voice.  May I tune my listening to Your frequency, so that whether You bellow or whisper, I will not only hear You, but I will listen, and I will obey.  Thank you for perfect peace; peace that only You can provide in the midst of craziness; peace that comes only from keeping my mind steadfast on You."

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Spiritual Flossing...

“…Dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
2 Corinthians 7:1

 

Are you a flosser?  Most people are or aren’t.  They do or they don’t.  Me?  Well, I was one of those people more classified as “never”.  You see, while my parents taught me that I should brush my teeth every day, flossing was not included in the daily required regime.  I’m not even sure that I knew about floss back then.  The only time I can remember even going to the dentist as a kid was when I was in 6^th grade and chipped my front tooth, needing it capped.  I’m sure there were other times, but I definitely didn’t go to the dentist twice a year for a check-up like my kids do today.  And flossing?  Well, that was a foreign concept to me.  So I admit it.  I used to be one of those people who “don’t”.  That is, until I started going to church with my dental hygienist.  Then I felt a sudden urge to start taking care of my teeth in the way the dentist has been instructing me to do for years.  Why?  I had to face someone each week who ultimately would know the truth about my poor habit of not flossing.  She would know at my 6 month cleaning by the amount of plaque build-up on my teeth if I’d been doing what I was supposed to be doing. 

So the truth is out - I am now an avid flosser, and I go to the dentist every six months, just like I’m supposed to.  But because I had those poor dental hygiene habits early-on in life, I kind of suffer now.  I have very weak enamel, several crowns and fillings, and my teeth are extremely compacted in the back, because of all the necessary “repair work”.  When I say compacted, I mean, tighter than tight.  Every time I would floss, the floss would shred and break in my teeth.  Until recently, I usually spent more time trying to get the broken floss out from between my teeth then I did manipulating the floss between my teeth.  Every floss I bought ending up breaking and fraying.  I tried GLIDE, WAXED, MINT, and really, just about everything, but nothing was strong enough to work it’s way through the back of my teeth to floss correctly without breaking.  For someone who was trying to have good hygiene practices, it was  not the most optimal situation.  Literally, I would spend about 15-20 minutes of every morning initially trying to floss, then re-floss and remove the frayed strands that had become stuck in the back.  When the floss gets stuck, it can actually be painful. 

So as I read in 2 Corinthians 7 this morning, I couldn’t help but think of the parallel between flossing and verse one.  It says, “Dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”  What does earthly flossing do?  It purifies us from things that contaminate our teeth.  But what about spiritual flossing?  It’s when we are disciplined enough to invite God into those tightly fitted cracks to remove the things in our life that contaminate our body and spirit.  Why does He want us to spiritually floss?  To perfect holiness.  It’s the process of sanctification – becoming more like Him.

God created us as humans with a free will.  Just like earthly flossing, spiritual flossing is a discipline.  It's a choice.  Purifying ourselves is a two-fold action – turning away from sin and turning toward God.  In the passage, Paul was speaking to the Corinthians and urging them to not have anything to do with paganism.  They were to make a clean break from their past and give themselves to God alone.  Paul urged them to identify the things in their lives that were causing contamination and keeping them from becoming more like Christ.  He urged them to do some spiritual flossing.

If you’re like me, when you first get in the habit of flossing, your gums bleed a little (ok, maybe a lot!), and it’s not the most pleasant thing to deal with.  It's painful.  And when you get in the habit of spiritual flossing, truth be told, it’s even more painful.  God so desperately wants to remove the plaque of sin that has been built up in those tightly guarded areas, but we have to be willing to seek Him and ask His Holy Spirit to show us what needs removed.  We must ask Him to use His super-strength floss on us that doesn’t break off and give out when tested.  We have to know that if we are going to be more like Him, as He perfects us and removes the sin that contaminates us, it will be painful, especially at first, if we’re not used to it.  But the end result is so worth the pain – becoming more like Him. 

You might remember I said earlier, “Until recently, I usually spent more time trying to get the broken floss out from between my teeth then I did manipulating the floss between my teeth.”  Yes, until recently.  While on a business trip last fall, I ran out of floss, and I was devastated!  You see, when you start to floss, you also become addicted to it, in a good way.  You don’t feel right if you haven't flossed.  So I went around asking my colleagues if they had any floss I could have.  Sure enough, one person out of the whole group had some, and she gave it to me.  I looked down to see what kind it was:  Rite Aid Premium Waxed Floss.  I thanked her, but in the back of my mind, I highly doubted that it would be strong enough to withstand my tightly compacted teeth.  How wrong I was!  This is the best floss I’ve ever used, and never once has it even broken in between my teeth.  My flossing time is 5 minutes a day now instead of 15-20, and when I’m done, my teeth feel cleaner than if I had used an expensive brand.  (I don’t have any Rite Aids near me, so feel free to send me some!  That’s what my mom gave me for Christmas, by my request…that’s how good it is!)

So, if you’re not a flosser, why not?  What’s keeping you?  You know what you’re supposed to do, and there’s really no excuse for NOT doing it, especially since you now know my secret weapon of the Rite Aid Premium Waxed Floss.  But more importantly, are you spiritually flossing?  Are you asking God each day to remove the things that are contaminating you physically and spiritually?  Are you spending time with Him each day reading His Word?  Are you praying and asking the Holy Spirit to reveal truth so that through Him and Him alone, sin can be removed?  Then are you confessing and taking action against the sin?  Remember, it's a two-fold process, turn away from sin and turn toward God.  If your're not flossing, go start today…with both kinds!  Make your goal to go “2themax” with God!

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

These are my people...

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God' people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.  In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in Him, you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.  Ephesians 2:19-22

 

Have you ever had that niche of people that you when you're with them, you just want to say, "These are my people!"  I have had a few experiences with that kind of feeling.  But the best example I can think of is vicariously through my daughter Amber.  She played volleyball on a competitive team from late elementary school through junior high.  She was one of the starting setters for her junior high 8th grade team, but when the season was over, she said, "Mom, I'm done.  Next year in high school, I'm going to focus on theater and not volleyball."  My heart sank, because I love volleyball, and not only did Amber have some talent, but we had a lot of years of money invested in that talent.  But as I wrestled with her words, I had to validate the fact that she wasn't happy for some reason, and she wanted to do something new.  At the end of her 8th grade year, she auditioned for and made the "Black Box" theater for Wylie High School, and she began her freshman year with that being her new passion, her new focus.

At the end of Amber's freshman year, she told me, "Mom, I'm done with theater.  Next year I'm going to focus on debate."  Now that one was not so easy to swallow.  I didn't know much about "debate."  Actually, I didn't know anything at all about "debate".  What I did know was that Amber had given up after five plus years of volleyball to do theater, and now in my mind, it appeared that she was giving up on theater.  How wrong I was.  My daughter knew herself, and she was searching for "her people."  So with our blessing, Amber began her sophomore year active on the debate team.  It didn't take long for her to realize she finally found what she was yearning for.  I'm so thankful for the coach and the other team members who have embraced her into their little family.  She has a home.  A safe place.  She has found her people.

Through a friend's encouragement, I have been praying through the book of Ephesians, reading and dialoguing in prayer as I read.  As I pray through this book, it's definitely taking me more time than I ever imagined it would.  I can read pretty quickly.  But when I read, and pray back to God what He's showing me, journaling it, well, that takes a lot longer.  Doing this, however, has given me the time I need to really focus on what He is telling me, instead of just reading and "moving on" with my day.

So as I finished up reading Ephesians 2 this morning, I can't help but think of this story of my daughter Amber in parallel to what we have in Jesus, if we have found our peace in Him.  Take a look at Ephesians 2:19-22.  Paul is addressing the fact that Jesus died for both Jews and Gentiles.  There is no difference between the two, and we all have free access to God through what Jesus did on the cross. 

Paul says "we are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens in God's household."  As a small child, I made the decision to give my life to Christ.  I wasn't a drug dealer, I wasn't an alcoholic, and I wasn't a really bad person - I was just a child.  But there was a point in my life when I realized I was a sinner, and my sin separated me from God in heaven. So I asked Jesus to come into my life, forgive me of my sins, and I put my faith and trust in Him and Him alone.  There's nothing I could do to earn his grace; it was only by accepting His free gift, the gift of His Son Jesus dying on the cross to pay for my sins.  Now go back to the verse:  "We are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens in God's household."  Did you catch that?  Because I have asked Jesus to come into my life and forgive me of my sins, because there's been a time in my life when I've asked Him to take control, He says to me and others who have made that same commitment, "THESE ARE MY PEOPLE." 

Yes, I am a member of God's household now.  I have my place.  But just like Amber had to do her part to fit in with her new Debate Family, we do need to do our part as well with God.  No, doing good things do not save us, but our lives should match God's expectations, and that is where we fall short so many times.  I mean, if Amber had joined the debate team and then never actually went to a tournament, if she never prepared a case to debate, if she didn't do her part of being on the team, do you think that would go over too well?  I don't think so.  Not with the coach, her partner, or her fellow team members.  Then why is it that we don't take the same approach with being on God's team?  That is where I fall short too often.  Look at verse 22  "In Him, you too are being built together..."  I love the fact that it says "are being built."  That means that it's a process that takes place and there's still hope for me! 

As I prayed through the end of chapter two today, I stopped at that last verse "to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit."  Is my life being lived in a manner that God is comfortable enough to dwell there?  When we have company coming over, we clean, clean, clean.  Why?  I don't know about you, but I clean so I won't be embarrassed by the dirt in my house.  I want my guest to be comfortable, and truly, I just want to have an enjoyable time of fellowship.  So as I read this verse, God just reminded me that just like I clean my physical home, I need to constantly also be doing spiritual cleaning so God's Holy Spirit is comfortable in my dwelling place.  He longs to have an enjoyable time of fellowship with me, but if I've not been confessing sin and seeking His will, there are going to be a lot of dust bunnies built up that would make open conversation with Him perhaps a bit awkward, if not even the elephant in the room. 

He is my Chief Cornerstone, and each one of us as Christians should be working together to accomplish His will so we can be identified as HIS PEOPLE.  Is that not the highest compliment God Almighty can give?  To say, "YOU...are mine.  YOU are my people."  To say to the body of believers, "These are my people."

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

 

A Snake in My Garden...

"God chose me before the foundations of the world..."  Ephesians 1:4

 

Inadequate.  Have you ever felt that way?  If you’re a girl,more than likely you have.  Such feelings tend to hit girls more than guys, and it’s something I grew up believing to be truth about myself.  Not because my parents didn’t love me, believe in me, and give me every opportunity to have those feelings of positive self-worth. No, not at all.  In fact, my dad was my biggest fan.  I can remember hearing him always brag on me to my relatives about “this or that” all the time.  But there were other events in my life that affected me so negatively that despite my parents best efforts, I grew up not believing in myself.  It wasn’t even a battle that I struggled with – it was truth I believed. 

Looking back, it was as if I was invisible.  I went through the motions of life, but no one recognized "the real me” inside.  In fact, out of my graduating class of 12 (yes, it was a small Christian school!)  I was the only person not listed in the yearbook as “Most likely to…”  In truth, I at least thought I would make it as the “Class Clown” – quick wit has always been one of my assets, thanks to my dad.  But no, several people were named to several categories, but when it was all said and done, I was the only one not named to anything.  I was invisible, and I believed I was in inadequate.  Some may have pegged me as such; others never pegged me at all.

Then I met my husband. When we started dating, he spoke truth into my life.  He told me all the reasons I was worthy.  He told me all the reasons God says I’m worthy.  He pointed out my successes; ones I had shoved under the rug as a “fluke.” In truth, he taught me to re-program the way I thought about myself.  Most of my friends who have known me only as an adult would never believe how I used to struggle with self-worth.

Over the last few weeks, some things have happened that have brought my emotional state of mind right back to where I was before meeting my husband.  I’ve had some situations with friends that have left me feeling crushed, stepped-on, worthless, inadequate, and even invisible.  When we are at our weakest, that’s when the enemy attacks, and that’s exactly what he a few weeks ago - with a vengeance.  The first part of that week was especially bad, as I played and replayed in my head the situations that had occurred.  I questioned friendships.  I questioned motives.  I questioned me.  I questioned God.  My heart hurt.

On one hand, I knew the truth – what God says about me.  But I somehow couldn’t connect the truth in my mind with my emotions and the pain I was feeling in my heart.  I spent about a week of my quiet time just praying, trying to refresh in the Lord. I’ve been reading a book called “Captivating” by John & Stasi Eldredge – it’s the female version of “Wild at Heart.”   I highly recommend it, but actually, it only exacerbated some of those feelings that had surfaced.  I’m usually a quick reader, but some of the things in this book hit nerves that ran so deep that I literally could only absorb a few pages at a time.  God has really convicted me that if unhealthy thoughts are present, they need to be dealt with and turned over to Him.

The other thing God is showing me is that I need to be more transparent.  Sometimes we put on our "happy face” and don’t let others see the pain inside.  On the flip side, sometimes we’re so busy in our own world that we don’t stop to take time to care about the people around us.  I wonder how many of my friends feel invisible and inadequate…and I’ve never even taken the time to notice.  I wonder how many people I consider “friends” don’t even consider me the same because I don’t show it in my actions, because I don’t notice or take time to care about them. 

Jesus says in John 8:32 says “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  Contextually, the verse is speaking about salvation. But I have been claiming this verse in relation to unhealthy thoughts and feelings, too.

Think of it this way. About 4 years ago, I went for my annual physical.  I had been losing weight, and at the time of the appointment, I weighed less than the year before.  I was proud of myself, and I wasn’t expecting my doctor’s next words.  “If you don’t lose weight, it’s not a matter of if you’re going to have a heart attack, it’s a matter of when.” 

Do you know what that did to me emotionally?  I went to the van, and I literally cried myself into a tailspin.  I gave up on losing weight and figured it wasn’t worth it if that was the response I received from my doctor.  Eventually, I gained back almost everything I had lost.

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  The BIble also says in Isaiah 1 "Come let us reason together."  As I reflect on that incident with my doctor, now I can think clearly without the emotional impact of the situation; I can reason out the truth.  The truth was that there is no heart disease anywhere in my family.  The truth was that my blood pressure has always been very low, probably averaging 105 over 70.  The truth was that my cholesterol was only slightly elevated.  My weight, well, ok, I’ll give her that one as truth – I was overweight.  But do you think it was truth that a heart attack was eminent?  I don’t think so….at least not yet, anyway.

It’s the same thing with the unhealthy emotions I have been dealing with.  I have to use the reasoning side of my brain and separate emotion from fact.  By God’s grace, I know the truth, I have claimed it once again, and the truth has set me free. The devil may try to convince me otherwise down the road, but for now, I’m claiming victory.

I know there are other friends who are struggling with self-worth, and hopefully by my transparency, God can encourage you.  Too often we put a mask on and just let others see the smiles.  One of my
favorite verses is in Proverbs 27:17  “Iron sharpens iron.”  Friends, let’s sharpen each other, but in order to do so, we have to let others know the real “you” inside. 

Look for those people in your life that may feel invisible.  Sometimes they can hide it really well.  Take time to dig a little deeper into their lives instead of staying on the surface.  Make time for them.  You have no idea how God can use you to make a difference.

 

There’s a snake in my garden
That slithers near me again
To rouse pain deep within
Wounds suppressed years before.  Forgotten.

And it’s speaking so softly,
“You’ll never be worthy.” 
Those words, how they haunt me.
“You’re nothing and you always will be.”

Then the whispers get louder
It hisses, and  I cower.
Immobile.  No power.
To refute this rattle in my ear.

At a crisis of belief
Lies crafted to deceive
Pierce through and steal my peace.
As venom taints this fragile bloodstream.

Then I read in God’s love note
While searching for the antidote
He chose me – that’s truth you know
And the snake, he just seeks to devour.

Prince of deceit, no one can tame.
With spewing lies and careful aim.
He attacks with darts of shame.
But my Shield – He will win in the end.

There’s a snake in my garden
That slithers near me again
To rouse pain deep within
Wounds suppressed years before. Forgotten.

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Discovery #2 - When you're looking for Jesus, you'll know Him...

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him
to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  After he had dismissed them,
he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.  Later that night, he was there alone,
and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves
because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them,
walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.
“It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them:
“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  Matthew 14:22-27

 

In case you missed the previous post, I'm writing for a few days on what new discoveries God is teaching me from the old story of Jesus walking on water.  The first Discovery was that "Jesus sometimes pushes us right into the eye of the storm."  (Matthew 14:22)

The next Discovery I have (and again, it's nothing new or profound, but just what God is showing me!) is that "When you're looking for Jesus, you'll know Him."

Take a look at the passage.  As soon as Jesus bid "Bon Voyage" to the disciples and sent them off into the would-be storm, what did He do?  Jesus took time get alone and pray.  I wonder, what exactly did He pray about?  He knew what was coming; He knew the outcome, and He knows the outcome of every single storm of life that ever took place and ever will.  Yet, He took time to spend with the Father.  To know His voice.  They communed. 

I can only think it was kind of like when you hang out with your best friend.  You know everything about them, but you still want to hang with them more because you love them so much.  You want to talk.  Commune. You want nothing more.  You can talk for hours.  You want to talk for hours.  There's no shortage of things to say.  When they call you on the phone, all they have to do is say "Hey!" and you know it's them, even if you don't have caller ID!   

I'm sure that's how Jesus was with His Father.  And to be honest, this is an area of my spiritual life that needs more muscle.  I need more time alone with my Father to talk. Commune.  To hear His voice.  For Him to hear mine.  Conversation.  Dialogue.  To know His voice and recognize it so clearly that if He calls to me with one word, even a whisper, I'll know it's Him.  Muscling up my prayer life starts with discipline.  It doesn't just happen.  It's a concerted effort, and it starts today.

On Sunday afternoon, I walked into our church bathroom, politely said hello to the person standing at the sink washing her hands, and proceeded to keep walking.  After about 6-7 steps, my brain caught up with my eyes, and I turned around to do a double-take.  Indeed, it was confirmed.  That person at the sink - well, she was my own daughter.  Granted, I hadn’t seen her that day to know what she was wearing, and in my defense, she did have her hair fixed a little differently.  Yet I walked right past my own flesh and blood.  My own family.  Never in a million years would I have thought I would do that, yet it's exactly what I did.   

“I didn’t even recognize you,” I told her.  She gave me one of those teenaged looks like, "Mom, you are bonafide and certifiably crazy!"  (Which I am, because my kids made me that way, you know.  I have an excuse, at least.)  On the way home, she asked me how and why did that even happen?  The only thing I could come up with was “I wasn’t looking for you.” 

And I think that’s exactly why the disciples were so afraid while they were in the boat.  Take a look at verse 26.  They were in the middle of a terrible storm, and instead of looking for Jesus in it, it was easier to think that image in front of them was a ghost.  It’s not that they didn’t want to look for Jesus, it’s more so that they didn’t even think of Jesus. 

How often are we in the middle of a storm and all we can think of is the things that scare us the most?  Or perhaps all we can think of is how we're going to get out alive?  But maybe the real thing we should be doing is looking for Jesus in the middle of the storm.  It's a discipline.  Human nature tells us to look inward, to buckle down, stand tall, and weather the storm.  I can't help but think this story might be different if the disciples were actually aware that Jesus was with them and there was no need for fear.

We all react differently in our storms of life.  Me, well, I tend to buckle down and hold my breath as long as I can, come up for air, then hold it a little longer.  I don't really worry or obsess over the situation.  My human nature is to "be strong and get through it."  Now don't get me wrong, I do rely on God in the storms of life.  But there's something different about this "looking for Him" in the storms.  And I think that discipline is accomplished only through knowing His voice, the way Jesus set the example for us. 

I can't say that "looking for God" in the storm is a normal practice of mine, and I'm thinkin' that my perspective needs some changing.  Once again, I'm thankful for God giving me this little Discovery #2 - When you're looking for Jesus, you'll know Him. 

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Grabbing God on the Go...

"Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 
Matthew 11:28

 

Julie Moss.  Not exactly a household name.  Probably most reading this blog have no idea who she is, so let me share her story.  I remember watching ABC sports in 1982 as they showed Julie’s story.  She was participating in the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii.  This triathlon consists first of a 2.4 mile swim, an 11.2 mile bike ride, and if that isn’t enough, it culminates with a 26.2 mile run – a full marathon.  Julie was in the final leg of the marathon, and she was in the lead.  But a few hundred yards from the finish line, Julie’s legs and body gave out.  No longer could she run to cross the finish line.  In fact, she didn’t even have the strength to walk to it.  Now with just yards from the finish line, the 2^nd place competitor Kathleen McCartney overtook Julie Moss for the lead and went on to win.  But Julie didn’t quit even though her body was shutting down.  Each forward step resulted in her falling to the ground, yet Julie was determined to finish.  On hands and knees, Julie moss crawled to the finish line.  The images are forever written in my mind. 

Why is Julie Moss important today?  Well, in our ABF class this morning, we were talking about the times in our life when God wants us to “be still.”  My husband Frank is our teacher, and he mentioned in passing how our lives are so busy, it’s like we’re a marathon runner.  What happens when they need to be hydrated?  Do they stop and take a break, or do they keep going?  No, they don’t stop, at least never  by choice. As they pass someone along the sidelines of the race, they get handed a Gatorade or a bottle of water.  They drink it or even pour it on themselves, throw the remains on the ground behind them, and they keep running.  They keep going, and they don’t stop. 

Then Frank stopped and said, “How many times do we approach God like that?  How many times do we grab God on the go?”  I started to visualize that concept.  In truth, it’s a profound thought, and he told me later that he had just thought of it ‘on the fly.’  (He’s pretty incredible, that husband of mine!)  Think about it.  How many times do we guzzle God down, as quickly as we can, try to get some spiritual replenishment (at least enough to help us last until the next water pick-up)? How many times do we try to fit Him into our life’s marathon instead of taking time on the sidelines to replenish?

 I sat there with my mind whirling on this subject the rest of the morning in class and honestly, it consumed my thoughts throughout the church service.  My husband had just described my life’s race for the last few weeks and until today, what it would have looked like for about the next month.  I’ve been guilty of “grabbing God on the go”.  Now, some might argue that at least I’m taking time to grab Him, and I would agree with that argument.  Some is always better than none.  But in my heart of hearts, I know I’ve not been taking enough time on the sidelines to be replenished. 

What exactly does "replenish” mean, anyway?  It means "to fill something that had previously been emptied.  Did you get that?  To FILL what had been EMPTIED.  Replenish does not mean to take a few gulps of water so you don’t suffer from dehydration along the way.  It doesn’t mean to add $2 worth of gas to your gas tank when you’re already on empty with the warning light on.  No, that won’t get you very far, especially with the cost of gas these days!  To be filled, I have to be emptied.  Emptied of myself.  My pride.  My agenda.  My busy-ness.  Emptied so that God can replenish and fill me up so much that I can’t be filled “no more!”

This morning, God convicted me that I’ve not been allowing Him to replenish me.  I’ve been running on empty, trying to get by with just a buck of gas in my tank each day.  But that’s not His plan.  He wants me to sit down, shut up, and stop moving long enough for Him to replenish me. He wants me to just find rest in Him. He wants me to take a break from this marathon of life and drink me up some God-Gatorade.  (Yes, I know, that’s not very good use of the English language; just consider it used for the sake of emphasis!)

Now, you know me.  I’m not a runner.  I run to the kitchen.  I run to the bathroom.  I might even run up the stairs to catch the ringing phone, but that’s where my running usually stops.  However, on a regular basis, my schedule runs me, and as of late, it’s been running me completely ragged.  The funny thing is that I really believe God is using me in ways that I never dreamed possible, just by me being available to Him.  But the problem is that as Christians, we can get involved too much in ‘doing and serving’ that we neglect our own relationship with the Lord.  What good am I to the body of Christ if I'm not spiritually healthy myself?

As I was checking to make sure my facts were correct for this blog, I found out that Julie Moss had never even trained for that Ironman Triathlon.  She was a college student who participated in the event as part of her research for her exercise physiology thesis.  Certainly, Julie Moss is an inspirational story, one of great determination and perseverance.  Yet, I can’t help but wonder if she had actually trained and conditioned herself, maybe even if she would have just taken some time to stop along that 26.2 mile run to replenish, maybe just maybe, things would be different.  Perhaps she would be remembered for winning that triathlon instead of crawling across the finish line on hands and knees. 

I don't know about you, but when the finish line is in sight, I don’t want to be crawling on hands and knees to make it.  Like Kathleen McCartney, the winner of that Ironman Triathlon, I want to make the right moves along the race to run to the finish line, not just make it there crawling.  For that to be true, the “grabbing God on the go” must end.  No more guzzling Him down while I'm running my race, leaving the scraps on the ground behind me.  I've been running on fumes, and I'm so thankful God chose to use a little unplanned comment to drive home a big life lesson for me today on being replenished with some God-Gatorade.

 

Renew me, Lord, as I run this race.
Break through me, Lord, occupy each space.
Remind me, Lord, to take time to rest.
Replete me, Lord, so I’m at my best.

 

PS - A short video of Julie’s Ironman completion can be found at this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbWsQMabczM

 

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Perspective Lenses of Praise...

“I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”  Psalm 104:33

“Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!  Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises!” Psalm 47:1,6

 

On the way to church on Sunday, I heard an old Amy Grant song, “Sing Your Praise to the Lord.”  It’s probably been years since I heard that song, and even longer since I actually focused on the content and meaning of the song. To be honest, the introduction and instrumentals in the song are so cool, that my brain has always been drawn to the music instead of paying attention to the words.  When I heard the intro, I opened the window a little on a cool Texas morning, cranked up the volume, and tried my best to sing with Amy.  With each breath, each attempt to spit out a line of words that I’d not thought of for years, the meaning behind them came to life, perhaps for the first time.

Sing your praise to the Lord, Come on everybody,
Stand up and sing...one more Hallelujah,
Give your praise to the Lord, I can never tell you,
Just how much good...that it's Gonna do ya
Just to sing...anew...The song your heart first learned to sing when He
First gave His life...to you...The life goes on and so must the song…

Singing praise to the Lord isn’t just for Sunday, you know.  Our praises should be constant, not a set time to “praise” but a state of being.  Yet, what happens when I begin to focus on my own life’s problems?  Immediately, I stop praising.  The focus is on ‘me” instead of God.  It’s misdirected.

I love the line “life goes on and so must the song…”  How true! Nearly everyone can identify something we are going through right now that is causing pain or emotional anguish.  I sure can, and it doesn’t take even half a second to identify it, either.  That’s how close to the surface it is.  For you, maybe it’s the loss of a job or even being stuck in a job that consumes you.  Maybe you feel like your family is falling apart.  Maybe you’re a student who is overwhelmed with your workload.  It could be financial burdens, health issues, a wayward child…  Yes, we all have something.  But God doesn’t promise us a life without problems; that’s not what being a Christian is all about.  He does promises us that He will be here for us, and He promises abundant life in Him.  IN HIM.  Not in ME.  The only way to have that is to stop the self- focus and direct it toward Him.  “So life goes on, and so must the song.”

You gotta sing...again...The song born in your soul when you
First gave your heart...to Him...Sing His praises, once more
Sing your praise to the Lord, Come on everybody,
Stand up and sing...one more Hallelujah,
Give your praise to the Lord, I can never tell you,
Just how much good...that it's Gonna do ya

Think about the joy you had in your heart when you invited Jesus to take control.  As a small child, I remember kneeling down one Sunday afternoon with my mom in my bedroom.  She explained to me what the Bible says about becoming a Christian. As best I knew how, I prayed and asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and take control of my life.  Sure, I wasn’t a drug dealer or alcoholic, but I was a sinner just the same.  If you were a child like me when you made that decision, maybe you can’t exactly relate to this song and describe the joy you felt.  But I can sure describe the joy I have today because of that decision so many years ago.  He has spared my life from so many bad decisions because I made the choice at a young age to give Him control.  As I sang these words, I was reminded of the countless blessings God has given to me because I belong to Him.  No matter what, I gotta keep singing; keep praising.  “I can never tell you, just how much good that it’s gonna do ya!”

Just to sing...aloud...The song that someone is dying to hear
Down in the madd'ning crowd...As you once were before your heard the song,
You gotta let them know...The truth is a life to shine upon the way,
So maybe they...can go...Sing His praises, once more
Sing your praise to the Lord, Come on everybody,
Stand up and sing...one more Hallelujah,
Give your praise to the Lord, I can never tell you,
Just how much good...that it's Gonna do ya

How many missed opportunities have I had because my focus has been on me and my problems?  I don’t think I want to know the answer to that. Would you?  How many people around us are dying to hear about Jesus?  OK, in today’s western society, it’s not like they are knocking on the door begging us all the time.  But the truth is that people are searching for life’s answers, and it’s up to us to point them to the truth.  A lot of people know about God -- even believe in Him.  But so many have a misconception of Him and what the Bible says about becoming one of His children.  Just because they believe doesn't mean they're a Christian.  The Bible says in James 2:19 "even the demons believe!"  We must be vocal.  We must tell them the truth that it's only by putting your faith in Christ and Christ alone for salvation, repenting of sin, and giving Him control that is TRUTH.  We must sing aloud!  We must let them know “truth is a life to shine upon the way!”

Just to let the name of the Lord...Be praised, both for now, and evermore,
Praise Him all ye servants, Give Your praise to the Lord, Come on everybody,
Stand up and sing...one more Hallelujah,
Give your praise to the Lord, I can never tell you,
Just how much good...that it's Gonna do ya
Just to sing, sing sing...
Come on, sing, sing, sing...
I can hear you now, sing, sing, sing...

I learned a long time ago that when the path of life is blurry and you can’t quite see the way, all I need to do is put on my “Perspective Lenses.” Once I see myself and my problems with God’s perspective lenses, things start to become clear.  I may think my problems are ginormous.  (Yes, that’s a real word by the way, added to the dictionary in 2007!)  But my perspective lenses tell me otherwise.  They bring truth to focus.  They tell me that God has a plan.  It’s my choice to put this song into action each moment of the day.

So are you with me?  Are you going to praise Him in the good and the bad?  Are you going to praise Him “now and evermore?”  Are you going to stand with me and sing “one more hallelujah!”?  “I could never tell ya, how much good that it’s gonna do ya.  Just to sing, sing, sing…Come on sing, sing, sing…I can hear you now, sing, sing, sing!”

 

-- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

What a difference a letter makes...

“But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment
will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much,
much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much,
much more will be asked.”  Luke 12:48

 

EXCUSE.  EXCESS.  One letter difference between the two.  I was reading a book this week and those two words were used within a few sentences of each other, completely unrelated.  My mind did its normal double take and of course jumped from thought to thought, first looking at the similarity in the letter combinations, then bouncing from idea to idea about the parallels between the two. Perhaps I bounced around a lot because in reality, most of us offer EXCUSES to God ultimately because of our EXCESS. 

Think about it.  What’s the most common excuse we give?  Probably #1 on the “top ten” list is the old standby, “I don’t have time.”  On the surface, that doesn’t look like an “EXCESS” excuse, but let’s dig a little deeper. Why don’t we have time?  Could it be because we have excessively committed ourselves to too many things that don’t matter in eternity?  Are our lives too busy working to climb the corporate ladder so we can have more excess?  Are we too busy to prioritize Godly things because we have overcommitted to the mundane things of this world?  In truth, our excessive lifestyle in so many ways yields to excuses.

While in Tanzania a few months ago, one of the wide-eyed translators innocently asked me, “Do you have a car?” Of all the mission trips I've been on, that question has never been asked of me.  I was taken back.  Of course, like most middle-class families in the USA, we have not one, but two vehicles. I stopped, hesitated, and shook my head slowly in the affirmative.  With as much empathy as I could muster, “Yes,we do.”  And with incredible guilt while trying to be honest I said, “Most people in the United States have a vehicle.”  I couldn’t bring myself to tell her we actually had two, a minivan and a car.  The surprise on her face was as if I had just spoiled the ending to a good book.  It was a look of shock mixed with bewilderment, and perhaps a little envy rolled in, all together.  I was reminded again how truly what an excessive lifestyle I live, compared to so many in the world.

I am blessed, beyond words.  Physical blessings – health, a family I adore, a beautiful home.  Heat when it’s cold.  Air Conditioning when it’s hot.  A blanket when I’m cold while everyone else needs the air on, which is nearly every day of summer around my home.  Clothes without holes.  Enough shoes and jewelry to match every outfit I own, and more outfits than I can count.  Spiritual blessings – salvation, friends, my Godly husband, my church family, answered prayer, Facebook.  Yeah, you read that right – Facebook.  For me, Facebook is an incredible blessing.  It’s both a spiritual and physical one.  It allows me to minister to others while being ministered to, and it allows me to stay in touch with Christian friends across the globe.  I could go on counting my blessings, and never stop.  The bottom line is, even though I don’t consider myself a materialistic person,even though I’m a bargain shopper and don’t have to have the “latest and greatest” designer styles, the truth is that I live an excessive lifestyle compared to 99% of the world.  And probably most reading this do as well.

 

While in Tanzania a few months ago, we stopped for gas.  Likely, everything this man owned was on that motorcycle, and he was probably considered well-off, even rich.  Truth is, everything I BROUGHT to Tanzania couldn't have fit on that bike.

 

The Bible is very clear.  We will be held accountable for what has been given to us.  “But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”  Luke 12:48

I have been entrusted with much.  Because of this, much is expected of me.  The next time I start to offer an excuse as to why I can’t do something that will have Kingdom impact and eternal significance, I'm going to do a double take and ask myself, Is this a valid EXCUSE or is the underlying excuse actually due to EXCESS?

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com