Sugar Free Trail Mix – IHPA Newsletter Article October 2017

My sugar free column in the IHPA (Virginia Commonwealth University Inter Health Professional Alliance) Newsletter for October 2017:

IHPA Oct 2017 Newsletter

*Original article wording (newsletter has edited – for space – version and recipe):

You Have A Pretty Smile: Sugar’s Effect On Your Teeth

One really great thing that happens when you choose to live without sugar: you smile more. Your body feels better, you have a better attitude, you don’t get as sick … and this makes you happy!  And while you are smiling, your teeth are showing.  I have been sugar free for about 3 years and one of the things that I didn’t even think about were my teeth being whiter, stronger, and healthier.  The last time I went to the dentist the woman cleaning my teeth could not stop talking about it.  She told me that I didn’t have any cavities, I didn’t have much plaque, and my teeth were nice and white.  I told her I didn’t eat sugar anymore, I didn’t really drink sodas, and I didn’t drink other things that had lots of sugar like coffee, tea, or juice.  She told me that she wished everyone was like that because my teeth were doing so well. October is National Dental Hygiene Month, so why don’t you give your teeth a break and eat a little less sugar.  Your body will thank you, your teeth will thank you, and your dentist will thank you.  Less sugar means less cavities … and that means less money and time at the dentist.  This week’s recipe tip is a great substitute for sugary snacks.  Sugar free trail mix is easy to make and can be kept in your purse or child’s book bag for a quick snack instead of grabbing a candy bar.  Below are the things I put in mine, but you can pick and choose to make your favorite combination!  Happy trail mix to you until we meet again! (recipe at bottom of newsletter … click on link above)

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Sugar Free Cereal (deconstructed) – IHPA Newsletter Article September 2017

My sugar free column in the IHPA (Virginia Commonwealth University Inter Health Professional Alliance) Newsletter for September 2017:

IHPA Sep 2017 Newsletter

*Original article wording (newsletter has edited – for space – version):

For years doctors, health food companies, and the world have told us that a high fat diet was bad for us.  Because of this food companies have posted big signs on their food boxes that say: “no trans-fat” or “fat free food”, but that does not mean it is healthier for us!  I have read about this and heard people speak on the subject and I will try to quickly and plainly tell you what happened.  A long time ago some scientists thought that the fat in food was killing us, so they took some of their data and told the government that we needed to change our food habits.  This made the food companies change the way they made food. BUT … the scientists didn’t give all the information.  So we now have a system set up that may not be the best option for everyone.  Because they have taken out some fat (which takes out flavor) they have had to replace it with something else: SUGAR!  If you read my last newsletter article, then you know sugar is very addictive and very good at making us gain weight because we just want it all the time.  I know that my great grandma (and many other relatives) ate bacon and fried chicken every day and lived into their 90’s.  Most natural things are ok for us to have, as long as we are smart about how much we eat.  I know that cooking things in bacon grease is not going to kill me like everyone thinks, but if I eat it every meal then it won’t be great for my health.  I guess what you need to know is how to look at the box label.  Just because something says all natural or healthy or less fat does NOT mean it is good for you.  You should really look at the amount of sugar too. People are changing their tune about sugar and are realizing that carbs are more of a problem then natural fat.  There are many phone apps or google searches that can help you understand what the label says and what is really in the food you buy.  This month I want to give you a very simple recipe that can help at breakfast (which is when most children get the highest amount of sugar – not what you want to do right before school when they need to behave and concentrate).

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Sugar Free (No Bake) Strawberry Cheesecake – IHPA Newsletter Article April 2017

I have started a sugar free column in the IHPA (Virginia Commonwealth University Inter Health Professional Alliance) Newsletter.

Here is my first article/recipe:

IHPA April 2017 Sugar Free (No Bake) Strawberry Cheesecake

 

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Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (Good Friday – Guest Blogger Lisa Leland)

Today is Good Friday. I suppose it’s “Good” because of the good that came of the crucifixion of Christ on the cross. He paid the penalty for ALL my sin as well as the sins of the whole world population, past, present, future. Our pastor reminded me last Sunday that my sin was PAID IN FULL, which was particularly emotional for me since my sin is so great. I imagined a HUGE (as my daughter used to say, “hooooooj”) PIF stamp applied to my life’s “bill” in red ink. Yes, it’s a Good day.

This morning, as I was driving to work listening to American Family Radio Talk, I was surprised but very much moved to hear a portion of the song “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”. I started thinking, “Why would someone in the 21^st century ask, ‘were you there when they crucified my Lord’? None of us were there when they crucified my Lord!” (Actually, after some research I discovered that this song was probably derived from an old slave spiritual which would have made it a 19^th century song…) As the words played over in my head, “Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?…Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?…Were you there when the sun refused to shine?…”I started to realize, “Yes, I WAS there! My sin was there! He was thinking of ME, and YOU! As the group Sidewalk Prophets proclaim in their song, “You Loved Me Anyway”, I was the thorn in your brow, I was the nail in your wrist…. And then I asked God, “how many of those lashes with the cat of nine tales did Jesus take for me?” I was there! I was there…………….. and You loved me anyway.

A few years ago, during the height of my deepest struggles, I had a dream. I was in the crowd when Jesus was coming down the road carrying the cross. He fell right in front of me and the heavy wooden cross landed on His bloody, beaten back. He looked up at me and with every ounce of energy left in his body as though in defiance (though I know it was in complete, unmerited, unconditional, sacrificial love) He pushed Himself up under the weight of that tree and continued His labored walk toward Golgotha. Then all at once, I was at the foot of the cross on my knees, crying. I looked up at my Savior and with tears streaming down my face, I said, “I’m sorry”. Jesus looked down at me with the most tender and loving sweaty, dirty, bleeding, thorny face and said, “It’s o.k.” That was the beginning of my road back “home”

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Yes, I was there when they crucified my Lord and “oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble”.

Thank you Lord Jesus that you took all of my sin with you on that old rugged cross so that today, some 2000 years later, as I remember that my debt is Paid In Full, I can say, it is Good Friday.

Lisa Leland

Where you there when they crucified my Lord lyrics:
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh were you there when they crucified my Lord?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Tremble
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Tremble
Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Tremble
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

Well, were you there when the stone was rolled away?
Were you there when the stone was rolled away?
(Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble)
Tremble
Were you there when the stone was rolled away?

Being an Ananias (Scottie Pippen) in a Paul (Michael Jordan) World!

Scottie Pippen was an amazing basketball player, but just happened to be playing at the same time as Michael Jordan. He may not have had as many commercials as Jordan, but he was part of the same team and so had just as many championship wins as him. He was still great in his own right and on his own path!

Most of us want to be the one to do something great for God. We look up to great men like Billy Graham and wish we could lead millions of people to salvation. We aspire to be like Mother Teresa and have people praise us for our compassion. We see the Newsboys band and wish we could usher the masses into worship. But sometimes we don’t get to be “The Guy” … sometimes we have to be content to be the assist man! I have heard a million sermons and studies about Paul, but the last one I heard opened my eyes to someone I hadn’t thought much about: Ananias!

Ananias was on the path to be “The Guy”. He was a known servant of the Lord, willing to do what the Lord commanded, and apparently had enough faith to heal Paul. But setting up Ananias to be the leader of a nation wasn’t in God’s plan. The bible talks about Ananias being scared of Paul, but it doesn’t allude to another feeling he must have felt: jealousy. Akin to the way the older brother in the prodigal son felt, Ananias may have been a little upset that a new-comer – an ANTI-Christian of all people – was coming in on the last play to throw the winning shot! Ananias went from being the game winner to being the assist man real quick … but the difference about Ananias is that he did so with grace and love for his new team leader. What if Ananias had gotten an attitude and told God to take a hike? The greatest evangelist of all time could have still been sitting in that back room – blind and unproductive. Ananias had to swallow his pride and teach Paul what he needed to know to transform the world. Maybe our role isn’t to be the front man, but to be the teacher.

A couple practical examples from my life:

1. Years ago my boss moved into another position and I was doing both jobs while a replacement was found. I applied for the job obviously, but was not granted an interview because I had not finished my degree. Then I had to train my new supervisor. I was a tad upset to say the least, but had to remember that it wasn’t the new girls fault. I couldn’t treat her with disdain because she was on the path she was supposed to be on. If I had gotten that job I would not have had time to be in my Christian band and would not have felt comfortable later to quit my job and go back to school for ministry. God was saving me for my path, but also helping someone else to be on their path as well. When we don’t get what we think is due to us, it can breed resentment and make us stray from the greater job God has in store for us.

2. I am a church kid, and had my own Christian band for over 5 years. I became a youth minister at a church and took my kids to youth retreat. It was the first time I had ever been at camp where I wasn’t one of the youth or part of the band/speakers. Even though I was one of the leaders, I sort of got upset and doubted what I was doing. I began asking God if I had given up my gift of singing and been wrong to stop using what He had given me to serve Him. I had jealousy and an attitude about the band on stage … thinking that that was my rightful place to be. Later that night there was a candle light service and I looked at my youth’s little faces in the soft light and began to cry. God reached into my heart and told me that I had had my time to travel and tell others about Jesus. Now my new mission and my new path was to teach these kids and prepare them so they could have their time to proclaim the name of Jesus. My time in front of the crowd had transitioned for the time being to lead a small band of disciples so they may take the message and spread the gospel. I couldn’t argue seeing that emulating Jesus is the greatest privilege we have. It still stung for a little bit, but the rewards of seeing those kids love the Lord was worth it. I had to step out of the spotlight and bury some of my passion and pride to follow the new path God had laid out for me.

3. My father has always lived a life set apart from most. He has a wonderful character, has never even tasted alcohol, and knew he was different than most of the kids in his small town. He always felt God was preparing him for something great. He has never been a rich man or been in a huge spotlight, but he has touched countless lives with his steadfast passion to try to do what is right no matter what others may think of him. He has been a beloved coach to hundreds of young men and also a bible study leader. He can’t go anywhere without seeing someone he knows, and will friend anyone and put a smile on their face. He told me the other day that even though he doesn’t feel like he has done some great feat for God, maybe what he was supposed to do was raise his kids to go on to do great things. We have each gone on to do some relatively big things in our community and beyond for Christ (in no way meaning to brag) and I believe my father was right in the fact that his legacy remains in the way he taught his children to stand up for what is right and follow what the bible says no matter how we feel. And one day we will bring our children up in the ways of the Lord.  His favorite saying is: “what is right might not be popular, and what is popular is not always right”. He is a great example of perseverance in the midst of struggle. He may not always make the right decision, but he always tries to return to God’s word and live for Him. If that is the only thing anyone remembers about him, I believe it would be enough of a witness to the dedication of faith and a slam dunk for his life. Sometimes we think we are not the leading actor in our own lives, but if we can remain unyielding to the end we may just get that academy award for best supporting actor. There are no small parts … only small actors.

Ananias decided to put aside his pride and do what God asked. He may not have been as popular as Paul, but his name is in the Bible forever and he was a very important assist to countless people (even now) hearing the gospel. No matter how big you think your role is in the furthering of God’s will, if you do what the Lord asks then you have completed a great feat for Him! Sometimes being the assist man is your moment in the spotlight. In all reality – hearing the words “well done My good and faithful servant” when we step into eternity is our three point shot at the buzzard!

Melissa

Number One Fan!

As I was driving down the road to work yesterday, I noticed alot of bumper stickers. The ones I tend to spot first are the Dallas Cowboys stickers because my husband is a fan. When I see these I know I am somehow connected to the person even if we don’t know each other. We are willing to slap an allegiance on our cars, wear all the team gear, spend hundreds of dollars to go see “our” team, memorize all the players names and stats, and fight almost to the death if someone slanders the precious name of (insert your team here)! What if we showed that much allegiance to Jesus?!?!?! What if we could say we were Jesus’ biggest fan?

I do not have a Jesus fish on the back of my car … 1. I’m not really a bumper sticker person. 2. Deep down I know that there are times when I don’t use my turn signal or cut someone off and I wouldn’t want them judging Jesus on my crazy driving habits … but I would hope that when people see me, I am bumper-stickered with the sayings of my Lord. I hope they can look at my earthly vehicle and read the joy and love of Jesus. Imagine if we treated church and God like we did our sports teams.

1. Fellow Fans: Imagine if we encouraged the body of Christ like we did the players on the field … die-hard support of each other whether we win or loose. Recognizing a fellow fan and smiling at strangers just because we love the same team. Anytime I am wearing my Cowboys jersey I have a million people high five me or smile and say they love them too. What if we treated everyone like they were part of our team? What if we made glitter signs to show support for the people in our lives?

 

2. Cheering Like A Banshee: I have seen so many people get hyped just because it is almost game day, talk about the game before and after for days, dress up in crazy outfits, scream at the top of their lungs in support … but I am seeing less and less people worshiping, and more people grumbling about getting up for church. We are not excited about singing God’s praises, willing to lift our hands in worship because people are looking and might think we are radical, and we have lost our love and zeal for reading and knowing what God’s word says. When is the last time you saw the wave done in church (I know this sounds silly, but where has the freedom to worship whole heartedly and without abandon gone?) I know some guys who think they are too manly or embarrassed to sing in church – but they are willing to paint their face, wear a wig, lock arms and dance and sing, and slap each other on the butts because their team is important to them and no amount of foolishness and pride is too much to show support (just saying).

 

3. Number One Fan: How many times have you heard someone say they are a teams biggest fan? I have literally seen grown men crying over a loss, getting in fist fights because someone disrespected their team, and camp out for days to get tickets. What would our lives and the world look like if we were willing to show that kind of pride and loyalty to Jesus. I am not saying get in a fist fight, but do we really stand up for what we believe no matter who it offends, or do we cower to the pressures of the world and hide so we don’t have to look like a fanatic? Are we that eager to see Jesus? Do we camp out in the word of God? Are we tailgating in the church parking lot? Are we generally offended when someone slanders the name of our Lord? Do we cry at the atrocities of this world? What can we do to show God that we are His biggest fan? Are we splurging for the front row seats or clamoring for the nose bleed section on Sunday mornings?

 

4. Team Gear: How many jerseys do you own? How many shirts with your church logo or a bible verse do you own? I have jerseys so I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that, but if we are willing to show support to a team no matter what anyone thinks, then why would we be scared to offend someone with a shirt about prayer or the name of Jesus on it? Are our hearts and actions stamped with the biblical team logo on them? When people see me do they notice my cowboys star or my Jesus attitude? Am I clothed with righteousness or filthy rags?

 

5. Team Stats: How many players can you name, do you know their batting average, what years they won the championship, the records they hold? Now … can you name the books of the bible, the 12 disciples, the 10 commandments? I admit sometimes I am a little fuzzy on those (I always forget Bartholomew), but my knowledge of these topics shows what my allegiance is to whom I say I represent. If I really loved the Jesus team, I would want to soak up any and all information I could … but sometimes it just isn’t as important as it should be in my life. Sometimes just saying I love the team becomes enough. Sometimes I just want to wear the jersey without knowing the facts.

 

*** My challenge to all of us is to be excited about the Christian team! ***

 

1. Support and love those around you … smile and high-five a stranger just because they are on the same team (the human race).

 

2. Get excited about worship … can you imagine if the sanctuary on Sunday morning exploded with excitement like the stadium on Monday night?

 

3. Be God’s number one fan … be willing to defend your faith to the death!

 

4. Rep your team with more than a logo … wear your righteousness with pride.

 

5. Know your team numbers … study the word of God so you can be prepared to tell others about Christ!

Melissa

 

A Biblical View on Rapidly Changing Social Institutions

A Biblical View on Rapidly Changing Social Institutions

Third Thursday Theology Bible Study Guest Speaker – September 2016

T3 hosted Joshua Hetzler, legislative council for the Family Foundation of Virginia, as he spoke about the breakdown of our social institutions starting with the family and cumulating to the very fabric of human life – pinpointing how the devil wants to destroy who we are so he can separate us from God.

Josh’s PowerPoint Presentation: a-biblical-view-on-rapidly-changing-social-institutions

Link to Josh’s Family Foundation Blog: http://www.familyfoundation.org/blog?tag=Josh+Hetzler

Family Foundation of Virginia Website: http://www.familyfoundation.org/

T3 Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/t3study/

Compassion in the Midst of Addiction

Compassion in the Midst of Addiction: A Doctor’s Journey of Turning Grief Into Education

Third Thursday Theology Bible Study Guest Speaker – January 19, 2017

T3 hosted Dr. Omar Abubaker, D.M.D., Ph.D., (Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University) as he told the story about the loss of his son and how he was able to look at addiction with a new perspective through an educational program at VCU.   Below are (1) his PowerPoint presentation, (2) the video of his talk, and (3) a news article that was written about the event.

PowerPoint Presentation: compassion-in-the-midst-of-addiction

Recording of lecture:  https://ess.echo360.vcu.edu:8443/ess/echo/presentation/5c1d6d38-70f0-4b5a-aa37-61226751a378 (The presentation begins at the 4:30 mark).

News Article: http://www.commonwealthtimes.org/2017/01/23/department-head-seeks-educate-professionals-recognizing-treating-addiction/

For more information about how to contact Dr. Abubaker or Melissa Burton to speak on this subject or for more information and resources, please contact Melissa at mhburton@vcu.edu

T3 Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/t3study/

Be Thou My Vision

“Be Thou My Vision” has been in my head for the last few weeks, and I didn’t know why. Today I decided to look up the words (because I did not know them all). In looking at just the first line of each verse and thinking of a few of my interactions lately, it really puts the last month in perspective:

1. “Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart”: God should be what we look to, and if He is the Lord (that would make Him the master and us the servant) of our heart then what He wants is what we should do. He should be the driving factor of everything we do or don’t do … so we can bring Him glory. When we get up for church even when we don’t feel like it (self-control), when we tithe even though we don’t know where the bill money will come from (faithfulness), when we give to those less fortunate (goodness), when we look people in the eye while talking to them (kindness), when we don’t give into anger (patience), when we don’t listen to our doubt and anxiety (peace), when we listen to someone who is hurting (gentleness), when we are thankful in spite of our circumstances (joy), and when we show the light and compassion of Jesus to others even when we don’t agree with what they are doing (love). (Fruits of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23) All of the things that God is whispering to our hearts should give us the picture of who we are suppose to become.
2. “Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word”: God should be the final authority (truth) in our lives, as well as the standard for what we base our actions. There have been a few times this month where I felt under attack for what I believe or for the work that I was trying to do for God. Normally I would have responded with a list of reasons about how I was justified in my actions and the reasoning behind my motives (I mean really how is giving per-natal vitamins to a pregnancy center “not a worthy cause”), but then I remembered that people that don’t know the light of Jesus are blinded in their ignorance and sin. The devil was using them (and their whistle-blowing tactics) to try to steal my joy, make me feel foolish and be afraid to do the work of God, and pull me down in cowardliness by not standing firm in what I believe to be true. I guess the older I get, the more I realize that I need to let the Word of God speak while I remain silent. Sometimes you simply need to keep your nose down and keep pressing through. And all the horrible things I thought might happen – didn’t! If I had been antagonistic, the situation might have escalated and I may have had to stand up and fight. When I “killed” my pride, the situation died with it.
3. “Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight”: Sometimes we are called to stand up and fight. I had this happen a couple weeks ago. I headed into a situation that had been escalating and really needed to be handled and fought for, but I didn’t use all the right armor. My righteous anger was justified, but I took the wrong sword. The outcome may have been what it needed to be, but a couple of my tactics could have been more lovely. I went off on someone. Did they need to hear what I had to say and some threats in this life or death situation? YES! But could I have used a little more compassion and a little less ugly words? YES! When I went in with guns blazing, I thought God was my battle shield, but I forgot to use it to protect me from myself. I didn’t fight fair, and even though I thought I was “driving the money changers out of the temple”, I will always live with the regret that I let my love of good get twisted momentarily by the devil into something that sought to wound another.
4. “Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise”: Everyone likes to know they are doing a good job, but is that our motive? Last week was my busiest of the year for my job. We had our annual symposium and I worked ALOT! After working all year for this day, and then running around like a crazy person all week, we finally got to the start of the event. In the announcements my boss recognized me for my work and said that I should be commended even though I am shy and wouldn’t want the praise. I don’t think he knows me very well to say I am shy (LOL), I felt like I was just doing my job (and who doesn’t like overtime pay), and while I did appreciate his thoughtfulness – being honored for putting on an event was not my greatest accomplishment of the day. Everyone clapping and telling me the that the event was great just kind of got shrugged off, but I almost cried when I was taking care of an older lady at the conference and she said “Melissa, you are such a good person and take care of everyone.”. That is what I want to be remembered for – the light of Jesus showing through in my actions and service to others. I want people to look at me and say “There is something different about her and I want it – she is good”.
5. “High King of Heaven, my victory won”: Heaven should be our ultimate goal and our ultimate joy. No matter what happens in the day to day, we need to realize that there is something much better coming. This life is simply a dress rehearsal for eternity. It is hard looking at everyone and feeling unconditional love all the time … but once we get to heaven and God gives us our new bodies I am assuming He will also equip us with “Jesus eyes” so we can see others how He sees them. (So here is praying that my new body is a little thinner or that everyone’s “Jesus eyes” do the opposite effect as the camera and take 10 pounds OFF!) Our lasting victory is not in our heart being pure, our words being lovely, our fights being fair, or our heads not getting to big … but the fact that Jesus’ blood washed away all of our impurities in spite of our screw-ups! Yes we should try to emulate the words of this hymn, but the author also knew that we would one day be made perfect when we are transformed by the holy light of Jesus as we enter His kingdom.

So the next time someone tells you hymns are outdated … remember “Be Thou My Vision”. Remember the strength and hope it gives, as well as the instructions to put you on the right path. Here’s to humming your way into a more victorious day serving the High King of Heaven!

Melissa

Be Thou My Vision: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIMhshpf0Y4

I Lost God

“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.”

– Isaiah 55:6 –

              If you are like me .. .you’re that girl who loses her phone while she is talking on it, the girl who locks her keys in her car, and the girl who can’t buy nice water bottles because she leaves them everywhere she goes … so it would make sense that you too feel at times that you have lost God. For those of us who love Jesus and know he will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 4:31) … I guess we could say we have “misplaced” Him. But in all reality we have to come to grips, look ourselves in the mirror, and say “REALLY Melissa … you know you put Him on a shelf last week and just cant remember which one”.

              (At times to my detriment) I am a fixer. I pride myself on being the strong one with the Miss America smile that doesn’t fade, the one ready to push up her sleeves and take on the difficult jobs, the one you can count on no matter what … or as my brothers would call me – “mother hen”. This has gotten me pretty far in life, but a lot of times holds me back from the most important thing: listening to and searching for God. When problems come my way, I think I can see the big picture and dive into action, but what if I stopped looking a little less confident and proved to God that I really need him?

              Today I am home sick, my dogs chewed a hole in my kitchen floor, my husband switched jobs (which is a blessing) but he was out of work for a few days in between so now we have a little less money this pay period and I am trying to make sure everything is paid this month, we just had the busiest week of my year at work and I feel like I am behind on my job, I’m trying to be a good step parent and get some things done for the kids but the system says that no one is allowed to talk to me about anything because I’m not a “legal guardian”, my house is a wreck, my yard needs to be raked, I am trying to run a ministry, and I have gained back 5 pounds! Today I do not have it all together. Today I do not want to be an adult! So what did I do? I would love to tell you that I got my bible out first thing to soak up God’s love and tell Him how wonderful He is … but I’m that girl who misplaces things – mainly my priorities! I threw up a little “Give me strength Lord” half a prayer/plea, spanked my dogs, checked my bank account to pay the bills, and went on Facebook to ask everyone else for prayers for health. (I can’t believe I’m telling you this lol)

              Oh I have no doubt that God is in control, and He will provide, and everything will turn out just fine because He loves me … but maybe if I did a little more seeking and a lot less worrying and complaining, I wouldn’t have to wonder where God’s purpose was in all of this. Maybe that is the problem with most of us “church-kids”: we know all the bible verses and Christian quotes to tell ourselves and others but instead of repeating them over and over I should study them more in-depth to apply them to the everyday. So after my “I-can-do-it-myself” flurry of activity happened, I started to think: “Melissa, you know that God has to slam doors in your face to make you listen. All of these things are happening at once because God is trying to get your attention. You feel like you take one step forward and two back because you do … by going against what you know to be true. Instead of feeling like you can’t catch a break, why don’t you take a break and listen and learn.” I remembered a verse so I looked it up: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.”(Isaiah 55:6) and it made me think!

              Remember when we used to ask “Teacher, can I go to the bathroom?”, and the teacher would say “I don’t know, can you?”. God says specific things to us: “Seek the Lord while he MAY be found”. It isn’t that we can’t find God … it’s that we won’t. God is available but we have to seek Him. Jesus does not want us to stay where we are; He was always moving and so we have to move as well. Jesus always said come and follow me, so why do we think we can stay in our old ways and still go down the new path He is preparing for us? The “may” in this verse gives us permission to be one with Him. This shows the people of the Old Testament (and us) that they didn’t have to just sacrifice and wait for God to rain down fire from heaven so they would get a clue and move. They were allowed to seek Him, find joy in His comfort, and get the direction they needed to do His will.

              The next part of the verse says: “Call unto Him while He is near.”. This indicates that God won’t be available to everyone at some point. We serve a loving God, but He also has justice, and we know that there is a heaven AND a hell for a reason. If we strive to keep Him near at all times, then He won’t ever be able to get too far away that we have to run to catch up. I am assured in my faith, but I don’t want to reach the end of my life and have to explain to God where I was the whole time. I want Him to know I was at the edge of the stage at His concerts holding up the glitter signs and I have proof because I was in the picture in the “Heaven Herold” that He put in His scrapbook … not having to explain that He must have not seen me because I ran out of gas and my car broke down and so I was in the back next to the porta-potty and couldn’t see Him jamming out or get His autograph!

              So what are some things to remember when we feel like we have lost sight of God? Here are a couple tips that I borrowed from some friends:

1. You can never say that God is silent when you have a thankful heart.

2. You can never say God is silent when you have an open Bible.

3. You can never say that God is silent when you are a faithful servant.

              So the next steps for me (and perhaps you):

1. Stop complaining and realize God is trying to get my attention. Be thankful for what I do have instead of focusing on the negative. (I have an amazing God, a wonderful loving family, a good job that provides and nice co-workers, a home that keeps me safe, relatively good health, and the ability to stop eating bread so I loose those 5 pounds again!)

2. Seek Him first and search for answers in His word. (Get off Facebook and open the Lord’s book!)

3. Serve others. (This helps put everything in perspective. If I am serving then I am thinking about God and others and not myself.)

              I hope God slamming the door in my face today will help you stay one step ahead of your troubles tomorrow! May God bless you and may you always seek Him.

Melissa