Mountain View
By Pamela Payne
Jesus’ Death brings New Life
I had an experience with God this week that I will share with you later, but it made me realize that I can never remember not being in love with spring.
I grew up Catholic, and in our home, preparing for Easter was a big deal and signaled the beginning of it for me. In the weeks before, Mother would take my sisters and me to the fabric store where we would sit at high tables and look through pattern books for our Easter dresses. We would pick out fabric and Mom would buy us matching purses and hats. Around the dinner table, we talked about Jesus’ death on the cross, about lent, and what sacrifice each of us thought we could make.
As it drew closer, Mother would begin the dress fittings. She would slip the pinned fabric patterns over our heads carefully and make small adjustments. I can still picture her behind the sewing machine feeding the fabric right up to the foot of the needle where she would remove the pin at just the right moment and place it between her lips. I can still see her tight-lipped smile and her mouthful of pins as she noticed me watching.
The week before was marked by Palm Sunday. I can remember quiet moments as a little girl brushing the soft fronds of the palm against my face, and picture Jesus riding the donkey into the town as people threw them at his feet. On Ash Wednesday of that week, we would get our ashes and Mother would put the finishing touches of lace and rickrack on her three daughters dresses. On Good Friday, the “Stations of the Cross,” were acted out before us in an extra long Mass.
Even as a very little girl, my spirit sensed the seriousness of all of this. Beyond the pretty dresses, Easter baskets, and egg hunts, something much deeper, much more powerful was alive and at work in and around me and I knew it. I can remember waiting for the daffodils and tulips to pop out from the dirt, and running outside in the weeks before Easter eager to report to anyone who would listen that they finally opened their faces. My heart would flutter at the sound of the first chirping birds, and the sight of the first Monarch butterfly.
One Easter, when I was about eight, I had a Sunday school assignment. I sat at the kitchen table for a long time struggling. I just couldn’t get my idea onto the fabric. After awhile, my Mother came and sat beside me. My assignment was to portray what Easter meant to me on the piece of white linen. I told Mom what I was thinking and feeling, but didn’t know how to convey it on the material.
I remember Mom’s smile, her suggestion, and knowing happily, that it was perfect. It was exactly what I’d wanted to say. And when it was finished, I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She helped me paint in the Monarch’s wings, and she helped me shape the tulips and daffodils just right. When dad got home from work, he attached a wooden stick under the top corner of the fabric and tied a string onto the rod so I could hang it on the wall. “Alleluia, Alleluia.” It said, “He has Risen.”
What I knew even then, is that it is not a coincidence that the Resurrection of our Savior, and spring’s new life, happen simultaneously. It is a deliberate sign from our heavenly Father about who his son is, and what He did for us. Christ’s resurrection immediately follows the Passover and the Feast of First Fruits. As Jesus took all our sins to the cross that day to save us, his gift to us was our new life. Our eternal life. And it is that gift of His Grace that we celebrate in the glory of every new spring bud and butterfly.
So earlier this week, I found myself in my garden in tears. I had thought that the two berry bushes I had planted last summer for Jude, (my precious grandson loves blackberries) had frozen and died. I prepared for the worst as I began my first day of spring garden clean up. My tears, however, came from the joy in finding new growth on both the bushes. As I stood there, so in love with Spring and praising God that Jude’s little bushes survived their first winter, I then thought how ridicules I must look and how stupid is was to be that happy about some garden plants.
It was then that God spoke to my heart. He reminded me that I have understood the significance of spring and been in love with the glory of His creation all of my life. “And that, my precious daughter,” He said, “Is why I gave you this garden.”
So I encourage all of you to look around and see what I see. The significance of Jesus gift of Grace is blooming all around us. See it and be Blessed. Happy Easter.
Pamela Payne is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Healing; Part 2
Mountain View
By Paula Friedrichsen
Healing; Part 2
In last week’s column I told about the dramatic story of my healing from Lyme disease. Since that healing over 10 years ago I’ve had the opportunity to pray with people from all over the U.S. who have Lyme disease—or other illnesses.
One theme that seems to crop up often in these conversations is the erroneous belief that the sick person may not be “good enough” to get healed. I’m often asked, “Paula, what if I’m not holy enough to get healed by God” or “What if I’m not worthy enough of God’s healing power?”
And this is my answer: God doesn’t heal you because you’re worthy. He heals you because He’s worthy. He doesn’t restore your health because you’re holy—but because He’s holy. He doesn’t heal people because they’re good enough, but because He’s good enough! He simply loves His children and offers them abundant life.
That’s not to say that we may not have to position ourselves to better receive His healing—we might just have to. Positioning ourselves can mean a number of different things:
– Drawing near to God in prayer, and in authentic, intimate worship
– Going through a season of deep repentance and a change of heart when it comes to sinful behavior
– Forgiving others for past hurts
– Forgiving ourselves for personal failings, and ridding ourselves (with the help of the Holy Spirit) of self-bitterness
– Dealing with the fear, doubt, and unbelief in our life
All of these actions help to better position us to receive from God.
Imagine a road called “healing.” On that road God has healing and restoration for you. But if that road is cluttered with obstacles and hindrances—like unrepentant sin, self-hatred, and trauma from past hurts—you may be unable to walk that path to wholeness. The Lord in His goodness wants to help you remove the obstacles from that road. It’s not that He needs you or I to be “good enough” so that He can heal us. We’ve already established that God heals people because He is good and loves His children. But He wants to help us deal with the obstacles in our lives so we can see His goodness more clearly, and receive all that He has for us.
With all my heart I believe God enjoys healing His children, and that He receives great glory when He is allowed to move supernaturally in our lives. For instance, when the Lord promises a woman a child, and then she finally conceives and gives birth to that long awaited baby, God is glorified. When God meets a financial need in your life, He is glorified. When God opens long-anticipated doors for ministry for you, He receives glory. When He helps you get that job you wanted, shouts of glory are given to God. And….when you are healed from your illness, God is glorified! He receives great glory when He is allowed to meet your needs. God isn’t holding out on you… He loves you, and sent His Son to die so that you might have an abundant life. Yes, there will be trials in this life… ups and downs and all arounds. But there is also victory in this life. There is healing, right here in the land of the living.
Psalm 103: 1-5
Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
For further study on this topic I highly recommend a book called, “Biblical Foundations of Freedom: Destroying Satan's Lies with God's Truth”. It’s available at Choices Bookstore in Bishop (873-6808), or online at www.akwellspring.com
Paula Friedrichsen is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
By Paula Friedrichsen
Healing; Part 2
In last week’s column I told about the dramatic story of my healing from Lyme disease. Since that healing over 10 years ago I’ve had the opportunity to pray with people from all over the U.S. who have Lyme disease—or other illnesses.
One theme that seems to crop up often in these conversations is the erroneous belief that the sick person may not be “good enough” to get healed. I’m often asked, “Paula, what if I’m not holy enough to get healed by God” or “What if I’m not worthy enough of God’s healing power?”
And this is my answer: God doesn’t heal you because you’re worthy. He heals you because He’s worthy. He doesn’t restore your health because you’re holy—but because He’s holy. He doesn’t heal people because they’re good enough, but because He’s good enough! He simply loves His children and offers them abundant life.
That’s not to say that we may not have to position ourselves to better receive His healing—we might just have to. Positioning ourselves can mean a number of different things:
– Drawing near to God in prayer, and in authentic, intimate worship
– Going through a season of deep repentance and a change of heart when it comes to sinful behavior
– Forgiving others for past hurts
– Forgiving ourselves for personal failings, and ridding ourselves (with the help of the Holy Spirit) of self-bitterness
– Dealing with the fear, doubt, and unbelief in our life
All of these actions help to better position us to receive from God.
Imagine a road called “healing.” On that road God has healing and restoration for you. But if that road is cluttered with obstacles and hindrances—like unrepentant sin, self-hatred, and trauma from past hurts—you may be unable to walk that path to wholeness. The Lord in His goodness wants to help you remove the obstacles from that road. It’s not that He needs you or I to be “good enough” so that He can heal us. We’ve already established that God heals people because He is good and loves His children. But He wants to help us deal with the obstacles in our lives so we can see His goodness more clearly, and receive all that He has for us.
With all my heart I believe God enjoys healing His children, and that He receives great glory when He is allowed to move supernaturally in our lives. For instance, when the Lord promises a woman a child, and then she finally conceives and gives birth to that long awaited baby, God is glorified. When God meets a financial need in your life, He is glorified. When God opens long-anticipated doors for ministry for you, He receives glory. When He helps you get that job you wanted, shouts of glory are given to God. And….when you are healed from your illness, God is glorified! He receives great glory when He is allowed to meet your needs. God isn’t holding out on you… He loves you, and sent His Son to die so that you might have an abundant life. Yes, there will be trials in this life… ups and downs and all arounds. But there is also victory in this life. There is healing, right here in the land of the living.
Psalm 103: 1-5
Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
For further study on this topic I highly recommend a book called, “Biblical Foundations of Freedom: Destroying Satan's Lies with God's Truth”. It’s available at Choices Bookstore in Bishop (873-6808), or online at www.akwellspring.com
Paula Friedrichsen is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Healing; Part 1
Mountain View
By Paula Friedrichsen
Healing; Part 1
In 1998 I contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite while hiking in the mountains near my home. The symptoms were many and varied; Severe arthritis, unbelievable muscle aches, mind-numbing fatigue, tingling in my fingers and toes, occasional loss of peripheral vision, Bell’s palsy symptoms, and trouble writing and spelling (almost like a temporary dyslexia).
When I tested positive for Lyme I was actually relieved to finally know what was wrong with me. But my relief was short-lived when I found out that my chances of getting rid of Lyme disease were not good since it had gone undiagnosed for almost a year. My treatment involved antibiotics administered through an IV for 50 consecutive days, followed by oral antibiotics for another two weeks. When all was said and done, I was only a little better—and the treatment was all over! But I still could not walk to the end of our driveway. I still could not hold my daughter. I still could not make beds, cook, vacuum, or go anywhere. I was still in chronic pain. It was a very discouraging time and I cried more than my share of tears. It seemed unthinkable to me that at 36 years old I could be permanently disabled by a tick bite. But by far my biggest battle wasn’t with this disease, it was with fear. Fear was an ever-present adversary whispering things like, "This is your new life, how do you like it? There is no hope for you! This illness will kill you eventually."
During those frightening months I cried out to God as never before. I spent many days sitting on my deck, Bible open on my lap, journal close by, seeking God’s wisdom and healing for my situation. And eventually the Lord led me to Psalm 29. This Psalm starts off with praise to God and then progresses to tell what the voice of the Lord accomplishes. I especially noticed the seven descriptions in that Psalm telling about the mighty acts of the voice of the Lord:
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 lightning
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, Glory!
A week or so after beginning my study of Psalm 29 our church began a five-day conference to celebrate their 25th anniversary. And it was over the 5 days of that conference that God healed me! Each day I improved dramatically, and on the 4th day of the conference I decided to ask the special speaker to pray for me to be healed. He bowed his head and reached out his hand to place it on my shoulder—when all of sudden he pulled his hand back and looked me in the eye. He said, “Your healing is found in the ‘voice of the Lord.’” With a few polite words he turned and walked away.
“The voice of the Lord?” Yes! That was what Psalm 29 had been speaking to me for over a week! My faith soared as I realized that God was doing something wonderful, amazing, powerful, and completely supernatural! He was healing me ... I could feel it!
By day five of our church conference I was completely healed—and when the morning service was over I decided to walk the half mile home! The sun was shining, the breeze was whistling through the trees, and I couldn’t stop smiling and praising God.
Two days later my friend Janet and I went on a celebratory hike in the mountains near our home (yes, I wore long pants and put on tick repellent) remembering that less than a week earlier I had been unable to walk to the end of my driveway. Yet here I was hiking several miles in perfect health. All Lyme disease symptoms were gone! Oh what glory and joy there is when God moves in our lives!
That healing happened many years ago and I’m still praising God for His goodness. I’ve had the opportunity to share my testimony at churches, and with many individuals in person, over the phone, and by email. I’m still regularly contacted by people who are suffering with Lyme disease and it is my great joy and honor to pray for them.
If you are afflicted with an incurable illness I want to tell you that God is a healer. He did not heal me because I’m His favorite—but simply because He is determinedly good to His children. His Word says that if you seek Him, you will find Him. I encourage you to press into Jesus, press into His Word, and press into worship. Give Him your mustard seed of faith and just watch what He does with it!
Paula Friedrichsen is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
By Paula Friedrichsen
Healing; Part 1
In 1998 I contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite while hiking in the mountains near my home. The symptoms were many and varied; Severe arthritis, unbelievable muscle aches, mind-numbing fatigue, tingling in my fingers and toes, occasional loss of peripheral vision, Bell’s palsy symptoms, and trouble writing and spelling (almost like a temporary dyslexia).
When I tested positive for Lyme I was actually relieved to finally know what was wrong with me. But my relief was short-lived when I found out that my chances of getting rid of Lyme disease were not good since it had gone undiagnosed for almost a year. My treatment involved antibiotics administered through an IV for 50 consecutive days, followed by oral antibiotics for another two weeks. When all was said and done, I was only a little better—and the treatment was all over! But I still could not walk to the end of our driveway. I still could not hold my daughter. I still could not make beds, cook, vacuum, or go anywhere. I was still in chronic pain. It was a very discouraging time and I cried more than my share of tears. It seemed unthinkable to me that at 36 years old I could be permanently disabled by a tick bite. But by far my biggest battle wasn’t with this disease, it was with fear. Fear was an ever-present adversary whispering things like, "This is your new life, how do you like it? There is no hope for you! This illness will kill you eventually."
During those frightening months I cried out to God as never before. I spent many days sitting on my deck, Bible open on my lap, journal close by, seeking God’s wisdom and healing for my situation. And eventually the Lord led me to Psalm 29. This Psalm starts off with praise to God and then progresses to tell what the voice of the Lord accomplishes. I especially noticed the seven descriptions in that Psalm telling about the mighty acts of the voice of the Lord:
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 lightning
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, Glory!
A week or so after beginning my study of Psalm 29 our church began a five-day conference to celebrate their 25th anniversary. And it was over the 5 days of that conference that God healed me! Each day I improved dramatically, and on the 4th day of the conference I decided to ask the special speaker to pray for me to be healed. He bowed his head and reached out his hand to place it on my shoulder—when all of sudden he pulled his hand back and looked me in the eye. He said, “Your healing is found in the ‘voice of the Lord.’” With a few polite words he turned and walked away.
“The voice of the Lord?” Yes! That was what Psalm 29 had been speaking to me for over a week! My faith soared as I realized that God was doing something wonderful, amazing, powerful, and completely supernatural! He was healing me ... I could feel it!
By day five of our church conference I was completely healed—and when the morning service was over I decided to walk the half mile home! The sun was shining, the breeze was whistling through the trees, and I couldn’t stop smiling and praising God.
Two days later my friend Janet and I went on a celebratory hike in the mountains near our home (yes, I wore long pants and put on tick repellent) remembering that less than a week earlier I had been unable to walk to the end of my driveway. Yet here I was hiking several miles in perfect health. All Lyme disease symptoms were gone! Oh what glory and joy there is when God moves in our lives!
That healing happened many years ago and I’m still praising God for His goodness. I’ve had the opportunity to share my testimony at churches, and with many individuals in person, over the phone, and by email. I’m still regularly contacted by people who are suffering with Lyme disease and it is my great joy and honor to pray for them.
If you are afflicted with an incurable illness I want to tell you that God is a healer. He did not heal me because I’m His favorite—but simply because He is determinedly good to His children. His Word says that if you seek Him, you will find Him. I encourage you to press into Jesus, press into His Word, and press into worship. Give Him your mustard seed of faith and just watch what He does with it!
Paula Friedrichsen is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
3-13-10 “Christian Disabilities”
Mountain View
By Pam Payne
Christian Disabilities
I love Bible study. I love how Scripture can all of a sudden come alive, jump off the page and settle its truth in my heart. I love that it is God breathed, that is speaks to the true nature of our God, and that it is used for His glory.
One of my favorite Bible teachers is Beth Moore. Perhaps I relate to her because she is from the Midwest, as I am, or the fact that she now lives in Texas, which is where some of my favorite family also lives. Maybe it's the simple truth that she makes she laugh. But whatever the reason, God has used her ministry in my life.
I have recently found myself in the midst of some changes that have been difficult for me. I always knew that menopause would be a part of my future, but I never knew that it would challenge me both physically and mentally. I was prepared for the physical part, but the mental issues took me by surprise. So when Beth Moore shared in one of her studies about the disabilities that we have as Christians, I felt like her teaching was written just for me.
The first one she spoke about was, Attention Deficit. This is Christians have trouble paying attention to God, or when our attention is fleeting. When we are in the middle of a difficult trial, and we need him, we have no trouble asking for his help, but when the crisis is over, God is often forgotten. An example of this in Scripture comes from Nehemiah 9: 30-31 and Isaiah 43: 20-22:
The next one is Hyperactivity. This happens when we get so busy we tell ourselves we just don’t have the time for God. We fill our days with tasks and all that the world throws our way, and make that an excuse. The truth is, all God really desires from us in our busy day is to, “Be Still.” (Psalm 46:10-11) The Hebrew meaning of the word “still” in that Scripture is, "Let down the hands." Just thinking about that has a calming effect on me.
The third issue she spoke about she called, Dyslexia. This is when we get things turned around or upside down. (Isa. 29:16-17, 64:8, Job 38:2-13, 16-21) This happens when we decide to take charge of our own life, instead of allowing God to be in charge. We simply push through the days and make choices, never considering what God wants. I am grieved sometimes thinking about all the decisions I have made without even a thought of consulting the one who gave me life.
The next one is what Beth called, Vision Impairment. This one spoke to me personally because of the many issues I am having with my eyes right now, and this happens when, as Christians, we only see what is in front of us, and not what God is doing on our behalf that we cannot see. (Prov. 29:18) This is where our Faith shows its true colors.
The last one she spoke about she called, “Hearing impairment.” This happens after God first speaks to us like a gentle and loving Father and then we either, do not listen, or simply choose to disobey. God is then forced to use the disciplinary voice of a discerning Father in order to get our attention. Unfortunately, it is often in the midst of our difficult trials that we finally hear Him and say, “Okay, I surrender. You have my attention now. (Isa. 50:4-5)
I share this because I believe these struggles are common among Christians living in a world where sin surrounds us. But in acknowledging them, I also bring a repentant heart and ask God for forgiveness because it is my true desire to honor Him in all that I do, and give Him the praise and glory that are His alone.
The good news is that God knows what our struggles and challenges will be even before we do, and that He is a forgiving and patient Father. He will call us. But then, he will also wait.
Pam Payne is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
By Pam Payne
Christian Disabilities
I love Bible study. I love how Scripture can all of a sudden come alive, jump off the page and settle its truth in my heart. I love that it is God breathed, that is speaks to the true nature of our God, and that it is used for His glory.
One of my favorite Bible teachers is Beth Moore. Perhaps I relate to her because she is from the Midwest, as I am, or the fact that she now lives in Texas, which is where some of my favorite family also lives. Maybe it's the simple truth that she makes she laugh. But whatever the reason, God has used her ministry in my life.
I have recently found myself in the midst of some changes that have been difficult for me. I always knew that menopause would be a part of my future, but I never knew that it would challenge me both physically and mentally. I was prepared for the physical part, but the mental issues took me by surprise. So when Beth Moore shared in one of her studies about the disabilities that we have as Christians, I felt like her teaching was written just for me.
The first one she spoke about was, Attention Deficit. This is Christians have trouble paying attention to God, or when our attention is fleeting. When we are in the middle of a difficult trial, and we need him, we have no trouble asking for his help, but when the crisis is over, God is often forgotten. An example of this in Scripture comes from Nehemiah 9: 30-31 and Isaiah 43: 20-22:
The next one is Hyperactivity. This happens when we get so busy we tell ourselves we just don’t have the time for God. We fill our days with tasks and all that the world throws our way, and make that an excuse. The truth is, all God really desires from us in our busy day is to, “Be Still.” (Psalm 46:10-11) The Hebrew meaning of the word “still” in that Scripture is, "Let down the hands." Just thinking about that has a calming effect on me.
The third issue she spoke about she called, Dyslexia. This is when we get things turned around or upside down. (Isa. 29:16-17, 64:8, Job 38:2-13, 16-21) This happens when we decide to take charge of our own life, instead of allowing God to be in charge. We simply push through the days and make choices, never considering what God wants. I am grieved sometimes thinking about all the decisions I have made without even a thought of consulting the one who gave me life.
The next one is what Beth called, Vision Impairment. This one spoke to me personally because of the many issues I am having with my eyes right now, and this happens when, as Christians, we only see what is in front of us, and not what God is doing on our behalf that we cannot see. (Prov. 29:18) This is where our Faith shows its true colors.
The last one she spoke about she called, “Hearing impairment.” This happens after God first speaks to us like a gentle and loving Father and then we either, do not listen, or simply choose to disobey. God is then forced to use the disciplinary voice of a discerning Father in order to get our attention. Unfortunately, it is often in the midst of our difficult trials that we finally hear Him and say, “Okay, I surrender. You have my attention now. (Isa. 50:4-5)
I share this because I believe these struggles are common among Christians living in a world where sin surrounds us. But in acknowledging them, I also bring a repentant heart and ask God for forgiveness because it is my true desire to honor Him in all that I do, and give Him the praise and glory that are His alone.
The good news is that God knows what our struggles and challenges will be even before we do, and that He is a forgiving and patient Father. He will call us. But then, he will also wait.
Pam Payne is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
3-6-10 "Forget the Chicken Soup"
Mountain View
By Leyla Williams
Forget the Chicken Soup
Forget the Chicken Soup, there is a new recipe for the soul...caffeine. Treat the word of God like your morning cup of joe. Savor the Word. Sip on the Psalms. Pause to let the word of God absorb into your “spiritual nervous system” with a shot of the scripture. You’ll carry the buzz of truth in your inner man all day. “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8)...acquire an appetite for the Word so you HAVE to have a “cup” in order to feel settled and ready for your day.
Don’t make reading the word of God complicated. You do not have to be a scholar to enjoy listening to God’s heart as recorded in the Bible. Maybe reading the Bible has escalated into feeling like a gourmet endeavor and so you don’t “get around to it” because it seems like it will be too involved. All our Greek learning has made listening to God’s heart through His word a clinical exercise for many. Stop. Toss out that list for gourmet encounter right now. Jesus is the very expression of the essence of God (Hebrews 1:3) and He set the example of connection as the priority; whether it is in a home, on the lakeside, by a well. He is brimming with vision to impart and hope to invigorate you again; you just need to be still (Psalm 46:10). Qualifying ourselves with works is not going to cut it. Jesus insists that we know Him. “Let the boaster boast about this, that he understands and knows Me.”(Jeremiah 9:24, 2 Corinthians 10:17) “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:23). So cradle your steaming cup and open up to the aroma of the Word.
One recipe: Read until something causes you to want to underline or highlight. Maybe it’s a truth that is pulsing, so alive, so timely. Pause and thank God for that truth. Or, maybe you read something that challenges you. Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you obey what is being revealed. Or...and this is a fun but overlooked possibility...maybe you’ve hit on a mystery. Don’t pass over it. Single out that verse and start slowly singing it to God. Sing thanks for what you do understand, start singing the parts you don’t understand, and be alert. God intends to disclose His secrets to those that search (Proverbs 25:2). Savor. Let the word start humming in you. Memorize whatever stood out by making a short chorus to the verses and letting the tune of His voice keep you company as you go about your day. Perhaps the same verses will be what you sip on for the next ten days and then you’ll move on. You aren’t in a hurry. God’s got all of eternity.
Leyla Williams is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
By Leyla Williams
Forget the Chicken Soup
Forget the Chicken Soup, there is a new recipe for the soul...caffeine. Treat the word of God like your morning cup of joe. Savor the Word. Sip on the Psalms. Pause to let the word of God absorb into your “spiritual nervous system” with a shot of the scripture. You’ll carry the buzz of truth in your inner man all day. “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8)...acquire an appetite for the Word so you HAVE to have a “cup” in order to feel settled and ready for your day.
Don’t make reading the word of God complicated. You do not have to be a scholar to enjoy listening to God’s heart as recorded in the Bible. Maybe reading the Bible has escalated into feeling like a gourmet endeavor and so you don’t “get around to it” because it seems like it will be too involved. All our Greek learning has made listening to God’s heart through His word a clinical exercise for many. Stop. Toss out that list for gourmet encounter right now. Jesus is the very expression of the essence of God (Hebrews 1:3) and He set the example of connection as the priority; whether it is in a home, on the lakeside, by a well. He is brimming with vision to impart and hope to invigorate you again; you just need to be still (Psalm 46:10). Qualifying ourselves with works is not going to cut it. Jesus insists that we know Him. “Let the boaster boast about this, that he understands and knows Me.”(Jeremiah 9:24, 2 Corinthians 10:17) “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:23). So cradle your steaming cup and open up to the aroma of the Word.
One recipe: Read until something causes you to want to underline or highlight. Maybe it’s a truth that is pulsing, so alive, so timely. Pause and thank God for that truth. Or, maybe you read something that challenges you. Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you obey what is being revealed. Or...and this is a fun but overlooked possibility...maybe you’ve hit on a mystery. Don’t pass over it. Single out that verse and start slowly singing it to God. Sing thanks for what you do understand, start singing the parts you don’t understand, and be alert. God intends to disclose His secrets to those that search (Proverbs 25:2). Savor. Let the word start humming in you. Memorize whatever stood out by making a short chorus to the verses and letting the tune of His voice keep you company as you go about your day. Perhaps the same verses will be what you sip on for the next ten days and then you’ll move on. You aren’t in a hurry. God’s got all of eternity.
Leyla Williams is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
2-20-10 "Teach Me Your Way"
Mountain View
By Paula Friedrichsen
Teach Me Your Way
I’ve been a Christian for about 24 years, and yet God is always showing me new facets of His personality, goodness, and beauty. It amazes me that my relationship with Him is still growing, changing, and fresh after all these years. I am a woman in process… a diamond in the rough. He is the diamond cutter—and I love Him!
Lately I’ve been encouraged by this portion of Scripture: “Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.” Psalm 27:11.
“Teach me your way” has become the cry of my heart. So often I’ve tried to do things my own way—which at times have been disastrous. In my pride I sometimes think my way is best. But you know what I’ve discovered? My way is the LOOOOONG way, and definitely not the “straight path” that my heart longs for. If I will only cry out to God for “His” wisdom, He will gladly show me what to do in each troubling situation I encounter.
I love the imagery in the second half of that Scripture above; “lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.” In other words, when I allow myself to get off the straight path, I wander away from the Lord’s safety and protection. There are oppressors out there, and I subject myself to the enemy every time I meander away from the revealed will of God for my life.
My pastor, Eric Stovesand, occasionally quotes from an old hymn called, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Methodist pastor Robert Robinson in 1757.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
It’s comforting to know that I’m not the only “wanderer” in the Christian family. It’s simply the human condition. In light of this, I see the necessity of tethering myself to the Word of God and to the presence of God. I also make a concerted effort to recall the many ways God has spoken to me, led me, directed me, and stopped me from going down the wrong path over the last 24 years. In fact, I did just that the other night… I couldn’t sleep and I was feeling worried about a troubling situation in my life so I decided to do my best to remember every single time that God had moved wonderfully and supernaturally in my life. Well let me tell you, I had revival right there in my bed at 2:00 a.m. As I mentally went back through the years thinking of all the ways that Jesus had helped me, or put my feet back on the right path, or comforted me in distressing times, or healed me, I became absolutely filled with praise to Him! God has a perfect track record with me. He is faithful!
His part is faithfulness. My part is to cry out with all my heart, “Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.”
Paula Friedrichsen is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
By Paula Friedrichsen
Teach Me Your Way
I’ve been a Christian for about 24 years, and yet God is always showing me new facets of His personality, goodness, and beauty. It amazes me that my relationship with Him is still growing, changing, and fresh after all these years. I am a woman in process… a diamond in the rough. He is the diamond cutter—and I love Him!
Lately I’ve been encouraged by this portion of Scripture: “Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.” Psalm 27:11.
“Teach me your way” has become the cry of my heart. So often I’ve tried to do things my own way—which at times have been disastrous. In my pride I sometimes think my way is best. But you know what I’ve discovered? My way is the LOOOOONG way, and definitely not the “straight path” that my heart longs for. If I will only cry out to God for “His” wisdom, He will gladly show me what to do in each troubling situation I encounter.
I love the imagery in the second half of that Scripture above; “lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.” In other words, when I allow myself to get off the straight path, I wander away from the Lord’s safety and protection. There are oppressors out there, and I subject myself to the enemy every time I meander away from the revealed will of God for my life.
My pastor, Eric Stovesand, occasionally quotes from an old hymn called, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Methodist pastor Robert Robinson in 1757.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
It’s comforting to know that I’m not the only “wanderer” in the Christian family. It’s simply the human condition. In light of this, I see the necessity of tethering myself to the Word of God and to the presence of God. I also make a concerted effort to recall the many ways God has spoken to me, led me, directed me, and stopped me from going down the wrong path over the last 24 years. In fact, I did just that the other night… I couldn’t sleep and I was feeling worried about a troubling situation in my life so I decided to do my best to remember every single time that God had moved wonderfully and supernaturally in my life. Well let me tell you, I had revival right there in my bed at 2:00 a.m. As I mentally went back through the years thinking of all the ways that Jesus had helped me, or put my feet back on the right path, or comforted me in distressing times, or healed me, I became absolutely filled with praise to Him! God has a perfect track record with me. He is faithful!
His part is faithfulness. My part is to cry out with all my heart, “Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.”
Paula Friedrichsen is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
2-13-10 "And on the 7th Day He Rested"
“And on the seventh day He rested”
By Pam Payne
Church on the Mountain
“And on the seventh day He rested.” To most Americans, these six words are familiar. This Scripture from the book of Genesis states plainly how God ended his six days of creation.
I’m sure some of you, like me, marvel at the imagination of God, but nothing brings me to worship quite like it.
Genesis 1:3-8 says, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that it was good and He separated the light from darkness. He called the light day, and the darkness night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”
These too are simple statements concerning the power of our God. But can you picture Him simply breathing out the light of the world?
We know that on the second day, God created the sea and sky. Take just a second and ponder this. Picture the endless expanse and color of a cloudless sky. Feel the power of the ocean. Hear its sound.
On the third day, God created the earth and all the plants. Think for a minute about the earth… The Grand Canyon, Sahara desert, Amazon jungle, and Antarctica. Then think about all the plants that grow in those places. I have a garden. And in the summer, just going through the nurseries gives me pause. The colors of the pansy, the shape of the daffodil, the shades and sizes of sunflower blooms. Blackberries, pumpkins, the purple fluttery fingers of an artichoke flower. These are but a few things I marvel over, yet God gave us hundreds of plants that I will never see, and all of them, are His gift to us.
Then on day four, God created the lights of day and night. Our sun, moon, planet and stars are just specks in God’s universe, yet think how incredible it is to see a comet fall across the sky. To witness a sunset that takes away your breath, or to stand underneath the orange glow of a Harvest moon. We all stop to look at the arc of a rainbow, or even just a piece of one. I still remember when I saw two together; one perfect rainbow arced above the other. It happened after an Oklahoma thunderstorm.
On the fifth day, God created the things that fly and swim. I picture hummingbirds, fireflies, owls and eagles. I see whales, jellyfish, octopus, and lobsters. I see colors, I hear sounds. I love to watch Planet Earth. Recently, I recorded all the episodes after my husband got HD cable put in. I’ve seen them all more than once, yet even so, I still sit like a child, rapt in awesome wonder every time.
When the sixth day came, God made the land animals. Giraffes, porcupines, rabbits, armadillos, monkeys, bears, and pigs. The diversity alone astounds. And don’t you know God gave each one great thought and consideration? Then He saw that all these things were good, so God created man and gave him dominion over all.
Genesis 1:28 Then God said. “Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth.”
And on the seventh day, He rested.
Pam Payne is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
By Pam Payne
Church on the Mountain
“And on the seventh day He rested.” To most Americans, these six words are familiar. This Scripture from the book of Genesis states plainly how God ended his six days of creation.
I’m sure some of you, like me, marvel at the imagination of God, but nothing brings me to worship quite like it.
Genesis 1:3-8 says, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that it was good and He separated the light from darkness. He called the light day, and the darkness night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”
These too are simple statements concerning the power of our God. But can you picture Him simply breathing out the light of the world?
We know that on the second day, God created the sea and sky. Take just a second and ponder this. Picture the endless expanse and color of a cloudless sky. Feel the power of the ocean. Hear its sound.
On the third day, God created the earth and all the plants. Think for a minute about the earth… The Grand Canyon, Sahara desert, Amazon jungle, and Antarctica. Then think about all the plants that grow in those places. I have a garden. And in the summer, just going through the nurseries gives me pause. The colors of the pansy, the shape of the daffodil, the shades and sizes of sunflower blooms. Blackberries, pumpkins, the purple fluttery fingers of an artichoke flower. These are but a few things I marvel over, yet God gave us hundreds of plants that I will never see, and all of them, are His gift to us.
Then on day four, God created the lights of day and night. Our sun, moon, planet and stars are just specks in God’s universe, yet think how incredible it is to see a comet fall across the sky. To witness a sunset that takes away your breath, or to stand underneath the orange glow of a Harvest moon. We all stop to look at the arc of a rainbow, or even just a piece of one. I still remember when I saw two together; one perfect rainbow arced above the other. It happened after an Oklahoma thunderstorm.
On the fifth day, God created the things that fly and swim. I picture hummingbirds, fireflies, owls and eagles. I see whales, jellyfish, octopus, and lobsters. I see colors, I hear sounds. I love to watch Planet Earth. Recently, I recorded all the episodes after my husband got HD cable put in. I’ve seen them all more than once, yet even so, I still sit like a child, rapt in awesome wonder every time.
When the sixth day came, God made the land animals. Giraffes, porcupines, rabbits, armadillos, monkeys, bears, and pigs. The diversity alone astounds. And don’t you know God gave each one great thought and consideration? Then He saw that all these things were good, so God created man and gave him dominion over all.
Genesis 1:28 Then God said. “Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth.”
And on the seventh day, He rested.
Pam Payne is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
2-6-10 "The Missing Years"
From: Church on the Mountain
By: Pam Payne
The missing years…
As Christmas drew near, I began to wonder what Jesus was like as a child. My grandson is near the same age Jesus would have been when the Magi arrived to worship him. I’m sure that’s what prompted these thoughts.
Scripture gives us a clear picture of Jesus’ birth in a stable, and gives us a glimpse of what Mary and Joseph went through leading up to it. The fact that it took the traveling Kings nearly 2 years to get to Jesus, is not quite as clear.
As a grandmother of such a busy little boy, I can’t help but try to picture what Jesus was doing when they arrived at his house?
Did Mary have to track down her busy toddler? Was he outside watching his father make things out of wood? Was He throwing rocks or perhaps playing in the dirt?
Did she have a difficult time settling her son down in front of his visitors? Did her toddler go to them freely? Did he open the boxes and examine his gifts? Did he climb in their laps, pull on their beards, or was Jesus timid, even scared of the strangers?
Do you suppose Mary and Joseph spoke about their knowledge of Jesus to their neighbors? Would they have believed their story of the visiting Angel and the virgin birth?
What were Jesus’ first words? Did Joseph make him a toy set of carpentry tools and did Jesus stand beside his Father imitating him?
When Jesus was older, did he play tag and climb trees with other boys, or was he kept inside and protected. Was he more interested in studying the Torah than the Jewish boys his age? Was he in communication with his Father even then?
Did anyone say, "Boy that Jesus...what a great young man he is, there's just something special about him, isn’t there?”
The next clear picture we have of Jesus in Scripture he is 12. After traveling with his family to the Passover celebration, Mary and Joseph notice on the return home, that Jesus is no longer with them.
Worried and upset, go back to look for him and they find their son in the synagogue speaking to the Rabbi’s. When they confront him, Jesus responds, "Did you not know that you would find me in my Father's house?"
I wonder if that was the moment, things began to change for Joseph and Mary. They had to know that His Father in heaven would one day call Jesus.
Scripture doesn’t give us another picture of Jesus until he begins his Ministry almost 18 years later. I imagine those 18 years of Jesus life were quite different then the 12 before as God prepared His son for the ultimate sacrifice.
And in eternity, I wonder if perhaps God, who knows my heart, will pull up a glimpse of this part of Jesus life and show it to me.
Until then, may we all come to a fresh revelation of who Jesus is, and what His death on the cross really means to each of us.
Pam Payne is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
By: Pam Payne
The missing years…
As Christmas drew near, I began to wonder what Jesus was like as a child. My grandson is near the same age Jesus would have been when the Magi arrived to worship him. I’m sure that’s what prompted these thoughts.
Scripture gives us a clear picture of Jesus’ birth in a stable, and gives us a glimpse of what Mary and Joseph went through leading up to it. The fact that it took the traveling Kings nearly 2 years to get to Jesus, is not quite as clear.
As a grandmother of such a busy little boy, I can’t help but try to picture what Jesus was doing when they arrived at his house?
Did Mary have to track down her busy toddler? Was he outside watching his father make things out of wood? Was He throwing rocks or perhaps playing in the dirt?
Did she have a difficult time settling her son down in front of his visitors? Did her toddler go to them freely? Did he open the boxes and examine his gifts? Did he climb in their laps, pull on their beards, or was Jesus timid, even scared of the strangers?
Do you suppose Mary and Joseph spoke about their knowledge of Jesus to their neighbors? Would they have believed their story of the visiting Angel and the virgin birth?
What were Jesus’ first words? Did Joseph make him a toy set of carpentry tools and did Jesus stand beside his Father imitating him?
When Jesus was older, did he play tag and climb trees with other boys, or was he kept inside and protected. Was he more interested in studying the Torah than the Jewish boys his age? Was he in communication with his Father even then?
Did anyone say, "Boy that Jesus...what a great young man he is, there's just something special about him, isn’t there?”
The next clear picture we have of Jesus in Scripture he is 12. After traveling with his family to the Passover celebration, Mary and Joseph notice on the return home, that Jesus is no longer with them.
Worried and upset, go back to look for him and they find their son in the synagogue speaking to the Rabbi’s. When they confront him, Jesus responds, "Did you not know that you would find me in my Father's house?"
I wonder if that was the moment, things began to change for Joseph and Mary. They had to know that His Father in heaven would one day call Jesus.
Scripture doesn’t give us another picture of Jesus until he begins his Ministry almost 18 years later. I imagine those 18 years of Jesus life were quite different then the 12 before as God prepared His son for the ultimate sacrifice.
And in eternity, I wonder if perhaps God, who knows my heart, will pull up a glimpse of this part of Jesus life and show it to me.
Until then, may we all come to a fresh revelation of who Jesus is, and what His death on the cross really means to each of us.
Pam Payne is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
1-30-10 "A Heart for Ministry"
A Heart for Ministry
By Paula Friedrichsen
“Oh that we might be fired with a loving ambition to be the disciple whom Jesus loved,
leaning on Jesus’ bosom!”
Charles Spurgeon
The women’s ministry team at our church is impassioned about the women we serve. We long to know the needs of our women! We need to know in what ways they are hurting. In what ways we can serve them, love them, and point them toward a deeper and more authentic walk with God. And at a recent staff meeting we were discussing the different ways we, as leaders, can intimately and thoroughly know the heartbeat of the women we minister to.
As we pondered these things, something occurred to us; the only way for us to deeply and thoroughly know the heartbeat of the women in our church is to draw near to them…close enough to feel their heartbeat, so to speak. And as we discussed this point further, we realized that the kind of “ministry leaders” who have the courage to draw close to others—loving them unconditionally—are the same leaders who have first drawn near to the Lord in their own lives. These are the kind of leaders who know the heartbeat of Jesus, and cherish His presence in their lives. They are the kind of leaders who walk with Him, talk with Him, and know Him intimately and deeply.
Since that staff meeting with our Women’s Ministries, I’ve been challenged in several ways. First and foremost I’ve been challenged to draw near to God in a more determined way. And as I have I’m reminded that He is so faithful, so forgiving, so exciting, and so exorbitantly GOOD! His presence and His word are captivating, and healing, and precious beyond all else! The more time I spend with Him, the more I want to spend with Him. And honestly, what can compete with that? Not much.
The other way I’ve been challenged is to love people more. While loving God is easy because He first loved me—loving people involves risk. And for anyone who’s ever been hurt by others (which would be all of us, right?) there is a temptation to put up a wall around our heart. We protect ourselves from getting hurt again by holding others at arms length. But, that’s no way to live. Especially for those called to any form of Christian ministry.
So, to the extent that I’ve allowed a wall to form around my heart—causing me to stay a safe distance from those I minister to—I’ve asked God to knock it down. I’m committed to knowing the heartbeat of the church as a result of my “proximity” to others, instead of standing a safe distance away and “guessing” what their needs and desires might be. Even if that means I’m close enough to get hurt. Even if it means I’m close enough to become offended, or worse, offend others. Why? Because I’m convinced that the best way to “give away” the amazing, thrilling, and audacious goodness of God is up close and personal.
Church on the Mountain is located in Crowley Lake: 760-935-4272 ~ www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
By Paula Friedrichsen
“Oh that we might be fired with a loving ambition to be the disciple whom Jesus loved,
leaning on Jesus’ bosom!”
Charles Spurgeon
The women’s ministry team at our church is impassioned about the women we serve. We long to know the needs of our women! We need to know in what ways they are hurting. In what ways we can serve them, love them, and point them toward a deeper and more authentic walk with God. And at a recent staff meeting we were discussing the different ways we, as leaders, can intimately and thoroughly know the heartbeat of the women we minister to.
As we pondered these things, something occurred to us; the only way for us to deeply and thoroughly know the heartbeat of the women in our church is to draw near to them…close enough to feel their heartbeat, so to speak. And as we discussed this point further, we realized that the kind of “ministry leaders” who have the courage to draw close to others—loving them unconditionally—are the same leaders who have first drawn near to the Lord in their own lives. These are the kind of leaders who know the heartbeat of Jesus, and cherish His presence in their lives. They are the kind of leaders who walk with Him, talk with Him, and know Him intimately and deeply.
Since that staff meeting with our Women’s Ministries, I’ve been challenged in several ways. First and foremost I’ve been challenged to draw near to God in a more determined way. And as I have I’m reminded that He is so faithful, so forgiving, so exciting, and so exorbitantly GOOD! His presence and His word are captivating, and healing, and precious beyond all else! The more time I spend with Him, the more I want to spend with Him. And honestly, what can compete with that? Not much.
The other way I’ve been challenged is to love people more. While loving God is easy because He first loved me—loving people involves risk. And for anyone who’s ever been hurt by others (which would be all of us, right?) there is a temptation to put up a wall around our heart. We protect ourselves from getting hurt again by holding others at arms length. But, that’s no way to live. Especially for those called to any form of Christian ministry.
So, to the extent that I’ve allowed a wall to form around my heart—causing me to stay a safe distance from those I minister to—I’ve asked God to knock it down. I’m committed to knowing the heartbeat of the church as a result of my “proximity” to others, instead of standing a safe distance away and “guessing” what their needs and desires might be. Even if that means I’m close enough to get hurt. Even if it means I’m close enough to become offended, or worse, offend others. Why? Because I’m convinced that the best way to “give away” the amazing, thrilling, and audacious goodness of God is up close and personal.
Church on the Mountain is located in Crowley Lake: 760-935-4272 ~ www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
1-23-10 "A Different View"
A Different View
By Paula Friedrichsen ~ Church on the Mountain
While visiting my folks in the Los Angeles area, I passed by a condominium construction site. The almost-finished condos were being built on the side of a mountain and promised panoramic views of the San Fernando Valley. As I drove past, I imagined how delightful it would be to sit on one of those sundecks, sipping morning coffee and enjoying the expansive vista from that vantage point.
But as the traffic inched forward I could see that there was actually another set of much older condos situated behind the ones being constructed. The new project was literally going up directly in front of the existing homes. And while the original condos were two stories high, the new ones were three stories high—just high enough to completely block the views from the older condos.
I was outraged! It seemed unthinkable to me that the owners of the new condo project had been allowed to do such a thing to the existing homeowners—but they had. The families who owned those older condos had purchased them because of the gorgeous view. Now they would be looking at the back of the monstrous condo project directly in front of them.
Life can be just that unfair sometimes. There is nothing quite as excruciating as being seriously disappointed, and there’s nothing like a recession to create serious disappointment. These days many folks wonder what happened their once prosperous life. This wasn’t the “view” they had signed up for.
Times of economic downturn take their toll on every part of our lives: marriage, parenting, peace of mind, friendships, and faith. And while it’s a fact that times of hardship and loss are very uncomfortable and distressing, they also serve to showcase the audacious goodness of God. As the following Scripture illustrates; without enduring a few furious squalls in our lives—we miss out on the miracles of peace in the storm.
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (Mark 4:35-40)
In the past when I’ve read that piece of Scripture I’ve always focused on the fact that the disciples were afraid and needed more faith. But this passage also teaches that if Jesus is invited into a crisis, He will act! He brought peace in the midst of danger, peril, and turmoil. He calmed the storm. The silver lining to enduring a “furious squall” is the absolute thrill of seeing Christ enter into the situation in power. This was a life changing event for the disciples, and one which most likely increased their faith. And isn’t that just the crux of it all? When we’re going through times of turmoil we turn to God…and He turns to us. Distressing times are God’s invitation to us for greater intimacy, and storm clouds are the perfect backdrop for His silver linings.
Church on the Mountain is located in Crowley Lake: 760-935-4272 ~ www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
By Paula Friedrichsen ~ Church on the Mountain
While visiting my folks in the Los Angeles area, I passed by a condominium construction site. The almost-finished condos were being built on the side of a mountain and promised panoramic views of the San Fernando Valley. As I drove past, I imagined how delightful it would be to sit on one of those sundecks, sipping morning coffee and enjoying the expansive vista from that vantage point.
But as the traffic inched forward I could see that there was actually another set of much older condos situated behind the ones being constructed. The new project was literally going up directly in front of the existing homes. And while the original condos were two stories high, the new ones were three stories high—just high enough to completely block the views from the older condos.
I was outraged! It seemed unthinkable to me that the owners of the new condo project had been allowed to do such a thing to the existing homeowners—but they had. The families who owned those older condos had purchased them because of the gorgeous view. Now they would be looking at the back of the monstrous condo project directly in front of them.
Life can be just that unfair sometimes. There is nothing quite as excruciating as being seriously disappointed, and there’s nothing like a recession to create serious disappointment. These days many folks wonder what happened their once prosperous life. This wasn’t the “view” they had signed up for.
Times of economic downturn take their toll on every part of our lives: marriage, parenting, peace of mind, friendships, and faith. And while it’s a fact that times of hardship and loss are very uncomfortable and distressing, they also serve to showcase the audacious goodness of God. As the following Scripture illustrates; without enduring a few furious squalls in our lives—we miss out on the miracles of peace in the storm.
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (Mark 4:35-40)
In the past when I’ve read that piece of Scripture I’ve always focused on the fact that the disciples were afraid and needed more faith. But this passage also teaches that if Jesus is invited into a crisis, He will act! He brought peace in the midst of danger, peril, and turmoil. He calmed the storm. The silver lining to enduring a “furious squall” is the absolute thrill of seeing Christ enter into the situation in power. This was a life changing event for the disciples, and one which most likely increased their faith. And isn’t that just the crux of it all? When we’re going through times of turmoil we turn to God…and He turns to us. Distressing times are God’s invitation to us for greater intimacy, and storm clouds are the perfect backdrop for His silver linings.
Church on the Mountain is located in Crowley Lake: 760-935-4272 ~ www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
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