Take it Off the Shelf by Paula Friedrichsen

In my kitchen I have a cabinet that holds all of my vitamins, minerals and specialized health foods. These shelves hold such things as vitamin C, multi-vitamins, fish oil soft-gels, calcium, and magnesium. In addition to these, I also have a jar of flaxseed, a ziplock bag of oat bran, and a canister of wheat germ. All of these things promote good health if I take them off the shelf and make an effort to incorporate them into my daily diet.

But how much easier it is to snack on Cheetos, or go out to eat instead of cooking something healthy, or skip the vitamins because they’re a hassle. When it comes to healthy habits, good intentions count for nothing. These items must come off the shelf and make it into my mouth to have any positive effect on my health. I can purchase wheat germ, I can Google ways to prepare it, and I can purchase a cute canister to put the wheat germ in. But until I actually take it off the shelf, prepare it and eat it, I won’t gain any of the health benefits of wheat germ, right?

And (I hope you saw this coming) our relationship with God is just like that! It’s full of peace, joy, provision, healing, direction, love, love, and more love—but unless I make time to enjoy God’s presence and carve out time in my day to seek Him, I’ll never experience all the benefits.

In my office I have an NIV Bible, New King James Bible and an Amplified Bible, as well as many devotional books. My bookshelves are bursting with life-giving, joy-giving, peace-giving nourishment. Yet I’ll have to decide to set aside some time each day if I’m actually going to read God’s word. It won’t be imparted to me by osmosis… It won’t leap off the shelf and dive into my heart as I walk by…. I’ll have to take if off the shelf and delve into it for myself to receive the health benefits.

One of my favorite worship songs says, “You are great and marvelous, God of all the universe, let your Spirit come to us, we’re waiting here for you.” I like to think of that as a description of my morning quiet time with God. Sitting on my patio with a cup of coffee, Bible spread out on my lap, my journal and pen next to me, with this hour totally set apart for my time with Him. As I sit there praising God because he is “Great and marvelous”, my heart waits for his presence. I wait for his word to come alive as I read it. I wait for his leading and direction in the situations that trouble me. I wait to feel His guidance in prayer… I wait to connect with Him. And He never fails to come. He never fails to show up. He never fails to fill me with His love and joy.

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

The Possibility of Change by Tom Hovsepian

Transformation or “metamorphoo”, in the original Greek tense, indicates a work done but continues into the future. This is the norm for God’s people. As II Corinthians 3:17-18 so beautifully states (and I liberally interpret):

“We were slaves once and by the Spirit of God are now free. Free to be totally changed from our old ways of living into the new way of life exemplified by Jesus Christ Himself. Transformation from one state of glory to another is now the way of life for us.”

A perfect example of this type of transformation is demonstrated in the life of my friend Debra Crone. Several years ago she and her family decided to write down their dreams for the coming year. When they gathered together each member shared their dream and they agreed to pray to see these dreams fulfilled in the next 365 days.

Debra’s long held dream was to paint. Not just to paint though, Debra wanted her paintings displayed in a gallery in one of her favorite spots, Lahaina, Hawaii. David and Debra’s few visits to Hawaii were highlighted by strolling through the many art galleries along Front Street in old town Lahaina. The beauty of many of the art pieces would resonate in Deb’s heart like a particular note vibrates a tuning fork. She longed to express the creativity of her Father, the Creator. The only problem being that she had never painted before!

True to their agreement, Debra’s family began to pray for one another’s dreams. Yet, in respect to Debra’s dream, weeks passed and she hadn’t yet painted. Finally her kids decided to nudge Deb a bit and bought her a nice easel, wrapped it up and placed it in her living room. When Debra got home and took off the wrappings she was so stunned that she left the easel and the wrappings in the middle of her front room for two weeks.

One day, as Dave her husband was leaving for work, he casually asked about the mess in the living room, “Is that a piece of furniture or what?” That did it for Debra! After Dave left the house she gathered up her paints and brushes and finally began.

When Dave walked through the front door that night he immediately noticed the painting set on the mantel above the fireplace. With complete seriousness he asked out loud, “How much did that set me back, $400.00?” Debra said, “No”. He then asked, “Well where’d you get it then?” “I painted it” was her reply. “No way, how long did it take you?” said Dave, still incredulous. “Oh, about 8 hours” came Deb’s reply.

And so it began. To everyone’s amazement in less than 3 years her paintings were hanging in the largest gallery on Front St. in Lahaina, Hawaii. Not only that, but her works are also on display in a gallery in Napa, California. Debra’s dream was fulfilled and her paintings are now found in the 4th and 7th largest art markets in the country!

Transformation is a very real possibility, and it’s never too late to become the person God made you to be!

Tom Hovsepian is part of the leadership team at Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30a.m. Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org