COTM Weekly Articles

The Thread of Love by Amy Friedrichsen

2011-12-21T11:13:00.001-08:00

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life cant. The angels cant and the demons cant. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away.”

This scripture found in Romans 8:38 perfectly encapsulates the theme of love woven throughout the New Testament. It reiterates the concept of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, which proved to be the most dramatic show of love the world has ever seen. This theme of love is developed throughout the Gospels and Epistles beginning with Christ’s birth in a manger in the opening verses of Matthew, and culminating with the ramifications of his death in Revelation. Love is woven throughout all the books of the New Testament in such a way that it displays an element of perfection that we can attain.

In the Gospels we see the thread of love in the following ways:
• Love comes in a manger, not a palace
• Love comes to serve, not to be served
• Love feeds the hungry; it doesn’t deprive or withhold
• Love heals the sick, it does not infect
• Love doesn’t come to give rules and regulations, it comes to turn water into wine and give a good time
• Love doesn’t teach with theology, but with stories and parables so anyone can understand

An example of unwavering love is seen in the parable of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15:11-24. A boy begs and pleads for his inheritance until his father acquiesces; he leaves home and squanders his savings on partying and a frivolous lifestyle. When he is left without a friend or place to stay and realizes his mistake, he crestfallenly trudges the miles back to his father to beg for forgiveness. When his father catches sight of his lost son, he runs with arms wide open and not only welcomes him back, but throws a party in his honor. No matter how bad the mess up, it’s never too bad for the Father to eagerly welcome you back with open arms.

In Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and 1 & 2 Timothy love is revealed in the ways God tries to connect us with His Sprit.
• In Acts, love is evident in the manifest presence of God. When you’re in love with someone, is there any greater gift than your presence? “And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”
• In Romans love is shown by God giving us the possibility of righteousness… being right with God and getting to feel his peace and joy as a result. “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus has done for us.” (Romans 5:1)
• In 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and 1 & 2 Timothy, God reveals his love through the gifts of joy, peace, and encouragement. “And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted.” (2 Thessalonians 1:7)

In Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Hebrews love is prominent by the strength and endurance God provides amongst hardships.
• Philippians 4:13 tells us, “For I can do everything with the help of Christ.”
• Colossians reveals love in the way God provides freedom from religion—giving each person the opportunity for an authentic, dynamic love relationship with Jesus himself.
• Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen.” What better way to demonstrate your love for someone than by blessing them with the substance of faith to hold on to in rough patches.

The culmination of love appears in the two final books in the New Testament; Jude and Revelation.
• In Jude, love is displayed in sympathy and compassion when in verse 24 it says “God is able to keep you from stumbling.”
• The final act of love is seen in Revelation 21:4 “God will wipe every tear from his child’s eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

This theme of love which is woven throughout all 27 books of the New Testament reveals the dedication and passion of God towards His people, and shows that He will stop at nothing to convey his loving and forgiving personality.

A Thousand Days of Pain By Paula Friedrichsen

2011-11-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

"March on, my soul; be strong.”

Judges 5:21b

Courage is formed in the trenches. I know this because I lived in a “trench” for three years.

In September of 2008 I woke up with my first migraine—and I had it (in one form or another) every day for just over 1000 days. Three years of acute pain, of medical tests, and of medications. Three years of panic, fear, and tears. Three years of prayer, deep worship, and a longing to be well.

Because I’m a proactive kind of person I tried everything you can think of to get better. I tried most every drug my neurologist suggested; I tried many holistic methods to healing; I tried many organic, wellness health improvements. I taped healing Scriptures on my bathroom mirror and I read them aloud every day, and I asked for prayer at church at every opportunity. Basically, I was on a mission to be healed.

Simultaneously, throughout this time I was taking more and more pain medication in my effort to get a few hours of relief. Most nights I would creep out of bed in the middle of the night to take one pill or another—then struggle to go back to sleep oppressed with the weight of guilt for taking so many meds. It was a vicious cycle, and one which added greatly to my overall misery and fear. During this time I cried out to God for deliverance, and pressed into Him in fresh, innovative, and deeper ways!

One of the most important steps I took in my journey was to keep my mouth shut. I refused to complain (with very few exceptions). I had a deep knowing in my heart that it was of vital importance that I not speak negatively about my situation. Certainly I had a few times of pouring out all my fear and frustrations with the people who love me—but for the most part I kept silent and put my trust in God. And when I speak of “trust in God” I mean a deep, profound, silent, stoic, anchor-like trust…. a trust that only God could develop in me.

At some point this deep trust gave birth to courage. Courage to stand uncompromising on God’s promises of healing found in His word, in spite of the terrorizing amounts of pain. And courage to put my roots of faith down deep into God’s presence, and allow nothing to steal my peace and joy in the midst of suffering.

God will always reward our childlike trust in Him with an inner courage and godly strength. But be warned, courage isn’t developed in a day or two. Courage is developed as we endure hardship, unwavering in our faith in God’s goodness. Over the course of three years my theology was refined down to three words: “GOD IS GOOD.” Nothing could move me from this belief. No amount of pain, fear, medication misuse, or panic, could shake the truth that God was coming around for me—to heal me and restore my heath. And the longer I stood on this truth, the more courage God poured into me. I began to see myself as a strong oak tree, with roots that went down deep into the soil of God’s word. As each new wind of migraine pain would blow against me, threatening to topple my faith—my roots would grab hold of God’s promises and I would stand. Why? Because God had rewarded my childlike trust with courage—and nothing could steal it or shake it.

He will do the same for you! I’m nobody special…. Just a woman who knew to keep her mouth shut, and her heart open to God’s whispered assurances that healing was on its way.

God began to move radically in my situation about six months ago. First, He brought a tremendous increase of comfort, accountability, and anointed prayer through my Church on the Mountain Leadership team. Then, God brought a wonderful minister named Jim DeGolyer to our church for a month. During that time I had the opportunity to meet with Jim and his wife, and God greatly expanded my understanding and experience of His presence, His courage, and His hope that my healing was on the way.

My story has a happy ending! On September 18^th I woke up excited and cheerful. You see, that was the day I was to be ordained by Albie Pearson, and the rest of our leadership team at Church on the Mountain. That morning I awoke with especially severe migraine pain in my left temple. As I lay there, I did my usual self-assessment to see how bad I felt. And as I did, the Lord spoke clearly to me and said, “No longer will any and every activity or stress have the power to give you a headache.”

The morning of my ordination marked the day I was released from the ongoing nightmare of migraine headaches! God had healed me! He is so good, isn’t He?!

Let me encourage you to allow your affliction to push you deeper into God’s presence. Ask Him to heal you and then trust that He will! Keep your mouth shut and refuse to complain. Trust Him with your whole heart—and linger in His presence while He develops courage in you. You’ll never be the same.

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

Broken Merchandise by Tom Hovsepian

2011-10-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

Everybody loves an underdog. How about those 2004 Red Sox as they faced their formidable nemesis the Yankees in the American League Championship Series down 3 games to 0. The Sox came back, winning 4 straight games, a feat no other major league team has ever done. They then went on to break the dreaded “Bambino’s Curse”, that 86 year World Series victory drought, ever since they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920, by drubbing the Cardinals in 4 straight games to become World Champions.

God likes underdogs too. A lot. Little boy David, tongue tied Moses, vulnerable Esther, lion-taming Daniel, and scaredy cat fishermen just to name a few.

I’ve spent 25 yrs. in the construction trade and have found the adage, “you get what you pay for”, as being absolutely true. The use of cheap or shoddy materials will always come back to haunt you.

But God doesn’t see it that way. He states in Psalm 147 that He builds Jerusalem with the outcasts and brokenhearted. It says He heals their hearts and binds their wounds. Sometimes a broken heart can be more devastating than a physical ailment or injury.

Psalm 147 goes on to say that God doesn’t take delight in the strength of a horse or take pleasure in the legs of a man—He favors those who trust in His love expressed through His kindnesses.

Jesus used some unexpected materials to build with too. When 5000 people need to be fed He uses a little boy’s lunch.

Another example of this is when Jesus healed the tormented and demon possessed man from Gerasenes. When he was healed and in his right mind, Jesus didn’t send him off to Bible school or Seminary but told him to go to his people and tell them what God had done for him. Imagine that; broken, healed and sent, that quick.

What about that encounter Jesus had with the relational wreck of a woman at the well who had five husbands and was now living with a guy. To her Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah. When He told her that He was the source which could quench her thirst, she ran off to tell her whole town the good news! “Hey, God knows everything about me, and doesn’t condemn me. Could this be the Messiah? Come and see!” That busted up lady’s testimony brought many to faith.

Jesus said He came for people just like that, “broken merchandise”. I think of what Andy Cominsky, the founder of Desert Stream Ministries said, “The most powerful thing Jesus ever did was to become weak.” Wow!

God has chosen us, the weak, the foolish, the broken to build His kingdom. As we embrace our brokenness we can then embrace the Cross—Christ being broken for all of us who are “damaged goods”. It’s here that the worst curse of all is broken, and in our weakness we become strong building materials for the Master Builder’s hands.

Tom Hovsepian is the pastoral team leader 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

Confront Fear Head On by Paula Friedrichsen

2011-10-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

Walking is one of my favorite activities, and I try to get out for a daily trek through the neighborhood. A few days ago, while enjoying my morning stroll, a large German Shepard mix bolted out of nowhere snarling, snapping and growling. This dog meant business!

I froze in fear as I watched that menacing dog approach, his teeth bared in a low, mean growl. It appeared he had every intention of attacking me. I looked around for his owner, but the street was completely deserted.

Suddenly, something akin to indignation rose up in me. I thought, "This is my neighborhood! Who do you think you are?" I just couldn't believe the audacity of that stupid, ugly dog, to think he was going to bite me on my street, in my neighborhood!

I charged toward him a step or two and yelled, "BACK OFF!" I meant it, and the dog knew I meant it. Sullenly he backed off a few steps and stopped growling, letting me pass without incident.

This was a real victory for me, since I was bitten several times as a child by neighborhood dogs. For many years my fear of dogs accompanied me on my walks. Even if I came upon a friendly tail-wagging dog, my heart would start to pound and I would literally have to stop myself from running home at full speed (now how would that look - a grown women running in frenzied terror from a friendly, galloping Golden Retriever?)

Though I experienced some relief from my terror in the past few years, it was the incident with the German Shepard that set me totally free. It took me getting outraged at that stupid, ugly dog (and at my stupid, ugly fears) to experience victory.

This incident started me thinking about other fears I still need to conquer. I believe God has placed courage in each one of us - but it's up to each individual to "unearth" it and put it into action. And just like that stupid, ugly dog thought he would take some of my territory for his own, I wonder what other fears in my life have taken over territory that belongs to me?

Fear is a bully that preys on the wounded. Fear will take a past event from your life that caused trauma, hurt, injury, or wounding and capitalize on it until the fear is so blown out of proportion that it doesn't even resemble the initial event.

If fear is casting dark shadows over your life, perhaps it's time to put your foot down and say, "Enough!" Allow the things you fear to be the catalyst that drives you deeper into your relationship with God. He is the source of all courage and bravery, and we would all benefit by spending time in his presence every day. When we build our spirits through relationship with God, we are fortified to face those lying fears and say with confidence, BACK OFF!

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

Put The Skeer On ‘Em By Tom Hovsepian

2011-09-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

The most successful general in American history was the Confederate Cavalry officer Nathan Bedford Forrest. Forrest had no formal military training and disdained those who did. Yet his leadership skills, courage, and grasp of the frailties of the human personality produced victories over his enemies that were astounding. He must have been one amazing poker player because Forrest perfected the use of the “bluff” to the constant consternation of the Union.

On numerous occasions he forced a well-entrenched, superior strengthened foe to surrender. He would continually parade his smaller forces conspicuously in view of the fort’s walls and display his few artillery pieces in different positions surrounding the fort. His opponent was led to think he faced a vastly superior force. Combined with Forrest’s ruthless sounding threats of holding no quarter unless his enemy would immediately surrender, Union forts fell, often without a shot.

On one occasion, General Forrest used these tactics against a Union Cavalry column four times larger than his own whose sole mission was to find and destroy Forrest’s marauders. Once Forrest had the Union horse soldiers on the run he declared, “Put the skeer on ‘em”. Whereby his men then harassed and hounded the rear guard and flanks of the bluecoats until they were a scattered wreck. During this engagement the story is told that after 4 straight days of relentless pursuit Forrest’s horse walked straight into a tree and knocked the sleeping General to the ground where he remained sound asleep.

Early during the Great Depression economic panic was sweeping the country. In one of his fireside chats President Franklyn Roosevelt spoke the immortal words, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Bill Johnson says, “Fear is the John the Baptist of he who comes to steal, kill and destroy.” If “perfect love casts out fear” then nothing we do should be motivated out of fear, for where fear exists there cannot be love.

Like General Forrest, the enemy’s greatest tool is to “put the skeer on” us. If he can get us to focus on the negative circumstances or the “what ifs” then he’s got us on the run.

Graham Cooke tells the story of a man he was praying for some years ago after a meeting in Florida. As Graham began to prophecy over the fellow, he noticed the guy got angrier and angrier. Finally Graham had to stop and ask the man what was up. The man said, “You idiot, here you are prophesying about my future and you say nothing about the leukemia I now have, with a prognosis that I will be dead in 3 months.”

Graham then said, “Listen you pelican, God is speaking from your Future into your present, but if you don’t want Him to, that’s fine.” Not getting it, the man walked off. Several years later Graham was back in the area and this same man came up to report that he had gone home and realized God was speaking to him from a Future where he was free of leukemia. At that moment the man resolved never think of his leukemia again. He testifies that he has lived those past years cancer free and has actually fulfilled much of what Graham had prophesied over him.

Remember the BBC series, “Planet Earth”? There was that episode where dolphins in Florida would find a school of fish in some shallows. The dolphins would rapidly swim around the fish and stir up the muddy bottom with their fins. The dolphins “put the skeer” on the fish by surrounding them with the brackish water. The fish would become so panicked that they would jump right out of the water into the waiting bills of the dolphins. All because the fish got “skeered”…

When we give into fear it can become a self-fulfilling prophesy because, as Job says, “My fears have come upon me.”

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

It’s Not a Monologue by Tom Hovsepian

2011-08-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

Recently a long time friend from my early days in Crowley Lake, I’ll call her Beth, told me the story of what happened when her husband of 30 years died after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s. Naturally, she had been preparing herself for her husband’s death due to the progressive decline caused by the disease. Yet when her companion actually passed away she was immediately overwhelmed with fear and an oppressive sense of aloneness.

As she held her husband’s lifeless body close to her she cried out in desperation to the Lord these words, “I have to know right now where Bill is.” My friend said, from this dire need to know, she loudly repeated the request for several minutes when suddenly she saw a vivid replay of an event that occurred in her past.

It was when she was living in Lake Tahoe and it was her birthday. Patty, her roommate, had asked her to take a drive around the lake later that day. She had agreed but later decided to decline. Her daughter, who was also living with her at the time said, “Patty was really looking forward to you going on that drive and now I think she will be disappointed.” With that, Beth agreed to go on the drive and at the appointed time the two took off.

When they arrived home Beth headed to the front door with her roommate, Patty, behind her. As she opened the door a loud “Happy Birthday!” rang out from her condo, which was packed with every one of her treasured friends. She was completely overcome by the surprise party of thoughtfulness and affection.

“But Lord”, she asked, “What does this memory have to do with where my husband is?” This reply could only have come from Him; “Where Bill is was a surprise I prepared just for him. Just as your roommate, who was standing behind you, couldn’t see your birthday surprise way back then, so it is with you. I have a special surprise waiting for you too, when it is your time to come.” Beth said that instantly she was enveloped in a thick blanket of peace. Peace that truly passed her understanding. No more fear and no more oppression.

Isn’t it amazing how the Lord is near to the brokenhearted? Only He could have healed my friend’s wounded and vulnerable heart. What is even more amazing is that the Lord doesn’t have to wait for a traumatic experience to reveal Himself to us as being near.

Jesus’ very name is testament to that reality. He is called “Immanuel, God with us.” He said His sheep would “hear” His voice. He also said He would send the “Comforter” who would lead us into ALL truth. He is called the “Word of God” for heaven’s sake! Why is it that we have such a difficulty believing that our God is a speaking God, and that He desires to communicate with us?

We tell our friends, “Oh, Christianity isn’t a religion it’s a … relationship.” What kind of relationship would we have on earth if all we continually did was have a monologue with a friend instead of a dialogue? Wouldn’t be much of a relationship would it?

During His 3 ½ years here on earth, Jesus modeled the type of relationship He wants us to have with him. Mark’s gospel says that Jesus chose the 12 to be “with” Him. It wasn’t a monologue and it shouldn’t be one for us either. So don’t wait for some trauma to come your way. Start now and do what He said, ask and then expect, because He desires to answer.

Hope that Brings Healing by Kathie Griner

2011-07-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

In 2009 I was preparing to go with my husband, Tom Griner to Africa. It had been a couple of years since I’d had the opportunity to go, and frankly since our ministry started around 12 years ago I had not been able to go very often. Although I loved going to Africa, it was important for me to hold down the fort while Tom went, and to take care of my own children. I personally never wanted to let ministry take precedence over caring for my own family and their needs. I knew there would come a time when my own children would be grown and I would be free to travel to my heart’s content.

I was visiting a sister church a couple of weeks before we were to leave, and found myself a little perplexed. One of my grown children was in a situation of need and I couldn’t decide if I should stay home and minister to my family or go and believe that the Lord would cover the situation. Part of me did not want to leave, but part of me truly wanted to go. At the end of the service a woman approached me and gave me a word. She said that the Lord wanted to use me in Africa on this trip as a mother. That word hit my heart and I knew it was the Lord telling me that if I went and looked for children who needed my particular gift of caring then He would cover the situation at home. So I went, excited to look for the children I was supposed to mother.

Before we left Africa a local pastor contacted Tom to ask if we could come by for a visit and pray for his daughter. I had never met Ernest or his family but I was excited to visit and get to know them.

As we visited the grounds and saw the school that Ernest oversaw, we were very excited. We could tell that Ernest had a true heart of love for children and wanted to care for the people in his city. He then began to tell us of his daughter Lydia and how she was such a big help to him and the school. He told how she would teach, sing and dance, and how the children loved her. He shared how much he missed his daughter, and even though she had not died from her illness, she was in a sense dead to life. Earnest said, “Please, please come pray for my Lydia,” as we walked to his house.

As I entered the house I saw Lydia lying on the couch, and it was such a sad picture. She was beautiful, young, and perfect, except for the disease that had captured her and held her in bonds of immobility. How sad to think of how alive she was, how she brought life, love and help to their school. And here she was, living like a lump on the couch. Her arms hung down as she did not move or even notice as we came in. My heart cried out to the Lord, “I have three daughters around her age, alive, well, and full of life. What would I do and what could I say if this were one of mine lying there hopeless!?” Then the Lord spoke, “Give her hope, speak hope. Hope is what she needs.”

We all gathered around Lydia and prayed, and then I turned to Lydia’s father and mother and gave them what I perceived to be a word of wisdom. I told them they needed to begin to give hope to Lydia. They needed to remind her of the things she loved—of singing, dancing, and teaching. She needed to begin seeing herself doing again all the things she loved. They had to stop speaking negative things around her and acting like her life was over. She needed the hope that her life would return and she was not just a corpse on the couch. I felt sure she was going to live again. All of a sudden we saw Lydia move with all her might. She struggled to fling her arm around my neck and gave me the best hug I’ve ever received in all my life! She was saying, “Yes. Yes, I want hope. I want to live; I want to teach, to sing, and to dance.” And she was willing to fight for it. I held her for a while and spoke things I would speak to my own daughters, things only a mother would speak… things only a daughter would long to hear. When we left hope was full in all our hearts and in that house.

When we returned from our trip Tom talked to pastor Ernest and found out that Lydia, amazingly, was standing and singing and dancing again!

Perhaps for all of us there are times and seasons when we, like Lydia, are debilitated by the sorrows, cares, fears, and worries of life – but God is good, so good, and ever loving and faithful to hear us when we call. He is ready to give us hope today, the kind of hope that is able to bring life and healing to anyone who calls.

Kathie and her husband, Tom, are the founders of Father’s Heart Africa (www.fhafrica.org), a non-profit organization seeking to bring hope to the future of Africa through child & pastor sponsorships, and support to the local church to build up schools, feeding programs, and clean water wells. They are also a part of the leadership team at Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake.

Take it Off the Shelf by Paula Friedrichsen

2011-06-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

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.

The Possibility of Change by Tom Hovsepian

2011-06-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

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!

Ruth and Naomi by Tom Hovsepian

2011-05-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

Her name meant “pleasant” but when she came back to her hometown after a disastrous absence she insisted that everyone call her “bitter”.

Ten years earlier, when Naomi and her husband left Bethlehem their hopes were high… they had fallen on hard times and thought the grass would be greener in Moab.

Unfortunately, their situation got much worse. Naomi’s husband died, and then in the course of their stay, both sons died too. Naomi was alone except for her son’s wives, Orpah and Ruth.

Not knowing how to support herself and her daughters-in-law, Naomi heard “that the Lord had visited His people” back in Israel. She decided to pack up and go home, and she released her daughters-in-law to go back home to live with their Moabite families. She was surprised and taken aback with Ruth begged to go with her. Ruth’s plea is profoundly unique in the Bible. Why would this young foreign woman make such a passionate commitment to a broken down old lady? We read that Ruth clung to Naomi (Ruth 1:14). The Hebrew word “clung” means “to stick like glue”. She also made the fateful declaration, “Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.” Ruth sold out in her love and devotion to Naomi.

What was it Ruth saw in this guilt ridden, bitter, Hebrew woman that caused her to leave everything familiar and travel to a foreign land? I’m not quite sure... Perhaps it was the hope that there really is a God who truly does “visit” His people? Either way, she followed through on her commitment and accompanied Naomi to Bethlehem.

Through a series of circumstances Ruth became acquainted with a wealthy man named Boaz. He had heard about Ruth’s commitment to Naomi and decided to honor, bless, and protect her. And because he was distantly related to Naomi, he decided to insure the security of her life and bloodline by becoming her “redeemer”. But there was a catch. Another relative had the first right of refusal in the “redeemer” role. It’s here Boaz’ commitment is seen as he confronts the situation head on and lays out for the relative the proposition before them.

He must have said something like this, “You can buy Naomi’s land if you wish but when you buy the land you also get her Moabite daughter-in-law in the deal.” The relative balked at the thought of having children with Ruth, a foreigner, and refused. As a result Boaz bought the field and married Ruth (who later became the great-grandmother of King David).

I’m told this story is read in Jewish circles every Pentecost. It took me awhile to see the present day prophetic significance of this custom, but I now believe it’s the foretelling of God visiting His people on that strange and glorious day when the Church was birthed.

Naomi is like much of the church today, what should be “pleasant” is disillusioned and filled with guilt over past mistakes. Ruth represents those in the church who see within it something glorious. They see the mistakes, failures and fruitlessness yet yearn for God to “visit” His people. They refuse to let go until the church is redeemed to its rightful place as the joy of the whole earth.

Tom Hovsepian is a former pastor of 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

Reach for the Fruit by Paula Friedrichsen

2011-05-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

God has good gifts to give his children. He has more of Himself and His presence to shower upon us, if we will reach for it. I believe He is waiting on us to expand our vision and truly believe that with God all things are possible. On the inside cover of my Bible I have written a phrase the Lord spoke to me years ago; “Conceive higher, believe higher, receive higher”. That phrase has motivated me for years to take the limits off what I think God can do in my life and to reach out for more of him.

Many years ago I was driving through our small town when I passed a neighbors house and noticed that his apple tree was overflowing with gorgeous, bright red apples. And even though I had passed this house numerous times on my way out to the highway, I hadn't noticed the tree before. But now it caught my eye and I became intent upon getting some of those apples. I made a quick call to my friend Cleo, drawing her into my obsession to conquer the apple tree, and we were off in our common goal. The man who lives in the house with the apple tree is single, and by his own admission could only eat so many apples. So with his blessing and a promise from us to provide him with applesauce and apple pies, we set out to pick apples.

The first time we picked we brought our daughters along and between the four of us we accumulated about four larges bags of fruit. The second time we went to pick apples the tree was a bit sparse (the rest of the neighborhood was catching on to our find) but we still managed to fill several bags. After making pies and apple sauce galore we decided that we needed just a few more of those amazing red apples and we went back for our last picking. This time we left our daughters at home knowing there would be nothing they could do to help. You see, between us and the rest of the neighborhood that tree had been picked almost clean. The rest of the apples were at the very top of the tree. And as is usually the case, the apples at the very top of the tree were actually bigger and redder then the ones that had been growing on the lower branches. We stood there, hands on hips, looking at the last of those pretty, pretty apples, just out of reach… That’s when we decided to climb the tree.

So there we are, two obsessed housewives precariously climbing the apple tree, stretching, reaching, for the best fruit. I can't even imagine what this looked like to the people driving by, but the really pathetic thing is—we didn't care. We were intent upon those apples! The apples were the prize and we were determined to get the prize!

God has so much more for us! But because He is a good Father and always has our best interest in mind, He knows we are better off if we have to reach and stretch to receive more from Him. He could just drop the blessings He desires to give us right in our laps, and thankfully sometimes that does happen. But most times He is waiting for us to come up higher, having our hearts and minds expanded so we will stop putting limits on what God can do in our lives!

In my example of the apple tree we had to reach, stretch and climb for the best fruit. Spiritually speaking, we do the very same thing by reaching out for more of God with all our hearts. Extending our reach…straining to have more of him….reaching for more healing, more redemption, more of His Presence. When we begin to expect more from our relationship with God, He readily pours out more of himself upon our lives. He rewards childlike faith and He “shows off” for the one willing to believe that He is audaciously good to His kids.

God loves you so much and desires to meet your needs. To those of us who need peace of mind, He will give deep and abiding peace that can never be shaken. To those of us who desperately need forgiveness, He will give the ultimate forgiveness found in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. To those of us who need healing, He will give healing of mind and body. To those of us who cry out to be loved, He will fill that void in our hearts, having it settled forever that we are indeed loved by God Himself. We only need to reach out for more…

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 Audacity of Favor by Tommy Hovsepian

2011-05-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure why, but the Lord is often portrayed as, “Jesus, the meek and mild”? Perhaps it’s the misinterpreting of the story of his birth as being cutesy? Maybe it was His silence at the trial that condemned Him to death, thereby fulfilling the prophecy that “He was like a lamb led to the slaughter”? Yet, that characterization just doesn't jive with an incident we see of Him in His hometown of Nazareth.

When Jesus returned from His baptism and stint in the wilderness, Luke describes Him as coming back “in the power of the Holy Spirit”. One Sabbath he stood and read this piece of Scripture:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” Isa. 61:1-2

After that Jesus calmly closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. Next Jesus said something that could appear to be either arrogance or insanity: “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Next we read, “And all were speaking well of him and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips …”

How lovely. Everything was great. Meek and mild Jesus stays true to form... But then He drops a bomb saying, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’ Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.”

Jesus insulted them! It reminds me of a scene in “Braveheart” when the English army and the hugely outmatched Scottish mob are facing off on the battlefield. William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson, jumps on his horse and is asked, “Where are ya going?” Wallace responds, “I’m goin’ to pick a fight.” The result is that the English are so incensed they make some disastrous tactical moves and are soundly thumped by the Scotts.

What was Jesus thinking by sticking it in their faces like that? I’m not sure except for the fact everything He said that morning was the truth. His gracious words about the manifold purpose of His coming were true and available to all. It’s just that they stumbled over some wrong thinking. Wrong thinking that led them to view Jesus differently than He actually was.

When Christ read that Scripture from Isaiah, He was announcing “the favorable year of the Lord.” The word “year”, in the Greek, doesn’t just mean 365 days—but a season, a time, an epoch. We’re in that epoch right now! Paul said it so well in Galatians, “It’s for freedom Christ set us free.” Strongs Bible concordance describes this epoch of favor as “that most blessed time when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound.” This season isn't for when we get to Heaven, but to be experienced now! It’s simply our wrong thinking that continually short circuits us from receiving it. Jesus said that God will favor Gentiles like the widow of Zarephath and the leper Naaman instead of those who should know better. These two saw something in Elijah and Elisha that allowed them to draw on the resources of Heaven, whereby they received God’s favor while others, like those in Jesus’ hometown with their wrong thinking, couldn’t.

I believe God favors those who can draw on Heaven even though it may seem outrageous to do so. People label someone like that as a Pollyanna. Well, the truth is, Pollyanna was right and so were Naaman and the widow of Zarephath, and David and Joshua and Caleb. How about you and me being included in the list as well?

Pavers of Faithfulness by Paula Friedrichsen

2011-04-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. ~ Psalm 37:3-4

I have found that great blessing follows “faithfulness”. Faithfulness is putting your trust in the Lord and doing good, even when you don’t feel like it. To “cultivate” faithfulness means to sow, develop or improve faithfulness—ever increasing faithfulness! And the good news is that God will help us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to walk in the faithfulness he requires.

Some years back I used to take a 6:00 a.m. walk every day. I had to take my walk early, before my husband went to work, so he could keep an eye on the kids. And because my kids didn’t attend regular daycare, that walk was usually the only time during the day when I would have a chance to pray and be alone with God.

So every morning I would rise early, check the outside temperature, have a quick cup of coffee, and head out the door.

During the winter I would dress in multiple layers, including three sweatshirts, gloves, hat, and a neck gator. Many mornings the temperature wasn’t even over twenty degrees! I needed a flashlight during the darkest days of winter and I did a lot of praying when I would hear the angry bark of a stray dog. Although the winter walks were a challenge, I always felt invigorated and refreshed by the time I came in the door. But to be honest, the summer walks were so much more pleasant.

Oh those summer walks! A brilliant, sunny morning, walking in shorts and a tee shirt, the smell of fresh cut grass, flowers blooming, and birds singing. And you should have seen all the other walkers out there! Now, during the dark, cold, dreary winter months of “flashlight” walking, I hardly ever encountered anyone. But once spring and summer hit, there was no end to the early morning walkers.

So often, God uses circumstances in my life to teach me deeper lessons. During that time in my life He taught me that blessings that would be poured into my life if I took the time and effort to just keep doing the right thing—whether I felt like it or not. He showed me that when I persist in right behavior, even in adverse circumstances, it’s as if I am laying a foundation of faithfulness….. one paver at a time. For example, when I made the choice to walk and pray each morning, several areas of my life were blessed because of it. I had an undisturbed prayer time, so my relationship with the Lord deepened. Also, I exercised my body so my health flourished. I also believe that our continued faithfulness can be a key to answered prayer.

There can be times in our lives when we are aching for an answer to prayer, or maybe we have a desire in our hearts yet to be fulfilled. One of the most powerful actions we can take, if we find ourselves in that position, is to just remain faithful in the things God has directed us to do. Sometimes when we’re in a dark place, and things are not going well in our lives, it’s easy to give up, and give into our desire for relief and fulfillment apart from God and His ways. We’ve all been there…. But we have to keep going! We have to persist in doing what we know is right. We can’t stop running the race, sit on the side of the road, curl up in the fetal position, and give up before the race is over. We’ve got to keep running and keep pressing forward into the good things that God has for us. He won’t fail us. His promises are true and we can bank on that. In fact, I’ve found the promises God has spoken over my life more stable, concrete, and solid than anything else in this world.

So if you’re feeling weary of putting God first, doing the right thing, taking the right steps, and going forward in spite of your pain—let me encourage you; you will reap a harvest if you don’t faint. Keep doing the right thing, and keep laying those pavers of faithfulness. God sees. God knows. And He will reward you when the time is right.

Advance! By Paula Friedrichsen

2011-04-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite family photographs was taken years ago at an amusement park. We were at the top of a ride called Splash Mountain and the picture was taken just as we were starting our harrowing decent. Disneyland cleverly designed an automatic camera, positioned at the scariest part of the ride to take a photo of the unsuspecting riders just after they crest a huge hill and are plummeting straight down. These hilarious pictures are then displayed at the exit of Splash Mountain and are available to purchase, which we obviously did.

I love this photograph because it is so real and unrehearsed. Usually, when you know someone is going to take your picture you put on a pretty smile and fix your hair, wanting to look your best. This picture is completely spontaneous, showing a perfect blend of joy and terror upon our faces. It’s my husband, eyes bulging, mouth open, screaming, smiling and hanging on to me. It’s me laughing so hard I can’t catch my breath and hanging on to my husband’s arms with a death grip. It’s my son with his baseball cap on backwards (so it didn’t fly off) smiling, squinting, screaming and hanging on to his little sister. It’s my daughter, mouth open, eyes closed, digging her little hands into her brother’s strong arms. And before you start feeling sorry for our youngest, this ride was her idea. I normally don’t like being terrified, but she begged me to go so our whole family could experience the terror together!

I look at that photograph often and I consider it a reminder from God that I really do enjoy new and exciting experiences. I sense the Lord speaking to me through that picture saying “Let your life be an adventure, have courage and embrace new experiences all the time.”

There is exhilaration in trying something new. Studies show that the mental stimulation experienced when a person, young or old, tries something new can actually improve the health of the brain. So often we get stuck in the rut of doing the same exact thing, the same exact way, at the same exact time. And while having a routine can be a good thing, there are those of us (I’m talking about myself here) who can become bound to our routine as if it were the law.

I have seen the Lord move in great ways in my life when I was willing to take few risks. And just as Jesus beckoned Peter to step out of the boat, walk on water and come to him, I believe Jesus beckons each one of us to step out of our comfort zone, walk on water and come to him. We can count on God to supply many opportunities for us to get out of the boat and walk on water. He has provided such an adventurous life for us if we just open our eyes to the possibilities. But make no mistake; fear will always rear its ugly head, screaming “get back in the boat and stay safe!”

Fear is that horrible, sick, sinking feeling that’s meant to stop us in our tracks, making sure that we never experience the abundant life Christ came to give us. Every one of us will face the temptation to turn back, tuck tail and run at some point in our lives. The failure is not in being tempted to run, but in the running. I am inspired by what Franklin D. Roosevelt said in his first inaugural address:

“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror, which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

So, when life is feeling like you’re at the top of a roller coaster with a huge scary drop right before your eyes—that’s not the time to retreat! That’s the time to advance. That’s the time to put a big smile on your face, scream if you need to, hug those you love and advance! Advance and enjoy!!

Be Yourself by Paula Friedrichsen

2011-03-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

I love to cook. I have always loved to cook, even as a child. My mother tells about forcing my older sisters to endure my many unique culinary creations—not allowing them to complain in my presence. She would give them “the look” as I came proudly to the dinner table with a curious dessert consisting of green Jell-o mixed with raisins, sunflower seeds, and grapes. And because of that look they picked at it with nary an unkind word.

Thankfully I think my cooking skills have improved over the years. And because my mother allowed me to express myself in the kitchen, early in life I developed the joy of putting foods together in interesting ways. Maybe that’s why my favorite analogies are food analogies… so here goes:

It’s a cold winter’s evening and you’re on your way home from a long and hectic day at work. It’s dark outside and the rain is falling fast and furious. The wind is icy, cutting like a knife, but finally, after fighting the elements, you arrive home safely. You shake out your coat, slip off your boots and trudge up the stairs to see what’s for dinner. You can smell something, but it’s still unidentifiable and you’re just pleased to warm yourself in front of the fire.

“Dinner’s ready!” And boy, are you hungry! “We’re having stew tonight.” Your mouth waters in anticipation. And there, set in front of you is something he’s calling “Tabasco Stew”. That’s right, a stew where the main ingredient is Tabasco sauce. You tentatively drag your spoon through it hoping for a chunk of meat or maybe a potato or two, but no, this “stew” appears to be mainly just Tabasco sauce.

While my story may seem a little ridiculous, the point I’m making is this; beef and vegetable stew with a couple of drops of Tabasco sauce is absolutely delicious—but a stew made up almost entirely of Tabasco sauce would be awful! And in the same way life is made up of many different personalities and when they are combined they create something beautiful. But if they were all copies of each other, our lives wouldn’t have a pleasant flavor. God never intended that we should suppress our true personality in order to conform to other people. Each and every person that God created has his or her own characteristics and abilities, that when combined with others, sends forth a wonderful aroma to our heavenly Father.

As I’ve grown older I find one of my greatest desires is to be more authentic. Nothing put-on, nothing fake… just the transparent, authentic, and genuine person God made me to be. Don’t you agree that there’s nothing worse than a phony? It’s distasteful, right? Not only is it distasteful, but it makes the person who’s pretending to be something they’re not seem needy, pathetic, and desperate. But on the other side of the coin, there is nothing more attractive than someone who is confident enough to be who God made them to be. No apologies, no insecurities, no excuses.... Just an honest representation of who they really are.

“He who has no opinion of his own, but depends on the opinions of others is a slave. To only dream of the person you are supposed to be is to waste the person you are.” (Frederic Klopstock)

“Nobody is so disappointed and so unhappy as the person who longs all of his life to be somebody other than who he really is. Most of our challenges in life come from not knowing ourselves and ignoring our best, real virtues.” (John Mason)

“The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don’t let them put you in that position.” (Leo Buscaglia)

If you can relate to this and it’s a familiar struggle in your life, ask God for the freedom to start being who you really are… the person with your own particular laugh; your corny sense of humor; your less-than-perfect body shape; your intelligence level; your facial features; your height; your weight; the way you cry so easily—or not at all; your exuberance; your shyness; your loudness; your quietness; your seriousness. Whatever it is that God made you to be, you will honor Him by not hiding your true self, and by being fully “you.” The only thing you will ever be good at is being yourself.

Ruts by Tom Hovsepian

2011-03-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

My brother-in-law, Tig, told me a story about his recent elk hunting trip in Colorado. His hunting party was driving down a mountain dirt road when it began to rain. They continued traveling as the dirt turned to mud, and found that they had gotten stuck in the ruts of those that had gone ahead of them. At that point they had no choice but to go forward. No turning left or right because the ruts had become way too deep. He said they needed something to just pick them up and set them on flat, dry ground, enabling them to travel where they wished.

A couple of weeks ago I listened to the testimony of a man named Sy Rogers. He tried the “being good” routine... he was an Eagle Scout, went to church, played sports, and joined the military, all in an effort to find something that eluded him…. maleness. You see, Sy was struggling with his sexual identity. Finally resigning himself to what he thought was his fate, Sy decided to proceed with a sex change operation. In preparation he lived for two years as a woman until someone came and lifted him out of the rut of his female identity.

One night in his room, Sy met God. The encounter transformed him and all that the Lord asked of him was to “walk with Me.” No list of rules, or dos and don’ts…. simply “walk with Me”, and the rest fell into place. Sy was so overcome with God’s acceptance that he gladly joined up and was gloriously set free! That was 31 years ago and Sy travels the world telling people of the transforming power of encountering God.

Bill Johnson, Pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA, says divine encounters are the stuff that brings about transformation in our lives (a lifting out of the ruts, so to speak). Simply knowing about something will always be trumped by experiencing it for ourselves.

In the book of Romans we read that “it’s the goodness of God that brings us to repentance (change).” Charles Finney said it was like “liquid love” being poured over him. He was stuck in the rut of being a mean, feisty lawyer and it was God’s goodness that transformed him into one of the greatest revivalists of the 19^th century.

King David showed us that encounters with God were a necessary part of his life when he wrote “like a deer pants for the water brooks so my soul pants for You, O Lord. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (Ps.42:1-2) Encounters with the living God were the foundation of David’s vital and vibrant relationship with Him. Because he was accepted and loved he knew he could change. And as we encounter how much the Lord loves us, we like David, will gladly begin to be lifted up out of the ruts of our lives, living holy and free before our God. Why? Because love changes things, and picks us up and sets us on level ground.

Play the Hand You're Dealt by Paula Friedrichsen

2011-03-01T16:31:00.000-08:00

Play the hand your dealt. I'm sure we've all heard that phrase before. I believe it's a saying taken from card playing, meaning just play the cards you've got in your hand instead of always waiting for the better hand. Sometimes we wait for true happiness, productivity, and fulfillment to come after…. After we get that perfect job; After we find that perfect mate; After we have those perfect little babies; After we get in shape. But we are only promised today. “This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

Last January I got the flu. Once I recovered I still had to regain my strength and this took awhile. One morning as I sat on the couch feeling like a wet dish rag (no energy, no spunk and no desire to enjoy the day) I asked God to “just help me get through the day.” Well, He showed me something that really changed my perspective on things. He showed me that each day was like a beautiful garden. It had a pretty fence around it and a gate by which to enter. The garden had gorgeous flowers to look at and enjoy. It had experiences and pleasure and closeness with my creator and closeness with my family. And then He showed me that I had the choice everyday whether I would enter into the garden and enjoy each fragrance and each touch of beauty, or if I would just stand right inside the gate waiting for the day to end. Each day God gives us is a gift not a burden! Each day is to be enjoyed not endured.

The crux of this is a relationship with God. He is the one who gives us eyes to see all the beauty in our lives. He is the one that will comfort us in our troubles and sorrows. He is the one that promises better things for our future and then enables us to live fully today. He has given me many promises through the years, some of which have already come about. But even while I look forward to the things God has said He will do in my life, I fully embrace my life now. Today it is snowing softly. Today I am enjoying the warmth and comfort of my home. Today I will hug my daughter and my husband. Today I will experience the joy of knowing Jesus. Today!!

So I encourage you (and myself also) to play the hand we’ve been dealt. No more excuses. Live fully! Be tenacious in your pursuit of a deeper walk with God. Seek out opportunities to be a blessing to others. Don't wait until you have it all together, just take what you do have and get busy.

Encourage Yourself in the Lord by Paula Friedrichsen

2011-02-25T11:30:00.000-08:00

We all need encouragement from time to time when the journey of life seems just too trying. Sometimes we will find the hope we need when the Lord sends another along our path to speak words of life to us. But many times God is waiting to see if we will take advantage of all that he has given us, to encourage ourselves!

Some days I get up excited about the day before me. I’m feeling happy, inspired and full of the life of God. But what about those other days….

As you step out of bed in the morning you can feel the coat of depression being slipped on. It’s a perfect fit and you’ll wear it all day - maybe even the next if you don’t resist it! As you make the family oatmeal you spill the oats all over your kitchen (that actually happened to me this morning). Your kids seem loud and needy. Depressing feelings and thoughts swirl around you like a mini tornado.

We all have times in our life when things we were planning on didn’t work out, and we’re faced with the feelings of disappointment, failure, or stupidity. And it’s at that point that we can choose to have a pity party, or begin to encourage ourselves in the Lord. In Psalm 42:5 we see a perfect example of what it looks like to “encourage yourself in the Lord.”

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:5)

The Psalmist doesn’t say that someone else came along and told him to be of good cheer and put his hope in God – he told himself to put his hope in God. After acknowledging the fact that he is indeed depressed, he then commands his soul to line up with Gods word, telling himself to cheer up because there is hope in God!

While it’s true that there will be times in life where we are genuinely downcast and disturbed, there may not always be someone around to speak life-giving words to us and encourage us. At that point it’s up to us to speak to our own souls (our mind, will and emotions). Our words are more important then we realize. The Bible says that life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). So when we are dealing with a spirit of heaviness or we feel like a black cloud is over our heads, we need to encourage ourselves with the Word of God. As we find verses in the Bible that really speak to us we can pray those scriptures out loud and we’ll be speaking the truth over our lives. We can cry out to God in prayer and stir up our faith, thereby remembering who we are in Christ and that he lives on the inside of us!

Happy Valentines Day by Paula Friedrichsen

2011-02-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

Ah Valentines Day… the day of romance, love, and appreciation, right?

Well… it should be. But in all reality Valentines Day has become just another commercialized bonanza of buying. The media fosters unrealistic expectations when it comes to the way men and women express their love on Valentines Day. Watch a few dozen Zales commercials and you’ll likely be anticipating a candlelit dinner where hubby drops a diamond solitaire into your champagne glass… Or, check out enough FTD ads and you may find yourself waiting breathlessly by the front door to see if a lavish floral arrangement will soon be delivered.

Those things are nice, but romance doesn’t flourish because you max out your credit card. Romance flourishes when you open your eyes to the greatness of your mate…just as they are today. For example, men on commercials do things like light candles and fill bubble baths for their wives, while regular guys show they care by paying the medical insurance on time or checking the oil in the car before a big trip. Not necessarily romantic—but lovable all the same.

Women on television are portrayed as desperately sexy housewives, or scantily-clad stick figures with high powered careers. But the truth is most women can be found doing things like nursing the baby in two-day old clothing that smells of “spit up,” raising a gaggle of kids while fighting to lose those last thirty pounds, and working 9 to 5 jobs. Not perfect, but perfectly wonderful.

Adjusting your expectations to line up with reality will foster a happy union and help you enjoy your mate. This Valentines Day commit that you’re going to love and appreciate your mate just as they are today…..even if they’re completely different than you. We’ve all heard the saying “opposites attract,” but I’ve found sometimes that “opposites attack.” The personality traits and adorable quirks that initially attracted you to your spouse can be the very qualities that are now driving you crazy.

Around our house we refer to my husband Jeff as “Felix Unger” (the neat one from that old show The Odd Couple). Sometimes as I do the dishes I can feel his eyes on my back…watching me. He watches me load the dishwasher and wants to give me a little instruction. He watches me wipe off the counters and would like to give me efficiency tips. He watches me put food scraps down the garbage disposal and can hardly refrain from offering suggestions.

And although his perfectionist personality has at times driven me crazy and caused occasional conflict around our house, I’ve learned to laugh at his quirks and to appreciate the fact Jeff likes to keep things neat.

Think of appreciation as “warmth to roses.” When roses are exposed to a little natural sunlight and warmth, they begin to open with glory. Appreciation is the warmth that will cause your spouses personality and true self to bloom. When was the last time you noticed out loud something your mate did right?

It’s true that relationships can be challenging at times—but they can also be fulfilling, comforting, and joyous. If we want to enjoy our marriages it’s important to keep our sense of humor intact and our minds focused on our mate’s good qualities. Overlooking another’s faults means to literally “look over the top” of the faults to see the person you love standing on the other side. You love your spouse. You don’t love their faults—but you do love them. Remind yourself of all their wonderful qualities and get busy having a wonderful Valentines Day!

Breakthrough! By Tom Hovsepian

2011-02-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

Do you know anyone who isn’t going through a difficult time right now financially? I sure don’t! But there is something interesting I’m seeing in the midst of all these hard times; there are a remarkable number of people I know who are actually saying that they are grateful to the Lord for their present struggles. They recognize that God is working deeply in their lives and bringing about significant change…. the kind of change that will ultimately result in breakthrough.

David experienced a few “breakthroughs” during a significant period of his life: In 1Chronicles 13 we read how David had just become King of Israel. One of his first steps as king was to bring the Ark of God to the city of Jerusalem. After conferring with his officials and commanders he began what he felt were the needed steps to make this happen.

Soon the joyous procession begins: “They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.” (1 Chr 13:7)

Unfortunately there’s an “oops” along the way: “When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. Then David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah….David was afraid of God that day and asked, ‘How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?’” (1 Chr 13: 9-12)

Oh, how I can understand David’s progression of emotions toward the Lord. He must have thought, “I’m trying to do all of this for You God, now look what you did!” Then he lapses into, “I guess I don’t know you as well as I thought, in fact you’re kind of scary.”

What happens next is fascinating: “Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him. And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.” (1 Chr 14:1-2)

It was this graciousness that seems to cause David, even in the midst of the Ark debacle, to realize that the Lord had established him as King for the sake of His people. The Lord was expressing His approval of David even after a terrible mistake.

Now, here comes David’s breakthrough; The Philistines hear David has been crowned King and immediately attack Israel. David’s response is classic; this time he doesn’t counsel with his officials and commanders, but instead he “inquires of the Lord.” God shows him specifically what to do, and sure enough God was right—the Philistines are soundly defeated! Later, they attack again and David won’t dare lean to his own understanding but seeks the Lord a second time. Now God’s response is classic. He tells David something bizarre; He says David is not to take his army the way he did before but to circle around behind them and wait in the balsam trees until the wind starts to rustle the leaves. It is then that he is to attack because the Lord will have gone out before him to strike the enemy down. Wow! How strange is that? But David has learned his lesson the hard way and obeys God’s voice. As a result, David is victorious and calls the place Baal Perazim, “God is the Master of breakthrough.”

Next in the sequence of events we see David once again purposing to bring the Ark of God back to Jerusalem. Since he’s learned the lesson well, this time he consults the Lord to find out His specific will concerning the return of the Ark. Because of that David was successful and the presence of God returns to Israel!

I love these stories because they illustrate that although David deeply desires to do what is right—until he learns to consult the Lord before each decision or action, his great intentions may result in disaster. We also can see that God doesn’t condemn David, but affirms him through Hiram’s gracious gift. David learns the life lesson that God is approachable despite his mistakes—and in each crisis he is to seek God’s counsel first. This is breakthrough!

How important to specifically know what God is saying to us in these stormy times. He is gracious and eager to speak, leading us into victory and our own breakthrough.

Tom Hovsepian is a former pastor 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

Control Freak by Paula Friedrichsen

2011-01-25T16:38:00.001-08:00

I’m a bit of a control freak. But I’m not nearly as bad as I used to be…. Here’s why:

About ten years ago my family and I enjoyed a fantastic two-week vacation to Maui. Overall it was a lovely trip, but one incident—a kayaking adventure—stands out as a miserable experience in which God taught me an important lesson.

When my husband and I were planning this vacation we decided to book some activities online beforehand to save time once we arrived. And the activity we looked forward to the most was called the, “Scenic Kayak Adventure.” But ohhhh did the “scenic adventure” turn out differently than imagined…. Who knew we were going to be required to kayak over three miles in the open sea? Who knew one could get seasick on a kayak? Who knew how out of shape we really were?

On the day of our big adventure we left the condo before dark and arrived on the other side of the island ready for some fun. The morning began with a short lesson on how to paddle a kayak. After that we divvied up our kids—my husband being paired with our eight-year old daughter in his kayak, and me being paired with our fifteen-year old son in mine. Then (gulp) we headed out to sea. But rather than cutting smoothly and swiftly through scenic glassy waters as I had envisioned, we strained every muscle in an attempt to cut through extremely choppy ocean swells. We had been instructed that the backseat kayak occupant was to use his paddle to steer the kayak, while the front seat person continues to paddle steadily. Once we got out to the open sea we discovered this trip would require constant steering and readjustment of our positions to avoid losing sight of our guide (who I might say was racing ahead happily at his own pace).

Though my son was only fifteen at the time, he was built like a tank, standing several inches taller then me and outweighing me by almost a hundred pounds. He was clearly a great choice for the strong, backseat “steering” position. And this arrangement really should have been no problem, except that I refused to “let go” and allow my son to take control. I kept trying to steer our kayak to correct our course, thinking that I was in a better position to judge where we should be going. Consequently, my son and I were fighting each other with our opposite moves. He finally said to me "Mom, unless you stop trying to steer, I can't do my job."

I struggled to let go, but when I did things went much more smoothly. It wasn’t fun by any measure of the word….but we did make it back in one piece. In fact, the only reason Andrew and I still aren’t paddling around in circles somewhere in the middle of the Pacific is because I stopped steering!

God used that incident to teach me a deeper lesson about letting go of my need for control. It’s the Lord’s desire to lead each one of us, to reveal his will for our lives, and to direct us toward the best decision in every circumstance. And when we allow God to steer He makes our lives an enjoyable adventure. But if we think we know better and insist on taking over the controls again and again—watch out!

It's so easy to sidestep the instructions found in God's Word in favor of doing our own thing. We may truly love Him, and yet have a stubborn streak that deludes us into thinking that his Word does not apply to us or to our particular situation. When that happens, we’ve taken over the control of our lives (the kayak) and we will go in circles, getting nowhere with a whole lot of effort! Yet, “letting go” feels so good! Letting go of worry… letting go of anxiety… letting go of fear, doubt, failures, mistakes, and anger. It’s all so freeing! You simply cannot control every aspect of your life. It’s exhausting, and it just doesn’t work. It’s only imagined control anyway because ultimately you’ll just go in circles trying to manage, direct, organize, and dictate every circumstance in your life. Sometimes you just have to turn it all over to God and trust Him for the outcome. He’s trustworthy and He loves you…. So who better to steer, right?

Afraid of Change by Tom Hovsepian

2011-01-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

My favorite coffee house has a porcelain coffee cup on the counter that has a sign on it; “If you are afraid of change feel free to leave it here.”

Effective in garnering tips no doubt, but it’s also sadly all too true. We are afraid of change, but why?

I recently read the 2010 Barna Research Group’s annual assessment of American Christianity, and the overall picture is that nothing much has changed over the past 3 years since the last study. What Barna reveals is that although 83% of Americans claim to be Christians, those who practically integrate their faith into daily life lowers the percentage to a dismal 28%. They found these trends disturbing in view of the fact that the internet has opened up dialogue of spirituality like never before.

What they uncovered is that talking about faith doesn’t necessarily bring forth the change you might expect in a person’s life. And it started me thinking. Have I changed? Am I afraid of change, and if so why? Finally, I asked myself, “Can I change AND how do I go about it?” I’ve heard Christian & secular psychologists say things like, “people, by and large, don’t change.” Well, like my grandson Teo trying to eat his broccoli; hearing stuff like that makes me want to gag.

There are some fundamental reasons for my gut reaction. One that comes to mind is the fact that when I came to Christ I was brought from death unto new life, and from darkness into light. The changes in my life can’t get much more extreme than that! If going from death to life and darkness to light signaled the beginning of our life with God—how much more the changes that will occur during the continuation of that life?

Paul said it like this in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, “Now where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Now check this out; the word “transformed” which I highlighted in the Scripture above is the Greek word, “metamorphoo.” It means transformation, not just change. We can change our hair color or the clothes we wear but the word used here is much more powerful. It’s the idea of the fuzzy, crawly caterpillar transformed into a beautiful butterfly. It’s not an extreme makeover—but more like the movie “Transformers”, where we see a car turn into a jet. It’s a complete transformation! And the tense used in the Greek indicates that this transformation is a continuing process. In other words, it’s not supposed to stop. And the coolest thing is we are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Himself. Wow!

So toss out any notion you may have had to not make New Year’s Resolutions this year. There IS hope for change! In fact, we were made for change. It’s part of who God made us to be, and He is the change agent.

So have a Happy New Year and think and pray about what you would like to see God do in your life this coming year to bring about some lasting changes. Perhaps it’s a long held dream or secret ambition that you’d like to see fulfilled. Or maybe you’re asking God to heal you. Possibly you just want to break out of a rut. Whatever your desire to change is, remember that this year it doesn’t have to be the “same ol’ same ol’”. This year you can change for good! Go ahead and give it a try.

Tom Hovsepian 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

2011: The Year of Living Dangerously by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-12-27T11:34:00.000-08:00

Have you read the story of the birth of Jesus in the books of Matthew or Luke? If you haven’t, you should! It’s a story full of mystery, danger, risk, and fear. In the narrative we read about dramatic dreams from God, terrifying angelic encounters, and perilous escapes. And Jesus’ birth isn’t the only Bible story full of intrigue and risk….just think about David and Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s den….Samson, Joseph, Gideon, and more.

The stories found in the Word of God are intended to serve as a template for how God moves in the lives of men and woman. They are meant to inspire and propel us to dig deeper into the nature, personality, and character of God….to find out more about Him and then to boldly live out our own adventures in this life.

Think about the stories you tell when you’re reminiscing around the Christmas dinner table with extended family… You tell about the times you risked much, when you did something dangerous, when you lived on the edge and went outside of your comfort zone.

But some people don’t have a story. They have allowed fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or even fear of being uncomfortable to hold them back from any kind of meaningful or risky experiences. But where’s the fun in that? How can God possibly use someone who won’t leave the house? And let’s face it, no one wants to hear about the day you did nothing, right?

Life was meant to be lived. It was meant to be experienced. The Lord intends for us to have dramatic encounters with Him…times when He reveals Himself to us in new and spectacular ways. If we’ll obey Him, going where He says to go, doing what He says to do—He will fill our lives with adventure. Yes, there may be danger along the way. And yes, we may have to risk looking foolish. But would you have it any other way? Would you really want to allow your fear of failure, or your fear of being outside of your comfort zone to dictate what you’ll accomplish in 2011? I won’t! 2011 is going to be my best year yet. I’m going to step out more; doing the things I’m called to do….using every talent (no matter how mediocre) to His advantage.

The quote below describes perfectly how I’m feeling:

“Life is not a journey to the grave, with the intention of arriving safely, in one pretty and well-preserved piece, but to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out and defiantly shouting ‘Geronimo!!!’” (Author unknown)

I love this quote and the imagery it conjures. When I read it I think about how people will sometimes pass an open casket at a funeral and say, “Ohhh, she looks so good” – almost as if the aim in life is to be physically well preserved right up until the end….to leave this earth with a wrinkleless forehead and plumped lips. But the true aim in life is to be poured out and used up for a purpose bigger then ourselves. To live dangerously for Christ. To allow Him to take us on adventures, to save us from peril, and to see Him use us in radical ways—and to live to tell the story!

So here we are on the cusp of a brand new year. And my question is; what has God told you to do? What is it that He’s been prodding you to achieve? I can tell you this; it will likely be bigger then what you can accomplish by yourself. You’ll have to rely on Him in greater ways then you have in the past. You’ll most likely have to hook up with other believers and ask for their help too. Perhaps you’ll have to do some fundraising….or you may have to do some writing and speaking… It might involve a loan from the bank and a brand new business… perhaps you’ll have to learn to do some marketing and promotion to get the word out. But whatever “it” is, I can tell you that it’ll be worth any amount of effort. It’ll be worth any amount of sacrifice. It’ll be worth risking failure, and foolishness, and odd looks from those in your circle—because doing exactly what you’re called to do is LIVING!

Make 2011 the year you finally get out of your comfort zone. Make 2011 the year you conquer fear of failure and finally begin to be the person you know you could be. Make this year the year of living dangerously for God—and I promise, it’ll be the best year of your life so far!

More of Him by Tom Hovsepian

2010-12-07T16:02:00.000-08:00

Remember the movie The Hiding Place which tells the true story of Corrie Ten Boom and her family’s attempt to hide Jewish refugees from the Nazi occupiers of Holland during WWII. There’s a scene when Corrie is a little girl and asking her father about death. Her Dad’s explanation is a classic. He said, “Corrie, when we travel by the train, when is it that I give you your ticket?” Little Corrie answers, “Just before we are about to board the train Poppa.” He says, “That’s right Corrie and it is the same way with death, when the time comes, the Father will give you your ticket just before you are to board.”

The other day I was re-reading The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind by Bill Johnson. In it, Bill talks about his 8 month pursuit of God, and how he continually cried out, “More of You at any cost.” At the end of that time Bill has as dramatic encounter with God which changes his life. What struck me about this story was whether I could cry out like that for 8 months (or even 8 hours for that matter) proclaiming my willingness to pay any price for “more of Him.”

It made me sad to be honest and realize that I probably couldn’t. In my opinion there was no way I could tell God that I would be willing to pay with my health, my family, my comfort, my freedom, or most anything else to have more of Him. My mind couldn’t grasp it and so I wasn’t sure I could forfeit any one of those things.

As I reflected on this more I began an assessment of my life. Where has my pursuit of God taken me? Slowly I came to realize that my wife Kandi and I have actually paid a lot to have more of God. In fact, if someone had asked us to pay in advance some of the things we’ve given up in our pursuit of Him, I would probably have said, “No way!”

It was then I understood my life was like Corrie and her train ticket. My destination is definitely, “more of Him”, no doubt. Yet in getting there, most of the time I need the ticket of His grace handed to me just before I board. Otherwise I’ll FREAK at the prospect of what is required for the journey.

With tears in my eyes I think of the journey of my friends Danne and Daphne over the last few years; out of work… forced to move in with a friend…. truck repossessed….. and their daughter tragically dying after a botched surgery… But then, they finally moved to the Coachella Valley to work at The Father’s Heart Ranch (A group home for abused boys), and are now filled to the brim with God’s love and purposes for their lives. Their gifts and callings have bloomed into great beauty and importance.

Asked to pay the price of these things before hand, they absolutely would have said, “No way.” They were handed the tickets of God’s grace to those difficult destinations just when they needed it. And they continued to pursue more of God through it all!

Same is true for you. There is a hunger and thirst that resides in you that nothing else can fill. Most likely you are a lot like me….not sure you could sustain that pursuit for 8 hours, much less 8 months. All I know is that I need as much of God as I can get right now. I had to just assure myself of that fact, and be confident that when the time comes the ticket of His grace will be there. It makes it so much easier to sit back and enjoy the journey.

Tom Hovsepian is a former pastor of Church on the Mountain who currently resides in Arkansas with his wife Kandi. Tom will be speaking at COTM next Sunday, December 19th, at 9:30 a.m. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org

This Season, Celebrate REASON! by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-12-01T09:05:00.000-08:00

There is a brand new billboard right outside of the Lincoln Tunnel which reads, “You KNOW it's a Myth—This Season, Celebrate REASON!” The picture depicts a traditional nativity scene. The billboard was paid for by the organization “American Atheists” and it cost a reported $20,000. It’s scheduled to remain up throughout the holidays.

According to their website, American Atheists aim at putting an end to Christianity—claiming it is built on myth.

When I saw this news story yesterday I thought, “Just what evidence do we have that our faith in God is more than a myth?” And then I laughed! The proof is so “in your face” that it makes me pity the poor soul who simply cannot see what is in plain sight. Of course God exists. Hello? Sunrises… newborn babies… rushing mountain streams… the love between a man and a woman… starry nights… The evidence is everywhere!

Let me give you my short list of why I believe in Jesus:

I know God exists because He changed my nature. I did not have to clean myself up before I came to Christ. I came, just as I was, and He accepted me and made me new. He IS my salvation.
As my first child was laid in my arms I was filled with an unspeakable joy and my eyes were irrevocably opened to the goodness of God and the wonder of His many gifts. He IS the giver of perfect gifts.
I know God exists because only He can give me peace. In any situation, no matter how upsetting, dangerous, traumatic, or chaotic God gives me peace as I spend time with Him. He IS the Prince of Peace.
I believe in Jesus because He’s healed me many times. He healed me of Lyme disease 11 years ago—and the list just goes on and on. In fact, this headaches illness that I’m currently struggling with doesn’t worry me too much because God heals. It’s just who He is. He IS my healer.
I know God exists because He leads, warns, and counsels me in a myriad of interesting and intriguing ways. He IS Wonderful Counselor.
God has made Himself real to me by fulfilling many of my dreams, desires, and longings. No, I’m not living a perfect life with perfect circumstances—but I am living proof that God will shower His love and abundance on anybody who comes to Him with childlike faith. He IS unfailingly good!
As my husband and I prayed for our kids last night it occurred to me that God has so wonderfully answered our prayers recently. What a blessing to be able to clearly discern the hand of God in your children’s lives. Again, we’re not living a perfect life with perfect kids—but we do plainly see the hand of the Lord upon them. And we are thankful! He DOES answer prayer!
Lastly I know God is real because I am filled with love for Him, and I am convinced that He loves me! I have encountered His presence in ways that are undeniable, and these experiences stand as a testimony that is unshakeable and stalwart. Nothing can shake my faith in the reality of God because I know Him. Just as nothing can shake my knowledge of my husband (there’s just too much evidence to prove that Jeff exists), nothing can shake my knowledge of God. He IS Mighty God.

How could I not worship and adore the God who has made His works manifest in such a way that they have been painted across the canvas of my life in bold, bright, vivid colors.

And it’s not just me that He’s blessed, right? He’s blessed you too! He’s given you a roof over your head, food, clean water, a warm bed. Perhaps He’s given you a spouse to enjoy… to eat dinner with… to have companionable conversation with… to snuggle with on cold nights. Maybe you have a couple of kids or grandkids—with all the challenges they bring—but what a blessing they are, right?

He’s given you fresh air, sunshine, and the awe inspiring High Sierra Mountains to gaze at and enjoy. He’s given you an adorable town to live in with many quaint shops, delectable bakeries, homey restaurants, and a small-town movie theater right there on Main Street. He’s given you a world class ski resort 45 minutes up the hill, the Buttermilks to explore and climb, and numerous mountain lakes to fish and hike around.

The Lord has made His works manifest in our lives in every conceivable way—and He longs for us to simply open our eyes and see Him for who He is. Like the billboard said, let’s celebrate REASON this season. And any reasonable human can plainly see that God does indeed exist.

A Father’s Gifts by Pam Payne

2010-11-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my daughter gave me a picture of my grandson Jude. I had forgotten all about it. It showed him reaching out to touch a little horny toad. Seeing that picture made me smile in surprise because I remembered how much I loved horny toads. I grew up chasing and catching them as a child in Oklahoma, and had not seen one in over 35 years. That reminder also made me think of the other times God has surprised me with things I will never forget (like a daddy who brings a surprise present home for his little girl but keeps it inside his pocket until the time is just right to pull it out).

The biggest surprise God ever gave me came in the form of whales…

A couple of years ago my husband took me to a bed and breakfast near Carmel to celebrate our anniversary. It was on this trip that went on a whale-watching excursion. I still remember it clearly….

As we waited to board the boat the captain came down to introduce himself and told us that we were in for a real treat. He said that they had not seen whales like this in over 50 years. It had something to do with the way the currents were flowing in this one particular area and how the currents were pushing up food from a deep pocket right where the whales were feeding.

I squeezed Paul’s hand and looked up at him and I am sure what he saw on my face resembled the face of a little girl on Christmas morning, and my heart raced as we boarded the boat.

About forty minutes into our boat ride the captain told us that he just got off the radio with his colleague who was already in the whale space, and that they were seeing even more whales than they had the day before. He then told us to find a spot, settle in, and start looking for the sprays that come from the blowholes. I wiggled my way up to the front of the boat, settled on a wooden plank, and leaned against the railing.

Within minutes we began to see the sprays, and then a huge body would surface and a tail would come out as the whale dove back under the water. Then, a few moments later a giant humpback came out of the water 20 feet in front of me. Its eye was parallel to mine and I could not believe the size of it! Its face was covered with bumps, and I watched it roll onto its back before it dove down, with its huge tail coming up out of the water. The force of it sprayed my face and the seawater mixed with my tears. God’s love was all over me as He reminded me how long I had carried this desire in my heart, and how happy it made Him to give this gift to me.

The captain came over the loudspeaker again and said that although humpbacks were especially playful and curious, he had not seen one get that close to his boat before.

A few minutes later the captain came back on the radio to point out a pair of blue whales about 150 feet in the distance. In his excitement he told us to watch for their sprays and that’s how we would know they were blue whales. Still overwhelmed with awe and overwrought with emotion, I saw the sprays and knew what he was talking about. They were so huge I could hardly believe it! The captain told that these whales mated for life and that the air comes out of their blowholes at 250 MPH!

Because they were so far away, I could not really get a good read on the enormity of them until one of them dove and its tail came out of the water. Wow! Talk about a tail.

The day could have ended right there and I would have been walking on clouds for hours afterward, but God was not finished with me yet. He had one more surprise in his pocket.

As the boat made a final loop and turned to head back to shore, a family of humpbacks, three of them, popped right out of the water 30 feet to my right. They swam along side the boat for several minutes. First their heads would come out, then their backbones as they rippled along in the water and blew air. After a few minutes, they simply dove away and were gone.

I will never forget that whale excursion. Nothing on earth existed in that hour except my Father, His magnificent creation, and me. And that picture, the picture of a Father giving his daughter the desire of her heart, is one I will cherish and remember as long as I live. That is love in its purest and truest form.

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

Perseverance by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-11-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

One may go a long way after one is tired.

~ French Proverb ~

There's a story about the California gold rush that tells of two brothers who sold all they had and went prospecting for gold. They discovered a vein of the shining ore, staked a claim, and proceeded to get down to the serious business of getting the gold out of the mine. All went well at first, but then a strange thing happened. The vein of gold ore disappeared. The brothers continued to pick away, but without success. Finally, they gave up in disgust, sold their equipment and claim rights for a few hundred dollars, and went back home.

Now, the man who bought the claim hired an engineer to examine the rock strata of the mine. The engineer advised him to continue digging in the same spot where the former owners had left off. And only three feet deeper, the new owner struck gold! With a little more persistence the two brothers that left would have been millionaires themselves.

“Perseverance” is defined; to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.

What is the “gold” that you’re pressing toward? What difficult thing are you trying to undertake? Maybe you’re trying to embark on a new career path… Or perhaps you’re attempting to overcome an addiction…. It could be that you are asking God to restore your marriage and you’re doing your best to cooperate with His guidance for your life. It doesn’t really matter what exactly the gold is that you’re digging for—it takes fortitude and perseverance to keep digging.

Perseverance is essential when you’re tempted to give up and call it quits. C.S. Lewis said, “What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step.” When things get difficult I find it helpful to focus on the next step ahead, instead of ruminating about the entire journey in front of me. I just look a bit ahead, ask for God’s help, and keep taking steps in the right direction. Even if I fall, even if I loose momentum, even if I fail, I must keep getting back up and taking steps forward.

The dichotomy about perseverance is that you can’t get perseverance without first being put in a position to need perseverance. It’s “on the job training”, so to speak. Perseverance develops as the Lord allows us to endure difficult circumstances. And it becomes so much easier to persevere in difficulty when we have a proven track record of God’s faithfulness in our lives. We become utterly convinced that He’ll strengthen us, help us, and see us through no matter what.

The really agonizing experiences of my life have deepened my walk with God (and my trust in His goodness) in such a way that I have learned to trust Him, even when I’m suffering. This is perseverance, persistence, and pressing through. It’s digging until you reach the gold.

I have learned to press through to God’s goodness in every situation. To press through (even in the midst of pain, hardship, or distress) to that place of peace I have with God. To press through to receive His healing even when everything around me says to give up. To press through no matter what! You know why? Because He’s worth it. He’s worth my steadfast trust and perseverance—and He’s worth the effort to dig a little deeper until I reach the gold.

Healed for Good by Launa Strickland

2010-10-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

I used to believe that being sick was a sign of weakness–almost a moral failure. I was proud of myself because I rarely ever got sick. Then I got really sick!

Four years ago I developed allergies that caused chronic sinus infections. I tried everything to cure it but nothing worked. I ended up relying on daily doses of cold & sinus medication with extra ibuprofen. I also needed antibiotics two to three times a year to treat the really bad infections.

Then things escalated… In June of this year I woke up with a bad toothache. I was in Virginia and a local dentist prescribed a ten-day, high-dose antibiotic and lots of ibuprofen. I saw my regular dentist when I got home and I continued to take the antibiotic as prescribed.

On the ninth day of the antibiotic treatment the back of my neck starting itching, and within twelve hours I felt like I had biting insects crawling all over my body. I drove myself to the Mammoth ER and was told I had hives that were probably caused by the antibiotic I was taking. I was given medicines and sent home with prescriptions for more. After 24 hours I was in agony! In addition to the hives, I was horribly swollen from head to toe. A call to the ER resulted in stronger drugs. Two days later, I was still not better. I was now also covered with huge bruises and sores from scratching so hard. Another doctor visit and my meds were switched again. I was also given steroids by injection. I started feeling better within 24 hours. By the end of the week the swelling was gone and the itching was much less frequent. Then the pain began….

It began in the morning with a dull ache in my shoulders, elbows and wrists. By 3:00 p.m. the pain was worse and I was losing my ability to move my arms. By 8:00 p.m. I was totally incapacitated by pain. For the next several days I had to make sure I was ready for bed by 5 p.m. On the sixth day I had to go back to work. I got through two days of work and then, praise God, the weekend came!

Sunday morning arrived and I made myself go to church. At the end of the service, someone read James 5:14; “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” Pastor Eric invited all who were sick to come up. I resisted because everyone would know that I was ill. Then I heard the Holy Spirit say, “you have been praying to believe Me for healing-go now and let Me prove what I can do.” So I swallowed my pride and went forward. Pastor Eric anointed my forehead with oil and a small group of people prayed over me. I closed my eyes. The gentle voice spoke again, telling me to raise my arms. “NO!” I argued, “I can’t. It hurts too much!” Then I saw a vapor or mist rising from my shoulders, elbows and wrists and I ‘saw’ the pain rise with it. I slowly raised my right arm above my head AND IT DIDN’T HURT! I raised my left arm and it was also pain free! I shouted to the Lord and wept with joy! I was healed!

When I got home from church the pain began to return. So I started praying… I thanked God for my healing and told Him how it had strengthened my faith as well as encouraging others. I asked Him to remove the pain then I surrendered to His will for me. And…. He took away the pain. Again!

To this day I am free of hives, joint pain and sinus infections.

I still wonder why God healed me in such a huge way. I’m not a great and powerful woman of Christ—I stumble in my walk every day. Maybe it’s just so I can tell you that God does heal His children. Even one as weak as me.

Launa Strickland is a member of Church on the Mountain, and will be sharing more about her healing experience at the COTM Women’s event on November 1^st.at 6:00 p.m. Bring a potluck dish to share. www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org

Lock Up by Leyla Williams

2010-10-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

My friends left for the week and asked a neighbor to feed their cat. The wife gave instructions to “go on in, we leave our door unlocked”. Unknowingly, the husband gave contradicting instructions for his employee to “please lock up every night after returning the tools”. Faithfully the employee locked up at five each evening. Faithfully the lady that was to feed the cat came at six. Perplexed but determined, she found a ladder, climbed to the upper deck, and found an opening into the house. Upon leaving, she left the door unlocked and was confused when it was locked again at six the next evening. Not until the last day was the mystery solved when the owners returned and couldn’t get into their home. The husband had given away his key and now had to climb the same borrowed ladder and scramble through the same open window.

Do we ever give mixed signals to our inner man? Do we relinquish access to our souls by giving the keys away? We are the owners of our inner life. We hold keys and determine what has access to us. Do we decide we are NOT going to get angry like that again? See that type of media again? Spend more than we have again? Eat more than we need again? Yuck. You’ve had those moments. It is over. Those things that leave the stench of shame after their stay, are marched out and you lock the door. That is IT! Not again. So why do we often leave upper story windows unlocked?

We can’t solve the ancient dilemma right this minute, but we can rally ourselves to practices that might protect us a little better. The gospel of Luke pleads “Stay alert, always praying that you will have the strength to escape all the things that will happen” (Lk 21:36). In Ephesians 6, Paul exhorts us to put on the full armor “as you pray at all times...vigilantly and persistently” (Eph 6:18). James states “Therefore, submit to God. Moreover, take a stand against the Adversary, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and he will come close to you” (James 4:7,8). Connect to Jesus! He is the ultimate locksmith. You pray, authorize Him to change your locks so the enemy of your soul is shut out, and He issues a fresh set of keys. But if we keep the window unlocked or give our keys away, we give permission to things that will ruin our inner house and destroy again.

Why are the gospels and letters declaring a need to pray, to come close to God? Because when we draw near to God, we draw near to light. All of a sudden we see. We go into prayer thinking we are a victim and I can’t believe so and so did that, and wanting God to sympathize, and then the light of Jesus reveals that the real problem is that we are stubborn. So now we are repenting….coming clean….and are relieved, with tender hearts toward so and so.

There will always be intruders. There will always be issues that are trying to break into your inner life with Jesus. Prayer is like a hyper alarm system. In prayer you learn to sense trespassers (like anger, lust, bitterness, dullness), and the flood lights come on with warnings bellowing out of the speaker system to paralyze the intruder. Prayer is one application of the “taking thoughts captive” practice. I can not pray and be fake with Jesus. If I am not honest, my heart does not come alive to Him. Being honest allows His light to shine on my darkness and I am freed. That is why prayer is so essential for your soul’s security system to function properly. The light that prayer brings exposes that wolf dressed up in sheep’s clothing and can give you the peace to stay in and lock up when he comes a knocking.

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

At the Hands of the Shepherd by Tara McDonald

2010-10-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sheep have some of the most unintelligent minds in the entire animal kingdom. Their stupidity is sometimes frightening. A flock won’t move unless they’re following at least one sheep that seems to know where he’s going…. and this is not often the case. In eastern Turkey in 2006, 400 sheep died because one of them tried to cross a fifteen-meter deep ravine and the rest kept following. Sheep have terrible eyesight, and it isn’t surprising in the least to see them crash into obstacles, back up, and then crash into them again. Since they are almost entirely covered in wool, the only highly sensitive area of the sheep is on its face. You can imagine what distress this causes. While they will follow their shepherd, the sheep resist his guidance and stray off on their own. Without the shepherd, steep and dangerous terrain can easily get the best of the dim-witted sheep. Even if they ignore him, the shepherd will come looking for his lost sheep to save them. While the sheep simply trot about brainlessly, the shepherd puts all of his effort into keeping them together and safe. If the sheep don’t follow and begin to stray, the shepherd uses force and punishment, if only to keep his flock from greater pain in the end. He himself will lead them to green pastures, clean waters, and safe places to rest; he doesn’t trust his job to an inadequate amateur.

God uses images like these in the Bible as perfect depictions of His relationship with us. Instead of a Shepherd, we have God. In the place of a flock of ridiculous sheep, we have us. John 3:1-2 reads, “See what love The Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” God is our Shepherd and our Father. We are His children and His flock. What father doesn’t want the best for his children? What shepherd doesn’t want his sheep to be safe? Our Shepherd wants to snatch us out of harm’s way the moment we step into it, but sometimes He waits until we’ve experienced the consequences of rejecting His guidance. It’s not that God wants to see us hurt, but he wants us to repent and come back to Him. We don’t know to do so unless we know what it is like without Him. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV).

Human beings can sometimes be guilty of blindly following each other. People get so excited when someone stands up for what they think, that before we’ve even looked at what that person is saying we have made sacrifices and choices for something we don’t even understand. Even if that person is leading us into a fifteen-meter deep ravine, we follow them blindly and passionately if we don’t stop to think our actions through. Since going to God to find out the truth is so tedious and hard, we just act on our emotions and what we think our ‘heart is telling us’. Let me tell you something – Listen to your heart AND DIE. We were born with imperfect emotions; often times, your emotions are going to deceive you. Don’t act on them just because of how you feel in the moment. Zechariah 7:11 illustrates this wonderfully: “But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.” They shut their ears and listened to their own counsel. I’m guessing that they ended up at the bottom of a ravine.

We may profess to be following Christ, but is that what our actions show? Do you join when the flock goes another way, or do you keep following the Shepherd? You may try to believe that you’re on the path God wants you to be taking, but are you really trying to achieve the end result on your own? You can’t handle God’s job, so don’t try. You can’t lead yourself to peace, nor can anyone else. Many people try to find peace in places that provide only momentary rest and ultimately end in discontent and turmoil. God asks that we come to Him for rest, for He promises to give it to us completely and freely. “I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down” (Ezekiel 34:15). The only way that you will end up on the right path is if you are following the right leader. Listen. He’s calling you. He’s holding out his staff to show you the way. He’s standing between you and pain. Do you choose to listen and obey, or are you going to try to fight life’s battles yourself? Even though he cares for us with his own hand, we still stray from His chosen path, forget his blessings, and try to live our lives how we want. As a human born with a sinful nature, I will always sin; this does not mean, however, that I will always stray. Even when I walk beside Jesus, I will still stumble; that only means that it’s easier for Him to catch me. Jesus, the wise and forgiving Shepherd, loves me, an unwise and imperfect sheep. Even when I struggle and resist, He will never stop trying to lead me home.

Tara McDonald is a sophomore in high school and a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake, CA. We meet Sunday mornings at 9:30. To find out more you can log onto our website at www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org or call 760-935-4272

Rock Creek with My Man by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-09-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my husband Jeff and I took a long hike up at Mosquito Flats (above Rock Creek Lake). This is one of our favorite hikes, and took us about 3 hours round trip. The fall colors were spectacular; the meandering streams we passed crystal clear; and the temperature a balmy 80 degrees. The cloudless blue sky was a gorgeous backdrop to the jagged mountain peaks, which were reflected in each perfectly still lake we hiked by. At each lake Jeff would throw in a line, hoping to score Old Moe. And while he did have a few nibbles, the fish did a great job of eluding his lure. We encountered happy hikers every 15 or 20 minutes on the trail, and each person we passed had a huge smile on their face. We ended our adventure at a shady picnic table tucked into a group of flaming orange aspen trees by Rock Creek Lake. Peppered turkey, swiss cheese, and homegrown tomato sandwiches, fresh picked apples from my friend Janet’s apple tree, potato chips, and ice cold bottles of water… Is there anything better than a delicious lunch after a long hike? We both agreed that it was the most pleasant day we’ve spent together in months.

What joy I experience in the daily companionship of my husband! I’ve discovered through the years that my marriage is one of God’s greatest blessings to me. But twenty-five years of marriage have also taught me how easy it is to take my husband for granted. To get annoyed with his quirks, blasé about his great qualities, and blind to his many efforts to please me. And it’s not just my marriage I can take for granted… it’s everything.

It’s crazy how easy it is to pass through each day oblivious to God’s many blessings. To become blind to the dazzling sights, sounds, smells, and textures of our everyday lives. Whether it’s a companionable hike with my man on a warm September morning; or a luscious organic tomato slice in my sandwich; the feeling of a weathered picnic bench under my bum; the sound of the breeze through the brilliantly colored aspens; or the jutted mountain peaks I get to look at every day—it’s easy for me to become indifferent to the grand realities of my life.

What are the “grand realities” of your life that you may be overlooking? They may not be as showy as the brilliant autumn colors around Rock Creek Lake—yet they are just as praiseworthy. Are you a stay-at-home mom to a houseful of little ones? Maybe you recently retired and you’re wondering what the future holds for you? Do you work full time at a challenging job? Are you on the verge of a huge life change or move? In each one of those circumstances there are grand realities in your life just waiting to be uncovered and realized. There are things to see, hear, touch, and smell in your present circumstances that are magnificent and beautiful and heaven-sent from God.

Sometimes it’s the simplest things in our everyday lives that are the most surprisingly precious. For instance, our son has been living at home for the last year to save up money so he could continue his education. He’ll be moving away next month to begin his next grand adventure. Last weekend, the four of us (son, daughter, husband, and me) sat on our little patio, under a tree, eating barbequed burgers for dinner. The sun had set, Sweet Pea our chubby mutt lay under the table, and we all sat lingering over our empty plates talking and enjoying each other. The funny thing was…we hadn’t planned a “special” dinner. It’s just turned out to be special. Life is like that; full of special blessings just waiting to be noticed.

I don’t want to go through each day dull to the many gifts I’ve been showered with. To always be looking for things to be bigger, better, shinier… a nicer home…. a thinner body…. better hair… and on and on it goes. No. I want to determinedly enjoy each day God has given me. To stop complaining about what isn’t—and to enjoy and embrace all that is. So whether it’s a perfect day like yesterday, or a day like today (sitting in front of my computer for 8 hours at work), I want to be thrilled with my present circumstances, because I have my eyes opened to the beauty and blessings that surround me every day!

Baking Soda for the Spirit by Leyla Williams

2010-09-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

I have been sick this week and in a panic to get better, so I looked up remedies that could aid a speedy recovery. One remedy was to gargle with baking soda and warm water to heal a sore throat. Apparently baking soda helps get your body back in balance. It actually did work, and it made me think of how the Bible is the balancing agent for our Spirit. Each hour I would stand by the kitchen sink with this simple concoction and gargle, letting the baking soda and water rest in the area of injury. Our practice of reading the Word needs to have that same element of suspension. I’ll let you in on something personal to illustrate what I mean.

This year has been wonder-filled. We have a new baby girl, we bought a house, and we purchased the Looney Bean in Mammoth. There have been so many encouraging words and provisions during this past year from Jesus, which surpassed anything I could have asked for. However, this last month has been extremely difficult and I am not surprised my body finally protested and I am now sick. Our children’s lives were threatened and we still have an open police case; a key member of our staff had emergency surgery and is still not fully recovered; another staff member got kidney stones leading to an infection; another staff member who is pregnant had to go on bed rest because of complications. I was thrust into working 20 hour days for almost two weeks until new staff could be hired and trained. These details are just the tip of the iceberg. So many serious things occurred in unrelenting succession that it caused me to question how it all could be happening…. Feeling like I was tumbling in whitewash, I had to take in the Word over and over again until finally I caught a thread which could then become my anchor.

In Isaiah 50:7-8 I found words that brought me back into balance; I had to gargle, or suspend, these words over and over again to let faith emerge and occupy all the places where I had felt bewildered and off balance. Using the verses as my prayer, I began to state, “For the Lord God will help, this is why no insult can wound. This is why I have set my face like flint, knowing I will not be put to shame. My vindicator is close by.”

I realized as I prayed that the series of bad incidents felt like an insult in the wake of such a wondrous year. These troubling events were harassing us, and threatened to diminish my resolve to trust God.

The best of the “anchor words” from Isaiah came a bit further down in verse 10: “Even when he walks in the dark, without any light, he will trust in the Lord’s reputation and rely on his God.” That Scripture described exactly how I felt… No light, yet walking. I had to keep going, but I couldn’t see. As I prayed these Scriptures in Isaiah faith flooded in! A fresh understanding came that even though I am walking in the dark and it might not be over yet, I trust in the Lord’s reputation and I rely on Jesus. I know it sounds like, “duh!”, but I needed to see my strategy in the context of being in the dark. I needed the Lord to remind me that His reputation was trustworthy, even when I couldn’t perceive how He was helping.

When things get out of whack, a word from the Lord rebalances our spiritual chemistry, and well-being returns even if our circumstances don’t change immediately. Suspend God’s Word over the imbalances in your life and you will see the steadfast effect of His word bringing order and healing to you again and again.

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

The Future Looks Bright! by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-09-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

God has a bright future for you—one that is full of promise, full of hope, and full of healing! He has plans to restore your broken relationships, fulfill your desires, and open doors for ministry. He wants to free you from addictions; to heal your heart from the hurts you’ve endured; and to liberate you from any bondage you may find yourself in. God understands you and loves you. He forgives you of your failures and has great compassion for you. He has plans to help you every step of the way. God is not mad at you, so don’t give up. Don’t let discouragement divert you on to the wrong path. Simply continue in the way that He has been leading you (even when it gets dark along the trail) and trust that His way is the right way. The Lord has never forsaken you in the past, right? Well He won’t forsake you now. Trust Him with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

The challenges of this world make it easy to veer off the path that God has for us. It’s easy to allow one little act of disobedience to lead us to another and another, and pretty soon we feel like we’ve derailed our future. Each time we do things our own way and depart from the Lord’s specific directions for our life, we stray a little farther from the wonderful things He has planned for us. We certainly don’t need to walk a tightrope of perfection to please God (and we couldn’t if we tried), but we do need to walk according to the revealed will of God for our lives.

And so my word of encouragement to you today is: Stay the course! There is a daily battle for our obedience, affection, and attention. Nothing and nobody has the power to remove us from the path that God has marked out for us—except for us. We can choose daily to stay the course, obey even when it hurts, and refuse to be dominated by fear and temptation. And thankfully, we don’t have to “stay the course” alone. We can lean on the Lord, calling on His name to empower us, to help us fight temptation, to resist the pull of the world, and to fight the good fight of faith.

Paula Friedrichsen is a member of Church on the Mountain, and will be speaking at the September 12th Sunday morning service. We meet at 9:30 Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org

Parking Lot Panic by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-09-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

This summer my daughter and I decided to take a girl’s trip and one of our stops was Sea World in San Diego. It’s unusual for me to take a vacation without my husband—and after you read about my ridiculous parking adventure, you’ll realize how much I rely on him. Here’s how the day went:

After a quick breakfast at our hotel Lovely Daughter and I jumped in the car and drove over to Sea World. We were herded into an immense parking lot where we quickly parked and joined the throng of people slowly entering through the turnstiles into the park. Grabbing a map we made our way from one exhibit to another, enjoying our day together.

By late afternoon our desire to not have to purchase another mediocre and expensive meal at Sea World (our lunch was $30.00 and we split a sandwich!) meant it was time to call it a day. So with the sounds of barking sea lions still ringing in our ears we began our trek back out to the car. By this time of day the entire parking lot (acre after acre after acre) was full of cars. And it was at the exact moment that I froze dead in my tracks and remembered I had forgotten to make a mental note of where we had parked the car (something my dear husband is usually in charge of). Dread hit me and I could feel the blood draining from my face. Neither of us had a clue as to what section we parked in. So there we stood right outside of Sea World with blank looks on our faces…. The only thing I could think of to do was to call my husband. But what was he going to do from 350 miles away, other than feel helpless to help me? So I nixed that idea.

Finally, I decided that we should just begin to walk in the general direction we felt we might have parked and ask God to lead us as we went. Honestly, we had no other choice. There was no way we could search a parking lot of that size. It was either depend on God to show us—or wait until midnight when the parking lot emptied out (which seemed like a fate worse than death at that exact moment in my life). So we tentatively headed toward the south part of the parking lot, and prayed quietly, “Lord, please show us where our car is. We are completely dependant on you right now.” We just kept walking, trying not to think too much about where we were going. After only 10 minutes Lovely Daughter stopped in the middle of the parking lot, swiveled a quarter turn, pointed to her left and said calmly, “Could that be our car over there?”

I was so hot, tired, hungry, and irritated, that I wanted to shout to Lovely Daughter, “No, no, no! You have no idea where the car is! Nobody does! We’ll be out here all night!!!” But instead I looked where she pointed and said something like, “Well I don’t think so honey, there are lots of white Hondas out here.”

But then she said, “Look, that’s our triple A sticker on the window! And there’s the little dent on the trunk!”

That did it—I finally realized that the Lord had literally led us right to our car in 10 minutes! And He used Lovely Daughter to notice it. We were both SO thankful.

In retrospect, I realize that losing our car in the Sea World parking lot was not a crisis of enormous proportions. But honestly, God’s faithfulness in that situation was a hallmark experience for me. The fact that the Lord worked in my life in such a tangible way was not a surprise to me—He’s been faithful more times and in more ways than I could count. And yet, every time He shows His kindness in the small things in life I am bowled over by His love!

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

Roller Coaster Faith by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-08-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

Two years ago I woke up with my very first migraine headache. It turned out to be the first of many, many migraines to come. Thus began a journey which has required fortitude, courage, faith, and the expertise of several gifted doctors (thank you Dr. Green & Dr. Will!). I’ve had my ups and downs, and I’ve grown as a person throughout this ordeal. Honestly I would have to write a book to tell you all the lessons of the journey—but in this article let me share just one: Roller Coaster faith is no faith at all.

Roller Coaster faith is the kind of faith that goes up and down, up and down, up and down. It’s almost completely dependant upon present circumstances. Here’s the scenario: God speaks to you about your situation (through a Scripture, through a friend, or even through an article like this), and you’re greatly encouraged and riding high on the wings of faith. Then symptoms hit you like a baseball bat across the forehead and you find yourself in the depths of despair. But because God is faithful, he speaks to you again about your situation. He greatly encourages you, and you are joyful and confident in His word. Nothing is going to shake you this time! That is until your circumstances get rocky again—then you find yourself sinking to the depths of despair.

This cycle is called, “Roller Coaster faith” (so named by me), and it will make you double minded and bankrupt of any genuine faith. It’s definitely a ride you want to get off! Why? (other then the fact it’s making you miserable). Because even though God is faithful to continue to encourage you with His voice and His word—He wants you to grow in your faith. He wants you to be able to receive from Him easily, without struggle and striving.

Here’s a perfect example of Roller Coaster faith, taken from the book of Exodus. It’s amusing to see just how much like the Israelites we really are. While God was trying to free them from the bondage of Egypt, they vacillated between hope, and doubt. Here’s a short synopsis:

HOPE - God announces that there will soon be freedom from the slavery in Egypt. The Israelites respond: “And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.”
DOUBT – After Moses confronts Pharaoh, Pharaoh increases the Israelite’s hard labor. The Israelites say venomously to Moses: “May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
HOPE - God spares the Israelites from the last plague of death, and they finally leave Egypt. The Bible tells us: “the people bowed down and worshiped.”
DOUBT – The Egyptians chase the Israelites to Red Sea. The Israelites say to poor, beleaguered Moses: “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?”
HOPE - God parts the Red Sea and saves Israel! The next thing we know: “Miriam took a tambourine and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing. ‘Sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted.”
DOUBT - The people are thirsty, so…: “The people grumbled against Moses, saying ‘What are we to drink?’”
HOPE - Then God provides water and the Israelites are happy and confident again.
DOUBT – The Israelites get hungry in the desert. Now they are back to grumbling and doubting. They say to Moses (who has the patience of Job): “you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”
HOPE – But God gives them manna, and they are happy.
DOUBT – Then as they travel around in the desert, they get thirsty again. They say to Moses: “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children die of thirst?”
HOPE – But God provides water, and they are happy.
DOUBT – Moses is a long time on Mt Sinai getting the Ten Commandments. While he’s up there the Israelites say: “Come make us gods (idols) who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Idol worship and revelry followed—and as the Message translations puts it, “It turned into a wild party”.

I find it interesting and alarming that circumstances deteriorated so fast for the Israelites: They went from doubt, to fear, to grumbling, to complaining, to false accusations, and finally to idol worship and a wild party (and yes, everything which that implies). I used to think the opposite of “faith” was “fear”. Now I know; the opposite of “faith” is “idol worship”. Faith is an unwavering trust in God’s goodness in spite of present circumstances. Idol worship is seeking relief from our trials and suffering apart from God and His ways.

The lesson of the last two years of my life (backed up by this outline of Exodus) is that when God speaks to you—believe Him! Take Him at His Word. Write down the things He speaks and meditate on them morning, noon, and night. Keep them taped to your bathroom mirror. Keep His Word in front of your face until your trial has come to an end. You have to be willing to hold on to the promises of God tenaciously. Be a spiritual pit bull. Lock your jaw around those promises and don’t let go until they are fulfilled. It may take a while, and you may have to make some changes in your life. It may mean some repentance, and you’ll definitely have to do things God’s way. But eventually God’s Word will come to pass. Trust Him! He is 100% faithful, 100% of the time.

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

Road Trip! by Leyla Williams

2010-08-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

Do you remember ski trips, or long drives to visit family that meant jumping in the car and settling in for a drive that you expected would be an adventure? Sometimes these trips included people you didn’t know yet. Every year I went on ski trips with a mix of people that I knew, and plenty I did not. Confined for a distance in a car with people that you don’t know very well, when you first click in, can feel intimidating. What are you going to say for the next 6 hours (or most recently, 17 hours)! But from each trip, I would come back with a new list of phone numbers and there would be inside jokes and memories that marked the best parts of the journey.

Discovering God in His Word and in prayer is very similar. Once you snap into your seat of devotional time, if you aren’t used to keeping company with God for extended periods of time, you might feel nervous. What are we going to say to each other? You might feel pressure to keep the whole conversation going. Relax. Jesus is a great travel companion and He has a ton to say.

A set devotional time will become the favorite part of your day once you get the hang of just enjoying Jesus and navigating your day with Him. In Psalm 139, David describes this intimate truth: “You know when I sit and when I stand up,...You are so familiar with all my ways that before I speak even a word, Lord, you know all about it already.” (Psalm 139:2,4). Only a best friend or spouse can get close to this synchronized fellowship. Jesus, like our closest companions in life, can finish our sentences. He is the one who searches our hearts and knows exactly what the Spirit is thinking (Romans 8:26).

Meet up with Jesus in a special place. There is something private about a car that makes people feel safe and able to open up quickly. There are no distractions and usually requires only the maintenance of making sure you are still heading in the right direction (does this make me a dangerous driver?). Think of a place you can regularly relax and make memories with Jesus without distraction. Maybe that would be your deck with a cup of coffee in hand, your drive to work, or a walk on a trail. Spend time wondering about Jesus. Start with His word. As you read, you’ll be reminded of how He thinks and how He loves you. Use His word to begin thanking Him, and then move on to asking for Him to govern a situation in your life. Write down verses that really stand out to you on little cards that you can meditate on throughout your day.

Like anyone else you would take a trip with, get to know His story, His dreams, His thoughts about life. Praying is not a ritual. Praying is personal. Every prayer affirms that you deem Jesus worthy of attention and value Him. You value His help for your concerns, but you also value knowing Him as someone you love. It would be very lonely if my husband, kids, or close friends only talked to me when they needed something. I love them and am happy to help, but just making memories together is equally valid and necessary in having a relationship. Learning about His heart energizes mine every day and He is wonderful company. Strike up a conversation, He is already buckled in.

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

The 3 Symptoms of Unforgiveness by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-08-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

Unforgiveness is like smelly trash—it tends to build up: Yesterday a few coffee grounds and an overripe cantaloupe sat rotting in the bottom of the kitchen trash can, and it began to smell. Add last night’s chicken bones, leftover pasta salad, and an empty cat food can, and its worse. Smash it down and throw in today’s orange peels, egg shells, and spoiled salsa. The trash can is overflowing and stinking up the whole house!

Unforgiveness is the trash that can smell up your marriage. Even though hurt feelings make it tempting to hold a grudge, it’s important not to let grievances build up. You have to take out the trash, so to speak. The secret to forgiveness is to not wait until you feel like forgiving; because frankly, you probably never will. Instead, decide to forgive. Below you'll find three symptoms of unforgiveness, as well as solutions to tossing it out of your life.

Symptom 1: A hard heart
Your spouse tells you they’re depressed about work, and you think, Whatever… She tells you the doctor say her cholesterol is dangerously high, and you think, Whatever… He tells you he thinks he may be having a mental breakdown, and you think, *yawn* Whatever… The inability for a marriage partner to care about what concerns their spouse is a screaming symptom that unforgiveness has caused their heart to grow cold.

But there’s a Solution. Although you may be tempted to harden your heart toward your husband or wife because they repeatedly hurt your feelings, make an effort to stay in an attitude of forgiveness. Remind yourself that you love your spouse! You may not be feeling deeply loving toward them right now—but choose to make the decision to love and care about what concerns them, in spite of a lack of romantic feelings.

Symptom 2: The silent treatment (also known as the “I’m not punishing him, I’m just not talking to him right now” treatment).

The silent treatment is usually an indicator that a husband or wife has a rap sheet of their spouses past offenses tucked in their hip pocket. In fact, their mate’s behavior has so infuriated them, they have no words left. You could interrogate them for hours under a glaring spotlight in a dingy, smoke-filled room—they’re not talking.

The Solution: Talk… communicate…share…open up. In my twenty-five years of marriage my husband and I have seldom had major change without conflict. If you’re in the habit of giving the silent treatment, begin today to humble yourself, open up, and communicate freely.

Symptom 3: Expecting the worst

As another offense is committed, the husband or wife is almost glad because it’s one more that can be added to an already long list. They’ll pull that list out at an advantageous moment to use as proof of their spouses continual disregard for their feelings.

An attitude of unforgiveness will set us up to expect the worst in our husband or wife. And when we expect the worst, it’s often exactly what we get. Expecting the worst can become like a well-traveled road—it’s familiar, it’s safe, and it protects us from being disappointed…again.

The solution lies in seeking God’s perspective on your mate and “choosing” to search for the good in your husband or wife.

If you’ve found it difficult to forgive in the past—I have good news for you; today is a new beginning! Don’t wait until you “feel” like forgiving; because frankly, you probably never will. Instead, decide to forgive. Why not start today?

This article has been adapted from Paula's book, "The Man You Always Wanted is the One You Already Have" (Multnomah, 2007). Paula is a member of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org

Out of Darkness by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-07-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

On a deeply cloudy morning in 1975 I sat waiting…highly anticipating my very first airplane ride. My parents and siblings had driven home the week before from my Aunt Sharon’s ranch in Oregon, but I was given the opportunity to stay an additional week and fly home by myself.

I found Oregon a nice place to visit with one exception; it had been overcast, rainy and dreary for our entire stay. By the end of my vacation, I longed for sunshine. And because I’d never flown before, I assumed I would have to wait until we got closer to sunny California to enjoy those golden rays. But I was in for a big surprise…

Like a bullet our airplane zipped down the runway, became airborne, and soon plunged headlong into the blanket of menacing thunderheads that had held office for the entire month of September. Moments later we catapulted through the other side of the thick quilt of gray clouds, and with saucer eyes I was astounded as our airplane broke free from the gloom into glorious sunshine! I still remember the joy and exhilaration of that moment and the epiphany that even when it’s dismal below—the sun is always shining just above the clouds.

The trials and tribulations of my life have at times made me feel like I’m permanently stuck in Oregon (no offense to any rain-loving Oregonians out there).

And in those dark times I’ve been deeply comforted by a passage of Scripture that says; God calls us out of darkness and into His wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Just as that airplane pulled me up into the sunshine, out of the depressing gloom—my connection with God has repeatedly pulled me out spiritual darkness and into His wonderful light.

When I wake each morning and spend time in God’s word and prayer, I begin to see myself reflected in the Lord’s eyes. It’s in that place of fellowship with Him that I know who I am; I am His beloved daughter, a work in progress, a thing of beauty. I’ve learned the hard way that if I’m hoping to find my identity reflected in anyone else’s eyes, I’ll end up disappointed.

As I make my way through this sometimes wonderful, sometimes difficult life, it’s my daily relationship with God that gives me insight, stability, and joy. And in the event that I find myself languishing under a leaden heaven (that dark cloud feeling where nothing seems to be going right), it’s my connection with Him that pulls me heavenward.

So…with this wealth of blessing just waiting for me each morning you would think I’d never miss my quiet time with God, right? Wrong. Knowing what’s good for me and doing it are two different things. The biggest hindrance to making daily prayer a solid part of each day is my hurried life.

It’s an indisputable fact that most people are living at an accelerated pace these days. But… it’s impossible to hurry up and build a deeply personal prayer life with God. My prayer life suffers when I hurry through it, just as my marriage relationship would suffer if we hurried through each opportunity for communication and companionship.

Imagine for a moment that I planned some quality time with my husband. Here’s the scenario;

“Honey, let’s spend some time together. We should go out to dinner tonight after work.”

“Okay Paula. You know I love spending time with you.”

Later that evening, Jeff pulls up in front of the house and while leaving the car running, rushes in breathlessly yelling “Come on Honey, times-a-wasting!”

We speed over to McDonalds, where he proceeds to buy us cheeseburgers and fries from the drive-thru window. With my value-meal balanced precariously upon my lap, I do my best to eat without spilling as we drive home. Pulling into the garage Jeff says, “That was fun, let’s do it again soon!”

Thankfully, my husband does not approach a “date” this way—as I’m sure few husbands do (unless they like sleeping alone). And why not? Because they know that this is not the kind of intimacy a wife longs for. She longs for her husband’s time… for his attention… for an unrushed evening of adult conversation.

I’ve learned that intimacy cannot be rushed. The best way to get to know someone is to spend time with them. Likewise, intimate prayer cannot be rushed.

Prayer has a way of changing the topography of our lives in dramatic and definite ways. What appeared to be a mountain before prayer is recognized as an inconsequential molehill after prayer. What looked liked an impenetrable valley before prayer, is seen as an easily accessible land of promise after prayer.

Prayer. A simple childlike act, a humbling activity, and an avenue of blessing. And for me personally, a ticket out of Oregon.

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

Six Days with Corra by Ed Tandy McGlasson

2010-07-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

Something happened this week that I just have to share with you. It contrasts against the fuss that the liberal media made about Tim Tebow’s commercial during the Super Bowl. The commercial wasn’t a diatribe against abortion as many expected. It was about a mother’s choice to have a baby, even when she had been told the baby needed to be aborted because of her medical complications. The parents prayed, “Lord, if You give us another son, then we’ll raise him to be a preacher.”

We all know the story of how Tim has grown to be an amazing man of God and a future leader on and off the football field. His future is bright and promising because of the love of his parents.

The story of Corra didn’t have the same ending to her life that Tebow’s had. Her story didn’t happen under the lights of the Florida Gators’ home stadium. Corra’s story happened in a modest home in Arizona with a mom and dad who demonstrated to her what the extraordinary love of the Father looks like.

Little Corra’s birth mother had lined up a family to adopt her, but after hearing that Corra would be severely handicapped and probably would not live very long, they respectfully declined.

Ted, the adoption attorney, called me to pray. He shared that not only was Corra in harm’s way, but the family who was going to adopt her decided to back out. Ted asked, “Ed, pray that I will be able to find a family to adopt her.” I remember hearing those words and thinking that to adopt a healthy baby is one thing, but to choose a baby who would be handicapped and might not live long, is an extraordinary kind of love.

Ted made the next phone call to David and Rebecca in Arizona to ask them if they would be interested. David said, “Ted, you could not have called me at a worse time. I am out of a job and my youngest daughter is starting chemotherapy. But you know, I will ask my wife and pray about it.” They called Ted back and told him, “We want this child!” When David arrived in California, he found a reluctant birth mom. Not only was she hurting from her disappointment of the first adoptive couple, but the hospital was putting pressure on her to make a decision concerning Corra’s life. The young mom called Ted and said, “David keeps calling the social worker every day. I can’t believe he’s still interested. I can’t believe that they still want her with so many problems.” The birth mother’s heart was so touched. She could see the love that Corra would receive living with David and Rebecca. Finally, the call came to the Lawson family—their daughter was ready to go home. David and Rebecca moved little Corra into her new home. With welcome cards taped around her crib, and the loving gaze of her four new brothers and sisters, Corra finally had a family who wanted her.

They had only six days with her before she went to be with the Father. When asked why they went so far for just six days, David said, “Why wouldn’t we do that? She was our daughter!” To choose someone to love that can love you back is one thing, but to choose a broken son or daughter is a God kind of love. As a matter of fact, we were all like Corra when God’s love was poured out on us. The Bible says it best:

“You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, ‘Papa! Father!’”(Galatians 4:6).

Ed Tandy McGlasson will be the featured speaker at the July 30 – 31 COTM Men’s Retreat (contact Brian Burns for info: 760-937-3884). Ed is a former lineman in the National Football League where he played with the Giants, Jets, and the Rams. Ed's call to ministry began in college after getting healed from a career ending knee injury that led to his conversion while playing for Youngstown State. Ed eventually entered the ministry in 1984 after a dramatic call, and started traveling and sharing his testimony. Ed is a best selling author, conference speaker, and the pastor of Stadium Vineyard in Anaheim, CA.

The House that Smiles by Ed Tandy McGlasson

2010-07-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

I read an article this week on Google Answers from a young girl who asked: “Does my dad like me? And what can I do?” She writes, “I’m really confused about my dad. I’m not even sure if he likes me. He always talks about the kids he teaches kayaking to and forgets about me. And if I ask him to take me kayaking, he always thinks up of some lame excuse of why he can’t. A few days ago he even said that he “didn’t want me”, and that I am only around because my mum was getting older and she insisted that they were to have a kid then or never. I can never remember him spending any time with me when I was little and he is always at work. I am an only child and I have no idea who to talk to. What can I do?”

How many young people today feel this way? How many of you still feel stuck with questions that your own dad didn’t answer in your life?

Here is the answer that one reader gave, “Just try to get through your adolescence as best as you can. When he gets really old, he will want you to keep him company and be nice to him. Then you can ignore him and treat him the way he treats you.” Great advice, huh!

How many of you have messed up parenting your own kids? I did! I struggled being a good dad because I didn’t know what to do. Did you know that men repeat the same patterns our broken dads used on us?

For years, I did the same things I learned from my stepfather and made my parenting more on what was broken in my kids rather than building a home where my smile resides. I forgot what they wanted most from me was not just my love, but the clear communication of “liking” them. I know that you love your kids, but do you like them?

This past year while doing a breakout session with young people, I asked them to raise their hands if their parents liked them. Not a hand went up in the room. One young man burst into tears, and said, “I know my dad says he loves me, but he never says he likes anything about me. No matter how hard I try, I will never be good enough.”

Have you ever seen the miracle of a dad who becomes a grandfather? It is truly of one of greatest wonders of the world. The same man, who constantly pushed me, changes into another person when his grandkids walk into the room. Have you ever wondered why that happens? What is the goal of most dads? Performance! Right?

What is goal of most Grandpas? Relationship. The same guy who would lecture me about how hard he worked for his money, opens his pockets with reckless abandon when his sweet and perfect grandson walks into the room. I think God gave us grandfathers as a gift to say, “Why don’t you grandfather first.”

What is the atmosphere like in your home? If your children do not think you like them, then it is almost impossible for them to feel your love. On the weekend of July 30th at the Church on the Mountain in Crowley lakes, we are doing a conference called “The Power of the Blessing of a Father.” How many of you are stuck and unable to move forward because of the lack of love and blessing from your own father? Our hope is that this weekend might change your story and put a smile back on your home. If God can change this old football player into a loving husband and father, then there is hope for all of mankind.

Ed Tandy McGlasson will be the featured speaker at the July 30 – 31 COTM Men’s Retreat (contact Brian Burns for info: 760-937-3884). Ed is a former lineman in the National Football League where he played with the Giants, Jets, and the Rams. Ed's call to ministry began in college after getting healed from a career ending knee injury that led to his conversion while playing for Youngstown State. Ed eventually entered the ministry in 1984 after a dramatic call, and started traveling and sharing his testimony. Ed is a best selling author, conference speaker, and the pastor of Stadium Vineyard in Anaheim, CA.

Abba Father by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-07-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

Recently I was at a local ice cream shop where a noisy drama was being played out between a mom, dad, and two adorable little red-headed girls. One of the girls was sitting quietly at a picnic bench with her mommy, happily licking her cone—while the other was squirming, crying, and screaming in her father’s arms. She was having a tantrum and doing it justice, for sure! And as I walked by smiling sympathetically at the parents, something brand new occurred to me; sometimes the sign of a good parent is a screaming, angry child. I mean, just think about it… that little red-headed spitfire was having a fit because her dad had denied her something she wanted. While her sister enjoyed a delicious ice cream cone on a hot summer day, she had nothing but her tears and anger. Whatever had transpired at the ice cream counter before I arrived had necessitated that her father deny her a much-anticipated and much-longed for ice cream cone. But good parents are not afraid to discipline their children as needed. And no amount of bullying, screaming, or outrageous behavior on the part of their little darlings will cause them to alter their course—because they have their child’s greater good in sight.

Does this remind you of anybody? God perhaps? In Scripture the Lord is occasionally referred to as “Abba Father”. For example in Romans 8:15 we read: “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’”

The word “Abba” means daddy or papa. It is an Aramaic term of endearment and cherished familiarity. If you are a child of God then you too are His beloved son or daughter. And because of this “sonship” you now have access to an intimate, close, and treasured relationship with Him. So close that you can call him Daddy and allow Him unlimited, trusted access into your life. That access means that He may discipline you from time to time—but this is just a normal and acceptable part of “sonship”.

I’ve often been comforted by the following Scripture:

Hebrews 12:7-11 “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

The other day I had a conversation with a young woman from our church about God’s recent discipline in her life. She told me that she had gotten a $500.00 speeding ticket a couple of months ago while racing from Bible college to her part-time job. She complained to me that she thought it unfair that the Lord would allow her to get a ticket, when all those other knuckleheads on the highway were going way faster than she was, while talking on their cell phones! She said, “Here I am trying not to be late for work after being at Jesus school (her words, not mine) all day, only to get a ticket!”

I pointed out to her that the Lord actually allowed her to get the ticket BECAUSE he loves her. Because she is His daughter, He didn’t want to pass up such a prime opportunity to teach and discipline her. Even though she was sorely disappointed that the Lord didn’t protect her from the consequences of her behavior, she eventually submitted to the Lord’s correction in her life. And just as that Scripture above promises, it produced a harvest of righteous behavior in her life. In fact, after I told her about my own experience 10 years back with a Mammoth Lakes highway patrol officer (who couldn’t be cajoled out of giving me a speeding ticket, even though I smiled sweetly while assuring him that I almost never drive that fast), we both agreed that neither of us speed any more. Why? Because we submitted to God’s discipline in our lives and learned the lesson that speeding can be expensive (not to mention dangerous and illegal).

God’s discipline is not a bad thing. It’s life, and hope, and joy, and comfort! It’s peace and righteousness for those who will be trained by it! The Lord’s loving correction is the highest compliment you could receive… it means He’s treating you as His beloved son and daughter. Even if you act just like that adorable red-headed four year old—screaming, crying, and flailing—God will calmly hold you until you decide to yield…..because He loves you.

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

Receiving from God by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-06-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever struggled to receive something from God? Maybe you read in the Bible that God desires to heal the sick, or provide for material needs, or bring restoration to broken relationships. You’ve seen His promises clearly in His Word, but sometimes you feel like you’re standing just outside the door…never quite able to fully enter into all He has for you.

I’ve felt that way before too. Convinced that the Lord had His arms stretched out to me, gift in hand, but I was unable to grasp it for one reason or another. Whether it’s a feeling of unworthiness hanging over my head like a dark cloud, or a superficial understanding of Scripture (and me unwilling to dig deeper and seek God with passion and direction), the failure to receive from God has been an issue for me from time to time.

But I experienced a significant breakthrough in this area when I studied the word “receive” in Scripture to find out exactly what it meant. I’ll share my discoveries with you:

John 20:22 “And with that He [Jesus] breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.’”

The word “receive” in that particular Scripture comes from the Greek word “iambano”. It means; to take in, to get hold of, to have offered to one, to seize or remove, accept, be amazed, attain, catch, have, hold.

Honestly, it seems so simple. When I read that definition I was left with a picture of myself simply taking a gift from God’s hand. Just reaching out in faith and taking hold of what He wanted to give me. “Catching it”, so to speak….

Isn’t it wonderful that one of the words used to define “receive” is, “be amazed”. How perfect! This is exactly what it felt like when I received healing from Lyme disease eleven years ago. Exactly what it felt like when I received my long-awaited baby girl sixteen years ago. Exactly how it felt the times I’ve received financial provision from God over the years.

“Be amazed” is exactly how it feels to receive from God!

I also really love that many of the words used to describe “receive” are action words. For example: Take. Seize. Accept. Catch. Hold. The lesson for us in this word study is that a) God expects us to do our part, and b) Our part isn’t too awfully difficult. I mean, come on, anyone can “catch” or “hold” or “accept” a gift from God, right? Just like a child doesn’t struggle to accept a gift on Christmas morning—we don’t need to struggle to accept a gift from God. The child doesn’t torment himself with thoughts of unworthiness when he sees the gift under the tree. No, he giggles with the thrill of it, and tears into the present with anticipation and gratefulness.

The other Scripture I studied in relation to the word “receive” was Acts 9:10-12 “Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ So the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.’”

The word “receive” in that Scripture comes from the Greek word “anaplebo”. It means; to look up, to recover sight, to cause to arise, make rise, spring up, to look at, behold, perceive.

Do you need fresh vision? As much as you desire this, God longs to give it to you. Just receive. Look up. Arise. Spring up with faith and perceive that He comes to you now to open your eyes, to fill you with His Spirit, and to reawaken you to His love, His purposes, and His promises.

Receiving from God is not as mysterious and unattainable as it may seem. The secret often lies in us becoming more uncomplicated and childlike…. more trusting and simple and needy. Although we often hear the saying that “God helps those who help themselves”— God’s word proclaims that “God helps those who cannot help themselves.” So come to Him with arms wide open, heart expectant, looking up, ready to receive (catch, hold, and seize) all that He has for you.

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

Real Joy by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-06-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

While I was at the beauty shop a few months back I picked up a one of those cheesy Hollywood magazines to pass the time. Did you know that Cameron Diaz works out one and a half hours every day! The article was accompanied by an expansive layout of pictures showing Cameron coming out of an L.A. fitness center looking cute, tanned, and happy. Tall and beautiful she strides toward her luxury car with the world by the tail. As I looked at the pictures of her pretty face, sparkling with an adorable dimpled smile, I could see “joyfulness” conveyed on her countenance. And why not? She’s enjoying her good health and her good looks, not to mention her millions.

And yet, I know from God’s word that lasting joy comes from knowing Christ, not from good looks or money. So what is this joy on Cameron’s lovely face? I believe it’s the temporary happiness brought on by temporary circumstances. For instance, if Cameron put on sixty-five pounds, would she still stride confidently and happily across the fitness center parking lot full of pep and joy? Maybe, but I don’t think so (just think back to the “fat” photos of Kirstie Alley—no strutting going on there).

Temporal joy is the feeling of security that comes from having plenty of money, or social status, or a nice home, or a strong body and a pretty face, or a great education, or an esteemed profession, or a successful ministry. All of these things are good things—but when they become the primary source of our happiness—there’s a problem brewing.

Temporary joy is quickly toppled when confronted with adversity. In the crucible of suffering and trials this type of joy is burned off the top in a moment. It isn’t solid or valuable or lasting. Nor is it able to offer protection or courage in the face of illness, economic recession, war, or crime. It relies upon temporal circumstances for peace and comfort—as if they were solid and able to support—instead of upon God Almighty. But nothing is solid in this life except our relationship with the Lord and His timeless word.

I’m always shocked at how quickly the joy can drain right out of me. I tend to think I’m stronger and more stable than I really am. In good times I feel sure that my faith is rock solid and nothing will ever shake it—only to face some kind of trial and find myself wavering. And in all reality, my faith has grown stronger through the years… But I’m by no means unshakeable. Some days I feel like I’m in the spin cycle in my Whirlpool. When I was younger I used to think that the closer I got to the Lord, and the more I delved into my relationship with Him, the less trouble I would face along the way.

Wrong.

My almost fifty years of living have taught me that in this life we will all face troubles. Repeatedly. Nobody has it together to the point where their life is trouble-free. Life = Trouble. But life also equals JOY. And real joy is found in a tangible, authentic, vibrant, living relationship with Jesus! It’s like a secret spring in your own backyard. Every morning you have the opportunity to steal away with the Lord and dip into the life-giving waters of joyful refreshment to fortify you for the day ahead. We don’t know what potential trouble each day holds—but God does. And every morning He’ll supply us with the needed ingredients to live out that day successfully and joyfully. He supplies joy for us to sing even on the hardest of days… joy to face trials with courage and a smile… and joy to share His love with others even when we’ve just dried our own tears.

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

Missing Summer Storms by Pam Payne

2010-06-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

I grew up in the Midwest, Oklahoma City to be exact, right in the middle of tornado country, and there, Spring always announced itself in the very same way.

Late in the afternoons the horizon would grow dark as blue black clouds bellowed and burped their way across the sky. I have vivid memories of watching them roll in and knowing their power. My heart would beat faster as anticipation, fear, and awe all fought each other for their rightful place inside my spirit.

There was a drill in my family and we knew what to do. When a storm began to make its way across the sky, we’d head home and turn the TV on to Gary England. He was our local meteorologist, and he would be the one to tell us when to worry. He was the man who would change the, “Thunderstorm Watch” into a “Tornando Warning.”

If Dad was home, and it seemed more often than not, he was, we would head for the garage where Dad turned on the radio, and our ritual began. My two sisters, my brother, and me, would gather our lawn chairs and line up side by side next to Dad just inside the open garage door. We’d scoot to the very edge and lean out as the sky cracked open with lightning, and we’d shriek as the gigantic booms of thunder vibrated forth from the darkening sky. We’d compare lightening bolts and cracks of thunder, and on evenings when each one seeming brighter, closer, and more powerful than the one before it, we knew the storm was headed right for us.

Sometimes, just when we thought the sky couldn’t possibly get any angrier, it would open up and explode with hail. Once, hailstones rained down the size of golf balls, and shocked, I stood holding my ears, mesmerized by the sight. I had never seen power like that, or heard a natural sound so loud. Other times, we watched funnel clouds dance down from the darkness looking for a place to land, then they would hop back up and disappear. But if the sirens sounded, and they often did, we had to go inside.

I felt safe if Dad was home when this happened, but his expression and the glances he gave my mother, told me if he was worried. On these occasions, he gathered us kids into the bathtub, he and Mom on the floor beside us with a mattress from their bed as shelter.

The worse tornando of my childhood, one of the bathtub times, took a neighbors roof completely off his house and sat it down on the roof of a house two streets over. No one was hurt, but when Dad came back from visiting them the next day he took us over there to see it and he showed me a vase of flowers on their kitchen table that never even tipped over.

I remembering standing there and looking up from that table at nothing but blue sky, as I came to a new understanding about the power and awe of a God that had control of something like that.

As I recall these things, and share this story, I can not tell you why I miss all these things so much, but I know that I do. I think it is the power of God that draws me in, but I also see God’s Glory in the lightning. I hear it in the thunder and I smell in the rain.

And in our neighbors kitchen that had no roof yet held a vase of flowers untouched on the table, I felt God’s Glory. And this, I’m sure, is why I miss them.

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

God Amidst Technology by Pam Payne

2010-06-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

I was at my daughter’s house the other day when she handed my 2-year-old grandson her iphone. “Watch this Mom,” she said with a glint in her eye, “It’s pretty amazing.” Jude then took the phone, smiled at me, and proceeded to flip through the application pages until he found an icon called Monkey Lunchbox and then he opened it. I sat with him in my lap in utter amazement and watched him play a game similar to the card game we used to call concentration. It was astounding to me how he could match the fruits!

This precious two-year-old seemed to have an innate ability for this type of technology, and I was reminded of another time with my own son, Michael. He loved to build things with Legos, and when he was about four, the Lego company came out with new intricate designs. Michael saw their pirate ship one day at a store. There were hundreds of pieces and I thought it would be way too much for him. But when he kept asking for it, we finally made the purchase. I blocked a chunk of time out of our day so I could sit with him and help him build it. As Michael settled on the floor with the box, I went into the kitchen to fix a glass of tea and make us a snack. When I came back into the room, he had half the ship put together already. I remember being amazed by that too. No instructions necessary, just the picture on the box alongside his little brain and hands.

The truth is that the Lego pirate ship challenged me that day, and I was not prepared for all the technology that lay just around the corner. However, what I know now, is that our God was prepared. He was not surprised or amazed by any of this. He knew exactly what kind of world Michael and Jude would be born into. He knew the skills they would need to be successful in 1989 and in 2010. God knew all of this was coming.

So…my point is this. Although I am constantly challenged by all the latest computer and phone technology, I am embracing it. My husband used his upgrade and got me an iphone for Mother’s Day. Most of my family members already had one, so it was not a new deal in my world, but I wanted to figure it out all by myself, so I did. Well… I may have called my daughter ReAnnon once or twice.

And now, I can't imagine living without it. I love that I can play Scrabble with daughters, nieces, friends, and mother on and off throughout my day. It also keeps my brain working. I love that I can take a quick minute to engage with them, or send a simple text of love or encouragement. I can leave a quick comment on a friend’s blog post, or laugh with someone on Facebook…

The other day, while I was watering, my niece sent me a picture text of her mom, my sister, wearing a hat like one that I have. “She’s looks like you, Aunt Pam,” her text said, and I laughed. They were traveling in the car, and after a few texts back and forth, I felt like I was in the car with them. What a precious gift that was. My youngest daughter, a big city girl, found a curio cabinet the other day and sent me of photo of it right away. I then got another photo a few hours later after she had filled it with all her special treasures. I felt like I was right there with her too. Another gift.

So whether you’re on board with all this new tech stuff or not, it is the world we live in and the way of the future. The social networks, like them or not, is how people communicate these days. My parents, siblings, kids, nieces and nephews, friends, all of us, we laugh, post pictures, and share our lives with each other this way. And as God inspires me to write about what He is doing and what He has done, I can share those things with all these people as well.

I understand the internet can be a dark place, but it is not going away. If we want to be in touch with our children and grandchildren on a daily basis (and I do), it’s a great way to do it.

So I encourage you to learn how to use this stuff. Embrace it! If my Mom can do it, and I can do it, you can too.

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

Finding God’s Peace in Rocky Times by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-06-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with my youngest child it was discovered that we had Rh-factor incompatibility. My blood type is Rh negative, and hers is not, and somehow a very small amount of her blood crossed over into my system. This made for a difficult pregnancy which involved constant monitoring by a neo-natal specialist, and eventually an in-utero blood transfusion in the seventh month of gestation.

My daughter was born by C-section a month early and immediately flown from Bishop Hospital to Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles where she was treated in the neo-natal unit. I only saw her for a moment after she was born. She was sedated, hooked up to a ventilator, and given a blood transfusion. She was one sick little girl!

So while all the other mommies in the obstetrics unit cuddled their newborns, I briefly touched the head of my little one and watched her go. I wondered; “would the airplane make it safely? Would the flight crew take good care of my baby? Would the blood transfusion work? Would she live?”

At that moment in my life, I needed peace more than I needed air. It was during the next few days that I discovered two different kinds of peace. The first was the super-fabulous and immediate peace I received each time they injected morphine into my I.V. bag. Within minutes of the injection I was slurring things like, “It’s all gonna be great! No worries! She’s in good hands. Now, what’s for lunch?”

But when the morphine wore off it was a whole different story. I desperately needed God’s peace! Apart from His grace to see me through this trial, I was a basket case. I had to reach for Him like never before, and I had to trust Him to give me the peace I craved.

God showered His peace on me in two different ways; the first was through the constant and faithful prayers of my friends and family. I could literally feel those prayers holding me up, holding me together, and covering my baby with love.

The second way God sent His peace was through His Word. Now, during this time of my life I was in no frame of mind to sit around and read the Bible… But, for many, many years up until that crisis, I had begun most every morning with a cup of coffee and my Bible. Soaking up God’s Word in the everyday of my life was vital for me to be able to get through that trial with peace and victory.

This particular Scripture helped me to have the right perspective while our little one was in the hospital: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

This Scripture is so much more than the common refrain “everything happens for a reason.” This passage is an astounding promise from God that no matter what comes against us (danger, sickness, accusation, financial loss, death of a loved one, etc.) it will all work out for our ultimate good because we love and serve God. This Scripture bathed me in peace during this tumultuous season.

To tell the end of the story; our little girl spent less than two weeks in the hospital, had no lasting complications from her ordeal, and is now a lovely, healthy teenager. And best of all, God met our family in a tangible way, giving us yet another testimony of His supernatural peace in rocky times.

My Battle With Fear by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-06-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

The struggles and trials of my life have taught me that sometimes I have to be willing to “fight for peace.” As with many of the promises found in God’s word, we may have to fight a giant or two to fully possess them. Scripture tells us that David killed a lion and a bear—and eventually a 9-foot giant, in order to enter into God’s plan for his life. We may have to do the same…

About three years ago I received a death threat via email. It was addressed to me specifically and according to the man who sent it, he had been following me for ten days and was now prepared to kill me if I didn’t pay him $6000.00. He told me that if I contacted the police he would have no other choice but to kill me immediately. I sat in front of my computer screen completely stunned! Stunned that someone would threaten to murder me… stunned that he claimed to have been following me… and stunned that he thought I was only worth $6000.00! (I’m laughing now, but at the time it wasn’t really a laughing matter).

Obviously, we did call the police and it was determined that the death threat was probably a scam to extort money. But still… it was unnerving to say the least. The day after I received the email, my husband left for a five day golfing trip. He had offered to cancel his plans and stay home, but the tickets were non-refundable and I knew in my heart that everything was going to be fine. So, after kissing my “protector” goodbye I went on about my business. The sheriff’s department had promised to patrol my neighborhood throughout the next five days and I felt confident that all would be well. That happy feeling of confidence stayed with me right up until I turned off my bedside lamp to go to sleep that night. Then…slowly…a creepy feeling of fear began to worm its way into my thoughts, and I found myself laying there listening for sounds of danger. What was that creaking? Is that a window opening? Do I hear footsteps? Oh! I hated myself for being afraid! I finally dozed off sometime after midnight and awoke the next morning feeling frazzled and defeated.

What had happened? I had gone to bed knowing analytically that there was only a very slim chance that I was in any kind of impending danger. In fact my mom and I had joked earlier that evening that statistically I had a better chance of dying that night in a house fire or earthquake, than by murder (admittedly it was kind of a morbid conversation). By the end of our phone call we were laughing and joking and I felt assured that my daughter and I were completely safe. But while my brain accepted the truth that we were safe, obviously my emotions had not.

So, after my restless night’s sleep I called my pastor and his wife for some prayer and advice. I knew I didn’t want to be scared every night until my husband returned! Pastor Eric reminded me that maintaining peace in upsetting circumstances is a battle, and one which is best fought with the help of other believers. He promised that he and Peggy would pray for me, but also suggested that I ask a couple of friends to come over to pray for me later that day. He reminded me that this kind of battle is a spiritual one.

I got off the phone feeling completely different about the situation! Of course this was a spiritual attack… hello! What had I been thinking? I needed to call out to God for help. I invited my two girlfriends over for lunch and after we ate, we prayed. With the help of other believers I was able to receive the peace that Christ offers. But to be honest, God’s peace didn’t just land on me as soon as I found myself in a troubling situation—I had to fight for it. I had to reach out for help. I had to pray and ask others to pray with me. And later that evening when the panicky feelings threatened to return, I had to make the choice to fix my eyes on God and resist the oppression. My comfort came by knowing that nothing could happen to my daughter or myself outside of God’s sovereign plan for our lives.

I slept peacefully that night, and each night after until my husband returned home from his trip. God came through for me in a big way, proving once again His wonderful faithfulness! The day after my breakthrough a song of praise arose out of my spirit:

More real than the earth I walk on,
More real than the air I breathe,
Is Your compassionate love and tender care for me!

The Stalwart Runner by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-05-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Stalwart Runner

You're in a race. It's a marathon. At times it's perfect—everything you could hope a marathon to be. During those times you sing as you run, you smile as you run, you praise as you run. The sky is blue, the clouds are puffy, the breeze cool. You love running!

At about mile seven you get a sharp pain in your foot; a thorn has dug itself deep into your heel. What began as an irritating nuisance has become a prickling, agonizing, distraction. With each step pain shoots through your foot. You endure.

More running… More pain… Yet, you endure. There's no stopping on this race—only the finishers get a crown. So you endure some more.

You decide at mile thirteen running isn't all that fun. The wind blows dust into your eyes. The sun beats down on you in a merciless, unbroken gaze. Everything hurts. Each step is hard. You wonder how you ever loved running before. You cry... you yell... you pray... you question... but all while running. You're a runner, and runners run.

Your thoughts are dominated by the pain in your heel. Why would God allow such a thing to hinder and hamper your marathon? What purpose could it possibly serve? You ask God; Can I stop running now? Just for a while? Just for a day? But you pray while running, because you’re a runner… and runners run.

At mile seventeen you feel a surge of energy. Strength from an unseen force has filled you with resolve. The pain in your foot is hardly noticeable. And on you run. At mile nineteen your joy is restored. You run with joy! Yes, you love running! You remember now! At mile twenty-two a stranger offers you a cup of cool water. Ahhhh, better now! You run refreshed. You run joyful. You run strong! At mile twenty-three a song of worship bubbles up from your spirit—the same spirit that felt broken and faithless only a few miles ago. It’s a new song, one that begs to be sung. And you praise as you run, singing the new song of exultation! You love running!

Mile twenty-four you’re still strong, you’re still joyful, you’re still singing, you’re still smiling. The wind in your hair, the sun on your face, one step after another…when a thought hits you? What about the thorn? And as you run, you put your attention on your heel to find in surprise, the thorn remains. The pain still present. The sting still stinging. God hasn’t taken it away—but only eclipsed it with the joy of running.

At the end of the race a crowd awaits; your mother, arms stretched out. Daddy is there with hugs and loving words. There are friends at the finish line that had finished their race before you. Favorite pastors, Sunday school teachers, co-workers, neighbors. Lives you had touched…. lives that had touched yours. All waiting. All clapping. All encouraging. Many told you of their own thorns, and you were surprised. You thought your thorn had indicated God’s disapproval. You never realized that many, many, many others had run with thorns themselves. But they had. And so had you. And, you all had finished the race. You could have quit. You could have refused to continue on—but you didn’t.

And then… Jesus. He’s behind the crowd of friends and family. He stands with a smile, and a song. As he walks toward you He is singing. With long strides He makes His way through the crowd, singing loudly. Unbelievingly you smile shyly and look behind you to make sure it’s you He’s singing to. Yes! He’s singing to you! A song of love, a song of joy, a song of pride. A song so personal… so private… so intimate… that the crowd fades from your mind as your Savior and friend walks toward you to welcome you home.

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17

And what about that thorn? Well... His grace was sufficient, His power made perfect, and when you were weak, He was strong.

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

6 Keys to Enjoying the Sweet Life in Sour Times by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-05-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Key 1: Develop a Vibrant Prayer Life
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

A vibrant prayer life is the single most important facet to surviving during difficult times. The upsetting realities of our lives become so much easier to bear when we spend time with God each day. We may not come away from our prayer times having all the answers, but we definitely come away with peace, joy, and strength to continue the journey. As we pour out our hearts to the Lord He brings a clarity and perspective that could never be gained from our own understanding and reasoning abilities.

Key 2: Pursue Peace
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

Rising grocery costs, sky rocketing gas prices, unaffordable medical insurance… it’s enough to make even Pollyanna squirm. I’m a “glass half full” kind of gal, but in this day and age it can be challenging to stay peaceful and positive when the glass appears to be draining quickly. It’s at those times that the Lord gently reminds me that I have only one source of true peace during anxious times…Christ Jesus himself.

Key 3: Nurture Fulfilling Friendships
A friend loves at all times… Proverbs 17:17

One of the greatest sources of comfort during dark times is the soothing reassurance that comes from sharing our troubles with a close friend. Faithful friends have a wonderful way of offering a listening ear and a sympathetic hug. When our lives are feeling chaotic, anxious, or out of control, it’s easy to isolate ourselves. But it’s at that time especially that we need our friends! Resist the urge to become a hermit when suffering. Instead, make that call, reach out, and share your troubles with your friend.

Key 4: Cultivate a Quiet Life
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life… 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Some people’s lives are crammed so full of noise and entertainment that they’re seldom alone with their own thoughts. Our culture offers us a plethora of stimulating activities and amusing diversions. And unless you happen live in an Amish farmhouse nestled in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, you’ve been inundated with sensory overload: televisions blaring, video games blasting, cell phones ringing, car stereos booming, and iPods rockin’. As a society we’ve lost our appreciation for a quiet life. Yet, the very thing we need when suffering through upsetting times is quiet. Quiet to feel our feelings and think our thoughts…solitude in which God can speak to us and comfort us. But if every moment is filled with some kind of entertainment or communication, we’ll never have the time or space to process our emotions. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Quietude, which some men cannot abide because it reveals their inward poverty, is as a palace of cedar to the wise, for along its hallowed courts the King in his beauty deigns to walk.”

Key 5: Embrace a Healthy Lifestyle
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. 1 Corinthians 6:19

When weathering a crisis, the first thing to go is usually our healthful eating and exercise habits. Anxiety has a way of making even the most health-conscience person shove large quantities of chips and chocolate in their mouth. Yet, our healthy lifestyle can be an island of sanity and normalcy amidst the roaring waves of calamity. When going through upsetting times it’s important to continue to nurture yourself with good food, consistent exercise, and plenty of rest.

Key 6: Release Your Need for Control
It’s human nature to want to control and “manage” the people and circumstances in our lives—but most of the upsetting realities of our day are beyond our control. Yet, as we allow God’s transforming Word to enter our hearts and minds, we’ll find it easier to trust His plan for our lives….even in anxious times. Letting go of the perceived control we have over our lives and submitting to God’s plan involves trust. Just as we drop down wearily onto a sturdy chair—trusting that it will hold our weight and give us rest… We can come to God with our anxieties, weariness, and worries and collapse into His loving arms. He is sturdy and reliable, and His strength will never fail. God is more then able to soothe our anxieties and give us direction and guidance. If we choose to rest in His care we will leave His presence refreshed, filled with new perspective, and with our faith renewed.

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

Return to Me by Peggy Stovesand

2010-05-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

It was like any ordinary grocery shopping day for me. I pulled into the parking lot noticing all the cars piled high with skis and snowboards. Still the town had very little snow. I bet I’ll run into some pretty grumpy people today, I thought. Christmas had come and gone with not a dusting of the white stuff.

I jumped out of my car and began to think of how very lucky these people were . . . snow or no snow compared to my daughter’s teacher. This was the day he was having a liver transplant.

The grocery store was crowded and I started down the aisle in a sea of unfamiliar faces. Dan, the teacher who I knew well, was really on my mind. I knew at that very moment he was in surgery getting a new liver.

I had seen a movie about a heart transplant about a month earlier called “Return to Me”. The scenarios were so similar. In the movie a young woman (Minnie Driver) in a hospital awaited a new heart. As Dan had been 3 weeks at UCLA Medical Center awaiting what would be his new liver. In the movie a beautiful, vibrant woman died in an accident to give up her heart. In Dan’s case it was a handsome, robust young man who would donate his liver to Dan. A death so that someone could live. How does it all work, Lord? It had to be a perfect match and Dan was assured that this was the one. In “Return to Me” Minnie Driver gets her new heart and it turns out to be a very successful operation.

I headed toward the check-out station with a full cart. I was anxious to get home and check my answer phone. Would there be any messages about Dan?

In a haze, I absentmindedly watched the checker as she scanned my purchases and I happened to notice the person behind me. She didn’t look like a skier. Her dark hair pulled up underneath a tri-cornered scarf. No make-up, but fresh appearing. To me she looked like Minnie Driver, the actress who had been consuming my thoughts since I was in the market. I turned and casually said to her, “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Minnie Driver?” With a tiny grin that burst into a smile she said “Why, yes they do!”
It was at that moment that I knew it WAS Minnie Driver!!! I said “You ARE Minnie Driver, aren’t you?” She said “yes”. A million thoughts flooded through my brain. What kind of coincidence is this? I felt encouraged. Bubbling forth, I spilled the whole scenario to her about Dan and his transplant going on (at that very moment) at UCLA. “Oh”, she commented, “I did all my research for the part in “Return to Me” at UCLA. It’s a wonderful place. I’m sure he’ll do just fine.”

Yes, I was sure he would too. Guess I just needed someone else to say it out loud for me. “Would you sign an autograph for him?” I asked, knowing that Tammy, the checker, was anxious to keep her line moving and had no idea of what was transpiring before her eyes. “Sure” she said as I fumbled for a pen and anything she could write on. I retrieved a pen from the bottom of my purse and without looking further just put down my grocery receipt in front of her for her to sign. Here’s what she wrote:

TO DEAR DAN, WISHING YOU A SPEEDY RECOVERY
(drawing of a heart)
Minnie Driver
Xxx

I left the store with receipt in hand, thinking surely I could have come up with something better for her to sign on than a grocery receipt. But as I was looking at the endearing signature, I noticed how it had the exact date and time of this amazing encounter on it. When I would give this autograph to Dan he could see that all this had transpired exactly during his surgery on the exact date at the exact time.

At a time when my doubts were high and I became discouraged --- God just said “let your thoughts return to me.”

The Blatant Evidence of Love by Tara McDonald

2010-05-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

Most mornings I wake up with a ridiculous grin on my face and a merry tune on my lips. I get out of my warm bed and look out at the beautiful mountains, the towering peaks and shining white snow. The tall aspens outside my window impart a stained-glass effect on my wall, and the rays of sunshine peer through the frail branches. I open my window and breathe in the crisp cool scent that accompanies these mornings, and I calmly close my eyes. Once, in this early hour, I even saw an eagle flying. I feel warm, peaceful, and totally blessed to enjoy the beauty that God has given me.

But what about the days when I don’t wake up feeling perfectly fantastic? What do I do when I’m not immediately struck by the beauty that God has given us in our everyday lives? Life is full of hardship, sadness, and just plain old bad days. So is it still possible to be overwhelmed by God’s creation even when we don’t see it right away?

You may call him God, Lord, Abba, or any variety of other names, but He is and always will be, our Heavenly Father. We are his beloved children, and he absolutely adores us.

When you adore someone, what do you do for them? Everything. You send them flowers, you give them hugs, you draw them pictures. You do anything you can to let them know you love them. Even when they’re having a hard time recognizing your love you continue to give it. 1 John 3:1-2 reads, “See what love The Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”

We have Biblical proof that we are God’s children, and that He delights to thrill us! One of the simplest ways he does this is by providing us with His beauty, grace and love in our everyday lives. A good friend, a phone call, the lack of traffic, an amazing sunrise. Even these simple random occurrences can brighten our day if we let them.

In Psalm 21:6 the Psalmist sings, “Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence,” For me, it comes through spending time in worship and then carrying His spirit with me throughout the day.” What is worship? It is Gods children praising him for his goodness. Does not it make sense that God would then reflect his goodness on us after we reflect on it? He uses the physical to display his glory to us, for that is where our bodies and minds exist. The things that grace the spiritual are often blessings that we do not recognize, whereas when our physical man sees natural beauty, it is identified with ease.

“From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth (Psalm 50:2).” God’s beauty is evident in all the earth. Once it is identified, how do we not acknowledge the Lord as Sovereign Father and Creator? Mark 6:2 declares, “What great deeds are done by His hands.”

Think of simple things like colors: What crazy thing went through God’s mind when He made all the amazing shades? Black and white could have been where our sight stopped, but our Father chose to dote on us, his children, by gracing this world with the rainbow.

Flowers, birds, clouds, and the seasons. Weather, winter, frost, and stormy seas. Exotic creatures, islands, beaches, and paradises. We are told in Habakkuk 2:14 that “the earth is filled with the Lord's glory”. And we don’t even need to search to find it! Look around you now. Stop reading, and just look. What did you see?

Perhaps you saw a darling family member, an interesting cloud formation, a beautiful scene. Everywhere we look we can find evidence of God’s glory and beauty and it doesn’t take a good mood to recognize. For the Father, “has made everything beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11)”.

The Naked Emperor By Paula Friedrichsen

2010-04-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Nothing will steal the beauty and sparkle of our present lives more than trying to be something we are not. In the pursuit of building and maintaining our social standing and fashionable lifestyle, we can end up becoming slaves to the opinions of others. How often do we engage in verbal gymnastics to make our lives appear better than they really are? When asked about our jobs, homes, vacations, clothing, car, education, who we know, or what books we’ve read—we sometimes struggle to be completely candid. We worry about what others will think of us, and want to make sure we appear successful, smart, and happy.

It’s just human nature to want to put our best foot forward, yet sometimes we can become overly vigilant in the fluffing up of our reputations. Yes, there is a healthy protecting of our reputations which will help to promote righteous living; such as in not shoplifting from K-Mart; not getting tipsy at business meetings; or not flirting licentiously with the check-out boy at the supermarket. But there’s also an unhealthy guarding of our reputations, which over time is sure to siphon the joy out of our lives.

And it’s not only a “joy” issue when it comes to being consumed in what others think of us. It can become an idol in our lives—and God won’t tolerate idols. He loves us too much to allow us to bow down to something as fleeting and unimportant as whether someone thinks we’re wealthy enough, socially connected enough, well dressed enough, educated enough, or even spiritual enough. God is interested in transformation and transparency, and He’s pleased when we are genuine with Him, and genuine with each other.

This last Sunday our pastor, Eric Stovesand, read the Hans Christian Andersen story of “The Emperor's New Clothes”. I had never actually heard the entire unabridged story before, and I found it delightful and insightful. Here’s a short recap of the story:
* * *

Many years ago, there lived an emperor who cared obsessively about his clothes. One day two swindlers named Guido and Luigi told him that they could make him the finest suit of clothes from the most beautiful cloth. This cloth, they said, also had the special capability that it was invisible to anyone who was either stupid or not fit for his position.

Being a bit nervous about whether he himself would be able to see the cloth, the emperor first sent two of his trusted men to see it. Of course, neither would admit that they could not see the cloth and so they praised it. All the townspeople had also heard of the cloth and were interested to learn how stupid their neighbors were.

The emperor then allowed himself to be dressed in the clothes for a procession through town, never admitting that he was too unfit and stupid to see what he was wearing. He was afraid that the other people would think that he was stupid.

Of course, all the townspeople wildly praised the magnificent clothes of the emperor, afraid to admit that they could not see them, until a small child said:

"But he has nothing on!"

This was whispered from person to person until everyone in the crowd was shouting that the emperor had nothing on. The emperor heard it and felt that they were correct, but he held his head high and finished the procession.
* * *

The transient opinions of men are the emperor’s new clothes—and what was “cool” last month is no longer cool today. What was considered contemporary, current, and hip last year, is now passé. Oh how ridiculous and fleeting are the opinions, fashions, and trends of our culture!

Have you ever been caught looking foolish because of a frantic need to fit in—but you were in so deep your only choice was to, “hold your head high and finish the procession”?

I have!

The good news is there’s a safeguard to protect us from our desperate need to be accepted; 1 Peter 5:5 tells us “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

With God’s help we can trade out the clothing of pride and foolishness for the garments of humility—and we can exchange boasting and bragging for an authentic and unassuming nature.

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

"Seek the Lord" by Stephanie Burns

2010-04-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
Psalm 42:1

Anything that makes us long for God is a blessing. Anything that makes us desperate for Him…anything that brings us to the end of our own resources, our own strength, and our own power—is a good thing. There may be something in your own life that makes you desperate for God, something that brings you to the end of yourself and causes you to cry out and say, “Lord, I have nowhere to turn but to You. I will seek YOU with all of my heart.” We hate suffering or going through discipline, but remember that discipline is God’s way of showing love for us. He only disciplines us because he LOVES us.

We get so tied up with our daily lives and the world around us. Think of your day to day life when you get busy; for me, I can get caught up with an early morning meeting, and I plan on spending time with the Lord… just later. Or I might be getting the house picked up, watching TV, or reading a book. I plan to sit down and pray, just later. I plan to do my Bible study… just not now. I forget to make God a priority. When life is on auto pilot, I am not as desperately aware of my need for the Lord as I should be. I once heard; “The Lord is too much of a gentleman to force us meet with him. He waits patiently for us to come to him.”

If I were to sit down and make a list of my priorities, of course the Lord would be first. But when I get into the hustle and bustle of the actual day, I don’t think I always live that. The longer I go without spending time or seeking God, the harder it gets. When I am in a routine and miss one day, I can pick back up. But what if I set him aside for weeks… months? How do I even start?!?! At that point it becomes a duty. I need to change my heart!

How would I look for a lost $100 bill? I would look all over. Lift up every couch cushion. Go through every drawer, and then look again. How hard would we look if our child disappeared in the grocery store? Wouldn’t we seek them with everything we have? Wouldn’t we reach out to others to help us find them? Why don’t we do that for the Lord?

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chron 7:14

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Heb 11:6

“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deut 4:29

Stephanie Burns 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

"A Place Called Home" by Paula Friedrichsen

2010-04-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

A Place Called Home

By Paula Friedrichsen

It was Easter morning. Stained glass windows, cathedral ceilings, polished wood pews, and possibly the most majestic crucifix I’ve ever laid eyes on, greeted us as we arrived for the service at a beautiful church in an affluent Los Angeles community. The expansive altar was encircled by dozens of fragrant Easter lilies, and the sanctuary hosted hundreds of flickering white candles. What a magnificent scene it was!

As I sat there taking it all in, I couldn’t help but think about my own little mountain church nestled snug in the High Sierra Mountains. In fact, I chuckled a little as I compared these two places of worship. One was extravagant, sparkling, rich, and exceedingly lovely. It was the kind of place in which you walked a bit slower and spoke a bit quieter. The Easter service was conducted with reserve and dignity—rich in tradition and ritual, and yet also rich with the presence of God.

My little mountain church was also decked out for Easter with an impressive display of flowers and decorations—but that’s where the similarities stopped. Church on the Mountain is a noisy, crowded, rambunctious kind of place where children are seldom hushed—and the people can be seen and heard talking, laughing, hugging, and generally enjoying each other before, during, and after service. It’s the kind of place where the singing is loud, the sermons stirring, and the services long (about 2 hours). It’s the kind of church were people stand up and share what God is doing in their lives in the middle of the Sunday morning service; the kind of place where you might see people praying for each other; and the kind of church where folks linger long after the service is over just to visit. There’s no mad-dash to the parking lot to see who can get out first. No race to be the first on the wait list at Jacks Waffle Shop—but rather a people who are connected to each other and to their God. (although I might add that the cheeseburgers and fries at Jacks are definitely worth waiting for!)

Now don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed and delighted in the Easter service at that majestic church in L.A. It was different, and interesting, and quite exquisite. But oh for the joy of a simple little church full of down to earth people! A church building that isn’t too fancy to host potlucks and summer barbecues; weddings, birthday parties, women’s retreats, school functions. Church grounds that host volleyball games on warm Sunday afternoons played on a ratty net in the parking lot. A church where “come as you are” is taken literally, and a place where being who you really are is valued and encouraged.

When it all comes down to it, the truth is that a church is about so much more than a building. It’s about knowing God and knowing each other. It’s about community, and togetherness, and celebration. And sometimes it’s about getting messy, spilling coffee on the sanctuary carpet, and having a grassy area that’s more dirt that grass because there’s always some fun activity happening on it. I guess the saying really does prove correct that “home is where the heart is”. And my heart is definitely in that rambling, unpretentious, much used, much loved building in Crowley Lake, known as Church on the Mountain.

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

Jesus' Death Brings New Life

2010-03-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

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

Healing; Part 2

2010-03-17T09:08:00.001-07:00

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

Healing; Part 1

2010-03-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

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

3-13-10 “Christian Disabilities”

2010-03-10T16:30:00.000-08:00

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

3-6-10 "Forget the Chicken Soup"

2010-03-10T16:29:00.000-08:00

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

2-20-10 "Teach Me Your Way"

2010-03-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

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

2-13-10 "And on the 7th Day He Rested"

2010-03-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

“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

2-6-10 "The Missing Years"

2010-03-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

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

1-30-10 "A Heart for Ministry"

2010-03-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

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

1-23-10 "A Different View"

2010-03-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

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