Peter The Wise

On By sashakatzIn FemmeFuel by Sasha KatzLeave a comment

I have always been drawn to Matthew and Paul in the New Testament books. Peter’s life has been a mystery to me. Somehow, Peter’s post-resurrection ministry drew me a blank. Peter’s life work just never crossed my mind. Having read his two books recently, I am starting to get a flavor for Peter. He has some rather smart things to say.

When I read Peter say, . . . cast[ing] all your care upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7), I thought about what it might really mean to cast all of your cares upon Him. All is a lot and covers everything. My nature is to reserve a lot of my cares. Do others really have emotional time to hear some or even all of my concerns? Really, each of us has our own cares and concerns . . . and that can be heavy and burdensome in and of itself. I try reserve my requests to the truly necessary. There may be some value in that – – as long as one remains transparent and genuine. But, reserving from the Lord? Peter is telling us to cast all upon Him. And, it’s not because He’s a magician or an enabler, it’s because He cares for us.

Think about the people in your life who care for you most. Hopefully, you can name one or two people who will lend their ear and heart to you when you are full of anxiety and concern. These few are sometimes like a life line turning you to the direction of the Lord and speaking peace into your anxiety. But even these select few who love you dearly can’t bear it all, all of the time. God is willing to take it all, all of the time, because He cares for you.

Peter brought to my mind the true nature of God. Just how good and pure He is. That He is able and desires to receive all of our cares and anxiety on account of His great love. He doesn’t have His own concerns trumping ours, He is not tired or worn out. He is not busy attending to His other children. His nature, made of pure love, asks us to cast our cares and anxieties upon Him. I am moved by that. I hope you are also moved to cast all upon Him.

I can only think that Peter must have known the faithfulness of God because he cast his cares upon God. Although I am learning now about Peter’s life work, I do remember that Peter the disciple sunk when He took his eyes off Jesus. I remember that he wrongly cut off the soldier’s ear. I remember how bold and then how sorrowful he was over his words time and time again. I can only think that Peter cast his cares upon the Lord; and, in his deep anxieties, Peter was received by the Lord. Because God cared for Him. I am moved by that. I hope that you are too.

Every Morning, You Have A Choice

On By sashakatzIn FemmeFuel by Sasha Katz, September 2013Leave a comment

“Every morning you have a choice,” she said. “I tell him that when we are having a bad morning.” “It doesn’t have to be this way, you can choose to be happy.” She said.

This is what my sister in law told me over a long dinner conversation. This is what she tells her husband when he is angry, grumpy, depressed or annoyed – -and starting off the day poorly. While I do not know where my sister in law is with the Lord, her words – – every morning you have a choice – – stayed with me. Sometimes I wake up longing for more sleep. Sometimes I wake up annoyed that I am the only one up (for no good reason). Sometimes I feel defeated before the day really begins. Sometimes I am yelling and barking orders before I even get into the car with the kids.

Even though I spend the first 10 or 15 minutes of my day with the Lord, I still am sometimes susceptible to becoming frustrated or loud so early in the day. I actually feel pretty justified a lot of the time. In the heat of my tired, annoyed, defeated self, I feel entitled to bark and whine. But I have a choice.

My choice is to gather my strength from Him. To take my tired, annoyed, defeated self and recall that He knows. He knows my needs before I can utter them. Before I can articulate them. Before I can pray them. Sometimes, He has answered them before I can use my efforts to ask Him. He knows my self. My strength and weaknesses. He knows when I need a loving touch of the shoulder or some fire and brimstone to get me moving in the right direction. He just knows.

I really believe in my heart of hearts that He has paved a path before me. This is a long, life encompassing path, but it is also a daily pathway. There is a path from the opening of my eyes to the start of the engine with my kids in the morning. To the office. Back to school for pick up and home again. And, on and on. Although we do not literally see the path, it is there to follow. The path has clear explicit instructions so that we can take off tired, annoyed and defeated and walk peacefully and confidently in Him.

I like the reminder that every day we have a choice. I like that I can choose Him. God, help us choose You in the dawn and in the dusk and in every waking hour. Help us with our faith that You will pave the way throughout our day, and even in our sleep. Help us choose knowing deep in our souls that You first chose us. And, although we sometimes fight with our own tired, annoyed and defeated selves, we can always stop in our tracks, and choose You.

Do Not Worry

On By sashakatzIn FemmeFuel by Sasha Katz, September 2013Leave a comment

There are so many reasons to stop and worry. It is that rush feeling that might wake you up in the night or very early in the morning. Or, right smack dab in the middle of the day when you may thing everything is going alright. Usually following that first rush of worry is a bucket list of other worries that seem to matter very much in those few minutes.

In those moments, almost immediately, my mind starts to travel to resolution of each and every worrisome thought that has come to mind. I put out quickly the small flames. I move onto the medium sized blazes and work those out on paper. But there are bigger fires.

These are the fires that strike fear in me. The fear flashes while I simultaneously search for ground. I search for the ground beneath my feet and the hand that holds my world together. In those first moments of potential raging fire, I think to the Lord. God, I am afraid. Where do you want me to be right now? I want to move from this space to your space, God. You have my full attention. Talk to me. Tell me how to get from fear and uncertainty to where you want me to be. He speaks and I breathe.

I really only say this to you today because there was a pull in my heart this morning. The pull was to put a short note up for you. To simply remind you that we have a Lord that sits on the throne over all. He holds our world together. He is the Everlasting King. All rests below Him. Find His voice and breathe as he sets all in order and delivers you from each and every worry in your heart and in your mind. Do not be afraid for the Lord you God is with you. Joshua 1:9

This Sunday Morning

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This Sunday morning, I was thinking about time. All of the things that I would like to do that I haven’t done recently, but would really like to do. My list of things is not laundry or cleaning, or really even reading another good book. I was thinking about all of the wonderfully, Godly things happening all over all of the time. All of the Godly opportunity. I wish I had more time to do them all. There was no guilt in my thoughts or heart. Really just a healthy consideration of all the great things there is available to do to serve God. And the gentle understanding that there is one lifetime to pack it all in.

I wish I was an octopus doing eight things at one time. I wish that I could go listen to a speaker on childrearing. I wish I could walk another charitable 5K with my family. I wish I was passing out love bags with my kids. I wish I was mentoring young women alongside my mom. I wish I was doing more bible studies with my kids. I wish I was volunteering more at school. I wish I was planning to go on a missions trip. I wish I could write a kind note to everyone on my mind. I wish all of these things and, rather than curse time, I feel a breadth of peace.

As I am thinking about all of these things, I sense in my heart an acknowledgement of the time that God has afforded me. I sense that He will afford me all of these things in time. I listen closely as I feel Him tell me all is well and there is a season in which to accomplish all. I am thankful for the body of Christ as we each act out our faith as God leads.

I think about a contrast my pastor sometimes makes between the man who is not ready to die and the man who welcomes the end of his days. The first man grips onto life in the face of death. The first man is fearful of the future and regretful of the past. He is not ready to die. The second man has peace and sound recollection of a life well lived. This man anticipates the face of Christ and gently lets go when it is his time to pass from this life to the next. This man is the person I wish to be. This man ran to the opportunities God placed in his heart and in his path. This man walked the seasons of his life with faith and trust in the Lord. This man knew that all is well in God’s timing. I wish to be this person.

My Rock is Not a Copy

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Sometimes I feel convinced that this world is the real thing.  I think that I have seen the best and the worst.  That I have seen the possibilities of what may, might and won’t be.  That I have seen what is repairable and what cannot be fixed.  These realities appear very finite. These realities speak to limits.  When I am convinced that the world is the real thing, reality feels heavy and physical. 

In His wise and loving way, He turns me eyes upward and directs me to His glory.  To what is real.  I am reminded that our current lives are only a copy or shadow of what is real.  What is real is the kingdom of heaven where our true selves are visible in our glorified bodies.  Where light comes from the Living God.  Permeating, reflecting and shining so that what has been unseen in the world is plainly seen through the eyes of glory.

When I see the picture of real with my spiritual eyes, it puts the mundane, disappointments and troubles of this world in their proper place.  We are now only the black and white photocopy of our favorite color picture.  We currently have a matte finish that dims the color, brightness and glimmer of His glory in us.  But it will not be that way forever.

The black and white picture brings along with it the troubles and limitations of this world.  Although it feels very real, it is not real.  The race you are now running for God will eventually come out from under a shadow; and, for those who love Him, you will come out into true, genuine light.  It is a full color light that radiates because it is connected to the authentic source.  The appearance of this picture takes my breath away.  If I ever really sought to see the outward appearance of good, it must be this picture of glory that I can only see with my spiritual eyes.

Our current life lacks the luster of what is to come.  But shining depth is coming.  The real real will have the brightness and authenticity of His glory.  If I can remember that our current life is just copy and look upward to shadowless places, I can walk on air and sleep peacefully as life rages in its ebbs and flows.  If I can know that this life is only black and white, but see color in the Spirit, I can know the abundance of His power.  I can know that my Rock is a Deliverer who is not a copy.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which not see are eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:17.

For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.  Hebrews 8:4-6. 

It’s Already Paid For

On By sashakatzIn FemmeFuel by Sasha Katz, Mind Body Spirit Connection1 Comment

Not too long ago, the Femmefuel writers dedicated the month of July to the Body-Mind-Spirit Connection. Two years later, Bindu, JMathis and I are in completely different places. Literally and figuratively. Bindu is a published author seeing the first fruits of her creativity and obedience to God’s call on her life. JMathis has moved many miles away from South Florida pushing herself to the next level in her career. And, me, as I look back at all of the topics the three of us have blogged and lived over the past few years, I praise God that He let us be ourselves in an honest way that, ultimately, helped us grow. And, you reader-friends, I am sure you have sprouted seeds that have become hearty and strong.

I like the idea of thinking back in the month of July and to the Body-Mind-Spirit Connection. There is no greater challenge for women than this connection. It is the connection of these three parts that keep us healthy, vibrant and serving Him in strength. I believe that when we are seeking Him to stay connected, that balance that we all seek is possible. In fact, I would go as far as to say that when I seek Him to keep connected in the way of Body-Mind-Spirit, He is more effectively able to work out my daily details. And, the more I am in sync with Him for my daily details, the more I am able to be a fruitful role in the workings of His larger plan for humankind.

These thoughts come to me out of my recent challenges of working through more stress than I have ever had to bear. Going through this season has pushed me to my mental capacity. I am learning how to give God the bill for my groceries. My grocery bags are so heavy. He is watching me obediently carrying the bags. He says, “Give me the bill for that.” “I will check you out of the grocery line and will cover the cost.” In His sweet, Fatherly way, He says, “Just keep walking with the bags, my son already paid the bill.” In part, I am learning that there are just some things that I was not intended to do, and for those things I am incapable of, He doesn’t just have them covered, He already paid the bill.

I want to share with you an exerpt from my morning devotion. “If you don’t know the plan God has for you, ask Him to show you. Tell Him that you are ready to carry out all that He has for you to do . . . You are an important part of His overall plan in this world. So go ahead. Walk in that plan.” Wonderfully Made (Barbour Publishing). I like that call to action because God has a lot for you to do that will bring you great joy and fullfillment and Him great glory. There is no more empty place to be that out of whack with His plan for you and disconnected in the ways He planned for you to be connected. I am encouraging you to grab onto His strong arm, lean into His ever listening ear and ask Him some heartfelt questions. The gulf and wealth of what He has for us is wise and sweet and life changing. And, more than that, it is already paid for – – you only need to pick up a few grocery bags and walk.

ODDS

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By AbbyA

We’ve all got odds.  The things that you know aren’t likely — you know the saying “the odds are stacked against you.”   We all get that.  It’s part of life.  But I think the human spirit has a built in “beat the odds” factor.  I think we all like to beat the odds sometimes.  And, really, it doesn’t always have to be tangible victory.  Here is my odds story.

April was probably one of the worst months of my life.  It was not marked by death, sickness or divorce.  It was was marked by pressing pressure.  Heavy overload.  My forehead bore the persistant pressure for weeks.  At times, my shoulders and back physically hurt with pain.  The pressure seemingly came from the pain in my heart.  It is my thought that when the heart envelops a great deal of pain, the secondary experience of that is back-breaking and a heavy mind.

April could have been marked by disappointment or maybe other equally worse markers.  But it was not. I learned two things in April.  I learned that God is faithful and that He sometimes delivers at the very last moment of the very last hour.  In fact, that has been His timing recently.  In His wisdom, over the last several years, He showed himself faithful to me with a lot of time to spare.  It gave me the faith to believe that He would also be faithful when there is no time left to spare.  He did that in April.  And I think my faith is bigger and stronger because of His timing.

I also recognized that this battle is not mine.  We all know when we have caused ourselves to be in a bind.  But, in this case, there was no outright sin of mine to claim.  I was mainly in a bind because God saw fit to allow it.  And when my understanding of what was happening reached its maximum point of lack of understanding, I did not let the inability to solve the puzzle crush me in my humanness.  I did not open the door to what would make sense under the circumstances … such as defeatedness or despair.  Although I did cry some of the time, I decided to acknowledge and surrender to His plan.  There were too many problems for me to figure out and I knew that it was beyond what I was capable of.   I think I began to understand what Paul was talking about when he said that this battle is not against flesh and blood, but in the heavenlies.  No other explanation made sense to me.  If I am a tool He is using to work out His plan, if I have the honor of suffering for Him while war is waged in the heavenlies, then I am thankful to Him for April. 

I recently finished Beth Moore’s study on James and I like to think that I got a little bit of James in me.  I want a lot more of James in me.  And I know that I got some James in me because of April.  I do really like Jesus’ character in me.  And I like beating the odds. 

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.  Ephesians 6:10-20

Inspired by my pastor’s January 6 message this year.