Tag: Faith

Rahab is My Homegirl

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by JMathis, October 2011 (Devotions)1 Comment

By JMathis

Rahab is my homegirl.

For real.

You ask me what my favorite love story is, and I’ll give you Rahab everytime.

I know, I know. She’s not your traditional love story heroine…no glass slippers, no kiss from Prince Charming to wake her up.

Heck, even though the Bible goes out of its way to remind you each time that she’s the town whore, her story is definitely not from Pretty Woman.

And, that’s why she’s my favorite love story.

She’s a slut.

She’s a foreigner.

No Israelite was supposed to even touch her with a ten-foot pole.

After all, no one wanted to admit that they broke God’s rules to sleep with a prostitute of another race who was probably teeming with STDs.

But clearly someone did.

The Bible never even suggests that she gave up a life of whoring, or that she was ever embraced or accepted into the Israelite community.

Once an outcast, always an outcast.

No one loved her in the traditional Cinderella-sense. She never became someone’s Sleeping Beauty.

But God loved her. He truly did.

She’s mentioned by Joshua, Paul and James as the savior of the Israelite race, and Matthew specifically references her as being part of the kingly, priestly lineage that led to the birth of God’s pure, sinless, only Son–the Savior of all humankind.

God loved her. He truly did.

He wasn’t ashamed of her. He wasn’t embarrassed by her. He didn’t revise history to cut her story out of the Good Book.

God loved her. He truly did.

He loved that she didn’t know a lick about Him, but that she trusted Him anyway.

She heard one rumor about how He parted the Red Sea, and she immediately believed in Him–no questions asked. She commits treason, risks her life and acts as a spy for Him–sight unseen.

God loved her. He truly did.

In fact, I think He just melts every time He thinks of her. If He could pepper the Bible with more stories, poems and songs about her, I think He would.

We hear all the time that faith touches the heart of God. Well, I think Rahab’s faith floored Him. Made Him do a double-take. Made Him determined that all of humanity deserves a Savior–not just the Israelites.

God loved her. He truly did.

And, that’s why she’s my favorite love story.

Rahab is my homegirl.

For real.

Head Knowledge vs. Heart Knowledge

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, October 2011 (Devotions)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

Head knowledge. Heart knowledge.

 Isn’t it funny that we need both in our Christian walk? When we make the decision to believe in not just the existence of a God but in the existence of a God who sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sins so we can have eternal life, that’s heart knowledge. On the surface, it’s hard to believe. God came in the form of man. A virgin gave birth to that same God. He lived a perfect life. A humble life. Died on the cross. But rose again. For us.  Believing that requires heart knowledge. Faith. A huge leap of faith.

And for those of you who took that leap of faith, now what? Where is He? Why is there so much turmoil on this earth? Why do our lives often feel like one continuous, non-stop struggle? Why can’t we always feel His presence? When we can’t see God or feel His presence, especially in the midst of tragedy, that requires head knowledge. Knowledge that whether we feel Him or not, He IS there. When September 11th happened, many asked, “How could God let this happen?” It is during times of tragedy or despair that our feelings betray and we can no longer just follow our heart. We must dig in deeper. We must rely on what we know to be true.

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.  Hebrews 11:6

With All My Strength

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, Mind Body Spirit ConnectionLeave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

Last week in my blog, I quoted a similar scripture that was found in Matthew. But I found this verse in Mark a little more interesting because of the last four words in it…with all of your strength.

We are not only to love God with all three parts of our selves…but we are supposed to love him with everything we got. And I’m not talking theoretical love. In theory, who wouldn’t say they love God 100%? I’m talking practical, real day-to-day love. I’m talking spending time with God when you’re “too busy.” When you’d rather watch TV than read your Bible. Or would rather sleep in on Sunday then go to church and worship Him.

I think of last week. Last week started off good…great, in fact. I am five months into a new job that I felt was nothing less than an answer to prayer. Close to home, great pay, great co-workers, flexible boss. Wednesday morning, I even emailed a good friend who moved away just as I started my new job. I wanted to see how she was doing, but I also wanted to share how good God had been to me with this job.  But not less than six hours later, everything changed.

At 5 pm, I received an email from the company’s CEO announcing that our company is being bought out by our competitor, and their headquarters are located in Atlanta.  As I tried to hold on to my optimism that somehow my position would remain intact, our boss called a meeting to confirm that yes, the company would be undergoing a merger within two months, and while no discussions had been formally made regarding our jobs, he gravely advised us to start looking for new jobs.  Don’t wait for the new company to lay us all off, he said, glancing around the room and then sternly added, start working on your resumes.

To me, loving God=trusting God, and that isn’t always easy 100% of the time. It really does sometimes require all of our strength, doesn’t it?

Love the Lord with all my strength. But why, Lord, why? Wasn’t this the job you wanted me at? If it wasn’t, why did it fall together so well? Why did it feel so riiight?

Love the Lord with all my strength. Why me, Lord, why me? Why do these things happen to me? Why would you give me this job, only to yank it away from me like this?

Love the Lord with all my strength. But what’s going to happen, Lord? You know I need this job. You know we need my insurance. I have a family to take care of, Lord.

Yes, that is what I spent doing the last four days. Loving the Lord with all my strength. Trusting that He knew what was best, even if it didn’t make sense to me. Trusting that there was something even better. I had to go back to the basics and cling to what I knew to be true.

Matthew 6:31-32
Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Luke 12:7
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything; you may have an abundance for every good deed.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:34
So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This month we’ve delved, dissected, and discussed the body, mind, and soul connection to God and how it affects our relationship with Him. No matter how strong your faith is, difficult times will come, and they will test what you know. When those times come, go back to the scriptures. Feed on them and let them remind you of the goodness of God. Let them remind you of His promise to take care of you. Connect back to Him with everything you got: body, mind, and soul.

Just As You Are

On By femmefuelIn April 2011 (April Showers...), FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, FemmeFuel by Bindu Adai-MathewLeave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

Have you ever felt like you needed to lose weight before you start going to the gym and before you start wearing fitted workout clothes while working out next to people who seem more in shape than you are?

Often, we treat our faith like that…we often feel like we have to be more spiritual before we can go to God with our doubts, our frustrations, our disappointment, and even our depression.  We often feel unworthy and not quite in that “spiritual” state of mind. We often think being/feeling/acting spiritual as being a requisite to approaching God rather than approaching Him as we truly are…

But as AbbyA described being alone on her island in yesterday’s blog post, she admitted that she had been “argumentative and harsh towards God in my words and feelings.” But it was only by continuing to converse with God, that she was later freed from the very feelings that had kept her imprisoned on her island.

As I read her blog, I was reminded of that great hymnal “Just as I am.” As much as we would like to transform ourselves before we go to God, it is only in God’s presence that we can truly be changed…like the Potter who can take our messy lump of clay and transform it into something priceless.

So Come…Just as you are…

Just As I Am

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Heart Gallery: Helping Foster Children Find FOREVER FAMILIES; Part Two of Interview with Barbara Schechter

On By femmefuelIn FemmeInterviews by Sasha Katz, March 2011 (Luck v. Faith)Leave a comment

By AbbyA

As we move into our final week of Luck v. Faith, we are sharing with you a wonderful organization that brings foster children to forever families through photography.  Barbara Schechter is the Executive Director of Heart Gallery.  In addition to sharing about Heart Gallery, Barbara gives her comments on luck, faith and ministering to foster kids.

“I don’t attribute finding a forever family to luck because I do believe that God has a plan for each of us and that the Heart Gallery helps to carry out His plan for these children.”    Barbara Schechter

Share a story of a child’s adoption that started with Heart Gallery.  Is it possible that pure luck changed this child’s life?  Do you see something deeper when you look at the whole picture of how the foster child and new family’s lives collided?

I’m attaching a story [below] that I wrote in a recent newsletter about the Scott family and how they came to adopt an 11-year-old girl named Kassandra. You can see God at work here, as each of these two parents were drawn separately to the same child’s photo. It also happened that Kassie had already been matched with another family when the Scotts first started considering adoption, but after their plans got postponed, Kassie’s original match did not work out and she was now available for the Scotts. When you see the three of them together, you get the sense that they were meant to be a family.

I don’t attribute finding a forever family to luck because I do believe that God has a plan for each of us and that the Heart Gallery helps to carry out His plan for these children. In Kassie’s case, the Scott’s would not have been able to adopt her when she was first available, but the ‘coincidence’ of her becoming available again made everything work out the way I think God intended. They are greatly blessed by becoming a family.

There are so many amazing success stories of children whose lives were transformed by finding the right ‘forever family’. But personally, I struggle with the reality that God’s plan for some includes subjection to often horrible parental abuse and then never finding their adoptive family. We do believe that the Heart Gallery is called to minister to the children who do not get adopted just as much as we facilitate transforming the lives of those children who do.

 An Adoption That Started with “Christmas Home” by Barbara Schechter

When the First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale hosted the Heart Gallery exhibit during their famous Christmas Pageant in 2008, they incorporated a stirring message about foster children right into the show. Pageant Director John Jones and his family performed a song called ‘Christmas Home’ and made an appeal for people to consider bringing a foster child into their home. Photos of Heart Gallery children flashed on the screen behind them. There was hardly a dry eye in the room. One of those photos was of then-nine-year-old Kassandra. Little did they know that one day she would become a member of their own congregation.

On June 22, Kassandra, known as Kassie, was adopted by a young couple named Tim and Heather as their only child. She told Judge Porter, in front of a large group of friends and relatives, that she had “perfect parents”. Clearly, there was a lot of love in the room. There was also a feeling that these three people were meant to be together.

It all started with the Christmas Pageant. Tim and Heather, each volunteering at different performances, noticed Kassie’s photo in the Heart Gallery exhibit and each took a copy of her bio card. They had taken the MAPP classes to become foster parents but had not completed their home study. They were starting to consider adopting. When they discovered that they had each pulled the card of the same child, it was on their hearts to pursue her adoption. But it was not quite so simple. The possibility of a career move to another state, followed by extensive plumbing damage to their home that held up their home study, caused enough delay that another family was selected for Kassie. Still they continued to pray for her. With a repaired home, a decision to stay in the area and an adoptive home study in hand, they contacted ChildNet only to find that Kassie’s match did not result in an adoption and she was available again. The rest is history.

Kassie left her adoption finalization with her Heart Gallery photo in hand. The photographer, Courtney Ortiz, was there to see her receive it, along with the Executive Director, President and two founders of the Heart Gallery. To quote Senior Pastor Larry Thompson, who was also there to witness the occasion, “This adoption makes everything worth it!”

Read more about this story in the Hollywood Gazette . . .

http://www.hollywoodgazette.com/2009/component/content/article/53-feature-stories/867-heart-gallery-local-photographers-find-foster-children-forever-families

If you are interested in getting involved with Heart Gallery, tune in for the rest of the week for more of Barbara Schechter’s interview.  You can also visit www.heartgalleryofbroward.org or call or email Barbara directly.  Tel: 954-918-3008 or barbara@heartgalleryofbroward.org.

Faith, Hope and Luck: Parts 4 and 5

On By femmefuelIn March 2011 (Luck v. Faith)Leave a comment

What can you expect from God? Check out Parts 4 and 5 of Andy Stanley‘s in-depth teaching on the differences between faith, hope and luck.

Part 4:

Part 5:

Faith, Hope and Luck: Parts 2 and 3

On By femmefuelIn March 2011 (Luck v. Faith)Leave a comment

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Click here to read Ron Cassie’s take about St. Patrick’s passion for Christ and the lost.

This month, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we featured thoughts, stories and teachings about luck, faith, destiny, free will and fate. Learn more about how these concepts help shape your life (if at all).

Check out Parts 2 and 3 of Andy Stanley‘s in-depth teaching on the differences between faith, hope and luck.

Part 2:

Part 3: