⁶“Therefore we are always confident and know that
as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.
⁷ We live by faith, not by sight.
⁸ We are confident, I say,
and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
⁹ So we make it our goal to please him,
whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”

2 Corinthians 5:6-10 NIV84

A new year is right around the corner. If the Lord does not return this week (Don’t you wish He would!) we will wake up on Sunday morning in the year 2012. What will the New Year bring? Nobody knows except God.

One year ago today Glen and I did not know that we would lose my Mother in 2011 and our oldest son would be diagnosed with fourth stage Colon Cancer and enter into the greatest adventure of his life (to quote his doctor). We didn’t know one year ago that Glen would go into chronic atrial fibrilation and have to adjust to a new normal that included daily fatigue and inability to do many of the things he has enjoyed all his life. We didn’t know that I would end the year scheduled for surgery to remove a squamous cell carcinoma from my neck. What we did know last year was the same thing we know this year. God would be good in 2011 and He will continue to be good in 2012. We had a very wonderful year experiencing the faithfulness and love of God on a daily basis. We can count on a wonderful year in 2012 because our faithful God never changes and His mercies are new every morning—Great is His faithfulness.

How can we know for sure that this year will be great? How can we be assured that we will come to the end of the year and say, “God has been good!”? We will have a great year if we face it with faith, walk daily by faith, and end the year still faithful to the One who is faithful to us.

But what exactly is “Walking by Faith”? Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject. I would love to have any of you add your own thoughts (Biblical ones of course). I would be happy to post those that are appropriate. Send them to me through the “Contact Lois” page. [See link below]

• Walking by faith is believing that He (God) is and that He will reward me if I seek Him. “. . .anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV84). 
• Walking by faith is not just hearing the word, but doing what it says. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22 NIV84). 
• Walking by faith is sitting in God’s presence without having to say anything, feel anything, or do anything, and finding joy just being there! “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NIV84). 
• Walking by faith is keeping on serving joyfully without a sign or feeling or other confirmation that God still cares. “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV84). 
• Walking by faith is directing my life by prayer rather than by logic, common sense, circumstances, other’s expectations, etc. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does” (James 1:5-8 NIV84) 
• Walking by faith is being rooted, grounded and stable in my walk with God, not chasing after Christian fads, new seminars, or experiences. “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:14-15 NIV84)

Read more of Lois’ thoughts at http://loisshirksbooks.com/walkingbyfaithin2012.aspx.

Lois Shirk is a Bible study teacher and author, a pastor’s wife, mother and grandmother. She and her husband Glen live and minister in Ripon, California.

The grandmother is Hindu, but the mother and father came to faith in Christ in Nepal. There are also two children, a 5^th grade girl and a 3^rd grade boy. Unfortunately, since the parents’ work schedules don’t allow them to attend church, the children have little exposure to spiritual things. So we took them a gift: a special ornament for their tree, a stable with Mary, Joseph, and the baby in the manger. We showed the daughter where to find Luke 2 in their Bible, and read to them the story of Christ’s birth, explaining that this is the reason we celebrate Christmas.

This morning I spent longer than usual sitting in the glow of our own Christmas tree, reflecting on that miraculous birth 2000 years ago, and thanking God for His gift that brought salvation to all mankind. Such a great gift requires a response, and these words by Charles Wesley express it so beautifully:

Father, our hearts we lift,
Up to Thy gracious throne,
And bless Thee for the precious gift,
Of Thine incarnate Son;
The gift unspeakable,
We thankfully receive,
And to the world Thy goodness tell,
And to Thy glory live.

Jesus the holy Child,
Doth by His birth declare,
That God and men are reconciled,
And one in Him we are;
Salvation through His Name
To all mankind is giv’n,
And loud His infant cries proclaim
A peace ’twixt earth and Heav’n.

 O might they all receive,
The new-born Prince of Peace,
And meekly in His Spirit live,
And in His love increase!
Till He convey us home,
Cry every soul aloud,
“Come, Thou Desire of nations, come,
And take us up to God.”

Merry Christmas to you. I pray that the beauty and wonder of God’s gift of love will fill your hearts with great joy as you celebrate His coming.

My Gratitude List usually includes my family, home, and church, God’s gifts of salvation and His Word, Women of Grace and those who support its ministries, the diverse yet unified Board of Directors God has brought together, and much more. But Paul said to give thanks in all circumstances.  All means  everything in life – past, present and future, good and bad. Minor annoyances and major tragedies. Difficult people, challenges, criticisms, times when God seems distant, things that rock me to the core. Circumstances that test my faith or threaten my family, my health or my life.

Why be thankful in all these circumstances, not just the good ones? Well, the first reason is simply because God said so. That same verse says it is God’s will, so giving thanks is an act of obedience. God wants my gratitude in every situation.

Giving thanks is also an act of worship. Hebrews 13:15 admonishes us to continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise. A sacrifice that is pleasing to God, such as thanksgiving, flows out of a heart of worship. When I thank him, I acknowledge that He is God, my sovereign Lord, and has a purpose for everything that He allows in my life. And when I worship and obey Him, He opens my eyes and my heart to a deeper understanding of His ways.

What have I learned about God and His ways in the midst of this difficulty? How have I seen His faithfulness and provision? How have I learned to know Him better? How has the situation opened doors for me to talk with others who don’t know him? What have I learned about myself? What am I thankful for about this circumstance that I would not otherwise have experienced or learned?

Today I think of several people who have been walking through hard, hard situations but are finding reasons to thank God. One was treated for leukemia last year, one has cared for a spouse with Alzheimer’s, one recently lost an infant granddaughter, and one was in a tragic accident that resulted in paralysis from the shoulders down. Each one is a living example of obedience to God by giving thanks every circumstance. Each one has learned to know God in deeper ways as they have experienced His faithfulness, comfort and strength in their times of weakness, confusion and fear.

This week my Gratitude List will include the many positive, good things in my life. But I’m also going to include circumstances that have been hard, the ways God has used them and what I have learned about Him because of them.

What will be on your Gratitude List?

Or picture this scenario: You arrive at the meeting, copies of the agenda are on the table, each person takes an agenda and goes to their seat. The chairman then puts the papers aside and turns to a passage of scripture or the words of a song, and for the next 15-20 minutes the group quiets their hearts before God and worships Him. “Be Thou my vision” is their prayer as they intentionally put aside the personal agendas and concerns they brought into the room with them, and prepare themselves to hear God’s voice during the meeting.

Business proceeds according to the agenda, but when a sticky problem arises and there seems to be no ready solution, someone says, “We need to stop and pray about this,” and they do — placing the matter before God and asking for His guidance. The meeting continues, following this same pattern: discussion punctuated by frequent pauses to hear from God. An attitude of humility, unity, and openness to the Holy Spirit is present in the room. As the meeting ends, you realize that not only were problems resolved, but business was finished on time and a spirit of love prevailed.

Which of these scenarios have you experienced? I’ve been in both situations and seen firsthand the difference when we begin with a focused time of worship (not just the expected prayer or “devotional”) and pause for spontaneous prayer throughout the meeting. Were those prayer times on the agenda? No. But someone sensed a need to quiet our spirits and focus again on hearing God, and wasn’t afraid to say so.

Why don’t we take more time for prayer and worship in our board meetings? Do we think we have too much to do? Do we think a quick verse of scripture and a perfunctory prayer are sufficient? What does God think of our attitude about doing His business? Is He pleased that we barely acknowledge Him or ask His opinion?

What difference would there be in our church boards, committees, and organizational meetings if we first took time to worship God, to confess wrong attitudes, and acknowledge Him as Lord of our hearts, churches, and ministries? Do we have to choose between work and worship, or can we (and should we) do both?

Time to Breathe | LeadershipJournal.net.

In keeping with the Women of Grace focus on soul care and inner rest this year, Cindi McMenamin’s book, When Women Long for Rest is a welcome and relevant addition to the Women of Grace Bookshelf. Here is a woman whose life was a whirlwind of busyness, who was neglecting her family, and who was heading toward inevitable burnout until God gently but firmly spoke into her soul, “Come away with Me to a quiet place where [you] can get some rest.” Speaking from her own experience, the experiences of friends, the example of Jesus and a wealth of Scripture, Cindi reveals how God taught her that He wanted to be her secret place of rest.

“Women are great at planning ‘escapes’,” says McMenamin. God wants us to come away with Him, but we look “for escape in chocolate, shopping trips, bubble baths or a massage. We dream about…vacations to faraway paradises…But after some temporary relaxation, has anything about the stress and pace of our life really changed?” Then she focuses on lifestyle  and heart changes such as refusing to run on the harried path, focusing on the few things that matter (ouch!), surrendering the need to succeed, refreshing your heart through worship, and returning to simple pleasures, the beauty of God’s creation, and the joy of His presence. At the end of each chapter the author has provided three or four simple exercises to evaluate your life and apply the lesson in practical ways.

It would have been easy for the author to offer a simplistic approach to rest, or a formula involving six easy steps to rest. But that would lead to works — more to do in order to find rest.  In the book’s introduction she says, “Come with me as we strip away from our life the externals of busyness for God and go deeper in a relationship with Him…It’s all about learning how to get away with Him — every day — in your heart.” Rest is not necessarily about ceasing from physical activity, though there is a time for that. No, genuine rest is about “meeting with God every day in the hideaway of your heart”, for it is there you will find rest for your soul and strength for the journey. It was a truth that I needed to be reminded of.

I found a cabin in the mountains that day. It looks out on a peaceful lake, there are trails and paths to walk, and it’s close enough to other cabins to feel safe, yet secluded enough for privacy. One day I’ll take that personal retreat. In the meantime, I know that I don’t have to go away to listen to God and find rest for my soul. There’s a chair on my deck where I go in the morning — even in the winter, wrapped in a heavy robe — to spend the first moments of the day worshipping God and enjoying His presence.

However, another message lurked behind IJLT in my mind for years — that I should always say yes to a request, particularly when it involved serving in the church. They needed help in the nursery — say Yes. A Sunday School teacher was needed? Say Yes. Take food to shut-ins? Definitely Yes. Lead Vacation Bible School? Wel-l-l-l…I’d just love to. After all, part of me was a people pleaser and felt I should do everything that was expected of me. To say No meant dealing with guilt feelings.

I recently read a little book that, had it been written years ago, would have helped me look more realistically at who I am, what I could do at that stage of my life, and who I was doing it for. Today, though in a different life season, it is just as applicable to who I am and what God asks me to do.

From the story of Mary of Bethany’s anointing of Jesus with expensive perfume (Mark 14:3-9), Elisa Morgan has pulled out five little words and zeroed in on each one to create a book that is both challenging and encouraging. She Did What She Could helps us to focus on what we can do, not on what we can’t. It is an encouraging reminder that God doesn’t ask us to jump into every trench or meet every need, but we are responsible to use who we are and what we have for him.

This year’s Women’s Spectrum, “Rest for Your Soul,” looks at a variety of issues that women face that can result in soul weariness. One of those is living up to the “shoulds” or feeling guilty for not doing the “oughts.” She Did What She Could (SDWSC) is a reminder that Jesus asks women to respond to his love in ways that are unique to who he created us to be and where he has placed us in this season of life, and that there is freedom and peace when we obey only him. What can I do? What if we each did what we could? I pray that it can be said of me, “She Did What She Could.”

She Did What She Could by Elisa Morgan is published by Tyndale House Publishers.

Not only does Not Your Mother’s Church Social describe some innovative and energetic activities, but the links at the end of the article will take you to several websites that are jampacked with resources for ministry.  And don’t forget to also check out the resources that are available at http://www.wgusa.org/.

At the time, I struggled a bit with that word “radically”. My picture of radicals is of extremists, fanatics, people who riot, set fires and use violence to accomplish political or social change. I didn’t think that was the image we wanted to convey. So in the context of our mission statement, what does it look like to be radically in love with Christ? And if that radical love leads to being actively engaged in God’s mission, how much do I have to do to demonstrate my love for Christ? Frankly, some speakers and books leave me feeling that I can never do enough.

I was happy to see the following article posted on LeadershipJournal.net several weeks ago. Written by Skye Jethani, the Senior Editor of Leadership Journal, I believe it gives a balanced explanation of radical. Let me know what you think.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2011/spring/redefiningradical.html