Quality Time

We’re going to talk about Quality Time today.  What does quality time mean to you?  I believe many people misuse this phrase.  Have you ever really thought about what quality time means and what it means to you?  Today, I want to highlight the true meaning of quality time and how we can make use of quality times and apply them to our lives and busy schedules.

"Quality time" (QT) is an informal reference to time spent with close family, partners or friends that is in some way important, special, productive or profitable. It is time that is set aside for paying full and undivided attention to the person or matter at hand. It may also refer to time spent performing some favorite activity. -Wikipedia

Me n' Poppa

I have something I want to share with you.  Let me tell you about Me n’ Poppa.  My dad, whom his grandchildren all affectionately call Poppa was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (in layman’s terms, bone cancer) I believe it was October of last year when we received the devastating news.  This is an incurable disease, but a treatable one.  Poppa is a saved man.  Poppa opted after prayerful consideration, to participate in a research program involving a new drug combined with chemo to try and battle this disease.  Poppa was going for treatments every week at first and is now going for treatments every other week.  The last two appointments, I went along with him.  This past Tuesday, I sat in the car to eat my Subway sandwich because I felt guilty eating in front of all of those sick people inside the Cancer Center.  Suddenly, while sitting alone in the car, the Holy Spirit gave me the revelation of what Quality Time really means.  I reflected on the last treatment day and the time we had experienced together that morning.  Quality time is experienced when you purpose to deny yourself and pay attention, intently to someone else.  Even if for a few moments, you can experience quality time if you will sacrifice your undivided attention to the person at hand.   I had experienced quality time with Poppa.  In those two brief encounters, I had learned things about Poppa that had not learned before in my 40 something years of knowing this man.  I listened as he light-heartily chatted with the very ill man next to him.  His wife had brought him a vanilla milk-shake and he told Poppa that was about the best thing there ever was – a vanilla milkshake.  Poppa said his favorite was strawberry.  I never knew that before.  Had it been discussed before? Probably.  Did I retain the information? No.  Why not?  Why now?  Why did I notice it now?  Because I was intently focusing on Poppa and the details of what makes him who he is.  I also learned that Poppa loves the flavor combination of cucumber, tomato and mayo.  We ordered Subway and he asked for turkey meat with cucumber, tomato and mayo and whatever else, but make sure to get the cucumber, tomato and mayo.  Cucumber, tomato and mayo is one of Poppa’s favorite flavor combinations.  Growing up a country girl, I knew that Poppa and I both liked good ole tomato sandwiches with good, fresh white bread that would stick to the roof of your mouth and a juicy, ripe, home-grown garden tomato, a good swabbin’ of mayo and a little salt n’ pepper.  But I never knew his liking for the trio until that day.  It’s as if I was seeing Poppa in a different light.  There’s a difference in learning these things as profit of Quality Time and going down a checklist like you’re filling out a job application.  The difference is the experienced knowledge you weren’t even necessarily looking for.  I cherish the time we share together, recognizing that we don’t know how much time Poppa has left here with us. The ride to Gainesville and back was most profitable with information.  Poppa talked and I mostly just listened.  I have learned more about how he feels, what he believes and what he expects than I ever imagined.  Poppa is content with his situation right now.  Poppa knows the Lord and is looking forward to meeting Him, if it’s sooner or if it’s later.  Poppa’s theme song lately has been “It Is Well”.  Even so, it is well with my soul. 

So I think you may be getting the picture of how I experienced quality time with Poppa.  How about you?  Are you experiencing quality time?  Real quality time?  Who with? Friends, family, loved ones?

What about quality time with God?  Can we spend quality time with God?  How do we do that?  Some of you may be sitting there right now wondering in your beautiful mind, HOW DO I DO THAT, MS. KAREN? 

Here's how:

Meditating on His word

Praying without ceasing

Seeking His face

Denying ourselves

Listening for his still, small voice. 

MEDITATION ON HIS WORD:  You cannot meditate on it if you aren’t reading it, studying it, consuming it…Self-examination time:  be honest with yourself, God already knows.  How much time and energy are you investing in His word?

PRAYING WITHOUT CEASING:  Have you ever thought about what that looks like, praying without ceasing?  I think some of us might have a mental picture that looks like this (kneel with hands folded and head bowed) praying.  How am I supposed to do that 24-7 without stopping?  That seems kinda unreasonable.  Does it?  Prayer is not just this mental image we tend to have of a kneeling saint, but communication with God, period.  You may have just lost your keys, only to find them moments later and whisper in your head, “Thank you, Lord!”  That’s it!  That is prayer. 

SEEKING HIS FACE:  Seek intimacy with God.  MATTHEW 7:7 “Keep asking, and it will be given to you, keep searching, and you will find.  Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 

DENYING OURSELVES:  When’s the last time you swayed from your plans because you stopped to minister to someone?  When’s the last time you fasted?  When’s the last time you put someone else first with the right heart attitude?  Exercise self-control, practice quietening your mind so you can listen. 

LISTENING FOR HIS STILL, SMALL VOICE:  See, a lot of times we get stuck on the praying-without-ceasing and we’re asking for stuff the whole while…never stopping to listen for the answers.  BUT HOW DO I KNOW IT’S GOD, MS. KAREN?  How do I know my husband’s voice on the other end of the phone?  It’s the same with God.  The more you practice it, the more natural it becomes, the more you listen for his voice, the quicker you recognize Him, the stronger you become in the faith, you start seeing things differently, you start feeling things differently, your priorities begin to change, your emotions become less controlling, your fruit begins to grow on your tree! AMEN!

Some of you might be sitting there right now wondering in your beautiful mind, HOW DO I FIT THAT IN MY SCHEDULE?  MS. KAREN DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT ALL I HAVE TO DO EVERY DAY!

Quality Time with Him is essential for a follower of Christ to grow in our relationship with Him.  Now, don’t get it twisted!  I know by my own experience that say for example you begin a bible reading program/devotional.  You routinely read the bible, but merely out of routine or commitment to do so.  Your heart attitude isn’t right, your motive isn’t where it should be, you are not pleasing God.  We should be EXPERIENCING GOD every single minute of every single day of our lives.  We should be EXPERIENCING GOD to a point that people notice something different about us and begin to thirst for that THING that we have.  We should be EXPERIENCING GOD daily to receive His power and through His power and the mighty name of Jesus, do miraculous works as led by the unction of the Holy Spirit.

My challenge for you today is to commit to being still and KNOWING that HE IS GOD!  Practice quietening your mind, simplifying your life and communicating with God on a daily basis.  Watch and see how your relationship with God will grow and how your interactions and relationships with people change.

What's BUTTER got to do with it?

A few years ago I was invited to speak at a ladies' "Cake Baking Service".  Like many of you, I was asking myself what in the world this was.  Are we going to get together and bake a cake?  What do we bring?  How is this going to work?  The service was made up of many women of God that were given the assignment of speaking on a topic.  Each woman was given a common ingredient included in baking a cake and asked to speak about that ingredient.  This was definitely new to me, though quite interesting, therefore I accepted the challenge.  I was given the ingredient BUTTER!  

The first thing I did was go to the internet!  What is the definition of butter?  A solid emulsion of fat globules, air and water made by churning mild or cream and used as food.  Hmmm.  I then consulted someone with historical familiarity with the process of making butter, my Dad.  First you must have a cow.  Fresh milk is put into a churn and churned until cream separates and curdles on top.  The contents of the churn are then strained with a flour sack.  For those younger readers, flour used to come in a cloth sack unlike the paper sack of today.  The curdles are then packed together and placed in the refrigerator...butter.  Okay, stay with me on this, I know you are wondering what in the world this has to do with the gospel or the word of God or Jesus, but just hold on...it's coming.

BREAKDOWN OF THE PROCESS:

Step 1:  You must have a cow... you must have a cow that will provide the milk, and you have to be willing to milk the cow.  I am not comparing Jesus to a cow!  However, in this process, this walk of obedience that we as Christians are called to , it requires that we look to our provider for our every need.  That provider is Jesus.  He provides our every need.  All He requires of us is to ask.  Matt. 7:7 Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you; 8 for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Step 2: Fresh milk... milk the cow.  Milking the cow takes an action on our part.  You see, if we ask, seek and knock then we receive, find and the door is opened.  James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given unto him. God's word is our sustenance as Christians, believers. 1Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere mild of the word, that ye may grow thereby;

Step 3: Put into a churn...God's word is our sustenance, we should study it, meditate on it, consume it!  Put it into our hearts, our "churns".  Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee.  Be careful what you put into your churn.

Step 4: Churn it... We can put it there by listening, by reading, by studying.  But if all we do is put it there... Joshua 1:6 This book of the law shall not depart from thy mouth; but though shall meditate herein day and night, tat thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein, for then thou shalt make thy way propserous and then thou shall have good success.

What does it mean to meditate?  Meditate is to engage in contemplation or reflection, to engage in mental exercise.  Meditation is to focus one's thoughts on, to ponder over.

Step 5: Churn it...churn it...churn it... Be doers of His word.  Eventually, it will start to separate.  Keep working it, studying it, breaking it down, meditating on it, reflecting on it, and the richness of it will be tangible.  The product of the churning is the fruit of the labor, the fruit of the life of a believer; the kind of fruit that enhances the kingdom of God, the kind of fruit that speaks for itself because it shows in everything that you say or do.  Shouldn't our lives SCREAM to the world that we are a Christian?  Pro. 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Be willing to do His will in all you do.  Rom. 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Step 6: Strain it... This further separates out the product produced by the churning.  Do you want to be used of God?  Are you willing to go and do whatever it is He asks you do do?  Are you willing to praise Him in the storm?  Are you willing to have joy no matter what the circumstances?  Are you willing to just say Yes, Lord? James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.  Cleanse your hands, ye sinners and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Homeschooling 101

Have you ever considered homeschooling your children?  Would you know where to start?  Why homeschool?  What is your opinion on homeschooling?  Join me as I discuss with Cindy, Tina, Devon, their experiences with homeschooling.  We will cover the pros and cons, tips, resources and more involving homeschooling your children.  Society as a whole has a skewed perception when it comes to the success of homeschooling children.  I look forward to hearing from these successful moms, to hopefully gain answers to the above questions and any others that may come to light.

Episode # 12 Sister2Sister

Prop Us Up on the Leaning Side

I read a story once about a man that prayed for God to 'prop us up on the leaning side'.  The story makes reference to an old barn, that as it aged began to lean.  The old man propped up the barn with poles on the leaning side, to keep it from falling.  We all lean at times.  We all endure hard times, weather storms and trials that may cause our old house to lean to one side or the other.  This is pretty much guaranteed as long as you keep saying good morning.    Just like the old song says, the leaning tree's not always the first to fall.  Just because we are leaning, doesn't mean we have to fall. God will be the post we need to prop us up on the leaning side.

 Episode-11-co-host-cheryl-johnson

Striving for Excellence

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. [Col 3:17 KJV]

And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; [Col 3:23 KJV]

 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did [it] with all his heart, and prospered.[2Ch 31:21 KJV]

Shouldn't we strive for excellence in everything that we do?  Doesn't everything we do effect something or someone in some way? Striving for excellence is giving our best to our Master. Yes, I know better than anyone how impossible it is to achieve true perfection, but striving for it is something altogether different.  With the New Year quickly approaching, I have the sense, like many of you, that I should be making better decisions about how I use my time.  I have also been pondering "New Year's Resolutions" and which ones I plan to profess.  What is a resolution?  What are your resolutions for the upcoming year?  Call in and share with us!

 Episode-10 Sister2Sister

Refiner's FIre

Refiner's Fire.  Malachi 3:3 says He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them, like gold and silver.  You can take the heat, because He knows when to pull you out before you are destroyed.  What's the process of refinery?  Why is it necessary?

Episode-9 Sister2Sister

Train Up a Child

Episode #8 Sister2Sister

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6  Who does the training?  The ultimate responsibility falls upon the parents of children for the training in the way they should go.  What kind of training is happening with our children?  What kinds of things are being taught and by whom?  Are we as parents assuming the weight of the responsibility given us or have we somehow discovered how to delegate that responsibility?  Are we being successful in that delegation?  The crime is this, that it has become more and more "common place" for parents to farm out their children to learn about God in our churches, at Sunday School, VBS, Bible Study classes.  Yes, those things are great!  I am not trying to discount them whatsoever, but to highlight the idea that teaching should be ongoing, daily throughout the lives of our children.  They are being taught, maybe.  But are they getting everything that they need from the weekly meetings?  Shouldn't we strive to teach them daily?  What is your agenda?  Do you cherish the teachable moments or do they pass by in the blur of our business?

God Will Never Leave You

God is faithful.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  Listen to Episode #7 as Cheryl Johnson shares her testimony of how God was by her side during the loss of her mother.

Episode #7 Sister2Sister

Christian or Disciple?

What is the difference?

Christian is a term that was given the followers of Jesus by the "outsiders" or the non-followers back in times of Jesus' days.  What does being a Christian mean to you?  I have always believed that being a Christian was better than not being one, but to be able to explain what it really means has eluded me.  A disciple is something quite different.  Disciple is the word that Jesus used referring to his followers. 

Christian or Disciple?  What is the difference?  Which one are you?  Listen to a brief teaching by Andy Stanley regarding the word Disciple as found on YouTube.

Click Here to Listen to Episode #6

a Sister2Sister ministry Online Radio | BlogTalkRadio

a Sister2Sister ministry Online Radio | BlogTalkRadio

Communication with God is a Two-way Street

Healthy relationships require communication.  Prayer is an essential part of your communication with your heavenly father.  Communication is a two-way street.  Let's first look at the talking part of it.  Just like a relationship with a friend or loved one, we must talk to the Lord.  That is commonly called prayer.  We talk with our friends or loved ones to get our point across, to explain things, to make our wishes known, to share information.  Now, if we have a friendship with someone and we never talk with that someone, how are we supposed to know things about them?  How do we deepen the friendship?  We talk.  How do you know what their favorite color is unless you have had that conversation?  How do you know that they are sick? Or maybe that they have just gotten their dream job?  We talk; by phone, via text or face-to-face. 

The other part of this essential element called communication is listening.  It is much more simple to speak, but it takes practice to listen.  Effectively listen.  Listening ensures the other party that you are sincerely engaged and invested in the conversation.  Listening takes practice!  I know that for myself, I am easily distracted by thinking about what to say next or by what I have to do when I get home, etc.  Notice how much of the distraction is because of ME!  I have to purpose to listen, to put aside MYSELF for a few minutes to invest in a relationship. The same thing goes for when you are communicating with our Lord.  Not only can we freely talk to Him about our struggles or the needs of others, but He speaks to us.  A still, small voice.  We must LISTEN!  The closer your relationship with the Lord, the easier it is to recognize His voice, His prompting. 

God is so good!  He will never leave or forsake us. He listens and He speaks.  How often do you talk to the Lord?  Do you listen for His voice?

Are you willing to let go of your Isaac?

The sacrifice of Isaac put Abraham to his most agonizing test, a trial which he passed completely because of his total faith in God.  I dare to even imagine God asking me to slay my daughter!  The faith of Abraham is incredible.  It is easy for anyone to say what they would or wouldn't do until they are in the heat of the moment and must make the decision.  I would love to think that I am willing to do whatever it is that God asks of me, when he asks.  I know for myself that I can say that is not the case. 

Are you willing to let go of your Isaac?  Self-examination-time... what IS your Isaac?  What are the things that you adore the most?  What if God asked you to let go of it/them?  Is He asking you to give up something that you refuse to give up?  That is a lot to think about. 

Abraham walked in faith and obedience to God.  Obedience.  I can't help but wonder what must have gone through Abraham's mind as he drew closer and closer to the location he was directed to in order to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Wait a minute.  The ultimate sacrifice?  This is a picture of what God did for us!  He DID give the ultimate sacrifice! God sent his one and only son...to be sacrificed for the atonement of our sins.  God asked nothing more of Abraham than what He eventually did for us. 

So, setting self aside...is there anything that God could ask of you that costs you too much?  Are you willing to let go of your Isaac?

Listen to the podcast on this topic:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/asister2sisterministry/2013/11/03/are-you-wiling-to-let-go-of-your-isaac-episode-4

Magnificant Metamorphosis

Butterflies are beautiful creatures. I recently visited the Butterfly Rainforest in Gainesville, Florida allowing me the opportunity to see many different species of butterflies up close and personal.

 

Consider the process a butterfly endures to reach the beautiful stage.  They all began as some sort of wormy thing (caterpillar).  Then there is the cocoon stage (pupae), which eventually produces the beautiful thing.  The butterfly. 

 

Before we were children of God, we were the ugly wormy thing, ugly with sin.  Then there was the process of being redeemed through Jesus Christ, which begins the change in us from the inside out.  Just like the cocoon stage.  As we mature in Christ, the butterfly appears, the disciple after God's own heart.  A new creature in Him.

 

 

Listen to the podcast on this topic by following this link:  Butterfly: Episode #3

 

The show airs live every Sunday at 6pm.  Follow us at www.blogtalkradio.com/asister2sisterministry

 

Where are your prints?

God is miraculous and marvelous.  He created each of us with a unique set of fingerprints.  No two people have the same fingerprints.  Even identical twins, have different fingerprints while sharing similar DNA markers.  Think about this a minute.  How many people are alive right now on the planet? No two fingerprints are alike.  How many people have already lived and are no longer here on earth?  No two fingerprints are alike.  Consider that...GOD IS SO AWESOME!  It's God's very own trademark on each individual human being.  GOD IS SO AWESOME!

So where do you leave your fingerprints?  When God begins to process your life for your prints, where will He find them?

 

For those of you who do not know me, I am in the Criminal Justice field.  Therefore, I work with, look for and deal with fingerprints on a regular basis.  Evidence.  Fingerprint "evidence" discovered at a location confirms the presence of an individual.  Where would God find your prints right now if he were to conduct a "crime-scene-investigation" on your life?  Would they be on the choir stand pew?  How about the broom handle in the church closet?  Or the Nursery door?  What about on the telephone?  from calling a sick and shut in or from gossiping with a friend?  Would they be on the door of a night club? Or perhaps a magazine of questionable content?  Would they be found on your bible?

Take a few minutes right now and analyze your life.  Think about today, even moments before reading this blog.  What have you done to help someone else or  to allow someone to see Jesus in you?  Where will your prints be found?

Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we've touched.  What type of touches have they been?  Good?  Bad?  What impression are you making in this world today?

Where will He find YOUR prints?

It's All Good

Daily we are tested in every area of our lives.  Romans 8:28 says "And we know that ALL things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." KJV (Emphasis mine)  It is hard to believe, but ALL things, not just SOME things work together for our good.  ALL things!  We must trust God.  It's all good!

I know that many times, I have questioned the happenings in my life and their relativity to my "good".  I think it's human nature for us to question things.  But as followers of Christ, we are different.  We are children of the most high.  We are in the world and not of the world.  Therefore, things are different for us than those who have not yet chosen the same path. 

At the age of 10 or 11, my sisters and I were helping mom do some cleaning in the yard.  We were picking up pine cones and limbs and other debris from the yard.  We had a small fire in a hole at the back of the property where we were burning the trash.  My sisters and I, as we filled the wheelbarrow with trash would go to the back of the property and dump the new load onto the fire.  Well, on this particular trip, my middle sister and I were tending the fire and raking things up onto the fire.  I heard a hissing sound coming from inside the fire as I continued to rake things up into the flames.  Then, BAM! or BOOM! or something, I don't particularly recall which.  There was an explosion that encapsulated me and my sister, who was standing behind me at that moment.  We ran to the front yard yelling and screaming for mom.  A can of PVC pipe glue had gotten thrown away with the yard debris and had exploded under the pressure of the heat from the fire.  I was wearing cut-off jean shorts and a tank top.  I caught the brunt of the blast, suffering burns on my face, arms and legs.  My sister also was burned on her face, arms and legs although not as severely.  I was sent to the Shriner's Burn Institute in Galveston, Texas for treatment after my sister and I had received initial care at the local hospital.  I am alive and well and virtually scar-free.  Thanks to my God.  There was a lot of pain involved in the recovery.  Skin debridement, bandage changes and whirlpool baths became something I loathed.  I can say that through all of that, I know that it all worked together for my good.  I know that I can say without a doubt that my God is a healer!  I know that I can say without a doubt that my God works miracles! AMEN!

You may be in a valley today, or a trial tomorrow, God knows.  He will be there with you in it and through it.  Sometimes we may not feel Him or hear from Him, but He is there.  We must trust Him and know that ALL things are working together for our good.

What is love?

Love is a very complex concept.

 

For most of my life I believed that love was a feeling, an emotion.  That feeling of adoration of another person or thing.  That ooey, gooey feeling you get when you really care about someone.  Love for a child, a spouse, or friends.  But as I began to grow in my relationship with the Lord, I learned that love is not just an emotion, but that it is actually much more than that.  Love is an action word.  Love is shown through our actions toward one another.  John authored some of the most profound scripture concerning love:

 

John 13:34 KJV A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

 

When is the last time we as followers of Christ one-anothered one-another!  God sent us the perfect example to follow...Jesus, His Son.

 

John 13:35 KJV By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

 

  John 15:12 KJV This is my commandment that ye love one another, as I have loved you.

 

John 15:17 KVJ These things I command you, that ye love one another.

 

 

Love is a fruit of the Spirit, as found in Galations 5:22,23 KJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  Fruit is the evidence of your relationship with God.  Your fruit will reflect the true status of your commune with God.  So let's do a little self-examination...  How much fruit am I bearing?  Be honest with yourself, because God already knows the truth!



 

The bible further describes the meaning of love in 2 Corinthians chapter 13:

 



 

Again, to reiterate, LOVE is evidence of your relationship with God.  The characteristics as noted in the photo above will be quite evident in how you handle your daily life encounters. 

 



Recently, God began to deal with me concerning the topic of love.  I knew that He was trying to tell me that LOVE is multi-faceted.  He revealed that it is an emotion and an action, but I still felt that He was trying to tell me that there was more.  Then finally, I got it.  He gave me the true meaning of love.  He gave me the answer I had been searching for!  GOD IS LOVE!  AMEN!!!  How much more complex can you be?  Yet the answer is so simple. 

 

God is love.  God IS love, the most pure love that you have ever known.  And, for some of you, the purest love you have yet to know.  Do you KNOW God? or do you just know about Him?  If you do, then you have experienced love in it's purest form.  If you don't know Him, you can.  Oh taste and see that the Lord is good, AMEN!  You CAN know Him right now!  Surrender yourself completely to Him right now.  Maybe you haven't experienced that love in a while.  He hasn't left you, He's right here with you right now as you are reading the words on this screen.  Open yourself up to Him and he will be everything you will ever need or hope or desire.

 

Jesus wept, he felt emotion.  God's greatest demonstration of love was sending His son to die for the propitiation of our sins.  Now THAT is an action of love.  And finally, the most beautiful facet of love is found in 1 John 4:8 KJV He that love not knoweth not God; for God is love.