"Making assumptions prevents you from respecting differences and learning from others. POSITIONING and EXPOSURE necessitate that you spend time with people who are different from you. It takes COURAGE, but the resulting KNOWLEDGE is priceless. When you only interact with people who look like you and think like you, you have no checks and balances to avoid extremes and to provide wisdom. Be patient in the new relationships God has given you, and look for the deep things that can unite you with others."
--Bishop T.D. Jakes, Facebook, November 27, 2012
--THIS POST IS WORK IN PROGRESS--
Well, this post this morning really stunned me, really.
ASSUMPTIONS
I remember the 35 years I spent in Singlehood. (And, might I add, I enjoyed Singlehood for MANY years. I didn't wail or sob about my life, at least, not often! ha) I can look back and honestly say that, as I got older, dating, for me, became a game of Assumptions.
And, if I'm being honest, I think I was pretty good at it! ha
I was not someone who went into relationships blindly. I wanted to know EVERYTHING I could before I decided that I wanted to "ADD" someone into my life. Did I see any Red Flags? (O, yes, I was a Five Star Red Flag Hunter, let me tell ya! ha). I could spot phonies, creepers, perverts, and insincere peeps a mile away.
Yep. That's why--and how--I kept so many people out. You know, out of my ZONE? :)
Obviously, there are GOOD THINGS about Assumptions. Assumptions that we make are often the product of our own (albeit limited) understanding and experience. They may be the product of the understanding and experience of someone we know or have met. Rightly or wrongly, we use Assumption--and some of us get GOOD at it! ha--to our benefit. To protect ourselves.
The problem, though, with making swift judgments--wait, it sounds better to say "Assumption," doesn't it?--about people is that we keep a lot of people out who God may be sending our way "for such a time as this."
I think, at least from my limited Knowing, that many of us keep these Assumptions that we used for dating and let that come into our professional and spiritual relationships. So, in other words, when God sends people are way who even SMELL like phonies, creepers, pervs, and insincere (Liars!) people, we just back off immediately. Because we believe, somewhere deep down, that they are out to hurt us, get us roped into some lifetime contract of commitment, steal our money, kill our joy. (Okay, maybe this explains my three and a half decades in Singlehood! ha)
But seriously. I have found that I tend to make major Assumptions about people, Assumptions that keep me from letting people in. Letting them into my home. My world. Whatever I deem as "mine"...
But God...
He just doesn't see it that way, always...
Sure, he gives us discernment. And that gift is to enable us to protect ourselves, our family, our church family, the Church of Jesus Christ as a whole. But who are we blocking out from our lives that God needs us to allow in?
These are, indeed, at least for me, very uncomfortable waters...
EXPOSURE
Seriously, how will we ever learn anything about anything if we are never exposed to it in some way?
But, it does take courage. And patience. And every spiritual gift that the Holy Spirit can deliver. To live a life like this? Risky.
I mean, you have to put yourself out there, again and again and again. No matter who says what about you. No matter what happens. No matter how sick of everybody you get. And there's absolutely NO WAY we can do this without the working of the Holy Spirit. No way.
Our instinct has never been to EXPOSE OURSELVES to the unfamiliar? Are you kidding? Not me! (It's only those people who are short a few brain cells who do that, right? ha)
And, is it just me, or once you get to my age, you get this tendency to say, "Hey, I've been exposed to all sorts of stuff I may or may not ever want to remember...I'd really rather cruise into later life without the bruises that come with some types of "Exposure."
I mean, think about it: Exposure to the Elements. Sun/Cold. Too much of either wears you out. It's uncomfortable. Not pleasant. It's like you want to say, "Sure, God, expose me to your elements--but I don't want to have to wear sunscreen, okay?" Or, "As long as I don't have to put on scarf and gloves..." We can take exposure to some of the elements for a short period of time and...well, come away unscathed, right?
Isn't that how I am sometimes with God?!?
NEW RELATIONSHIPS
There's an Episode of SEINFELD where Jerry talks about his friendships. He says, "I've got five good friends, that's all I need. I'm not looking for any others" (paraphrased). And I think that's how I or anyone can get when we have strong friendships already and we love our friends and want to spend whatever time we have with the friends and family we already have.
We're just "not looking" because we are satisfied with what we already have.
Yet, God has a way of bringing new people, new potential relationships into our world, to do just what Bishop says here--to stretch us, improve us, and, ultimately, via exposure and experience, strengthen us.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Bishop Jakes on "Positioning"
"POSITIONING is a matter of strategy, and this strategy requires you to listen to God’s voice! Going off on your own will put you completely out of place and in a prime location for destruction. Heed God’s voice. Without His KNOWLEDGE and wisdom, there’s no way you will ever know where you are supposed to be. Get alone. Get quiet. Now, listen as God reveals to you the POSITION He has for you."
--Bishop T. D. Jakes, today on FBook, November 24, 2012
My Response:
"POSITIONING is a matter of strategy..."
I think, so many times, people tend to believe that, just the first six words here. It is our tendency to think, "Yes, it IS about strategy, and I must discern that strategy..." But when we read on, we realize that the strategy we must adopt is not our own, not even human; rather, the strategy we must discern is the will of God for our lives. I love this quote so much, because it is TRUE WISDOM. Yes, there is a strategy. But it has nothing to do with US, really--other than being a willing and obedient vessel. It's about HIM.
"...and this strategy requires you to listen to God's voice!"
Here is Bishop's real advice on discovering and/or adopting a "positioning strategy": Hear God! Do whatever you have to do to hear what He has to say. His strategy is the only strategy that will truly bring happiness and fulfillment. His strategy is the only one that will be found lasting, effective, eternally impactful. Anything we do on and in our own power will, at some point in time or another, be tossed aside, burned in the fire, marginalized, at best, as a "good intention." God knows what is best for us.
As humans, we don't like to give Him that credit. Not really. I speak all the time about how I, personally!, have trouble giving Him 100% control of my life. And, honestly, I struggle on a daily basis with how much of my life/decisions really is His. (Please...I know the answer. But it's hard for someone like me to acknowledge the fact that He wants to be heard in my lunchtime choices. It's incredible, really! And, if I'm being honest, there are days I have trouble grasping that!) But, and I've said this before...That's why it is important for Shirley Harrod Yandell to "die daily," time and again, however much is necessary so that my heart is available to God in each and every moment of my day--lunch or no lunch.
"Going off on your own will put you completely out of place and in a prime location for destruction."
This is something I don't really struggle with very much, if I'm being honest. I've witnessed too many people do this in my lifetime--and the results are almost always ruinous or "to-be-ruinous." But, many people--certainly many Bible characters!!!--tried to "take matters into their own hands," so to speak, or "force the hand of God." That's a dangerous game to play, a potentially brutal chance to take. But I think that the root of the problem here is, essentially, FEAR. Fear of letting God open the doors ("What if He doesn't?" "What if He forsakes me?") in His own time, even when it doesn't seem to match the "internal schedule" we believe is "right" for us.
But for me? The places God takes us are not places we could even survive on our own. I certainly don't want to march off into the angels/demons territory without Him and His "going before me," through the valley and wilderness ahead. What He calls us to do, when He calls us to do it, what lies ahead, is NOT POSSIBLE to manage without His help, His presence. I can promise you that at this point in my life, I am quite content to WAIT. Because I WILL RESPOND to God's command, when it comes--and I want to listen to Him to be as ready as possible for what lies ahead.
"Heed God’s voice."
When God speaks? We must not only respond, we must obey. To the letter. When it is time, nothing can stop the move of God. Nothing and no one. Whatever He says do, whatever He says say, we must do it. Our lives are depending on it, the lives and well-being of others are depending on it. The generations following us are depending on us to not only HEAR, but DO.
"Without His KNOWLEDGE and wisdom, there’s no way you will ever know where you are supposed to be. Get alone. Get quiet."
I am thinking of Henry David Thoreau's "Where I Lived and What I Lived For" essay, an excerpt from his book/experiment, WALDEN. In it, Thoreau gets away from this life, simplifying everything, to think about this life, what's truly important, what it's really about. What matters. It's important to get away and get rid of our normal, everyday distractions and "voices" so we can better Hear Him. He is speaking. He wishes to speak to us TODAY. But we must be in a position to listen to Him. To take the time to listen.
"Now, listen as God reveals to you the POSITION He has for you."
NOW...Right now, God longs to work in us, speak to us, reveal to us things about His plan, His Word, His direction for our lives--for the lives of all of the people on this planet. Right now, He is speaking.
What would we learn if we could only hear Him?
--Bishop T. D. Jakes, today on FBook, November 24, 2012
My Response:
"POSITIONING is a matter of strategy..."
I think, so many times, people tend to believe that, just the first six words here. It is our tendency to think, "Yes, it IS about strategy, and I must discern that strategy..." But when we read on, we realize that the strategy we must adopt is not our own, not even human; rather, the strategy we must discern is the will of God for our lives. I love this quote so much, because it is TRUE WISDOM. Yes, there is a strategy. But it has nothing to do with US, really--other than being a willing and obedient vessel. It's about HIM.
"...and this strategy requires you to listen to God's voice!"
Here is Bishop's real advice on discovering and/or adopting a "positioning strategy": Hear God! Do whatever you have to do to hear what He has to say. His strategy is the only strategy that will truly bring happiness and fulfillment. His strategy is the only one that will be found lasting, effective, eternally impactful. Anything we do on and in our own power will, at some point in time or another, be tossed aside, burned in the fire, marginalized, at best, as a "good intention." God knows what is best for us.
As humans, we don't like to give Him that credit. Not really. I speak all the time about how I, personally!, have trouble giving Him 100% control of my life. And, honestly, I struggle on a daily basis with how much of my life/decisions really is His. (Please...I know the answer. But it's hard for someone like me to acknowledge the fact that He wants to be heard in my lunchtime choices. It's incredible, really! And, if I'm being honest, there are days I have trouble grasping that!) But, and I've said this before...That's why it is important for Shirley Harrod Yandell to "die daily," time and again, however much is necessary so that my heart is available to God in each and every moment of my day--lunch or no lunch.
"Going off on your own will put you completely out of place and in a prime location for destruction."
This is something I don't really struggle with very much, if I'm being honest. I've witnessed too many people do this in my lifetime--and the results are almost always ruinous or "to-be-ruinous." But, many people--certainly many Bible characters!!!--tried to "take matters into their own hands," so to speak, or "force the hand of God." That's a dangerous game to play, a potentially brutal chance to take. But I think that the root of the problem here is, essentially, FEAR. Fear of letting God open the doors ("What if He doesn't?" "What if He forsakes me?") in His own time, even when it doesn't seem to match the "internal schedule" we believe is "right" for us.
But for me? The places God takes us are not places we could even survive on our own. I certainly don't want to march off into the angels/demons territory without Him and His "going before me," through the valley and wilderness ahead. What He calls us to do, when He calls us to do it, what lies ahead, is NOT POSSIBLE to manage without His help, His presence. I can promise you that at this point in my life, I am quite content to WAIT. Because I WILL RESPOND to God's command, when it comes--and I want to listen to Him to be as ready as possible for what lies ahead.
"Heed God’s voice."
When God speaks? We must not only respond, we must obey. To the letter. When it is time, nothing can stop the move of God. Nothing and no one. Whatever He says do, whatever He says say, we must do it. Our lives are depending on it, the lives and well-being of others are depending on it. The generations following us are depending on us to not only HEAR, but DO.
"Without His KNOWLEDGE and wisdom, there’s no way you will ever know where you are supposed to be. Get alone. Get quiet."
I am thinking of Henry David Thoreau's "Where I Lived and What I Lived For" essay, an excerpt from his book/experiment, WALDEN. In it, Thoreau gets away from this life, simplifying everything, to think about this life, what's truly important, what it's really about. What matters. It's important to get away and get rid of our normal, everyday distractions and "voices" so we can better Hear Him. He is speaking. He wishes to speak to us TODAY. But we must be in a position to listen to Him. To take the time to listen.
"Now, listen as God reveals to you the POSITION He has for you."
NOW...Right now, God longs to work in us, speak to us, reveal to us things about His plan, His Word, His direction for our lives--for the lives of all of the people on this planet. Right now, He is speaking.
What would we learn if we could only hear Him?
Monday, November 12, 2012
To The Uncertain Edge
"When God POSITIONS you, He has a way of putting you in a place where you have no choice but to move from the safe center to the uncertain edge of a new experience! Admittedly, you would avoid making the necessary changes or facing the edge if you could. It’s here that you learn the value of faith and fuel of prayer. Activate both as God POSITIONS you to face uncertainty." --Bishop T.D. Jakes Ministries on Facebook
Saturday, October 20, 2012
THE ADVOCATE
This morning, I am deeply moved by the thought that JESUS CHRIST IS OUR ADVOCATE.
As I worked in my devotion time from Isaiah 53:6, "We all have wandered away like sheep, each of us has gone his own way. But the Lord has put on him the punishment for all the evil we have done" [NCV], I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the idea that in all of my "wanderings," Christ was/is/will be there--begging God for me.
The entire idea of ADVOCACY came to my mind and spirit. Christ, our advocate.
First, I looked up its definition:
What is Advocacy? Dictionary.com defines it this way: "the act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending; active espousal."
Yes, He did that for me, continues to do that for me.
How do we know?
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." --I John 2:1 [KJV]
When I mess up, still, TODAY, tomorrow, He is there for me, the very One who paid a massive price for me, making intercession for me.
Ultimately, this ADVOCATE is also the One who paid a GREAT PRICE for me.
Shouldn't that have been enough? If it were me, or maybe even you, mightn't we be tempted to say, "Look, I paid the ultimate price for you. Isn't that enough?! That's all I had in me. You're on your own!" But, no, this Savior of ours, this Christ, CONTINUES to pay a price for us, continues to be an advocate for us!
I think, too, of Moses. He paid a great price--though not with his life--for the freedom of God's people. But once he freed them, they started griping. Instead of letting that experience make them incredibly more powerful children of the Most High God, it provoked them to become people of doubt, frustration, immaturity. And instead of leaving them all on their own in the desert, Moses pleaded with God not to smite them all. Why did he do that?!? You and I might have left them all to fend for themselves--ungrateful wretches...
Of course it's easy to forget that that's exactly where we ALL find ourselves today. Many times, by our actions, we might be described as "ungrateful wretches." Yet He continues to LOVE US, he continues to go to GOD on our behalf.
Hmm...
I don't know WHY He continues to have such love for us, such eternal patience, but this "wretch" is utterly and profoundly grateful for THE ADVOCATE.
As I worked in my devotion time from Isaiah 53:6, "We all have wandered away like sheep, each of us has gone his own way. But the Lord has put on him the punishment for all the evil we have done" [NCV], I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the idea that in all of my "wanderings," Christ was/is/will be there--begging God for me.
The entire idea of ADVOCACY came to my mind and spirit. Christ, our advocate.
First, I looked up its definition:
What is Advocacy? Dictionary.com defines it this way: "the act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending; active espousal."
Yes, He did that for me, continues to do that for me.
How do we know?
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." --I John 2:1 [KJV]
When I mess up, still, TODAY, tomorrow, He is there for me, the very One who paid a massive price for me, making intercession for me.
Ultimately, this ADVOCATE is also the One who paid a GREAT PRICE for me.
Shouldn't that have been enough? If it were me, or maybe even you, mightn't we be tempted to say, "Look, I paid the ultimate price for you. Isn't that enough?! That's all I had in me. You're on your own!" But, no, this Savior of ours, this Christ, CONTINUES to pay a price for us, continues to be an advocate for us!
I think, too, of Moses. He paid a great price--though not with his life--for the freedom of God's people. But once he freed them, they started griping. Instead of letting that experience make them incredibly more powerful children of the Most High God, it provoked them to become people of doubt, frustration, immaturity. And instead of leaving them all on their own in the desert, Moses pleaded with God not to smite them all. Why did he do that?!? You and I might have left them all to fend for themselves--ungrateful wretches...
Of course it's easy to forget that that's exactly where we ALL find ourselves today. Many times, by our actions, we might be described as "ungrateful wretches." Yet He continues to LOVE US, he continues to go to GOD on our behalf.
Hmm...
I don't know WHY He continues to have such love for us, such eternal patience, but this "wretch" is utterly and profoundly grateful for THE ADVOCATE.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
WE ARE ENGAGED--AGAIN!!!
I remember when Stephen and I started dating.
On our very first date, we got in my car and drove around for four solid hours, talking. We talked about EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING. Everything the magazines tell you NOT to talk about on a first date:
Why are you single?
Do you want kids?
Are you called to ministry?
How well acquainted are you with the Bible? With the Hymns?
How committed are you to missions?
What is your idea about politics?
We talked about it all. And during that date, there was a point when I wondered if he had read my Myspace (the social media site of choice back in those days!) backward and forward so he knew what I wanted to hear.
But I realized much of what he was saying was not even addressed on my Myspace page.
I know this sounds cliche, but...
We just clicked.
---------------------------------------------------
We met at the end of November. Didn't start dating seriously until Christmas. He asked me to marry him in February of the next year.
I can't express the feelings I had when he got down on one knee, center stage at the outdoor theatre at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and asked me to marry him.
Honestly, my mind was racing...I didn't hear much of what he said at all!
And then there was the pause after what I thought was, "Will you marry me?"
And I said, "Yes. Yes, of course!"
And that was that. We were engaged to be married!
---------------------------------------------------
Honestly, it was strange. I had waited in great anticipation of that moment, for him to ask me to marry him.
Even though it had only been three months, I just knew that HE WAS THE ONE. I just KNEW it was going to be him. What I didn't know was how long we would date, how long we would be engaged, when we would actually get married.
We had done all of the dating things people do: movies, coffee, late night phone calls, gifts, church visits, family visits, heart-to-heart conversations.
In February, he asked me to marry him, and I realized that we were going to be married soon--within the year.
---------------------------------------------------
I think I actually spent 10 or so minutes relishing the moment when he asked me to marry him.
Looking back, I think it's so odd how my mind went into overdrive. It was like IMMEDIATELY, I felt the need to plan the wedding, to get everything right! I don't know if that's a "woman thing to do," but it was really an overpowering instinct!
So I started preparing. Planning. Budgeting. Figuring. I could think of nothing else. Seriously.
-----------------------------------------------------
Why am I including this story in my "Beyond Project Gideon" blog?
Because when we learned where God was calling us in the next few years, when we were given DIRECTION for our dreams, our mission, our calling, it felt like I was getting engaged again.
We went from just thinking and day-dreaming about the dream and THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE to actually receiving direction for it, confirmation for the call. We went from phone calls and gifts and long conversations to the moment when the proposition is made and received and welcomed.
I felt ENGAGED--again.
So now, my head is spinning, not unlike after Stephen asked me to marry him.
What God has directed us to do will most certainly require a level of COMMITMENT not unlike that between Stephen and me.
So I begin preparing. Planning. Budgeting. Figuring.
It's coming, you know. It's on its way now.
On our very first date, we got in my car and drove around for four solid hours, talking. We talked about EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING. Everything the magazines tell you NOT to talk about on a first date:
Why are you single?
Do you want kids?
Are you called to ministry?
How well acquainted are you with the Bible? With the Hymns?
How committed are you to missions?
What is your idea about politics?
We talked about it all. And during that date, there was a point when I wondered if he had read my Myspace (the social media site of choice back in those days!) backward and forward so he knew what I wanted to hear.
But I realized much of what he was saying was not even addressed on my Myspace page.
I know this sounds cliche, but...
We just clicked.
---------------------------------------------------
We met at the end of November. Didn't start dating seriously until Christmas. He asked me to marry him in February of the next year.
I can't express the feelings I had when he got down on one knee, center stage at the outdoor theatre at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and asked me to marry him.
Honestly, my mind was racing...I didn't hear much of what he said at all!
And then there was the pause after what I thought was, "Will you marry me?"
And I said, "Yes. Yes, of course!"
And that was that. We were engaged to be married!
---------------------------------------------------
Honestly, it was strange. I had waited in great anticipation of that moment, for him to ask me to marry him.
Even though it had only been three months, I just knew that HE WAS THE ONE. I just KNEW it was going to be him. What I didn't know was how long we would date, how long we would be engaged, when we would actually get married.
We had done all of the dating things people do: movies, coffee, late night phone calls, gifts, church visits, family visits, heart-to-heart conversations.
In February, he asked me to marry him, and I realized that we were going to be married soon--within the year.
---------------------------------------------------
I think I actually spent 10 or so minutes relishing the moment when he asked me to marry him.
Looking back, I think it's so odd how my mind went into overdrive. It was like IMMEDIATELY, I felt the need to plan the wedding, to get everything right! I don't know if that's a "woman thing to do," but it was really an overpowering instinct!
So I started preparing. Planning. Budgeting. Figuring. I could think of nothing else. Seriously.
-----------------------------------------------------
Why am I including this story in my "Beyond Project Gideon" blog?
Because when we learned where God was calling us in the next few years, when we were given DIRECTION for our dreams, our mission, our calling, it felt like I was getting engaged again.
We went from just thinking and day-dreaming about the dream and THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE to actually receiving direction for it, confirmation for the call. We went from phone calls and gifts and long conversations to the moment when the proposition is made and received and welcomed.
I felt ENGAGED--again.
So now, my head is spinning, not unlike after Stephen asked me to marry him.
What God has directed us to do will most certainly require a level of COMMITMENT not unlike that between Stephen and me.
So I begin preparing. Planning. Budgeting. Figuring.
It's coming, you know. It's on its way now.
Ireland, It Is...
It's a long story. It really is.
But suffice it to say, for now, at least, that we have gotten direction for our Mission Trip 2013: We are heading to Ireland.
Yes, "WE." All three of us: Stephen, myself, and Psalm.
It' a miracle, really. Nothing short of a miracle.
----------------------------------------------------
There's so much more to say, but when I think about going back to Ireland next year, I can't help but think about those days this summer when we went to Ft. Smith and applied for our passports. And the day we received all three of them in the mail. Those days, for me, were days of "those moments": when you KNOW something BIG has just happened, but you don't know how to respond, exactly, because you know that this has LIFE-ALTERING IMPACT.
Yes, that's how this is.
But when I think of those days this summer, and realize, now, that we are really going, I think back to July 2011, when I was IN Ireland, working with the children at a church there, enjoying the services there, thinking how "at home" I felt there. I think of our travels around the beautiful hills and mountains in Ireland, the sea, the beaches, the beautiful GREEN LAND there, and how I longed--even back then--to return with Stephen and Psalm.
It was only a hope then. A dim hope.
Now, it is becoming reality. I can sense it, feel it. I know it is coming.
And though I do not know all that God has in store for us as a family, I am excited that we are going together, to this wonderful place, to serve Him.
It is, I must admit, overwhelming at times. Difficult to comprehend. Because the DREAM is within sight. This part of the DREAM is actually coming to fruition.
-----------------------------------------------------
Praise be to God, Creator of Heaven and Earth. Always and forever, Amen.
But suffice it to say, for now, at least, that we have gotten direction for our Mission Trip 2013: We are heading to Ireland.
Yes, "WE." All three of us: Stephen, myself, and Psalm.
It' a miracle, really. Nothing short of a miracle.
----------------------------------------------------
There's so much more to say, but when I think about going back to Ireland next year, I can't help but think about those days this summer when we went to Ft. Smith and applied for our passports. And the day we received all three of them in the mail. Those days, for me, were days of "those moments": when you KNOW something BIG has just happened, but you don't know how to respond, exactly, because you know that this has LIFE-ALTERING IMPACT.
Yes, that's how this is.
But when I think of those days this summer, and realize, now, that we are really going, I think back to July 2011, when I was IN Ireland, working with the children at a church there, enjoying the services there, thinking how "at home" I felt there. I think of our travels around the beautiful hills and mountains in Ireland, the sea, the beaches, the beautiful GREEN LAND there, and how I longed--even back then--to return with Stephen and Psalm.
It was only a hope then. A dim hope.
Now, it is becoming reality. I can sense it, feel it. I know it is coming.
And though I do not know all that God has in store for us as a family, I am excited that we are going together, to this wonderful place, to serve Him.
It is, I must admit, overwhelming at times. Difficult to comprehend. Because the DREAM is within sight. This part of the DREAM is actually coming to fruition.
-----------------------------------------------------
Praise be to God, Creator of Heaven and Earth. Always and forever, Amen.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Thoughts on Psalm 23:4
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." --Psalm 23:4
This was the verse God instructed me to read this morning during prayer time at my church.
YEA, THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY...
Sometimes we find ourselves walking through valleys: sometimes we wake up in one, not knowing how on earth we got there, and sometimes we are led to walk there, knowing from the start that God has brought us to the valley with a specific task or objective in mind.
Yes, we all walk here--in the valley.
The valley is a place of decision. It's tough walking there, and with every difficult step, we must make the decision to keep going or to stop. To stop or to lay down and die. Many people give up in the valley. Many people just aren't prepared for its hardship. The valley is a place of proving. It's a character-building place of opportunity.
Any kind of opportunity the valley affords will be costly.
One might lose their friends in the valley. There are too many "unknowns." Where will my next meal come from? Will I live to see tomorrow?
You've got to be strong just to survive walking in the valley. You may have to go toe-to-toe with some scary opponents--wild creatures or wild mankind. People come after you here. You've got to have backbone. You've got to be made of steel.
I remember, recently, hearing someone being described as a person of steel. That they had it in their eyes. Something about them was piercing, strong, unbendable. That's the kind of person that makes it through the valley.
It's important, when in the valley, to have the mindset going in that you are "going through" it. That this isn't the final resting place. That you will not be stranded here. It's important to get THROUGH the valley. On the other side, is the testimony of God's protection, provision, and blessing. It is the PROOF that if we walk with Him, we will make it through.
If you are going through a valley--and I don't care how LONG you have been going through it--I just want to encourage you to HOLD ON TO HIS HAND, to realize that the trials are TEMPORARY, that He is WITH YOU!!!
Just take one step at a time. Hold to His hand. He's there with you.
YEA,THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL...
No matter how frightening the valley looks or how intimidating, remember that as a CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, you DO NOT HAVE TO FEAR. Fear is a tool the enemy uses to get us to fall down, stop walking, stop attacking. The enemy of our souls wants us to give up, give in, be controlled by crazy fear.
But as children of the Most High God, we don't have to be afraid. NO MATTER HOW DARK THIS ROAD GETS, HOW MANY ENEMIES SURROUND YOU, YOUR LIFE IS IN GOD'S HANDS. WE CAN TRUST EVERY MOMENT TO HIM.
(I don't know why I'm addressing people directly right now, but I felt compelled to say that to "someone out there in cyberland" directly.)
...FOR THOU ART WITH ME; THY ROD AND THY STAFF THEY COMFORT ME.
He is with us. No matter what. He loves us, always, and walks with us each and every step of the way.
No matter how dark it gets, no matter how close to death, He walks with us. In every situation. He hears our heart's cry. He loves loves loves us. (He loves loves loves you.)
Forever, Amen.
This was the verse God instructed me to read this morning during prayer time at my church.
YEA, THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY...
Sometimes we find ourselves walking through valleys: sometimes we wake up in one, not knowing how on earth we got there, and sometimes we are led to walk there, knowing from the start that God has brought us to the valley with a specific task or objective in mind.
Yes, we all walk here--in the valley.
The valley is a place of decision. It's tough walking there, and with every difficult step, we must make the decision to keep going or to stop. To stop or to lay down and die. Many people give up in the valley. Many people just aren't prepared for its hardship. The valley is a place of proving. It's a character-building place of opportunity.
Any kind of opportunity the valley affords will be costly.
One might lose their friends in the valley. There are too many "unknowns." Where will my next meal come from? Will I live to see tomorrow?
You've got to be strong just to survive walking in the valley. You may have to go toe-to-toe with some scary opponents--wild creatures or wild mankind. People come after you here. You've got to have backbone. You've got to be made of steel.
I remember, recently, hearing someone being described as a person of steel. That they had it in their eyes. Something about them was piercing, strong, unbendable. That's the kind of person that makes it through the valley.
It's important, when in the valley, to have the mindset going in that you are "going through" it. That this isn't the final resting place. That you will not be stranded here. It's important to get THROUGH the valley. On the other side, is the testimony of God's protection, provision, and blessing. It is the PROOF that if we walk with Him, we will make it through.
If you are going through a valley--and I don't care how LONG you have been going through it--I just want to encourage you to HOLD ON TO HIS HAND, to realize that the trials are TEMPORARY, that He is WITH YOU!!!
Just take one step at a time. Hold to His hand. He's there with you.
YEA,THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL...
No matter how frightening the valley looks or how intimidating, remember that as a CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, you DO NOT HAVE TO FEAR. Fear is a tool the enemy uses to get us to fall down, stop walking, stop attacking. The enemy of our souls wants us to give up, give in, be controlled by crazy fear.
But as children of the Most High God, we don't have to be afraid. NO MATTER HOW DARK THIS ROAD GETS, HOW MANY ENEMIES SURROUND YOU, YOUR LIFE IS IN GOD'S HANDS. WE CAN TRUST EVERY MOMENT TO HIM.
(I don't know why I'm addressing people directly right now, but I felt compelled to say that to "someone out there in cyberland" directly.)
...FOR THOU ART WITH ME; THY ROD AND THY STAFF THEY COMFORT ME.
He is with us. No matter what. He loves us, always, and walks with us each and every step of the way.
No matter how dark it gets, no matter how close to death, He walks with us. In every situation. He hears our heart's cry. He loves loves loves us. (He loves loves loves you.)
Forever, Amen.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Project 68
"32% of the world's population is considered to be Christian."
--Mary Fairchild, "Christianity Today-General Statistics and Facts of Christianity"
So, nearly a third of the world is Christian, and this includes Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox Christians.
What of the other 68%?
I am interested in this statistic today, because it tells us that 2/3 of the world is NOT Christian, something other than Christian. This also tells me that Christians are a GLOBAL MINORITY.
Is anyone else alarmed by these numbers?!?
Project 68/Objectives:
1. To pray for the 68% of the global population that does not claim to know Christ.
2. To evangelize the 68% in whatever way God allows, by whatever means necessary.
3. To raise awareness amongst the 32% of those people claiming to be Christians on this planet.
4. To encourage cooperation and unity amongst the 32% of those people claiming to be Christians because we can accomplish so much more if we work together.
Project 68/Need Statement:
There is a need to pray.
There is a need to evangelize.
There is a need to raise awareness.
There is a need to cooperate in unity.
----------------------------------------------
I don't know if this "project" will ever become a reality, like a Movement, but if it does, I think it would wonderful if, each year, the theme matched the need. God willing, Project 50 2015, Project 33 2050, Project 15 2060, Project Completed 2100.
Sure, it seems a little bit crazy, even to me. Absolutely. On our own? Certainly, impossible.
But...
"With God, all things are possible." Matthew 19:26
So, who knows?
Shall we engage in a Movement then?
--Mary Fairchild, "Christianity Today-General Statistics and Facts of Christianity"
So, nearly a third of the world is Christian, and this includes Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox Christians.
What of the other 68%?
I am interested in this statistic today, because it tells us that 2/3 of the world is NOT Christian, something other than Christian. This also tells me that Christians are a GLOBAL MINORITY.
Is anyone else alarmed by these numbers?!?
Project 68/Objectives:
1. To pray for the 68% of the global population that does not claim to know Christ.
2. To evangelize the 68% in whatever way God allows, by whatever means necessary.
3. To raise awareness amongst the 32% of those people claiming to be Christians on this planet.
4. To encourage cooperation and unity amongst the 32% of those people claiming to be Christians because we can accomplish so much more if we work together.
Project 68/Need Statement:
There is a need to pray.
There is a need to evangelize.
There is a need to raise awareness.
There is a need to cooperate in unity.
----------------------------------------------
I don't know if this "project" will ever become a reality, like a Movement, but if it does, I think it would wonderful if, each year, the theme matched the need. God willing, Project 50 2015, Project 33 2050, Project 15 2060, Project Completed 2100.
Sure, it seems a little bit crazy, even to me. Absolutely. On our own? Certainly, impossible.
But...
"With God, all things are possible." Matthew 19:26
So, who knows?
Shall we engage in a Movement then?
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The Three I's
I have really been praying about where God is leading us to travel in the coming year. Now that Stephen, Psalm, and I have our passports, the reality of next year's travel is dawning upon us.
It's not just a far-off dream or plan anymore. This is reality. It's time to make sure I do my part in putting this plan into action!
Right now, we have received no direct leading in where we need to go together on a missions trip. But we have decided, if we do not hear something otherwise from the Lord, to choose from the following destinations: Israel, Ireland, or Italy.
We are interested in going to Israel because it is where our Lord spent his time and ministry on this earth. We believe it is VERY IMPORTANT to go to Israel, if God leads and allows, in the coming years. We just aren't sure WHICH year we are supposed to go.
We are interested in Ireland because I went there last year and felt a REAL drawing to go back, to return, to invest in the lives of people there, to pray for the Christian churches there. And it's beautiful. I want Stephen and Psalm to get to see Ireland, feel it, experience the warmth of its beautiful people and culture. I cannot wait to return!
We want to go to Italy to see the Vatican, the artwork, the culture of the world's largest Christian church. We want to meet its people, get a feel for the culture. It is a great hope of mine to get to attend a mass at the Vatican, perhaps even with the Pope presiding. What a great honor and experience that would be. I have a GROWING & INTENSIFYING burden for the GLOBAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH, and the CATHOLIC CHURCH is a part of that burden. I want to go and PRAY for the Catholic Church and its people, that we all will be UNITED in our efforts to spread the Gospel on this planet before Christ comes again to get us!
Sunday after church, I gave Stephen and myself a paper and we wrote our Top 3 List of where we think we need to go next year, as a family.
Stephen's reply;
1. Israel
2. Italy
3. Ireland
My reply:
1. Ireland
2. Italy
3. Israel
All three responses started with the letter I, so I've been calling our next destination, "One of the three I's."
Because our lists were EXACTLY the opposite, we said we are leaning toward Italy, since we both chose it as our second option.
Ultimately, though, we will go where God leads us. If we do not hear specifically from him to go elsewhere or serve in another capacity, we will most likely be journeying to ONE OF THE THREE I'S.
AMEN.
It's not just a far-off dream or plan anymore. This is reality. It's time to make sure I do my part in putting this plan into action!
Right now, we have received no direct leading in where we need to go together on a missions trip. But we have decided, if we do not hear something otherwise from the Lord, to choose from the following destinations: Israel, Ireland, or Italy.
We are interested in going to Israel because it is where our Lord spent his time and ministry on this earth. We believe it is VERY IMPORTANT to go to Israel, if God leads and allows, in the coming years. We just aren't sure WHICH year we are supposed to go.
We are interested in Ireland because I went there last year and felt a REAL drawing to go back, to return, to invest in the lives of people there, to pray for the Christian churches there. And it's beautiful. I want Stephen and Psalm to get to see Ireland, feel it, experience the warmth of its beautiful people and culture. I cannot wait to return!
We want to go to Italy to see the Vatican, the artwork, the culture of the world's largest Christian church. We want to meet its people, get a feel for the culture. It is a great hope of mine to get to attend a mass at the Vatican, perhaps even with the Pope presiding. What a great honor and experience that would be. I have a GROWING & INTENSIFYING burden for the GLOBAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH, and the CATHOLIC CHURCH is a part of that burden. I want to go and PRAY for the Catholic Church and its people, that we all will be UNITED in our efforts to spread the Gospel on this planet before Christ comes again to get us!
Sunday after church, I gave Stephen and myself a paper and we wrote our Top 3 List of where we think we need to go next year, as a family.
Stephen's reply;
1. Israel
2. Italy
3. Ireland
My reply:
1. Ireland
2. Italy
3. Israel
All three responses started with the letter I, so I've been calling our next destination, "One of the three I's."
Because our lists were EXACTLY the opposite, we said we are leaning toward Italy, since we both chose it as our second option.
Ultimately, though, we will go where God leads us. If we do not hear specifically from him to go elsewhere or serve in another capacity, we will most likely be journeying to ONE OF THE THREE I'S.
AMEN.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Our Priority Mail
WE GOT OUR PASSPORTS IN THE MAIL TODAY!!!!!!!
When I got home and checked the mail, I saw three Priority Mail envelopes from the United States Postal Service.
At first, I didn't realize...
I looked at the return address: "U.S. Government Official Mail." Still, I wasn't processing...
And then I noticed, in the bulk of mail that we had received, that we had THREE OF THE SAME ENVELOPES.
"PASSPORTS!!! IT'S GOTTA BE OUR PASSPORTS!!!"
I screamed out loud at the mailbox, so loudly that Stephen and Allie came out, thinking that I had seen a snake.
"OUR PROMISE IS HERE!" I yelled. "OUR PASSPORTS CAME IN THE MAIL!!!"
Psalm was excited, as excited as I, it seemed, "excited about being excited."
Stephen shrugged.
------------------------------------------------------------
Again, today, something happened in my spirit. A spiritual marker just went down.
I can feel my heart soaring. Literally. I KNOW that something has just happened. Something BIG.
Maybe no one feels it like I do. Maybe no one else is as excited as I....
But this is a DREAM COME TRUE!!! One more PROMISE that has been fulfilled!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Prayer:
"Lord, O Wonderful Lord! I am sooooo overwhelmed with joy right now, so taken aback by the promises coming to pass! I feel one more step closer to whatever it is You have in store, the next step, the next Puzzle Piece. THANK YOU for having mercy on me. THANK YOU for loving me enough to put this dream in my heart, and for letting me see part of the dream come to pass today.
"I don't know what You have designed for me, for my family, but I pray that You will revive us, renew us, prepare us for what lies ahead. Please, O Lord, help my family to SHARE THE VISION and THE HEART you have given me for Your Global Church. And help me to have the COURAGE to go forward and do what You have called me to do.
"In Jesus' Name, I pray,
Shirley Harrod Yandell."
When I got home and checked the mail, I saw three Priority Mail envelopes from the United States Postal Service.
At first, I didn't realize...
I looked at the return address: "U.S. Government Official Mail." Still, I wasn't processing...
And then I noticed, in the bulk of mail that we had received, that we had THREE OF THE SAME ENVELOPES.
"PASSPORTS!!! IT'S GOTTA BE OUR PASSPORTS!!!"
I screamed out loud at the mailbox, so loudly that Stephen and Allie came out, thinking that I had seen a snake.
"OUR PROMISE IS HERE!" I yelled. "OUR PASSPORTS CAME IN THE MAIL!!!"
Psalm was excited, as excited as I, it seemed, "excited about being excited."
Stephen shrugged.
------------------------------------------------------------
Again, today, something happened in my spirit. A spiritual marker just went down.
I can feel my heart soaring. Literally. I KNOW that something has just happened. Something BIG.
Maybe no one feels it like I do. Maybe no one else is as excited as I....
But this is a DREAM COME TRUE!!! One more PROMISE that has been fulfilled!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Prayer:
"Lord, O Wonderful Lord! I am sooooo overwhelmed with joy right now, so taken aback by the promises coming to pass! I feel one more step closer to whatever it is You have in store, the next step, the next Puzzle Piece. THANK YOU for having mercy on me. THANK YOU for loving me enough to put this dream in my heart, and for letting me see part of the dream come to pass today.
"I don't know what You have designed for me, for my family, but I pray that You will revive us, renew us, prepare us for what lies ahead. Please, O Lord, help my family to SHARE THE VISION and THE HEART you have given me for Your Global Church. And help me to have the COURAGE to go forward and do what You have called me to do.
"In Jesus' Name, I pray,
Shirley Harrod Yandell."
Monday, July 9, 2012
Magnality
Where we will go, Lord?
Who we will meet?
What will we say, Lord?
(Your hands and feet.)
One step closer to you, Lord,
To your will and to your plan;
Through good and through bad, we march, Lord,
Because you've promised that we can.
Ups and downs await us, Lord,
But we welcome what may come;
We know you will not leave us, Lord,
And Your Will, will be done.
We trust you for our futures, Lord,
We trust you know what's best;
And we will march when you say march,
For you will take care of the rest.
--------------------------------------------
Mag*nal"i*ty\, n. [L. magnalis mighty, fr. magnus great.] A great act or event; a great attainment. [Obs.] --Sir T. Browne. (from dictionary.com)
Who we will meet?
What will we say, Lord?
(Your hands and feet.)
One step closer to you, Lord,
To your will and to your plan;
Through good and through bad, we march, Lord,
Because you've promised that we can.
Ups and downs await us, Lord,
But we welcome what may come;
We know you will not leave us, Lord,
And Your Will, will be done.
We trust you for our futures, Lord,
We trust you know what's best;
And we will march when you say march,
For you will take care of the rest.
--------------------------------------------
Mag*nal"i*ty\, n. [L. magnalis mighty, fr. magnus great.] A great act or event; a great attainment. [Obs.] --Sir T. Browne. (from dictionary.com)
This Day [Not] Like Any Other
This day began like any other ordinary summer day. I woke up, straightened the house, figured bills for the rest of the summer, and wrote out my lengthy "To Do" list. I thought I knew what kind of day it was going to be.
After all, I had it all recorded in a bullet list on the back of an envelope.
Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I noticed the pile of passport applications sitting in the living room by the stereo.
"I wonder..." I thought.
I got out all of the paperwork and started assembling all of the necessary documents that I knew I needed to have in order to apply officially for the passports.
"I have everything...?!?"
Passport applications. Official birth certificates. Social Security cards. Drivers Licenses. Yes. I had it all.
"Stephen," I said, looking up at my husband. "Do you think we can run into Ft. Smith today to get our passports? I think we have everything."
"I guess so," he said. "We need to go to Sam's anyway."
By mid-morning, I realized that this day could NOT be like any other day.
Sure, everyone acted normally. The girls were playing and fussing and laughing and pestering one another, just like always. It had started to rain outside and Stephen had a headache. I started getting ready, wondering if we were going to leave in time, if this was really meant to happen "today."
No one would be able to tell by looking at us that something spectacular was about to happen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just after 3 p.m. today, at a post office in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Stephen, Psalm and I purchased our U.S. passports.
Although there were no loud celebratory exclamations by USPS staff our my own family, and no one around us seemed to notice us, let alone the importance our purchase, I was aware of a knowledge deep within me:
A Spiritual Marker had been placed.
A Vision had been realized.
A Promise had been fulfilled.
The Future looked brighter.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In about 4-6 weeks, God willing, I will have my passport; Stephen will have his passport; and Psalmie will have her passport.
And then, as a family, we will be ready to go WHEREVER God calls us.
There is no going back now.
(I am trembling, I am so excited.)
After all, I had it all recorded in a bullet list on the back of an envelope.
Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I noticed the pile of passport applications sitting in the living room by the stereo.
"I wonder..." I thought.
I got out all of the paperwork and started assembling all of the necessary documents that I knew I needed to have in order to apply officially for the passports.
"I have everything...?!?"
Passport applications. Official birth certificates. Social Security cards. Drivers Licenses. Yes. I had it all.
"Stephen," I said, looking up at my husband. "Do you think we can run into Ft. Smith today to get our passports? I think we have everything."
"I guess so," he said. "We need to go to Sam's anyway."
By mid-morning, I realized that this day could NOT be like any other day.
Sure, everyone acted normally. The girls were playing and fussing and laughing and pestering one another, just like always. It had started to rain outside and Stephen had a headache. I started getting ready, wondering if we were going to leave in time, if this was really meant to happen "today."
No one would be able to tell by looking at us that something spectacular was about to happen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just after 3 p.m. today, at a post office in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Stephen, Psalm and I purchased our U.S. passports.
Although there were no loud celebratory exclamations by USPS staff our my own family, and no one around us seemed to notice us, let alone the importance our purchase, I was aware of a knowledge deep within me:
A Spiritual Marker had been placed.
A Vision had been realized.
A Promise had been fulfilled.
The Future looked brighter.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In about 4-6 weeks, God willing, I will have my passport; Stephen will have his passport; and Psalmie will have her passport.
And then, as a family, we will be ready to go WHEREVER God calls us.
There is no going back now.
(I am trembling, I am so excited.)
Friday, July 6, 2012
Project Gideon 2013
It's official: We're going to Project Gideon 2013!!!
-----------------------------------------------------
I am totally excited...Again!!!
I cannot attempt to express what the 2012 conference did to this soul. Only God knew how desperately I needed the instruction, the prayer, the anointing.
After we received the confirmation that we would be attending next year's conference, Stephen and I started reminiscing about its lasting effect on our lives.
"I was so in need of that. My spirit needed it," I said to him.
He agreed.
"It was like water to my soul," I said.
And then I thought of her. The woman at the well. You know, the infamous Samaritan woman of John, chapter 4?
I found myself blurting out, "Is this what happened with the woman at the well? Is this what Jesus was saying to her? Is that what she felt like, in that moment?"
This woman no one gave any mind to--save to discount or slander her, I'm sure--was probably worn out that day, filling and lifting heavy water containers and transporting them in the hot sun. She'd half given up on life and love and religion, though she apparently maintained that whole "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again" philosophy. And there she was, just putting one foot in front of the other, doing what she knew to do, until she ran into Him.
John 4:13-15: Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water [from the well] will be thirsty again, / but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” / The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
What happened at Project Gideon for me, for Stephen, was something similar. God moved through that conference, filling us with His Spirit in a way that has somehow changed our core. Unlike many "experiences," this one has not subsided or "worn off." The instruction, the prayer, the anointing has only intensified.
What will God impart at the well to this girl in 2013?
I'm prayerfully anticipating every move of God's Spirit.
-----------------------------------------------------
I am totally excited...Again!!!
I cannot attempt to express what the 2012 conference did to this soul. Only God knew how desperately I needed the instruction, the prayer, the anointing.
After we received the confirmation that we would be attending next year's conference, Stephen and I started reminiscing about its lasting effect on our lives.
"I was so in need of that. My spirit needed it," I said to him.
He agreed.
"It was like water to my soul," I said.
And then I thought of her. The woman at the well. You know, the infamous Samaritan woman of John, chapter 4?
I found myself blurting out, "Is this what happened with the woman at the well? Is this what Jesus was saying to her? Is that what she felt like, in that moment?"
This woman no one gave any mind to--save to discount or slander her, I'm sure--was probably worn out that day, filling and lifting heavy water containers and transporting them in the hot sun. She'd half given up on life and love and religion, though she apparently maintained that whole "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again" philosophy. And there she was, just putting one foot in front of the other, doing what she knew to do, until she ran into Him.
John 4:13-15: Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water [from the well] will be thirsty again, / but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” / The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
What happened at Project Gideon for me, for Stephen, was something similar. God moved through that conference, filling us with His Spirit in a way that has somehow changed our core. Unlike many "experiences," this one has not subsided or "worn off." The instruction, the prayer, the anointing has only intensified.
What will God impart at the well to this girl in 2013?
I'm prayerfully anticipating every move of God's Spirit.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Anointed / Appointed?
"You may be anointed for a level, but not yet appointed to that level. God will transform you into that which He’s appointed you BEFORE you occupy that position. Wait on God’s transformation."
--T.D. Jakes Ministries on Facebook, July 3
I love this quote.
This morning, as I sit here reading and re-reading it, I can't help but wonder:
God, what have you anointed me to do that I have not yet been appointed to do?
(What have I not yet been anointed to do that you will anoint me for?) or (What have I been anointed for that I've forgotten or just don't realize?)
Am I supposed to know this ahead of time?
I don't really sit around and think about what God's anointed me or appointed me to do. (Should I?)
When I think of the young man David, who got called out of his pasture and awkwardly brought in to be seen of the Prophet, in front of his brothers and father, then doused with olive oil and declared Anointed Servant of God, and then sent back outside in the hot sun to continue the same job he had, working with the sheep, I think, "Um...., I wonder what HE thought about being anointed and appointed...?!?"
But the thing about THAT David...the David in the pasture, sitting there NOT watching His sheep for those long moments afterward, rather wiping the smooth parts of his eyes and mouth and skin where all of that oil HAD been, had poured over him, from head to floor...is that despite that supernatural Moment of Anointing, he just went out afterward and kept doing what he knew to do.
"He kept doing what he knew to do." I can relate to that.
--T.D. Jakes Ministries on Facebook, July 3
I love this quote.
This morning, as I sit here reading and re-reading it, I can't help but wonder:
God, what have you anointed me to do that I have not yet been appointed to do?
(What have I not yet been anointed to do that you will anoint me for?) or (What have I been anointed for that I've forgotten or just don't realize?)
Am I supposed to know this ahead of time?
I don't really sit around and think about what God's anointed me or appointed me to do. (Should I?)
When I think of the young man David, who got called out of his pasture and awkwardly brought in to be seen of the Prophet, in front of his brothers and father, then doused with olive oil and declared Anointed Servant of God, and then sent back outside in the hot sun to continue the same job he had, working with the sheep, I think, "Um...., I wonder what HE thought about being anointed and appointed...?!?"
But the thing about THAT David...the David in the pasture, sitting there NOT watching His sheep for those long moments afterward, rather wiping the smooth parts of his eyes and mouth and skin where all of that oil HAD been, had poured over him, from head to floor...is that despite that supernatural Moment of Anointing, he just went out afterward and kept doing what he knew to do.
"He kept doing what he knew to do." I can relate to that.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Quote to Ponder
"If you can’t control what you think, you will not be able to control what you do."
--Joyce Meyer, today on Facebook
I like this. I don't think there's a person alive who doesn't struggle with this at some point in time or with some area or another. It's not easy to "control" what you think all of the time. Especially when you're mentally, physically, and emotionally tried and/or exhausted. Or when it just feels like you're in the midst of a seemingly everlasting spiritual battle. It's not easy.
But what I'm finding to be true--and what I'm still in the process of learning--is how to control everyday thoughts. For me, it's the negative thoughts that tend to try to get into my mind and spirit. They tend to do the most damage and are the most difficult to expel.
When they come, these negative attacks of thought, I don't always feel prepared to deal with them. But I know that I must "take control," as Joyce Meyer says here. I must learn how to "swat them away" before they can do major damage.
As I have thought about this, a very strong visual image came to mind.
---------------------------------------------------------
One visual image that comes to mind is of a tennis player holding a racket, swinging when the tennis ball gets sent over the net.
Sometimes, the tennis ball gets lobbed over by someone who is not bent on knocking you to the ground. It's almost a "non-threatening" lob over. And, usually, it's those tennis ball returns that we make that can help us learn how to return the ball, how to practice. We can learn how to hit back, how to aim. During this time, we can improve our posture, our stance, altering the way we hold the racket, even, if necessary, so we learn to be more effective.
We can't get better until we learn to work on this level. We can't be properly prepared for a real match, a tough match, a competitive match, until we've tweaked these things at the lower level.
Because, without this experience, we'd be out-matched and in over our heads in an instant in a real, gritty match.
I suppose there are those action-hungry people out there who think the "casual lob-over" too simplistic for them. I suppose they just stand there and watch (or not) as the tennis ball hits nearer and nearer them and they fail to respond...because it's just not interesting enough, important enough, critical enough.
But there will be times when that tennis ball comes over at an alarming rate--with intent to harm, so to speak. And sometimes that tennis ball can come over and whack you hard--whether you were ready or not, expecting or not--leaving a welt that you deal with for some time, for days, even. You may take it personally, get the sense that the person sending it over is intent in knocking you down.
He is.
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We must get to the point where we realize that everyday life is a potential training ground for what's to come. We can not afford to waste this valuable time by standing idly by, enjoying the "lazy days" we seem blessed by.
We must be preparing, each day, for the inevitable match to come.
And we must understand that no match is easily won. There will be sacrifice, pain, and a real effort made...or we will never experience true victory.
--Joyce Meyer, today on Facebook
I like this. I don't think there's a person alive who doesn't struggle with this at some point in time or with some area or another. It's not easy to "control" what you think all of the time. Especially when you're mentally, physically, and emotionally tried and/or exhausted. Or when it just feels like you're in the midst of a seemingly everlasting spiritual battle. It's not easy.
But what I'm finding to be true--and what I'm still in the process of learning--is how to control everyday thoughts. For me, it's the negative thoughts that tend to try to get into my mind and spirit. They tend to do the most damage and are the most difficult to expel.
When they come, these negative attacks of thought, I don't always feel prepared to deal with them. But I know that I must "take control," as Joyce Meyer says here. I must learn how to "swat them away" before they can do major damage.
As I have thought about this, a very strong visual image came to mind.
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One visual image that comes to mind is of a tennis player holding a racket, swinging when the tennis ball gets sent over the net.
Sometimes, the tennis ball gets lobbed over by someone who is not bent on knocking you to the ground. It's almost a "non-threatening" lob over. And, usually, it's those tennis ball returns that we make that can help us learn how to return the ball, how to practice. We can learn how to hit back, how to aim. During this time, we can improve our posture, our stance, altering the way we hold the racket, even, if necessary, so we learn to be more effective.
We can't get better until we learn to work on this level. We can't be properly prepared for a real match, a tough match, a competitive match, until we've tweaked these things at the lower level.
Because, without this experience, we'd be out-matched and in over our heads in an instant in a real, gritty match.
I suppose there are those action-hungry people out there who think the "casual lob-over" too simplistic for them. I suppose they just stand there and watch (or not) as the tennis ball hits nearer and nearer them and they fail to respond...because it's just not interesting enough, important enough, critical enough.
But there will be times when that tennis ball comes over at an alarming rate--with intent to harm, so to speak. And sometimes that tennis ball can come over and whack you hard--whether you were ready or not, expecting or not--leaving a welt that you deal with for some time, for days, even. You may take it personally, get the sense that the person sending it over is intent in knocking you down.
He is.
-----------------------------------------------------
We must get to the point where we realize that everyday life is a potential training ground for what's to come. We can not afford to waste this valuable time by standing idly by, enjoying the "lazy days" we seem blessed by.
We must be preparing, each day, for the inevitable match to come.
And we must understand that no match is easily won. There will be sacrifice, pain, and a real effort made...or we will never experience true victory.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Prophesying the Future
"If you want to know where you are going to be five years from now, listen to your words. You are prophesying your future." --Joel Osteen, on Facebook.
So I "shared" the remark on Facebook and added that I wanted to visit Joel's church, meet him and chat with him, and added T.D. Jakes and Tyler Perry, since I was starting a list. (And then I added that my husband, Stephen Yandell and my spiritual brother, Aaron Williams, must be with me or I would never hear the end of it!)
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But, seriously, what ARE my words saying about where I'll be in five years?!?!
This makes me take serious inventory of the words coming out of my mouth. If what happens in five years IS what happens, where will I be? What will I be doing?
So I "shared" the remark on Facebook and added that I wanted to visit Joel's church, meet him and chat with him, and added T.D. Jakes and Tyler Perry, since I was starting a list. (And then I added that my husband, Stephen Yandell and my spiritual brother, Aaron Williams, must be with me or I would never hear the end of it!)
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But, seriously, what ARE my words saying about where I'll be in five years?!?!
This makes me take serious inventory of the words coming out of my mouth. If what happens in five years IS what happens, where will I be? What will I be doing?
Friday, June 8, 2012
I Will Listen
I will listen, Lord.
I will hear you out.
What you say to do, I will do my best to do.
When you tell me to halt, I will halt.
I can hear you--something--telling me there is more.
You know that I know that you know my fears,
So I will not pretend to hide them from you...
But I will ask for courage, and wisdom, and strength.
To hear you as rightly as possible with these ears,
To stand as strong as I can on these frail legs,
To put one foot in front of the other,
I will do this, only with your help.
So I open my ears to you,
Close my eyes and stand very still,
Waiting for your command...
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Shhhhhhhhhh...I'm listening...
I will hear you out.
What you say to do, I will do my best to do.
When you tell me to halt, I will halt.
I can hear you--something--telling me there is more.
You know that I know that you know my fears,
So I will not pretend to hide them from you...
But I will ask for courage, and wisdom, and strength.
To hear you as rightly as possible with these ears,
To stand as strong as I can on these frail legs,
To put one foot in front of the other,
I will do this, only with your help.
So I open my ears to you,
Close my eyes and stand very still,
Waiting for your command...
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Shhhhhhhhhh...I'm listening...
Divine Meeting at the Rangers Game
--This post is currently under construction--
It was a good game, it really was, the Rangers Game on May 26, 2012. They went for thirteen innings and Josh Hamilton hit a homerun in the last inning--apparently, he was severely ill and could barely see to hit the ball, they would say later on the news--to close the ball game against Toronto with a win.
I'm amazed, I must say, that I remember those details. Oh, how marriage has changed me! :)
All of us were there--with two bus loads of people from the church--to see the game. Stephen, myself, Allie, Raylee, and Psalm caravanned down behind his parents--his brother and future sis-in-law would meet us there. We got great tickets, the ones which come with the unlimited buffet and drinks! So worth the extra money--no doubt about it.
We were excited.
But when we walked, with great effort, down to our seats, holding children and trays full of food (not to mention the drinks!), I realized that I would be unable to stay. Stephen had not purchased an individual seat for Psalm; she was supposed to sit on someone's lap. Mine. Although I walked down to the seating and actually sat down, I realized in a millisecond that I would not be staying. There was no room.
So I got sissy and led her by the hand all the way back to the top, where the few seats in the air-conditioned buffet were. I knew from our last game visit that that seating was few and far between, so I mentally started praying with every step I took.
God, you see me. I'm not trying to be difficult. I just really don't want to be miserable for the next three hours. Please help me. Please....
The only way I was getting a seat was if God opened one up for us.
We entered the room and walked just half-way through before I stopped to ask a couple of ladies if we could join them, just Psalm and I. They were extremely gracious--it was just them, two friends watching a ball game--and allowed us to sit.
Within five minutes, we had begun a conversation that would last two hours. At the conclusion of the conversation--when they both had to leave--we exchanged information and hugs and promised to get in touch when and if I got the chance to get to Dallas again.
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I do not feel as if I have the liberty to discuss the spiritual impact of this meeting and conversation at this time, but I can say that it was obvious to all of us that it was a DIVINE MEETING. There was no doubt in any of our minds that we all were supposed to meet, connect, and exchange dialogue and information.
I have posted this on the Project Gideon blog for a very specific reason. This meeting has something to do with my destiny. I feel it. I know it, down deep, somewhere. It's like I was given a huge puzzle piece--not knowing where or when or what--but KNOWING that it's something that I'm supposed to pay attention to, closely, right now, at this moment.
It was a good game, it really was, the Rangers Game on May 26, 2012. They went for thirteen innings and Josh Hamilton hit a homerun in the last inning--apparently, he was severely ill and could barely see to hit the ball, they would say later on the news--to close the ball game against Toronto with a win.
I'm amazed, I must say, that I remember those details. Oh, how marriage has changed me! :)
All of us were there--with two bus loads of people from the church--to see the game. Stephen, myself, Allie, Raylee, and Psalm caravanned down behind his parents--his brother and future sis-in-law would meet us there. We got great tickets, the ones which come with the unlimited buffet and drinks! So worth the extra money--no doubt about it.
We were excited.
But when we walked, with great effort, down to our seats, holding children and trays full of food (not to mention the drinks!), I realized that I would be unable to stay. Stephen had not purchased an individual seat for Psalm; she was supposed to sit on someone's lap. Mine. Although I walked down to the seating and actually sat down, I realized in a millisecond that I would not be staying. There was no room.
So I got sissy and led her by the hand all the way back to the top, where the few seats in the air-conditioned buffet were. I knew from our last game visit that that seating was few and far between, so I mentally started praying with every step I took.
God, you see me. I'm not trying to be difficult. I just really don't want to be miserable for the next three hours. Please help me. Please....
The only way I was getting a seat was if God opened one up for us.
We entered the room and walked just half-way through before I stopped to ask a couple of ladies if we could join them, just Psalm and I. They were extremely gracious--it was just them, two friends watching a ball game--and allowed us to sit.
Within five minutes, we had begun a conversation that would last two hours. At the conclusion of the conversation--when they both had to leave--we exchanged information and hugs and promised to get in touch when and if I got the chance to get to Dallas again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I do not feel as if I have the liberty to discuss the spiritual impact of this meeting and conversation at this time, but I can say that it was obvious to all of us that it was a DIVINE MEETING. There was no doubt in any of our minds that we all were supposed to meet, connect, and exchange dialogue and information.
I have posted this on the Project Gideon blog for a very specific reason. This meeting has something to do with my destiny. I feel it. I know it, down deep, somewhere. It's like I was given a huge puzzle piece--not knowing where or when or what--but KNOWING that it's something that I'm supposed to pay attention to, closely, right now, at this moment.
Friday, May 25, 2012
V.I.P. Me--Whaaaat?!
Tomorrow, we leave early for Dallas to see the Rangers baseball game at 2 p.m. We stay the night there in Dallas and then fly out for Florida, for a week, at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday.
So...as always, when it finally sinks in what time we're leaving, and that we might actually have a chance to attend The Potters House, my mind starts reeling! Is it possible? Might we be able to?
I send an email to a wonderful contact we made during Project Gideon. "Will Bishop Jakes be there on that Sunday?" That's all I asked.
The response that I got was UNBELIEVABLE.
Yes, he's scheduled to be here--if nothing happens.
I will get you V.I.P. passes for parking and seating.
WHAAAAT?!
I was, honestly, a bit shocked. I don't think I've EVER been classified, EVER, as a V.I.P. We are struggling teachers, lower (LOWER!) middle class people, we barely scrape by at the end of each month TO BUY ENOUGH GAS TO MAKE IT TO PAYDAY.
I wanted to respond:
Um, V.I.P.?!? I think you've got the wrong people, friend. We're not V.I.P.'s. No offense, Holy Spirit (I could already hear him speaking in my ear), but I'm no V.I.....(Should I say it? Think it? Speak it out loud? Does it invalidate something if I declare myself "NO V.I.P."? But don't I need to, at the very least, tell her who we are, that there must be some mistake???) I mean, seriously. I don't need special parking, special seats. What about all of the other people there? What if they REALLY WANTED or NEEDED what was being offered to me...I don't deserve it!!! And I'm not even sure how "Christian" it is, in the truest sense of the word, it would be to accept!!!
I called my mom, as I almost ALWAYS DO when unbelievable things happen in my life, and I told her what had transpired.
"It's the Favor of God," she said, declaratively.
"Oh, I know, Momma." I said, almost out of breath. "It's GOT to be!!!"
"Sis, sometimes we get so used to dodging bullets that we don't realize that the Promises and Favor of God are there, all along."
I knew she was right.
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And, even now, as the Holy Spirit continues to speak to me about this matter, I realize that as unbelievable this blessing is, there was an even more unbelievable moment when He Saved Me.
Jesus Saved Me, Made Me a Citizen of His Kingdom, and God Almighty Adopted Me right at that moment into a Global Family I was undeserving of. From that very moment, he started Healing me, my spirit, my past, my brokenness, and He grabbed my hand and we started walking, together, the hills and valleys of this life.
Sounds like a V.I.P. to me...Not of myself. NOTHING of myself!!! On my own, I am the BIGGEST NOBODY THAT EVER EXISTED. No, I'm no V.I.P. on my own...It's because of Him. The One who grabbed my hand, the One who walks with me, stands by me, the One who "speaks in my ear"..."YOU'RE A CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, V.I.P."
All Glory be to Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father Forever. Amen.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
So...as always, when it finally sinks in what time we're leaving, and that we might actually have a chance to attend The Potters House, my mind starts reeling! Is it possible? Might we be able to?
I send an email to a wonderful contact we made during Project Gideon. "Will Bishop Jakes be there on that Sunday?" That's all I asked.
The response that I got was UNBELIEVABLE.
Yes, he's scheduled to be here--if nothing happens.
I will get you V.I.P. passes for parking and seating.
WHAAAAT?!
I was, honestly, a bit shocked. I don't think I've EVER been classified, EVER, as a V.I.P. We are struggling teachers, lower (LOWER!) middle class people, we barely scrape by at the end of each month TO BUY ENOUGH GAS TO MAKE IT TO PAYDAY.
I wanted to respond:
Um, V.I.P.?!? I think you've got the wrong people, friend. We're not V.I.P.'s. No offense, Holy Spirit (I could already hear him speaking in my ear), but I'm no V.I.....(Should I say it? Think it? Speak it out loud? Does it invalidate something if I declare myself "NO V.I.P."? But don't I need to, at the very least, tell her who we are, that there must be some mistake???) I mean, seriously. I don't need special parking, special seats. What about all of the other people there? What if they REALLY WANTED or NEEDED what was being offered to me...I don't deserve it!!! And I'm not even sure how "Christian" it is, in the truest sense of the word, it would be to accept!!!
I called my mom, as I almost ALWAYS DO when unbelievable things happen in my life, and I told her what had transpired.
"It's the Favor of God," she said, declaratively.
"Oh, I know, Momma." I said, almost out of breath. "It's GOT to be!!!"
"Sis, sometimes we get so used to dodging bullets that we don't realize that the Promises and Favor of God are there, all along."
I knew she was right.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And, even now, as the Holy Spirit continues to speak to me about this matter, I realize that as unbelievable this blessing is, there was an even more unbelievable moment when He Saved Me.
Jesus Saved Me, Made Me a Citizen of His Kingdom, and God Almighty Adopted Me right at that moment into a Global Family I was undeserving of. From that very moment, he started Healing me, my spirit, my past, my brokenness, and He grabbed my hand and we started walking, together, the hills and valleys of this life.
Sounds like a V.I.P. to me...Not of myself. NOTHING of myself!!! On my own, I am the BIGGEST NOBODY THAT EVER EXISTED. No, I'm no V.I.P. on my own...It's because of Him. The One who grabbed my hand, the One who walks with me, stands by me, the One who "speaks in my ear"..."YOU'RE A CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, V.I.P."
All Glory be to Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father Forever. Amen.
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Monday, April 30, 2012
The Bucket List
There's something about setting goals, envisioning them, vocalizing them, and then "making a plan" to see them come to pass. While this "Bucket List" is a work-in-progress, I thought it important to set about to create lists which make me think about, on a regular basis, the immediate goals in my future.
In 2012, I hope to accomplish several things:
1. Observe more Fast days. (And the challenge to myself is to learn to fast food/meals successfully.) Accomplishing, starting May 2012.
2. Run a 5K. Accomplished in April.
3. Purchase passports for me, Stephen and Psalm. Accomplished July 9, 2012 Received in the mail July 30, 2012
4. Finish the first year in becoming an Assemblies of God minister.
5. Start saving for our family's missions trip to Europe next year.
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Providing that Jesus has not come back to get us, I have started my Bucket List for 2013:
1. Attend another Project Gideon conference with T.D. Jakes.
2. Finish year two in the Assemblies of God ministry school, becoming a licensed minister.
3. Travel with my family on a missions trip to Europe.
4. Observe Lent.
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The following Bucket List is a general list I am compiling which includes goals I would like to see come to pass in the course of a life-time. In time, some of these goals may appear on specific yearly lists.
1. Become an ordained minister.
2. Regularly go on the mission field.
3. Go to every continent in the world on missions trips, helping to spread the Good News and encourage people in the Lord.
4. Open a Mission in the U.S.A., perhaps in my hometown, to help the tired, weary, underprivileged, and down-trodden.
5. See a Christian pageant system launched nationwide, then globally.
6. See a Christian theatre circuit launched, organized, and producing plays nationwide.
7. I would like to write/publish non-fiction and fiction books. (Some for Christian encouragement; others for children, youth)
8. I want to go parasailing.
9. I would like to go snorkeling.
10. I want to swim with dolphins at one of those theme parks in Florida.
11. Get a license for chaplaincy (maybe).
In 2012, I hope to accomplish several things:
1. Observe more Fast days. (And the challenge to myself is to learn to fast food/meals successfully.) Accomplishing, starting May 2012.
2. Run a 5K. Accomplished in April.
3. Purchase passports for me, Stephen and Psalm. Accomplished July 9, 2012 Received in the mail July 30, 2012
4. Finish the first year in becoming an Assemblies of God minister.
5. Start saving for our family's missions trip to Europe next year.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Providing that Jesus has not come back to get us, I have started my Bucket List for 2013:
1. Attend another Project Gideon conference with T.D. Jakes.
2. Finish year two in the Assemblies of God ministry school, becoming a licensed minister.
3. Travel with my family on a missions trip to Europe.
4. Observe Lent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following Bucket List is a general list I am compiling which includes goals I would like to see come to pass in the course of a life-time. In time, some of these goals may appear on specific yearly lists.
1. Become an ordained minister.
2. Regularly go on the mission field.
3. Go to every continent in the world on missions trips, helping to spread the Good News and encourage people in the Lord.
4. Open a Mission in the U.S.A., perhaps in my hometown, to help the tired, weary, underprivileged, and down-trodden.
5. See a Christian pageant system launched nationwide, then globally.
6. See a Christian theatre circuit launched, organized, and producing plays nationwide.
7. I would like to write/publish non-fiction and fiction books. (Some for Christian encouragement; others for children, youth)
8. I want to go parasailing.
9. I would like to go snorkeling.
10. I want to swim with dolphins at one of those theme parks in Florida.
11. Get a license for chaplaincy (maybe).
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Elevator Speech #1: Personal Testimony
Hi, I’m Shirley Yandell.
I’m 40 years old.
I’m a Wife, a Mother, a Teacher,
A follower & servant of Jesus Christ
And a child of the Most High God.
I was born into a family of ministers & I was raised & served in the Church
from earliest childhood. I learned the Word & saw “The Life” lived &
examples I could follow.
But in college, every year took me farther and farther from my relationship with Him until—by the time I’d graduated with my first Masters degree, I was what you could call a very secular Christian.
When I relocated to start my career, He led me to a church where people loved me for who I was and where I was, and they encouraged me to take one more step, no matter how small, toward Him. In time, I found restoration, & renewal, in my relationship with Christ.
Today, I do my best to do what others did for me—by encouraging those who are right where I used to be—spiritually bankrupt, struggling to believe, finding it difficult to take that first step. Forward. Toward Him.
My Life Verse is John 3:17: For God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved.
I’m 40 years old.
I’m a Wife, a Mother, a Teacher,
A follower & servant of Jesus Christ
And a child of the Most High God.
I was born into a family of ministers & I was raised & served in the Church
from earliest childhood. I learned the Word & saw “The Life” lived &
examples I could follow.
But in college, every year took me farther and farther from my relationship with Him until—by the time I’d graduated with my first Masters degree, I was what you could call a very secular Christian.
When I relocated to start my career, He led me to a church where people loved me for who I was and where I was, and they encouraged me to take one more step, no matter how small, toward Him. In time, I found restoration, & renewal, in my relationship with Christ.
Today, I do my best to do what others did for me—by encouraging those who are right where I used to be—spiritually bankrupt, struggling to believe, finding it difficult to take that first step. Forward. Toward Him.
My Life Verse is John 3:17: For God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
My Life Verse
Right after Project Gideon ended, Stephen and I headed to our ministry class in Oklahoma City.
Right after we were seated, the head of the program went to the front and asked two people to come forward from the crowd (Stephen and I were not among those in the crowd. We had already taken our position in the class seating on the stage). He asked those people to tell the audience what their life verse from the Bible was and why.
I thought this was REALLY interesting since it related so much to what Bishop had challenged us to do. And in a split second, I saw the wisdom in this challenge.
We needed to be prepared to tell people our Life Verse because it reveals something about our calling and our own Good News that we will share with people.
My Life Verse is:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that Whosoever Believeth in Him, should Not Perish, but Have Everlasting Life."
AND, the verse that follows it:
"For God sent not His Son into the World to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
(John 3:16-17)
For me, the important concepts include: "GOD LOVES US," HE SACRIFICED FOR US, WHOSOEVER MEANS ANY.BODY., NO CONDEMNATION, SALVATION IS FOREVER.
I think these verses DO say much about my individual testimony of The Good News!
Right after we were seated, the head of the program went to the front and asked two people to come forward from the crowd (Stephen and I were not among those in the crowd. We had already taken our position in the class seating on the stage). He asked those people to tell the audience what their life verse from the Bible was and why.
I thought this was REALLY interesting since it related so much to what Bishop had challenged us to do. And in a split second, I saw the wisdom in this challenge.
We needed to be prepared to tell people our Life Verse because it reveals something about our calling and our own Good News that we will share with people.
My Life Verse is:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that Whosoever Believeth in Him, should Not Perish, but Have Everlasting Life."
AND, the verse that follows it:
"For God sent not His Son into the World to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
(John 3:16-17)
For me, the important concepts include: "GOD LOVES US," HE SACRIFICED FOR US, WHOSOEVER MEANS ANY.BODY., NO CONDEMNATION, SALVATION IS FOREVER.
I think these verses DO say much about my individual testimony of The Good News!
What IS My Brand?
If our Brand is supposed to help tell us--and others--who we are, what makes us unique, what we offer, and what we feel we were put on this earth to accomplish, then I need to think about my own.
(You know, part of me has always thought that exercises like this are a little presumptuous, or haughty-spirited even. But you know, I think that THIS is what we should be thinking about. This is the kind of stuff we need to PREPARE so God can use us, move us into positions where He can speak to people who EXPECT to be spoken to in a thoughtful manner! And as much as I think, and as often as I speak to people, I have NEVER stopped to think about this sort of thing. Until now.)
So, to start, I'm just going to record my answers to the questions, above:
1. Who am I?
Shirley Harrod Yandell
I am a woman.
I'm 40 (October of 2011).
I'm a teacher.
I'm married to Stephen (also a teacher; also called to ministry).
We have one daughter together (Elizabeth Psalm).
I have two step-daughters (Allie and Raylee).
I have two Masters degrees.
I am a woman who has been called to serve and minister to the Church of Jesus Christ.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ. And I guess, to label me, you could call me an Evangelical Christian.
2. What makes me unique?
I didn't get married until I was 35.
I didn't have a baby until I was 36.
I've been teaching at the college level since I was 21 years old (Spring 1993).
I've been on three international missions trips.
I've been to four countries, other than my own, in my adult life.
I come from a line of ministers. My mother is--and her father and grandfather were--full-time ministers in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) church.
I have a deep-seeded BURDEN for the GLOBAL CHURCH--including an indescribable NEED to pray for the GLOBAL CHURCH, to meet the GLOBAL CHURCH, and to speak to the GLOBAL CHURCH.
3. What do I have to offer?
I can speak into the lives of women about Singlehood--and living it to the fullest!
I can speak into the lives of married women--living to thrive!
I can speak into the lives of kids who were raised in turmoil--and being over-comers!
I can speak into the lives of young adults who feel like no one understands them--God has a plan!
I have a passion to speak LIFE and POSITIVITY into the lives of all people.
I have a passion to speak to SELF-ESTEEM issues in the lives of all people, in hopes that their esteem will be BOOSTED!
I can write fairly well--formally and creatively.
I can edit scripts fairly well--including screenplays, plays, etc.
I have a knack for knowing how to write/edit realistic dialogue.
I have a knack for PR and advertising.
I can SEE the potential people have in their talents--for instance, I can quickly see/detect/learn someone else's gifting and passion, and instinctually KNOW what they need to do to foster those gifts, and I find myself encouraging them and assisting them in finding ways to develop, pursue and utilize that talent--including making connections with other people who can help foster those gifts.
I could literally be a talent scout. (Secularly or spiritually)
I am unafraid to travel and can organize missions trips, finances, and even gatherings (like conferences).
4. What do I feel I was put on this earth to accomplish?
To encourage people.
(Um, honestly, I think that everything I do and everything I am is related to this, #4 response. Wow. I had no idea.)
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As I ponder what I have written here, and the process I went through in thinking about these questions, I cannot help but feel that something has started here. Something is beginning to take shape within me.
There is a God-purpose in all of this.
(You know, part of me has always thought that exercises like this are a little presumptuous, or haughty-spirited even. But you know, I think that THIS is what we should be thinking about. This is the kind of stuff we need to PREPARE so God can use us, move us into positions where He can speak to people who EXPECT to be spoken to in a thoughtful manner! And as much as I think, and as often as I speak to people, I have NEVER stopped to think about this sort of thing. Until now.)
So, to start, I'm just going to record my answers to the questions, above:
1. Who am I?
Shirley Harrod Yandell
I am a woman.
I'm 40 (October of 2011).
I'm a teacher.
I'm married to Stephen (also a teacher; also called to ministry).
We have one daughter together (Elizabeth Psalm).
I have two step-daughters (Allie and Raylee).
I have two Masters degrees.
I am a woman who has been called to serve and minister to the Church of Jesus Christ.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ. And I guess, to label me, you could call me an Evangelical Christian.
2. What makes me unique?
I didn't get married until I was 35.
I didn't have a baby until I was 36.
I've been teaching at the college level since I was 21 years old (Spring 1993).
I've been on three international missions trips.
I've been to four countries, other than my own, in my adult life.
I come from a line of ministers. My mother is--and her father and grandfather were--full-time ministers in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) church.
I have a deep-seeded BURDEN for the GLOBAL CHURCH--including an indescribable NEED to pray for the GLOBAL CHURCH, to meet the GLOBAL CHURCH, and to speak to the GLOBAL CHURCH.
3. What do I have to offer?
I can speak into the lives of women about Singlehood--and living it to the fullest!
I can speak into the lives of married women--living to thrive!
I can speak into the lives of kids who were raised in turmoil--and being over-comers!
I can speak into the lives of young adults who feel like no one understands them--God has a plan!
I have a passion to speak LIFE and POSITIVITY into the lives of all people.
I have a passion to speak to SELF-ESTEEM issues in the lives of all people, in hopes that their esteem will be BOOSTED!
I can write fairly well--formally and creatively.
I can edit scripts fairly well--including screenplays, plays, etc.
I have a knack for knowing how to write/edit realistic dialogue.
I have a knack for PR and advertising.
I can SEE the potential people have in their talents--for instance, I can quickly see/detect/learn someone else's gifting and passion, and instinctually KNOW what they need to do to foster those gifts, and I find myself encouraging them and assisting them in finding ways to develop, pursue and utilize that talent--including making connections with other people who can help foster those gifts.
I could literally be a talent scout. (Secularly or spiritually)
I am unafraid to travel and can organize missions trips, finances, and even gatherings (like conferences).
4. What do I feel I was put on this earth to accomplish?
To encourage people.
(Um, honestly, I think that everything I do and everything I am is related to this, #4 response. Wow. I had no idea.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I ponder what I have written here, and the process I went through in thinking about these questions, I cannot help but feel that something has started here. Something is beginning to take shape within me.
There is a God-purpose in all of this.
The Elevator Speech
During Project Gideon, Bishop Jakes referred often to our "Brand." He said that we all need to think about ours and how it needs to be better developed. The Brand, he says, helps us--and others--to know who we are, what makes us unique, what we offer, and what we feel we were put on this earth to accomplish.
He brought in one of his staff from PR and she talked to us about having an "Elevator Speech" ready--because at any given moment, we might need to utilize it. An Elevator Speech is a 30-second speech that you develop beforehand to say to a captive audience when given the opportunity. Obviously, at one time, these were used to literally "pitch" an idea to an audience whose ear you had for just a few moments of time.
The truth is that it is very rare, indeed, to be able to get a two-hour long session with someone to explain what it is--or why it is--you do what you do; additionally, it is equally unfeasible to get that kind of an opportunity with someone who can really ASSIST you or bring your God-given vision to life. But we might get a span of time equal to that of an elevator ride. So we must be READY when the Lord puts a 30-second opportunity in front of us.
You don't get an hour. You don't get to use an outline or Powerpoint. It's you and the opportunity. So what do you say?
Eight Things that MUST be true of Elevator Speeches:
1. They must not be verbose. (Wasting words is wasting time.)
2. They must be as direct as possible, with very little--if any--exposition or apologetics. (If the person we're talking to asks for follow-up, we can then attempt to explain further--or answer any questions he/she may have.)
3. They must, it seems to me, argue some point--or the validity of something that should be considered. And all of this must be done without the benefit of question/answer or feedback and/or a bibliography.
4. They must consider the demographics of the perceived audience, so as to seem as relevant and as "balanced" as possible.
5. They REQUIRE that a speaker DIGS DEEP. To formulate an Elevator Speech, each person must spend time in prayer and reflection to be able to deduce what EXACTLY needs to be said and nothing else.
6. They need to be rehearsed.
7. They need to be prayed over and continually developed. (These should be in a constant state of "Under Construction.")
8. Each person may need more than one.*
(*A forthcoming blog will address this thesis of mine!)
As for myself, I plan to start working on three specific Elevator Speeches. They are the three I feel I am most often called on to say.
The first will be called THE GOSPEL. It will talk about what Jesus Christ has done in my life and how that has impacted my story.
The second will be about THE CALL TO MINISTRY. It will discuss what I believe God has called me to do in ministry.
The third will be about VISION. It will discuss what I feel has been birthed in my spirit for the future, and for future events.
(I am really looking forward to this, to getting started!)
He brought in one of his staff from PR and she talked to us about having an "Elevator Speech" ready--because at any given moment, we might need to utilize it. An Elevator Speech is a 30-second speech that you develop beforehand to say to a captive audience when given the opportunity. Obviously, at one time, these were used to literally "pitch" an idea to an audience whose ear you had for just a few moments of time.
The truth is that it is very rare, indeed, to be able to get a two-hour long session with someone to explain what it is--or why it is--you do what you do; additionally, it is equally unfeasible to get that kind of an opportunity with someone who can really ASSIST you or bring your God-given vision to life. But we might get a span of time equal to that of an elevator ride. So we must be READY when the Lord puts a 30-second opportunity in front of us.
You don't get an hour. You don't get to use an outline or Powerpoint. It's you and the opportunity. So what do you say?
Eight Things that MUST be true of Elevator Speeches:
1. They must not be verbose. (Wasting words is wasting time.)
2. They must be as direct as possible, with very little--if any--exposition or apologetics. (If the person we're talking to asks for follow-up, we can then attempt to explain further--or answer any questions he/she may have.)
3. They must, it seems to me, argue some point--or the validity of something that should be considered. And all of this must be done without the benefit of question/answer or feedback and/or a bibliography.
4. They must consider the demographics of the perceived audience, so as to seem as relevant and as "balanced" as possible.
5. They REQUIRE that a speaker DIGS DEEP. To formulate an Elevator Speech, each person must spend time in prayer and reflection to be able to deduce what EXACTLY needs to be said and nothing else.
6. They need to be rehearsed.
7. They need to be prayed over and continually developed. (These should be in a constant state of "Under Construction.")
8. Each person may need more than one.*
(*A forthcoming blog will address this thesis of mine!)
As for myself, I plan to start working on three specific Elevator Speeches. They are the three I feel I am most often called on to say.
The first will be called THE GOSPEL. It will talk about what Jesus Christ has done in my life and how that has impacted my story.
The second will be about THE CALL TO MINISTRY. It will discuss what I believe God has called me to do in ministry.
The third will be about VISION. It will discuss what I feel has been birthed in my spirit for the future, and for future events.
(I am really looking forward to this, to getting started!)
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Miracle after Miracle
I want to say that I know in my heart that God directed us to this conference. It was obvious. For one thing, there were plenty of "coincidences" and outright miracles littering the pathway to the conference.
First, all of this started when Stephen decided to go with Justin Adams to a Fan Day at the Ranger Stadium in Dallas. Sissy and I had planned to stay home until we found out that Justin was going to bring his family.
So I asked if Sis and I could go and just hang out in the hotel while he was down at the ballpark.
That really changed the course of everything...because that's when Stephen and I got the idea to ask Pastor Keith Williams if we could go to The Potter's House that Sunday morning.
And he agreed.
So we went to TPH one day in January and Bishop Jakes was there. He was talking about finding our purpose in 2012 and how we must learn to "glean behind the reapers."
It was an amazing service, but as we were driving north, out of town and toward Oklahoma, I turned to Stephen and said, "I feel like we're supposed to go back there." And he said he felt the same way.
--------------------------------------------Not even a week and a half later:
I came home from work and sat down to the computer to get on Facebook. I don't always do this, but I did that day. I remember feeling a "need" to do that. And in scrolling one page down, I saw why: Bishop Jakes had posted a short invitation to The Gideon Project--saying there were just a few spots left.
I contacted his contact person right away, in the hope that there would indeed be spots available. There were.
Two miracles came then:
(1) The conference was advertised for those "Under 40." I am 40. I asked if I could come anyway.
I received a "yes" in reply.
(2) When I told Stephen about the conference, he told me that he wished he could go--but that he had no more free days at work to take off. He said he would ask his superintendent if there was any way.
I sent a text message to all of my praying friends the morning that he went to the superintendent's office. They assured me they would pray.
Walking into my 10:00 a.m. speech class that morning, I received a text saying, "We are going."
I shrieked and then had to explain to my students what I was so excited about.
----------------------------------------------Another Miracle:
Then, we had to find the finances to go. In January, the tax commission took TWO PAYMENTS instead of one out of my account. That put me negative $1100. There was no way we could afford to go when that happened.
We didn't know until THREE DAYS BEFORE if we would actually be able to go. We had paid a $200 deposit, but we didn't know if we would be able to go because we just did NOT have the money to go after the tax commission debited so much from my account.
So we prayed.
I remember looking up and saying, "God, yes, I want to go to this conference, but if you are telling us NO, by the zapped funds and impossible budget, then I understand and apologize for getting so over-eager. I know TDJakes is just a man. I'm not going to see a celebrity. I need direction, and I need him to speak into my life right now. I am HUNGRY for it. Please, if this is your will, make it obvious. PLEASE, make a way."
I kid you not, it was the next day or day after that that we received our IRS refund. It was amazing. Stephen called me after school and said, "We got it. The funds are there!"
And that's when I KNEW. No, I KNEW, that God was in this.
--------------------------------------------So, this Blog:
So, this blog is to take seriously what God made a way for. This blog is to honor what God did and take inventory of what Bishop Jakes said to us in those two days and then apply it, as best I can with the leading of the Holy Spirit, to my life, to our ministry, to the calling of God on my life.
And it is my hope that this blog will be beneficial to me and others.
Let it be, Lord.
First, all of this started when Stephen decided to go with Justin Adams to a Fan Day at the Ranger Stadium in Dallas. Sissy and I had planned to stay home until we found out that Justin was going to bring his family.
So I asked if Sis and I could go and just hang out in the hotel while he was down at the ballpark.
That really changed the course of everything...because that's when Stephen and I got the idea to ask Pastor Keith Williams if we could go to The Potter's House that Sunday morning.
And he agreed.
So we went to TPH one day in January and Bishop Jakes was there. He was talking about finding our purpose in 2012 and how we must learn to "glean behind the reapers."
It was an amazing service, but as we were driving north, out of town and toward Oklahoma, I turned to Stephen and said, "I feel like we're supposed to go back there." And he said he felt the same way.
--------------------------------------------Not even a week and a half later:
I came home from work and sat down to the computer to get on Facebook. I don't always do this, but I did that day. I remember feeling a "need" to do that. And in scrolling one page down, I saw why: Bishop Jakes had posted a short invitation to The Gideon Project--saying there were just a few spots left.
I contacted his contact person right away, in the hope that there would indeed be spots available. There were.
Two miracles came then:
(1) The conference was advertised for those "Under 40." I am 40. I asked if I could come anyway.
I received a "yes" in reply.
(2) When I told Stephen about the conference, he told me that he wished he could go--but that he had no more free days at work to take off. He said he would ask his superintendent if there was any way.
I sent a text message to all of my praying friends the morning that he went to the superintendent's office. They assured me they would pray.
Walking into my 10:00 a.m. speech class that morning, I received a text saying, "We are going."
I shrieked and then had to explain to my students what I was so excited about.
----------------------------------------------Another Miracle:
Then, we had to find the finances to go. In January, the tax commission took TWO PAYMENTS instead of one out of my account. That put me negative $1100. There was no way we could afford to go when that happened.
We didn't know until THREE DAYS BEFORE if we would actually be able to go. We had paid a $200 deposit, but we didn't know if we would be able to go because we just did NOT have the money to go after the tax commission debited so much from my account.
So we prayed.
I remember looking up and saying, "God, yes, I want to go to this conference, but if you are telling us NO, by the zapped funds and impossible budget, then I understand and apologize for getting so over-eager. I know TDJakes is just a man. I'm not going to see a celebrity. I need direction, and I need him to speak into my life right now. I am HUNGRY for it. Please, if this is your will, make it obvious. PLEASE, make a way."
I kid you not, it was the next day or day after that that we received our IRS refund. It was amazing. Stephen called me after school and said, "We got it. The funds are there!"
And that's when I KNEW. No, I KNEW, that God was in this.
--------------------------------------------So, this Blog:
So, this blog is to take seriously what God made a way for. This blog is to honor what God did and take inventory of what Bishop Jakes said to us in those two days and then apply it, as best I can with the leading of the Holy Spirit, to my life, to our ministry, to the calling of God on my life.
And it is my hope that this blog will be beneficial to me and others.
Let it be, Lord.
What on Earth is Project Gideon?
On March 1-2, 2012, Stephen and I attended a conference with Bishop T.D. Jakes in Irving, Texas, called "Project Gideon." The Project was designed for young ministers under 40. Bishop Jakes said that he felt compelled to speak into the lives of the coming generation of ministers. The conference was designed for 300 people--though he took almost 50 more than that, and he did not allow cameras or recording devices of any kind--including his own. It was a private discussion for two days between the Bishop and us.
It was amazing.
In this blog, I hope to discuss some of the things he said and how these things have impacted my life.
In one of his classes, he said, "You think you're 19, but you're not." He looked at us, quite severely, and said, "My generation should hear you coming. We can't hear you."
And I knew in my heart that he was right. I was studying and reading God's word like a 19 year old, not as a 40 year old. I realized, with no little pain, that I needed to gain more momentum in my spiritual progress, learning to better focus, to better "study to shew myself approved unto God," to "do my homework"--ultimately because I know that it is PAST TIME, and I know that I need to "kick it into gear" and commit fully to the call of God.
And I pray, somehow, through all of this, that they finally hear us coming.
Amen.
It was amazing.
In this blog, I hope to discuss some of the things he said and how these things have impacted my life.
In one of his classes, he said, "You think you're 19, but you're not." He looked at us, quite severely, and said, "My generation should hear you coming. We can't hear you."
And I knew in my heart that he was right. I was studying and reading God's word like a 19 year old, not as a 40 year old. I realized, with no little pain, that I needed to gain more momentum in my spiritual progress, learning to better focus, to better "study to shew myself approved unto God," to "do my homework"--ultimately because I know that it is PAST TIME, and I know that I need to "kick it into gear" and commit fully to the call of God.
And I pray, somehow, through all of this, that they finally hear us coming.
Amen.
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