What Are You Waiting For?

I had the opportunity to guest blog for a dear friend of mine, Shannon DeGarmo Carpino, author of "The Bounce Back Woman".  So I thought I would share my heart here as well...

http://bouncebackwoman.com

Have you ever had to wait for something that you were particularly excited for? You know the kind of thing that is so exciting your mind wonders to it when you should be thinking about something else? Perhaps it was the anticipation of an approaching birth, or butterflies the night before your wedding day, or maybe it was an exceptional Christmas present you knew you would be receiving?

For me, my most anticipated gift was the gift of finding my husband. I remember always wondering when it was going to happen with an eagerness of “would it be sometime soon?”. The years went on and I watched as some of my friends got married and I often wondered why I hadn’t yet found “the one”? Little did I know that although my search was for the right man, the Lord had a gift for me that I wasn’t expecting. You see, I didn’t have a relationship with the Lord growing up. I knew very little about the bible and who Jesus Christ was. So before God introduced me to my beloved, He introduce me to HIS beloved… The Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace.

As I reflect on the most special present of all, I am reminded of two people who waited their whole lives for one special gift, and at Christmas time God gave them just that.

Simeon, meaning obedient, was a righteous and devout man, who had eagerly waited his whole life for the Messiah. Being moved by obedience and the Spirit, he entered the temple to find the child and his parents there.

Luke 2:27-32 That day the Spirit led him to the temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the Law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Another prophet, Anna, whose name means full of grace, lost her husband after being married only 7 years. Anna spent the duration of her life in the temple praying and worshipping God and waiting for the Messiah to come.

Luke 2:37-38 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. [She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

This Christmas, as we participate in all the fun this time of year brings, let us remember the true reason for this season. As Simeon and Anna spent their entire lives waiting for the Savior who was to come, let us remember and reflect on the One who has come. The One who came so that we may have life to the fullest and life everlasting. Will you join me as we focus on the Giver of the greatest gift, Life-in-Him-rather than on the presents that lay under our tree? Let’s be partakers with Simeon and Anna as we anticipate celebrating Jesus’s birth, praising and worshiping our God and sharing Him with everyone.

Lord Jesus, I pray as the busyness of this season tries to consume us, please help us slow our hurried pace. May we be deliberate with our days, carving out quiet time to spend with You so that we may reflect on all that your birth means to us. Lord I also pray, that you help us reflect the good and perfect gifts you have imparted to us, so that others may see and hear the good news of You and Your Beloved.

Much love and blessings to you!

Merry Christmas,

Fran Maynard

Poured Out

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard.  Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.  

Mark 14:3 

As we draw near to Easter, I thought what better time to draw near to HIM.  Our church went over a few verses in the book of Mark last weekend and I wanted to share my take away and how I thought we could apply this to our everyday living.  

The first thing was that Mary’s love was costly.  She spared no expense on Jesus. Mary had done something that others thought was foolish, she poured pricey oil on Him.  Others thought the oil could be sold for money for the poor but Jesus replied, Mark 14:7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.  A great reminder that we are never to sacrifice our time with Him for good works, even if they are really good works.

A second thing was her love was complete.  Mary didn’t pour out half the vile, she actually broke the flask and poured out everything!  It was a complete selfless gift of her love for Jesus.  This gesture will look differently in each of our lives depending on what stage we are in.  Maybe you have young ones and it’s all about teaching them how to personally know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Or maybe you’re at the stage where you have to completely trust your child in His care as they venture into the world, trusting they will cling to the truths you have taught them.  Whatever it is, is it complete?

Lastly and my favorite is that Mary’s act is to always be remembered.  Mark 14:9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her. Wow!  Who wouldn’t want that?  The time you spend at His feet, teaching your children the importance of time spent with Him, will always be remembered.  Not only that, but especially at this time, it is important to note that the act she did prepared His body for burial!  You never know what result your time with Jesus will be, but we know it will be worth it! 

Lord Jesus I pray for us to spare no expense on You, to completely love You, and to realize even the smallest acts with You in mind will be remembered.  Lord help us to remember you spared no expense when it came to us and allow us to do the same for You.  If someone has forwarded this to you or you are reading this from Facebook or you somehow stumbled upon this blog and you don’t know Jesus, it was not by chance.   Please know He loves you and wants a relationship with you.  Please talk to someone about Him.  

In the Great Name of Jesus I pray. Amen!           

Uveiled Faces

2 Corinthians 3:18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord and the Lord who is the Spirit makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.

Today I write this blog as God has given me a season where my sins have been illuminated and my repentance sincere.  Opportunity you might ask?  Yes!  I say this because I feel I have a chance, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to really make a change.

  

Recently I felt the Lord seeking and desiring all of me.  Not just what I have been comfortable giving Him, but almost as if he wanted me to literally die to self and let Him live through me.  I felt the Lord asking me if I revere Him?  Do I trust Him?  Do I love my family enough to let go of the hustle of this life to get serious with HIM?  Am I ready to let Him make a change and free me?

Luke 9:23 “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (my emphasis added)

To be completely honest, I sometimes take the blessings of my family for granted and I don't always love them with the eyes and hands of Christ.  I have been harsh with my children, letting anger gain control of me.  I have neglected my husband more then I care to admit and at times I have put this world above my Savior.  I can say this without condemnation because I trust that our God’s Grace is greater than all my sins.  I know I can be the mommy who will learn to train my children without putting fear into them to obey, if I acknowledge my strongholds to God and allow His Holy Spirit to mold me into His Glorious image.  I know I can be the wife my husband so desires, if I look to God to satisfy all my needs and allow my husband to be just that, my husband.  I know God will be a priority if I allow Him to be woven into each area of my life  and spend time engaged in His Word.  Although this isn’t an easy season of my life (my sin being revealed) I am thankful to see my utmost need for HIM and a chance for change.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to HIm who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

My hearts prayer is that If you are reading this blog today and you are struggling with being a mom, a wife, or with life in general, please know you are not alone.  I encourage you to fall at the feet of Jesus and reveal your pains to Him and allow Him to heal you from the inside out.   If you don’t know Jesus I pray you know He loves you and wants to be in a relationship with you.  Please talk to someone who knows Him and if you don’t have someone, please respond here and you will have many loving ladies ready to talk with you.  Accepting Jesus into your heart will be the biggest decision you will ever make and although it may not always be easy, you will never regret it!    

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.

Even the Hard Stuff...

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3

For most of my adult life I have avoided the book of Revelation like the plague. Why? Because I was repeatedly told when I was little that it was a “tough” book, and that I should not read it because…(insert a variety of reasons here). Lately, however, I have been blessed to study and teach this book to the youth (high school and young adult ministry) at my church.

To be honest, it is one of those books that I have to “buckle up and put on my big girl boots on” in order to fully comprehend the message that God is communicating to us, His people. I mean I have to cross-reference Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Matthew, Luke, etc. just to wrap my mind around some of the details….BUT we have been so amazingly blessed by really digging into this book.

You see, at the heart of Revelation is the culmination of God’s love story to his people. He will not stop short of pursuing His people, revealing His love to them, warning them of the fate of the unrepentant, and judging the wicked. Reading this book has been an adventure to say the least. But Revelation 1:3 rings true. There are many blessing in store for those who read and take to heart the words of this book. If you knew a hurricane was going to hit your town soon, wouldn’t you prepare yourself and your family?

Well, imagine my surprise when my oldest Doodlebug (a precocious 6 year old), decided that since I was reading Revelation, he was going to also. To top things off, he turns to Chapter 12 to start and says, “Mommy this chapter is called,’ The Woman and the Dragon’”. YIKES!!! Here we go! What was my response?

I was tempted to back away (slowly…LOL) and tell him all the “reasons” to avoid this book until he was older…the same reasons people had given me. However, when I sheepishly said we would talk about it later, he proceeded to read it himself. Hmmmm…what’s a mom to do?! Ban him from reading it? Of course not!

So….I am preparing to go through this book with my son. I will try my best to explain things in a way that are age appropriate for him, and to help him see the heart of the Gospel in Revelation. Would you consider doing the same? If you have not personally gone through the book of Revelation, I would encourage you to do so. There is a blessing for all those who read, hear, and keep the words of this book.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you that every word in your holy Word is useful for teaching and instruction in Godly living. Thank you for the prophecies of the past and those that are yet to come. Lord, when we read your Word, I pray that you would give us wisdom and understanding so that we can comprehend the vast greatness of your character, your love, and your plan for all mankind. May we not shrink away from reading the “hard stuff”…and teaching it to our children. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. 

The Dedication of our Children…to the Lord

“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.” (1 Samuel 1:27-28 NIV)

Have you dedicated your child(ren) to the Lord?  Do you know what this means?  This is a wonderful gift that the Lord allows us to do for our children and for our sakes too.  Child or Baby Dedication simply means to give them back to the Lord, like in 1 Samuel 1:27-28 (Hannah with Samuel) and also in Luke 2:22 (Mary & Joseph with Jesus).  It’s also an opportunity for parents to publicly declare that the child will be raised in a Christian home and the parents will look to the Lord for wisdom and guidance as they raise their little one.  (And we SURE DO need His help!!  Can I get an AMEN?)

I love what the dictionary definition is for “dedicate”: to set apart and consecrate to a deity or to a sacred purpose; to devote wholly and earnestly, as to some person or purpose.

When we dedicate our children to the Lord early on, we can have the peace that surpasses all understanding that overshadows any anxiety about raising our children.  Our son Matthew is only 3 ½ but has already gone through two surgeries, asthma, broken bones, vaccinations, colds, bumps and bruises, POTTY TRAINING, and so forth and so on.  Just knowing we’ve declared Matthew as God’s kid helps us have that “thick peace” of God’s presence in the scary moments.   God knows we gave Him all authority to direct and guide us in the choices we make for our kids and He is going to do what’s best for them and His glory.

Dedicating your kids to the Lord is so important as a mom, knowing we can only offer “just so much”.  It also serves as the firm foundation of building the blocks to their salvation someday.  It is the building block for us to accept the will of the Lord, and to be able to look to Him for comfort and trust.

A great little site with scripture verses for Child Dedication is http://www.openbible.info/topics/child_dedication.

Little Girl Lost

Matthew 5:44

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

She smiled and laughed as most little girls do.  She played with dolls and toys and friends and to everyone else she appeared to be happy.  But inside this little girl was sadness.  Her mommy and daddy were always fighting and the drug abuse had gotten out of control.  So at age 5 this little girl was told she was going to go live with her Grandparents because her Mommy and Daddy needed help...  

For the next two years she lived with her grandparents. Her grandparents did the best they could, but no one could replace her parents, as messed up as they were.  During this time her parents had gotten a divorce...  At age 7 her parents had completed their drug rehabilitation and she was able to move in with her mom.  Although everyone thought moving back in with her was the best idea, this is when the child saw and experienced things no child should ever see or experience.  

During these years the little girl got to see and spend time with her daddy and his new wife and children.  Eventually the new wife came to know the Lord and starting praying for all of them.  Soon the little girls Daddy got saved too.  

I will spare you all the details of the pain and poor decisions this child made as a teen and adult later in life.  But what I will point out to you is this, this child was prayed for.  People reached out to her.  Family and friends and strangers took the time to share the gospel with this child.  This child was me... and I am writing this blog as a living testimony that you are praying to a very real and personal God and prayers are being answered.    

You see, many people didn’t like me because I was covering up my hurting with hardness.  I was your enemy and your persecutor.  I was someone who you wouldn’t have naturally wanted to get close to (Bring anyone to mind)?  Only Christ in people can love the unlovable.  It takes effort on our behalf to reach out to those who may not be so desirable and pray for them...  because of those prayers and people reaching outside of their comfort zone, my life was changed forever and so were many generations to come...

My challenge to you: Who has God placed in your life who has persecuted you?  Who in your children's  lives can you take the time to love who may not be so lovable?  Whose life can you change for generations to come?

My prayer: Lord Jesus open our eyes to see others as you do.  Help us to love the unlovable, serve the undesirable, and pray fervently for the salvation of the lost. 

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.

Matthew 25:40