Please, Leave them alone!

Talk about pressure! Imagine this: You are a young (or not so young) man or woman, single, and all your friends are getting married. You want to, but the right person has not yet made an appearance. You are ok with it though, and still believe when it's time, it will be time. So you do the things you want to do. Red sports car, nice job, even nicer clothes, a few good friends and life keeps happening. You are not exactly watching the clock ; you are as they say living the big life!

So whats the problem? Well meaning people, that's what. Church, home, family with the same dumb question? Why don't you get married?

What don't people understand? Marriage is not or should not be something people get into because oops, I found my first grey hair today; clock's tickin' gettin' old, last of my class still single!!!! True God instituted marriage as a desirable state for the pepetuation of humanity and as a template of his love relationship with us. BUT,we have enough visible disasters around us not to forever push people to jump in ready or not, for conventions sake.

Now hold up...I am not talking about shacking-up or having friends with benefits. If you are about that, then absolutely, you need to get married. For those however who choose to wait, it's an honorable choice and friends, family, church friends and most of all, we married people, need to just leave them alone!

BTW, don's even let me get started talking about approaching young marrieds with the, "So when are you two going to have a baby?"

The simple things...

I don't remember if I have ever been to California this time of the year. Longbeach today however will be fondly remembered for a long time. For one, I am not usually tooling about via footmobile on my own as I was today so that was interesting. The weather is gorgeous not too different from the past few days in Florida and there is no need to feel conspicuous walking since there are strollers and dawdlers everywhere.

My husband and I have this standing joke. Whenever we are traveling together he sees all the churches and I am usually able to tell what restaurants we passed in rough order of what's close or far from our hotel. This trip I didn't quite have to go looking. A map was included in my welcome bag! And as if that was not enough , I went to 7/11 to get water and snacks and viola! A guy hands me a menu to an Indian restaurant around the corner from my hotel. Sweet! They have all my faves! Now there is something to take my mind off first-day-on-the-job jitters. Beautiful
hotel, great weather and the office is fifteen minutes down the block at an easy walk. I am going to take the next hour or two and create some locks for the week.

Regroup, refocus.

Many of us are familiar with the term, “say when” as a way of asking someone to stop – as in pouring a drink or filling a plate or things of that nature. Generally it’s an indication of having enough. Ever so often however, our emotions say “when” or flash “system overload” across our screen of consciousness. The signs are usually irritability, sleep disorders, disconnectedness from interpersonal and spiritual relationships, eating disorders and a myriad of other complaints. If our intake is on overload we might download at the wrong time, to the wrong person. For me the cure or certainly the way to the cure is scroll through my issues, delete what I must, archive what I need to, make a folder for others then shut the system down for a bit. In the quietness which usually follows, I pray, talk out loud, write, cry – whatever – then re-boot or resume the journey of life. I am consoled by the thought God has not singled me out but rather, believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings (1 Peter 5:9). To my island friends I say, it hot but nuh mine, God still deh yah an’ we nuh gwine fall if we hol’ on. God bless you today and keep you strong in him

Seriously? Do You Want to be a Writer?

No matter where I speak one thing is guaranteed. Someone will come forward after the event to express their desire to write and ask how to get started. I am not pretending to have any new revelations on the subject. I can however, share a few basic facts.
• One cannot be a writer without writing. By this I mean doing due diligence by setting aside a time, place, and subject area on which to write
• Writing as a craft or discipline is learned like any other trade
• Writing a book may not be the best starting point for a beginning writer
• Writing is hard work even when you know without a doubt God gave you the idea – 90% perspiration with 10% inspiration someone says
• No one writes a book for everyone. The writer must identify a target audience, condense that vast audience into one person, and then write to woo, win and wow that “consolidated person” into lifelong readership
• Writers are advised to begin their journey with a map i.e. writer’s conferences – to learn the demands of the industry and focus groups with published writers in order to hone your craft
• Make friends with writersdigest.com and learn volumes free of charge!
• Don’t pay money to publish your first book before going to at least one major writers’ conference

I have a first time writer questionaire that may help you get focused on where exactly to begin. Its absolutely free! Email me for your copy at
laurenmyers339@gmail.com

Choosing Joy Over Despair

Passion for His Presence: Entering His Gates is Dr. John D. Carlson's masterful addition to the body of information available on worship - how we get into the presence of God. As you may guess, the "Gates" represent the gates of the city mentioned in Revelation 21. I am convinced one of the most beautful statements in the book is in Chapter 15 the gate of Joy, "Let us hold our relationship with Christ higher than all other things. In the midst of our despair, we serve the cause of Christ as we choose joy that others might believe." John, your book has been such an amazing source of strength over the past several weeks. God bless you can't wait for book 2!

"Not that! Eat this," says the Lord.

Really! Does God care what we eat, still? Didn't all that diet thing go out of vogue with grace? If you answer yes you are right - and wrong. Diet as a means of ratifying a spiritual covenant with God ended with grace through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We no longer have to include what we eat in the long list of "to dos's" in order to enter God's presence.

BUT...what we eat matters from a physical standpoint. All the prohibited foods have strong connections to bodily illnesses. Just to talk about a few: fats - cause elevated cholesterol levels as does shellfish of all kinds. Fish without scales are bottom feeders - they clean the ocean floor or river bed, organ meats clean the body, pork includes most of the above as well as being cannibalistic and a known carrier of worms. It gets even more gross if we look at rabbits.

In other words, God had good reason for the prohibitions and we do well to listen not for our souls but our bodies' sake. If you are in the Homestead and Florida City areas of South Florida, please join us this and next Wednesday night at 7pm for an in depth discussion on biblical dietary laws. We are at First Assembly of God Church, 824 West Palm Drive, Florida City 33034. Or, we welcome your call at (305) 992-0225.

Eat Healthy!

Work As Worship

In the Old Testament era a group of people had their whole lives dedicated to the service of the tabernacle and later the temple (Numbers chapter 3). They are called the Levites and they were assigned to care for the needs of the place of worship. So sacred was this task special rites of consecration were performed beformed they could work in the tabernacle and no other tribe could participate. Like most of the Old Testament ordinances, this Law is no longer in effect at least within the Christian community. Today everyone with a love for the house of God has the chance to share in it's upkeep. Undoubtedly this is hard work but it is also an act of worship. This weekend members and friends of First Assembly of God of Florida City have the chance to offer their unique contribution to God's house as we host our church's workday tomorrow. The plan is do cleanup inside and out so bring your tools, cleaning equipment, etc. and let's work hard in from 8AM-1PM. Lunch will be provided. See you there!