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!

National Back to Church Sunday

First Assembly of God church of Florida City is participating in National Back to Church Sunday. Join us for our 11AM service September 18th, 2011. Please call the church for details 305.248.0794

It is well

Thanks to all of you who prayed for my sister Jane. She went home to be with the LORD last night. The Bible says blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for from henceforth they cease from their labors and their works do follow them...Now please pray for her children and the rest of us.

Fear Not

Christian researchers say there are 365 "fear not's" in the Bible. For us this means one for every day of the year. I don't know how many "faithful's" there are but one would still be sufficient: God is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 reminds us to hold steadfastly to our profession of faith because - you guessed it - God is faithful. Hope that helps you today not to give up no matter what your situation may be. Keep on trusting and believing in the amazing power of Jesus our LORD.

He Maketh Me...

We often choose activity over awareness, busyness over being, rushing about over relaxation all while bemoaning the need for calm and a moment to simply catch our breath. God in his wisdom hears and lands us in a situation where we can do nothing but "be still" and if you my reader are anything like me, you are likely to panic. Thoughts run something like, okay God, I have done the two things I had on my traveling to-do list, all I can do now is sit and be quiet. I can't do this!

For a week now God has placed me in just such a situation. I am in Jamaica where it has rained steadily at times fiercely for the past week. In my mental busyness and anxiety to "do" what needs to be done there is so much I could miss if I refuse to be still in his hands. High in the hills of Kingston, Boone Hall, Stony Hill to be exact, the verdant green hills touch the lowering clouds, eagerly receiving their gift of cooling nurturing rain. The bamboos sway in their own particular rhythm and tree frogs uncertain whether its twilight or dawn, sing anyway.

I venture to the porch and hold my glass under the gutter feeling the cool water on my wrist and watch the glass fill in minutes. Cool, clear and yes, pure water straight from the heavens. How long has it been since I drank rain waiter? I sleep to the sound of the rain like an angry locomotive or a fanciful drummer on the roof. In the bosom of my family I am fed to perfection, we sit quietly together or talk and laugh and marvel at the gift of each other. We pray for our sister beseeching heaven to give life, and follow he news of those around us who are threatened by the rising floods. Nothing is according to our plan. He makes me to rest and I rejoice in his perfect will and unfathomable timing - in spite of myself.

After the Pain...

There's an old song that says "You can't hurry love." If we live long enough however, we soon find a whole lot of other things cannot be hurried if good results are to be achieved. Take grieving for example,we go through the stages in different ways and at different times. BUT the process cannot be hurried. Every loss demands to be recognized, categorized and processed before forward movement can begin again. Grief is neither weakness nor faithlessness. Jesus wept. He expressed grief but did not stop there. Instead he went on to do what he intended all along i.e. he fulfilled the Father's will. Anybody remember the words of Master Quai Chang Cain to his student in the movie Kung Fu? "Embrace the pain, Grasshopper." Little Grasshopper embraced the brazier filled with burning coals and received the imprint of his order. From that moment on, no one ever again had to guess who he was or where he belonged.

Talk about Relief

Whew! Just finished my manuscript,Nursing: A Calling to Care,scheduled for publication in September 2011. As always, the feeling is akin to empty nest syndrome coupled with a keen curiosity about what the next project will be. There is great comfort in the thought God knows all the steps of our lives and that he reveals his purpose and his plan at the perfect time. Naturally, when we know this across the full spectrum of our lives we find peace.
Let me hasten to say I am still working on walking this out in my daily life.Some days I pass the test and others well...

Compliment, Credential, Catalyst.

One of Dr. David Jeremiah’s messages this week was, “Happy are the Harassed.” He also said persecution is a compliment, credential and a catalyst. Compliment: People who do nothing, make no impact and are not a threat to Satan are not persecuted. Credential: Persecution identifies us as being different from the world. Jesus said if the world hates me, they will hate you too because the world loves it’s own. Catalyst: Persecution is simply another method God uses to bring about his will in our lives. He uses it to break down, pull up, clean out and finally to fill our lives with more of himself. Only then can we increase our effectiveness in his kingdom. If you are being harassed and you aren’t exactly feeling the happiness thing right now, at least, hang on; help is on the way. We can talk about the way we feel or remember the Psalmist says I have been young and now I am old. I have never seen the righteous forsaken...

Talk About a Huge Step....

The Bible says , and I believe, God has ALL power. This makes it even more amazing to think he waits on us to come to the realization of his will and woos or nudges us into obedience, instead of applying force. Almost three years ago I toyed with the idea of full time ministry but neither my husband nor I felt settled about the decision. Two very unhappy jobs later, and faced with an upheaval in our ministry I resigned a very, very well paying job. God waited on me to say yes voluntarily before showing me why there could be no other decision at this point in our lives. I am completely at peace with my decision and God has confirmed his approval through personal witness as well as the voice of others. Immediate plans are to do the administrative functions at our church, finish this current book, and keep on pursuing my goal to teach theology/train pastors. We urgently need the prayers of those of you who have always supported us in warfare. Please, add us to your prayer and fasting chains, prayer lists…the whole deal. And now that I have a little bit more time at least for a while, see you on FB as well as the Blog.