Complacency

com·pla·cen·cy

kəmˈplāsənsē/

noun

noun: complacency; noun: complacence

1. a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.

   "the figures are better, but there are no grounds for complacency"

   :

   smugness, self-satisfaction, self-congratulation, self-regard; More gloating, triumph, pride; satisfaction, contentment   Over the past several months, I've felt such a burden for our church and the Christians of this community and this country.  The thing that keeps coming to my mind is "a spirit of complacency".  Our culture and comfort has lulled us to sleep.  It's made us numb to why we are here as believers in Christ.  Technolgy, media, comfort, recreation, our own persuits for money, recognition, pleasure...they have caused us to put Christ in a pot with all of it, just part of it.  He has lost His place as the center of it all. I am at a place of brokeness for the state of the Christian community today.  I am pouring out my own heart to God, to repent of my own complacency.  I want to be different.  I want to be light.  I want Christ to be in and about everything I do.  I want my children to see that too. I'm praying for revival in the churches of America.  Yes, that is an old word.  Sometimes it comes with pictures of pentacostal preachers playing to emotions.  That isn't what I mean. Revival.  A stiring of our hearts back towards the truth of Christ.  A renewal of our commitements to make Him our everything.  A fresh desire to repent of falling in to the lull and seeking Christ for ourselves and for those around us to come to know Him. We so desperately need Jesus.  We don't need anything else.  I'm praying for eyes to be opened and hearts to return to that simple purity of faith.                                                           ..Stacey

When the Light is Cast

Every time I think God has some how shown me all the "big" stuff I need to work on, or reveals something in me that I didn't realize was there, or maybe WHY it was there, He goes and does it again.  I don't know why I think He'll ever be done.  If it seems like He is, then I've stopped listening to His voice and I'll stop growing. 

In this particular instance I shared something with a friend...I reached out and said I need prayer for this!  She not only prayed for me...she took me through some steps to an AHA! moment. One of those things were there is more to the way you are reacting to a situation then what's happening right then.  It's more underlying stuff that happened as a child that chooses to resurface under certain conditions.  Wow, it really floored me, but in a good way.  When Jesus throws the light on something you just haven't seen before, it changes you.  I wrestled though it with Him, and He met me right where I was and now I have just a little more insight and hopefully wisdom to help someone else someday.

Early on in my walk with Christ I would cringe when He cast the light on something.  Sometimes we are tempted to keep really busy in order not to even let it happen.  But with time, I've come to embrace the light, even seek it out.  Because He never casts the light on an area of my life to condemn me or leave me to deal with it.  He loves me through it and refines me just alittle bit more.  And that brings me that much closer to Him.  What could be better than that?

                         ---Stacey

Priorities

I will warn readers now, I'm on my soap box today.  I've had a couple of experience's lately that have caused discouragement.  It has to do with the lack of commitment and priority on the things of God in the American Church today. 

I feel like so many use busyness, lack of money or time as an excuse for committing to things like church attendance, plugging into Life Groups, sending kids on events for spiritual growth, etc.  We all have busy lives.  We all seem to lack money and time.  But isn't it true that whatever is a priority, we make happen, regardless of these factors? 

I am frustrated and discouraged as I seek to raise my children with a real awareness of investing in the things of God.  It's top priority to me to see that above every educational, recreational and cultural experience in life, that they are getting the most from their spiritual experiences.  I am willing to sacrifice to make those kinds of things happen for them.  They are far more lasting and meaningful then any other investment I could make on their behalf.

So at the risk of making someone mad, I hope to bring reflection on the truth.   If you find yourself holding back in someway in your own life or in aiding your child in holding back, I encourage you to take another look.  What better investment of of time and money is there then to know Christ more, and grow in Him.  What are we really here for if not for that?  What are your priorities.

 ---Stacey 

In Our Midst

I meant to post last week but time got away from me.  It's amazing how God is moving.  And how is He moving?  Through the power of prayer.  I know I've been talking alot about prayer, but I have always felt called to intercede in different ways.  I have learned over the years that prayer is the most powerful and amazing thing God has for us on this earth.  No kidding.  When we pray, He is in our midst.  He hears.  He breaks bondages.  He opens doors.  HE MOVES.

Recently, at a women's breakfast at our church I learned that a someone new to our church had a burden to pray, and goes to the church once a week and prays there.  My heart jumped out of my chest at this news.  Someone who knows the power.  Someone who feels the same calling I do!  I contacted her immediately, not wanting to just barge in to her time only to find out that she had been praying for someone to feel they should be praying with her.  Amazing.  We answered each other's prayers. 

Today was the second day.  I seemed to encounter obstacles left and right, but I got there.  Wet hair.  Eyes blurred from lack of sleep.  But I was there.  And she was there.  And God was in our midst.  In all the craziness of life, full of technology and distraction, I am confident that this is the best thing we can do with our time.  It doesn't have to be at a church.  It can be anywhere.  But when God's children cry out to Him for real change.  For a movement of His spirit, He is there, and He WILL answer.  Oh what an amazing thing to be heard by the one who is in control and who loves us so desperately.

                                                                                  ---Stacey

Burden

Ever have a burden of prayer for someone so strong you literally can't do anything but pray for them all day?  That is me today.  There is such a burden and I just keep lifting it.  Then it comes back again...and I lift it again.  It's a burden that Christ keeps laying on my heart to keep me praying.  It's at these times I know I am just the vessel.  Just the vehicle that God has called to obediently use.  So here I am, Lord. 

This burden has reminded me of the power of prayer and how really unstoppable our prayers are through Christ.  Just yesterday and this morning in huge ways God moved in my own life and situations.  Situations I asked faithful prayer warriors to pray about.  Prayer is so important.  And that's why the enemy tries to make it the first thing we let go of, shut out, move away from.  But if we let Christ move through us in prayer, there is nothing He can't do in and through us.

And so with that in mind...I'm praying as God has laid this burden on my heart.  This is the song that keeps coming to mind as I lift it over and over and over...

Barlow Girl  -  Porcelain Heart

 

The Truth Will Set You Free

I'm a Mentor Mom in my church's MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) and today was Testimony Day.  All of MOPS builds up to this day.  We hear some women tell their story from the front, and then we split off into groups and the Mentor Mom and two leaders in the group give their testimony. 

It's always amazing to me what God does when we speak the truth...tell our story...our TRUE story.  We find to our surprise, that there are others like us, or those we didn't really know.  And most of all, we see what Christ can do in a life that is laid before Him.

I am emotionally drained and energized at the same time.  Baring one's soul and hearing other's bear theirs is a true gift of God.  Satan's power comes when we hide the secrets, the hurts, the True Story in darkness.  But bringing it to the light brings freedom and healing.  To be real is to be free.

                                                                           Blessings,
                                                                            Stacey

Lift that Weight

Ever have one of those days were you just feel the weight of all the junk in the world?  For me it seems to accumulate until I just feel this heaviness...and if I don't give it over to God, it turns into anxiety. 

The things that have started to feel heavy for me?  A young daughter of a family in our church died in a car accident this week.  My daughter read me some very disturbing headlines from the news this morning.  A new class she has this semester has opened up all kinds of topics, and the realization that many kids are involved in drugs and sex.  Car problems. More car problems.  And so on.  Sometimes it just adds up to to much.  Without awareness it accumulates until I realize I am carrying dead weight that I have no business carrying.

I don't say this lightly or try to over simplify...but I throw up my hands and I give it over to the only one who is in control of it all anyway.  I MUST acknowledge this and let HIM have it ALL.

One of the ways I've learned to do this is through a specific time prayer I have weekly.  I guess you would call it "Warfare Prayer".  At the same time every week, I take time to go into each bedroom...my kids and the room my husband and I share.  What do I do there?  I lift up all my concerns, I give it all over out loud with a passion.  When I'm done, I feel like the weight is physically gone.  It's His, and I've made it so by crying out, because He WILL answer.

Do I say this so you can see how super spiritual I am?  No.  I am NOT super spiritual.  I simply have a routine.  I've made a commitment.  I know the needs.  Anyone who calls Christ Lord can do the same, and I hope you do. 

The world is a heavy place.  Sometimes it's just too much...and we aren't supposed to carry this load.  Give it to Him.  He's the only one who can lift the burden.

                                                                       ---Stacey