Real Life!

God's Ways

2012-01-30T16:16:00.002-05:00

Have you ever noticed that when someone is out in the sun and they get a little bit of color on them, everyone says, "Oh, you look so healthy!" Strange, it's true - sun can make someone look like they have a healthy glow. However, the "healthy glow" we see is, in reality, evidence of damaged and very unhealthy skin. So what we are seeing is really not so healthy, after all. Over time, it can cause sun spots, aging of the skin, wrinkles and even cancer!

What we see can sometimes deceive us into thinking things that are not necessarily true. Like when we look at someone and judge from their appearance. Sometimes it comes in the form of someone with tattoos, a nose ring and spiked hair. Or, perhaps we look at someone who is absolutely gorgeous and fit and we think they have their lives all together without a problem in the world. Sometimes it comes in the form of someone who is "the least of these". There's a great example of this in the Bible (actually many) but today I'm specifically thinking of the story of a young teenager named David.

To look at him, you wouldn't think he'd be much to look at. He was a shepherd of his father's flock and spent all of his time outdoors. You read in 1 Samuel 16 that he was not even considered when the prophet Samuel came looking for the next King of Israel. His father, Jesse, paraded all of his big, strong, burly brothers in front of the prophet thinking that he was looking for one of them. But Samuel said, "Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse thought for a moment and just half-halfheartedly said, "Well, there is still the youngest, but he's out tending to the sheep and goats."

As soon as Samuel saw David, he knew that he was the one God wanted to anoint as the King of Israel. Everyone must have been so confused! David? Why him? What did he have that the others did not have? In 1 Samuel 16:7 it says that God doesn't judge by appearances or height, he doesn't see things the way we do. He looks at the heart. David would be known as a man after God's own heart.

God's ways are not like our ways. As you go out into your day today, remember that what we see is not always the truth of the matter. Looks can be deceiving. If someone cuts you off in traffic, it could be that they are on their way to the emergency room with a sick child and they are not thinking straight. If someone hurts you with their words, it could be that they have been hurt by words and they are just acting out. Hurt people hurt people, you know. If you are the target of gossip, it could be that the person gossiping has such a poor opinion of his or herself that they must gossip in order to make themselves feel better. And if you see someone who seems to have it all together, don't assume they have need of nothing and don't need a friend or a kind word. Sometimes they are the ones who need it most.

There are always some things I am not going to understand. But one thing I do understand is that God's ways are not my ways, and everything and everyone He allows into my life has a purpose. When I seek to understand what He might be teaching me in the moment instead of trying to place blame or draw my own conclusions, I can see a glimpse of God's ways.

Ladies Bruch & Mini Retreat - Feb. 4

2012-01-25T07:24:00.000-05:00

It's time for a Girls Morning Out! Grab your girlfriends and meet me on Saturday, February 4, at the Big View Diner from 9am-12:30pm for a Ladies Brunch and Mini Retreat! The cost is only $20 per person and that includes everything - a beautiful brunch, coffee or tea, 2 Bible-based sessions, tip and taxes! We have reserved their "party room" and have room for up to 60 women!

We initially reserved NarroWay Productions for Saturday and were going to have three sessions and worship led by Cindy Kessler & her friends. The conference was called "Not Just Another Love Story" and included the NarroWay Broadway-style show the night before. Though the venue for Saturday has changed, I will still be attending the show the night before at NarroWay and want to encourage you to come, as well! It's a fabulous show and ties in well with some of what we will be talking about on Saturday. To register (separately) for the show on Friday night, you can click here.

The brunch will include:

Farm Fresh Scrambled Eggs
Applewood Smoked Bacon
Country Sausage Patties
Homefried Potatoes
Stone Ground Grits
Assorted Breakfast Pastries & Muffins
Fresh Fruit Salad
Toasted Bagels with cream cheese, butter & jam
*** Includes Coffee OR Tea ***

Sessions taught will be centered on the "Heart". Our theme verse is Psalm 51:10:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me."

Here are the topics:

Session One: Heart Troubles (Be equipped to face heartbreak & difficulties and use those times to allow God to show you wisdom, comfort and restoration!)

Session Two: Heart Overflow (Learn how to examine your motives & heart in decisions, actions & opportunities presented to you in your life & how to overflow God’s love into the lives of those you love!)

If you already registered for the NJALS Conference, NarroWay will be contacting you shortly for reimbursement options. You can have a full refund or if you would like, they can just charge you for the show cost on Friday night and reimburse the rest. IMPORTANT: If you already registered, you will still need to let me know if you plan on coming to the brunch! Our records are separate, so I don't have access to who registered yet. Just email me at lnease@leslienease.com or call me at 704-617-3108.

To register, simply email me at lnease@leslienease.com and I will make sure you get a seat. The $20 will be due on the day of the event in cash or a check made out to Potential Unlimited. No deposit is necessary.

TO DOWLOAD A FREE FLYER TO GIVE OUT TO YOUR FRIENDS, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

See you at the Big View Diner on February 4!

"Nehemiah" Web Launch Party Feb. 1 - You're Invited!

2012-01-20T14:24:00.002-05:00

Friends, I wanted to share this with you...it all kicks off next week and it sounds like something we don't want to miss! -Leslie

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As a singer, songwriter and speaker, Kelly Minter is passionate about helping women discover Jesus through Scripture. In her latest Bible study, Minter seeks to lead women toward the spiritual wholeness that comes from finding out what “breaks God’s heart” and then getting involved in God’s mission.

“A broken heart is often the very thing God uses to restore the broken,” writes Minter in Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break, a new Bible study produced by LifeWay Women.

“My goal in this study is not to uncover every word [in Nehemiah], but to follow missional themes about service, Kingdom work, tender hearts, prayer, love of the poor and the sacredness of Scripture,” said Minter.

According to Amy Lowe, co-director of LifeWay Women, “This Nehemiah study is all about seeking out what God has put on ladies’ hearts to do for the suffering, broken and hurting people around them.”

“Kelly brings the book and person of Nehemiah to life,” said Lowe. “She takes what has often been seen as a ‘manly’ book about building and teamwork and reminds us that Nehemiah was a man whose heart broke for his people.”

LifeWay Women will celebrate the launch of the Nehemiah study at a live web party at 11am (CST) Feb. 1, 2012. (That's 12pm EST, ladies!)

The event will feature live segments with special guests Beth Moore and Lisa Harper. LifeWay Women is also hosting a sweepstakes with the winners being announced onair during the webcast.

“Nehemiah” webcast party giveaways include:

Kindle Fire
$100 LifeWay Gift Card
Bundle of other LifeWay Women products, such as No Other Gods Bible study, Ruth Bible study, Loss, Love & Legacy CD, and a Nehemiah kit
Nehemiah kit
Tickets to LifeWay’s new Abundance event

Participants will be able to interact with others and ask questions for additional giveaways in the show’s live chat stream.

Paige Greene, co-director of LifeWay Women, will host the webcast. Author Lisa Harper will be among special guests. “This is a chance for us to celebrate what God is going to do in the lives of women who will pick up this study,” said Lowe.

Visit LifeWay.com/Women for more information about Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break.

LifeWay Women is a ministry of LifeWay Christian Resources, one of the world’s largest providers of Christian products and services.

Minter is an author, conference speaker, songwriter and singer. She speaks and leads worship at women’s conferences, retreats and events. Her previous Bible studies include No Other Gods, Ruth: Love, Loss & Legacy and Hannah’s One Wish.

(Written by Jon Wilke)

Fraud or Flawed?

2012-01-17T08:10:00.002-05:00

My kids see me at my worst – they see me when I’m having a rotten day, when I’m tired or over-extended, when I’m not as attentive as I should be. They also see me at my best – and sometimes, when I take them with me to speaking events, they see me on stage, sharing God’s Word with people. When I’m on the stage, speaking, it can seem like I have it all together and that I have all the answers. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. And my kids know it!

One night as I was preparing to leave for a speaking engagement, my husband and I were in a heated argument about an hour before I was to leave. I was in tears and as I was leaving, I fell into his arms and sobbed, “I feel like such a fraud! How can I go share God’s Word with people when I’m not even able to live it out myself all the time?!” He cradled my face with his hands, looked me in the eye and said, “You are not a fraud. You are a beautiful woman of God who has a message to share. There is not one person speaking God’s word who lives it perfectly. We are all imperfect.” Then he prayed for me and I left very encouraged.

I realized something as I prayed on my way to the event. I wasn’t a fraud. I was flawed. There’s a difference. I like that my kids and my husband clearly see how God can use a person like me – a real, live, flawed, imperfect but willing vessel – for His purposes. I like how they see that a mom or a wife who may have yelled at them earlier (and apologized for it through tears) is still capable of being used by God later that night. That’s how powerful He is! If He can use me, He can use anyone. I hope they will see that He can use them, too. Flaws and all.

Are you avoiding obedience to God in something because you’re afraid you won’t measure up to the role you think you have to play in order to do it? Are you afraid you are going to seem like a fraud if you forge ahead and do something, knowing you don’t have it all together yet? I totally understand that thought process, I really do. But I also know it’s a lie. Think about it – if God really wanted you to be perfect before He could use you, then it would be about you…not Him. But it’s not about you. It’s totally about Him and what He can do through you. You’ll be amazed at how He can change you along the way, as you become more and more like Jesus.

Don’t be afraid to be flawed. If you were perfect, you would have absolutely no need for Jesus. A fraud is someone who pretends they aren’t flawed. Be real, be honest, and be transparent about your struggles but most important, be honest about how God taught you through them, how He’s growing you in His grace and how He is forming you into the person He wants you to be. But please…don’t delay obedience waiting for the day you will have it all together. That day will never come this side of heaven.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

Desperate for a Cure

2012-01-10T08:13:00.002-05:00

Have you seen the movie "Contagion" yet? Stephanie and I watched it the other night. I would not recommend this movie to a hypochondriac, that's for sure! It was really fascinating to watch how quickly this virus spread all around the world. People were panicked. It didn't take long for complete chaos to break out and for the people all over the world to get very desperate to get their hands on a cure. There was even a guy who said he had a cure but he was just out to make money - he was bamboozling millions of naive people and they died as a result of his selfishness. That always makes me sick when people capitalize on something so terrible just to make a quick buck.

The tag line for the movie is, "Nothing Spreads Like Fear." So true! These people were terrified. At the first sneeze, it was a wave of panic as they began to quickly get sicker and sicker and within days the virus would unmercifully take their lives. Of course they were scared, I would be too! There was no hope, it seemed. Finally, after a few months, there was a cure but only so many people could get the cure at a time, as the demand was far greater than the supply.

As I watched these frightened people, so desperate for a cure, I couldn't help but think I wish we would all truly understand the fact that there really is a virus that is worse than the one in the movie because it isn't spread - we are born with it. But nobody seems desperate for this cure. Nobody seems fearful of the virus. Many pretend they are not sick or think they aren't sick enough for it to be a problem. That virus is called sin and its mortality rate is 100% if not cured. There is only one cure and it's Jesus Christ.

Why aren't we desperately seeking this Cure? In that movie, I was struck by how people would go to great lengths to get their hands on a cure that would save them physically - but spiritually, where did they stand? Because when it all comes down to it, we know we will all eventually pass away someday (the mortality rate for humans is 100%, as it turns out). Why is this not something about which we concern ourselves? Our eternity is at stake and we are basing all of our efforts and striving on this short life on earth! Are we blind?

I'm pretty sure it's because we are being bamboozled by someone sinister and evil who wants not to make a quick buck off of us, but to make us his victims, his trophies of deception. Satan is the master deceiver and his desire is that we all feel comfortable in our sinful state. He wants us to think that when people talk about him being a real threat to us, they are crazy. He wants us to believe that everyone will be fine after this life. His desire is that no one would survive and that we will all join him in his eternal home - separated from the God who so desperately loves us. He is not dressed in a red suit with horns and a pitchfork as he would want you to believe. No, he usually shows up in a much more welcoming package. After all, before he decided he was equal to God (delusion, by the way), he was the most beautiful angel in heaven! Doesn't sound like a creepy looking, pitch-fork holding, cackling character to me. Don't be deceived, my friend.

If, as the movie states, nothing spreads like fear, then why are we not fearing God, the only One worth fearing? The kind of fear I'm talking about is different - it's a reverence, a respect, a submissive fear. If we fear God, we have nothing left to fear. But here's what Psalm 36 says...

¹ Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.
They have no fear of God at all.
² In their blind conceit,
they cannot see how wicked they really are.

I'm here to tell you that Satan is a liar. ALL of us have contracted this "virus" called sin. All of us. It's hard to fathom, I know. It's easy to say, "But I haven't killed anyone, or I'm not as bad as so-n-so.." But even one bad thought is more sin than a Holy God will tolerate. Sin must be judged and according to the Bible, the payment for sin is death and separation from God for eternity. But Jesus paid our debt!

Maybe you think this is my opinion, not the truth. Why not research for yourself, in the pages of the Bible, what God says about our sinful condition? Here are some scriptures for you to read. I pray He will grant you wisdom and truth as you seek the pages of Scriptures for answers. There is a cure for your sinful condition and God has provided it because He cannot stand one more moment of being separated from you. He loves you desperately and He proved it by giving His life for you. His desire is that no one should die and live their eternity out away from Him. He loves you. Read for yourself...

Romans 5:12-21, Romans 10:9-13, Romans 3:19-28, Colossians 1:15-20, 2 Peter 3:3-9

Asking for a Blessing

2012-01-04T08:34:00.000-05:00

Our family tradition is to go to the beach for a week just after Christmas to unwind, refocus and reflect. It's one of my most favorite times of the year! We are enjoying some relaxation here at Edisto Beach this week and honestly it's my favorite trip yet. This beach is more secluded, less commercial and it feels like a real retreat. I think I might cry when we leave!

The first night we were here, I went out on the third floor balcony, which has a beautiful view of the sky. The stars were going on for miles and miles. I absolutely love the sky. I just sat there, bundled up, praying and thanking God for such a beautiful display. As I watched the sky, I prayed He would show me a shooting star. I don't know why I wanted to see one, but I did. I really believed in my heart that He wanted to show me one, too. I even told Him I wasn't going to go inside until I saw it, just so He'd know how serious I was (I am a stubborn one at times). But I ended up going inside after about thirty minutes because I was too cold to sit out there for much longer and it had already been an hour.

As I prayed that night, I thanked Him anyway. I may not have seen my shooting star, but honestly my heart was so full. I knew it was a lot to ask. I also know it's important to walk by faith, not by sight. Whether He showed me a shooting star or not didn't matter - He was still God and I trusted Him. But I still felt that before I left, He would show me a shooting star. Don't ask me how I knew, I just knew deep in my heart. As I drifted off to sleep, I felt so peaceful.

I told my girls about my experience the next day. I told them that sure, I was disappointed but I knew God would show me one before I left. I think in their hearts, they knew He would come through, too!

Yesterday, as I was scrolling through the internet, I found an article about a Meteor Shower that was going to be showing up on Wednesday morning around 2:30am and would last for hours. Not only did it say it was a meteor shower, but a strong meteor shower! I knew right away that God was going to show me that shooting star, but I was going to have to work for it by setting my alarm and getting up in the middle of the night. Oh, I love my sleep. This was conflicting for me! Then, I recalled the night before Jesus was crucified how He asked the disciples to stay awake and pray, but they kept falling asleep because it was in the middle of the night and they were tired. It felt as if God was saying, "I want to bless you, but you need to do your part."

How badly did I want it? Would I sacrifice to get my blessing by waking up at 3am and shivering in the cold to see it?

Of course I would!

Last night around 3am, my girls and I were on the third story deck of this beautiful beach house, watching a perfectly clear, star filled sky rain down shooting stars while wrapped in big comforters. And the scripture that kept coming to me was James 1:17-18:

Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

Don't be afraid to ask Him for a blessing, my friend. He loves you so much! But you might be asked to do your part. You must decide...is the blessing worth the effort? My bet is, you'll see that it truly is. I only asked for one shooting star...but His plan was to give me a sky-full!

To read about another time I asked God for something and He went above and beyond, click here!

I Need Your Help!

2011-12-31T10:28:00.000-05:00

I'm conducting a short survey for my new book and I need your help! Would you mind taking this survey for me? It will be anonymous and the results are going to be tremendously helpful for me. Thank you so much and have a Happy New Year!

Click here to take survey

Your John 20 Moment Is Coming

2011-12-28T09:56:00.001-05:00

We've all been through stuff. Hard stuff that makes our hearts sick and makes us feel like the world is going to crash in around us. We all struggle. Some of us are struggling this moment and some of us have just come through the fires of struggle and are finally on the other side. Nobody has it all together - it's just some of us are better at pretending than others.

Whether it be childhood abuse, addiction, rejection, divorce, or whatever else your struggles in life have been - you can empathize with those who are going through those same struggles. Maybe you're in a struggle with God right now. Is He asking you to give something up that you don't want to let go of? I've been there.

If you are in the middle of a struggle, just know you are not alone. And if you've been healed by God either physically, emotionally or spiritually, maybe the Lord helped you to overcome those trials and struggles for such a time as this? We have an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ here on earth - to allow Him to live through us as we reach out to those around us who are hurting and feeling hopeless.

It's a privilege to be used by God for this purpose. With this privilege of being Christ's hands and feet, we cannot lose sight of something very important: The hands and feet of Jesus Christ were pierced on the cross. When we look at the Greek word for pierced, we find the word nyusso, which means "to pierce through, often of severe or deadly wounds given one". Our severe and seemingly deadly wounds have been nailed to the cross and our new lives reflect the same resurrection power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead! We are a new creation, created to do good works in Christ which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:10)

Some of us want to follow Christ with all of our heart, but like the rich young ruler in Luke 18, when Jesus asks us to let go of the things we think matter the most to us, we refuse to do it. We think we cannot live without those things in our life. And it pierces our hearts to imagine letting go of something we consider to be so important and think God is unreasonable for asking us to let go. I remember when He asked me to let go of alcohol. I thought it was unreasonable and ridiculous. But when I finally surrendered it to Him and let go of that stronghold in my life and allowed Him to heal me of that addiction, I finally experienced the freedom I so desperately craved in my life. But it was hard, I'm not gonna lie.

Are you feeling pierced today? I want to encourage you to read John 19-20. John 19 is the dark, frightening time in Jesus' life when He was scourged, beaten, pierced, scoffed, whipped and ultimately crucified. Things looked bleak. All seemed lost. It seemed as if the enemy was winning. But then came John 20. Hope. Truth. Victory. Resurrection!

There is a "John 20 Moment" coming in your life - hang on and wait for the Lord. Resurrection is a beautiful thing - but death must precede it. This is not a physical death in our sense, but a spiritual one. We die to ourselves - to our lusts, our passions, our sinful hearts - in order for Him to resurrect us into our new life with our new heart, given by God in His mercy, which beats in us with His passions, His desires and His ways. What a beautiful gift!

Salvation is a free gift, given by the grace of God alone - but it does cost us something....our life. We often mistake this as a bad thing. But God's ways are so much better than ours! Those things we hold onto and think we cannot live without (though we know it is not in God's plan for us to keep holding onto them) are destroying us and keeping us from an intimate relationship with God. Let go, my friend. Trust Him. He knows what is best for you and He loves you more than you could ever imagine. Abundant life - that is what He has for you. But you must let go.

We must relinquish everything to Him - every part of our heart. Yes, it is painful - piercing to the heart, if you will. But remember our piercing is part of our story and our story is what God can use to reach out to a hurting, hopeless world. May we all have the courage to allow Him to pierce our souls with His truth, allow Him to pry our tightly gripping hands off of our unfulfilled lives and reach out to the world as a new creation, being His hands in feet to the nations in 2012!

Cleaning Up

2011-12-24T09:11:00.000-05:00

I knew when I reached into my purse for my wallet that I was only scratching the surface of the gummy mess that awaited me in the rest of my purse. See, I get tired of gum pretty quickly. Unfortunately, the other day I got tired of it and put it in a piece of paper and was not in an area where I could toss it in the trashcan, so I threw it in my purse to throw away later. Problem is...I forgot it was there. Before I knew it, the gum had escaped the piece of paper and had attached itself to every item in my purse - including my cell phone, my lip gloss and my wallet. It was a mess and honestly, quite disgusting.

But it got me to thinking.

I realized that I'm like that with sin in my life at times. I am finished with the sin - ready to get rid of it - but instead of dealing with it fully, I tuck it away conveniently in my heart somewhere, intending to deal with it when it's more convenient. Before I know it, it is attaching itself to my thoughts, my intentions, my motives and my desires. It begins to destroy me. What I thought was temporary now becomes messier than ever.

Is there anything in your life right now that you need to deal with? Me too. I'm so tired of the messes that I allow to creep into my heart and my life. My intentions to deal with it "later" don't ever work the way I plan. Today is the day. Waiting is not an option. It will only get worse.

What do you say we give ourselves a gift for Christmas? A clean heart and conscience. I can't think of a better gift for not only myself, but the ones who love me the most. King David said in Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a loyal spirit within me." That's my prayer this Christmas Eve. Our messes are never too messy for God! He loves us and only He can clean our hearts and make them pure again.

Merry Christmas, friends. Praying God's grace, peace and joy over each of you today and into the new year!

The Blessing of Child-Like Faith

2011-12-12T06:57:00.003-05:00

I was reading Isaiah 11:6 and I was so struck by the words "a little child shall lead them". It made me think about how precious children are and how much we can learn from them. Jesus tells us in the Bible that we are to come to Him with the faith of a child. I love that thought because it’s really obvious to me that children have a very sweet innocence about them that over the years seems to fade away due to disappointments, hurts and frustrations with others. There is also a sense of imagination and enchantment that is lost over the years. But God’s redemption plan in Jesus Christ is actually quite enchanting! Is that a scary word for you? It was for me, too, until I realized what it really just means “a feeling of great liking for something wonderful and unusual”.

Children don’t question – they trust. They are honest and real about their feelings and there is no pretense until people begin to lie to them or ask them to lie. They believe what you say will happen if you say it will until they begin to get let down by those who don't always do what they say they will do. They are humble and know that they are not in charge and willingly submit to that until they see someone else question authority and act out of ignorance. They get excited when Daddy’s around and jump into His arms with no reservations or doubts that he won’t be able to handle their weight until Daddy doesn't come home anymore and their world begins to shatter.

I think the reason children are so precious to God is for those reasons. They may be born into sin, but they are a lot more teachable and believing than we are. Maybe that is why God chose Mary, not more than a child herself (scholars say she was anywhere between 12 and 15 years old) to carry His Son, Jesus. He knew she would believe Him and accept the call He placed on her life without question.

I love that the first thing sweet Mary did was run to an older, wiser woman - her cousin, Elizabeth - for advice and encouragement. That is our role, older friends. We are to come alongside of those young folks and encourage them, not discourage them. If you look in Luke 1, earlier on before Gabriel, the angel, came to Mary, you will notice he also paid a visit to Zechariah, Elizabeth's husband. He told him what God was going to do in his life - God was going to give him (though he was old in age) a son who would grow strong and would announce the coming of the Messiah - but he didn't believe. He thought it was crazy. So the angel told him he wouldn't talk until after the baby, John, was born.

I wonder if that is because God didn't want him speaking unbelieving words when Mary would come around to visit his wife to find encouragement? Maybe it was a gift - sometimes I kick myself for the unbelieving things that come out of my mouth. Being struck dumb may have saved Zechariah and many others some unwelcome pain! It could probably save us and those in our lives that pain at times, as well. Especially those children who believe in God so whole-heartedly until they examine us speaking words of unbelief and begin to wonder if it's all a lie.

This Christmas, the best gift we can ask for is the faith of a child. The best gift we can give our children is to exercise that faith in their presence. I don't know what your situation is, but I know that if God said He is sovereign, He is sovereign over that situation. He has not forgotten or forsaken you. He has you covered and He will give you peace that passes all understanding. Believe it, my friend. He has promised it.

As Elizabeth told Mary, I'm going to tell you (from Luke 1:45), "You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said."

Mary

2011-12-08T14:45:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, friends. You've been chosen as a vessel to carry very precious cargo when you are a believer in Jesus Christ! Let that sink in for a moment. And once it does, let it spill out into the lives of all you know and meet this Christmas season as you love, serve and give. After all, we have the perfect example: Jesus, Himself.

Leslie

Left Behind

2011-12-07T12:11:00.000-05:00

My mom lost me at the Piggly Wiggly when I was five years old (for you who are not in the Southeast, that is a grocery store believe it or not!). I remember it vividly. I was terrified! I couldn't find her so I decided to go out to the car and sit on the hood and wait for her. I mean, in my mind it made sense because eventually, she would leave, right? Little did I know, she wasn't going anywhere without me. She was in a total panic inside the Piggly Wiggly as I sat outside, waiting.

About thirty minutes later, I saw police cars drive up. Police were running in, sirens were blaring. I wondered what was going on in there, so I decided to go look and see. Oops. They were looking for me! My mom came running over to me, sobbing, picked me up and swung me around in the tightest hug I'd ever received. She said "Where have you been!?" I said "I was at the car...I knew you'd come there eventually." The police left and I thought I'd be in some big trouble at that point but she didn't seem to be mad. I think her relief trumped her anger. Whew!

As a mom, I now understand why she didn't leave the store. We don't look for our children who are missing and then say "Oh, well. I suppose I'll just go home now. Too bad I can't find my child but life goes on!" No, we search frantically. We search without abandon. We love our child and the thought of something happening to our child will send us into a complete tailspin. I've lost my children briefly and I can tell you, the world seems to stop. It's terrifying!

In Luke 2, we read about how Mary & Joseph lost Jesus once. They were leaving Jerusalem after the Passover feast when He was twelve years old. They traveled with a large group of people because they assumed Jesus was with them in the group somewhere. (This kind of reminds me of the movie Home Alone, but I digress...) They traveled all day and that evening when they went to look for Him, they couldn't find Him. The Bible says it took three days for them to find Him. Wow - can you imagine? My heart races as a mom as I think about the lack of sleep, the guilt, the fear, the total panic they must have been feeling!

When they finally found Him at the temple, they didn't know what to think. Mary said "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere!" He asked "But why did you need to search? Didn't you know I must be in my Father's house?" He was genuinely amazed that they didn't know where to find Him - especially since they knew who He really was, the Son of God.

Have I ever been comfortable, surrounded by people, focused on a destination or goal of going somewhere, only to leave Jesus behind? When I go searching for Him, will I blame Him for not coming with me or will I realize that in my confusion and lack of focus, I just assumed He had come along? I must search for Him and make sure He is with me before I go anywhere.

You've probably heard the saying "If you feel like God is not with you, just remember, He's not the one who moved." This is a prime example. I cannot blame Jesus if I feel distant from Him. I probably got distracted, probably got caught up in being busy or in a goal and just assumed He was following me. But is that the way it works?

Jesus says "Follow Me."

If there is anything in your life today that is pulling you away and distracting you from the most important relationship in your life, I urge you to seek the Lord's guidance on how to find the balance you need in order to seek Him first above anything else. Is it another person? A task? A goal or a dream? What about a hobby, the computer or television? He has not left you - He loves you and He wants to connect with you but sometimes we need to consciously disconnect in order to recognize our distractions can become idols in our lives when we put them above time with Him.

Jesus is genuinely amazed when we don't know where to find Him, just as He was amazed that His parents didn't know where to find Him. He says He will "never leave you, never forsake you." So where is He today? "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16

He's in the temple, of course. Not a temple made by human hands, but in the hearts of those who believe in Him.

Baby Steps

2011-12-03T08:26:00.000-05:00

It's very rare that I complete everything on my to-do list. Maybe that's because I'm a lofty-thinker and think that I can do more than I actually can, but sometimes it's because quite frankly, I am a poor time-manager (something God is definitely working through with me!). When I don't accomplish everything, I tend to be very hard on myself. But lately I've been feeling accomplishment because of something I've figured out.

Even if I do nothing else to clean my house for the day, I make my bed. It's the one thing that I know I must do. It's a decision I made and I'm not going to go against it. My mind is made up! It's my first step, I suppose you could say, to trying to be more time-efficient. And it's really amazing how good I feel! I've never been a bed maker because I figure I'm just going to be getting back into it that night, so why bother? The only time my bed every got made before was when people were coming over. Otherwise, it went unmade.

But for the past few months, I've made a decision to change that. My mentor once told me that if the bed is made, the room looks 70% clean, no matter how unclean it really is and I can honestly say she is right! The bed makes up 70% of the room and if that is made, it gives the illusion of clean and for some reason in my mind it makes me feel accomplished and I've been a lot less hard on myself as a result when I don't finish the rest of my "to-do" list!

Baby steps are all that are needed in making changes. I think I overwhelm myself with getting everything right instead of getting a few things right. I think I assume the whole house must be clean when really it's just a few things a day that will keep it tip-top. I can't believe it's taken me so many years to figure this out!

It's like this spiritually, too. When we become a Christian, often I think we expect that everything will be completely different right away, but really God doesn't over-whelm us - He is patiently working in us but will do it one step at a time, gently and methodically. Once that one thing is improved, He moves on to the next. It's a gentle and amazing super-natural thing that only He can do in us. When we put pressure on ourselves to get it all right at the moment we surrender, we end up discouraged and frustrated.

I think about when my kids took their first steps. I didn't yell at them and scream,"That's not good enough - you need to learn to do it right before you start walking!" Rather, I was proud of them as I watched them take a step, fall down on their cute little diaper butt and get back up (about a hundred times!). I know that's how God feels about us. He's proud of us for trying and not angry with us when we fall down. He just wants us to get back up again.

Yesterday I didn't make my bed. It was the first time in months and honestly when I went to bed last night I felt discouraged. I thought that it was the beginning of a downhill slide. But as I prayed as I lay there before going to sleep, I felt God whisper to me, "Just make your bed tomorrow. Let it go."

In life there will be times when things we thought were improved in our life - like a bad habit, an ugly emotion or a destructive pattern - will come back to taunt us. This is not the beginning of the end! This is just real life. But the key is to remember that you wake up the next day with the attitude of, "I may have messed up yesterday but today I'm back on track", instead of the natural human thought process of "Oh, man, this is the beginning of the end. I messed up so now I'm doomed."

Changing the way we think can work wonders. Don't allow discouragement keep you from moving forward in your walk with God. If you fall, just get back up again.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Not Just Another Love Story Ladies Conference Info

2011-11-29T09:01:00.000-05:00

Once our hectic schedules of the holidays are a thing of the past, it's time to take a well-deserved break and join us for a ladies weekend get-a-way in the Charlotte area at NarroWay Productions where we will all gather and enjoy some time of rest and rejuvenation together while growing in our faith and being reminded of God's deep and abiding love for us!

DATE: FEBRUARY 3 and 4, 2012

EVENT: Not Just Another Love Story Ladies Conference
(NarroWay is located just south of Charlotte, NC just off Interstate 77 at the Carowinds Boulevard Exit).

The Not Just Another Love Story Ladies Conference is the first of its kind! It will include:

a powerful Broadway-style dinner theater show from NarroWay Productions (dinner compliments of NarroWay - no need to do the dishes, ladies!) The show is based on the Biblical book of Hosea and set in the 1940's during World World 2
powerful worship and praise with recording artist and worship leader, Cindy Kessler along with Paige Brydon and Kendra Husband from Steele Creek Church of Charlotte's own worship team
Three bible-based sessions that will focus on our "heart condition" from Leslie Nease, International Speaker and Weekend Radio Host on HIS Radio
lunch served on Saturday, compliments of Narroway Productions.
Cost is just $95 per person!

Just to whet your appetite for what is to come, here is a video preview of the Friday night show, Not Just Another Love Story:

Here's the schedule for the weekend get-a-way:

Friday Night:
6:00pm-9:30pm Not Just Another Love Story and dinner at NarroWay Productions
(Menu will be tender pork loin, home-style stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, buttered cream peas, oven-baked apple crisp, dinner roll, sweet iced tea or water)

Saturday:
9:00am-9:20 Worship with Cindy, Paige and Kendra
9:20-10:30 - Session #1 w/Leslie Nease (Testimony in Drama - The Heart of the Matter)
10:30-10:50 - Break
10:50-11:20 Worship with Cindy, Paige and Kendra
11:20-12:30 - Session #2 w/Leslie Nease (Heart Troubles)
12:30-12:45 - Break
12:45-1:30 - Lunch
1:30-1:50 - Worship with Cindy, Paige and Kendra
1:50-3:00 - Session #3 w/Leslie Nease (Heart Overflow)

Tickets are limited! Please order your seats early!

To register online, please click here and click the "Register Now!" button. Then click "Select Tickets" where you will then choose the option "Heart Conference Package" and after you choose your seat, you will be led through the rest of the registration process.

To order over the phone or to find out more info on local lodging discounts, call NarroWay at 803-802-2300.

For more information on the sessions, please contact Leslie at lnease@leslienease.com or call 704-617-3108.

See you in February!

A Mother's Heart

2011-11-28T07:42:00.001-05:00

I've often thought that what a blessing it would have been to be chosen by God to carry His Son, Jesus. When Mary's cousin, Elizabeth, saw Mary and understood that she was carrying the Messiah, she said "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" Even Mary knew she was blessed. In Luke 1:48 she said "from this time on all generations will count me blessed."

And she's right, we do consider her blessed. But I'm beginning to also see that with that blessing came tremendous difficulty. As a mother of four, I cannot imagine the pain and anguish Mary also had to go through, even though she was blessed. Kids are a blessing, no doubt about it. But any mom can tell you that with that tremendous blessing comes some intense vulnerability as we begin to love more deeply than we ever thought possible. With that blessing comes deep pain as we begin to let go of them.

Can you imagine how Mary must have felt as she helplessly watched her son carry the cross down the streets while people mocked Him, spit on Him, hurled insults at Him and whipped Him? What about how she must have felt as she watched Him die on the cross while Roman soldiers tortured Him, little by little, until He finally took His last breath?

I know deep down in her Mom heart, Mary wanted to rescue Jesus, to step in and make it all go away. I cannot help but remember the times my son, Tommy, would fall on the soccer field as a young boy and I would jump up out of my chair, run over, bandage the knee, give it a "mommy kiss" and wipe his tears. I would be at his side before I realized what was happening! What restraint and resolve Mary had to be able to watch and not intervene in the sufferings of Christ, her son.

Where did Mary get that resolve? How did she get so strong? In Luke 2:19, we read that as the Shepherds gathered around a newborn baby Jesus, Mary "treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart." In Luke 1:33 we see she marveled at the things that were said about Jesus as Simeon prophesied about Him. Mary knew these were moments she should treasure and ponder in her heart. She also pondered it in her heart when Jesus was twelve years old and He had been sitting in the temple in the midst of teachers, asking them questions and listening to them for three days.

That word "ponder" in the original Greek means to "struggle with". I wonder if she knew that since He would end up sacrificing His life, she would need the strength that these important and inspired events would give to her in the future?

As a mother, I often find myself pondering important and beautiful moments in my childrens' lives. For instance, when my 6-year old Tommy (who is now 19) looked up at me and said "Mommy, God did a really good job when He made you. Can I marry you?" Or when a 5-year old Stephanie (now 22) looked at the bright moon on a clear night and said "God must have cleaned heaven today." Or when a bad dream invaded sweet 6-year old Peyton (now 11) and she ran to my bedside and said "Mommy, can I sleep in your room tonight? I feel closer to Jesus when I'm with you because you remind me of Him." There was also the time when a 3-year old Kennedy (now 13) said "Mommy, I want to be just like you when I grow up".

These and many other special moments fill my mom-heart with joy. I can draw on these moments when things get rough in their lives and I find myself unable to make the pain go away with a "mommy kiss". I have to watch helplessly on the sidelines as they are knocked down in life and instead of jumping up to make them "all better" I watch them get up, dust themselves off and say, "I'm good!" I have to trust as I let them go, one by one, that I've done all I can to raise them right. I have to trust that they know I'm there for them, even if I can't make all the hurts and consequences of wrong choices go away. I have to trust that God has a plan for their lives - even if that plan may include allowing pain with a purpose into their lives.

I am strengthened as I ponder the truths of God's Word each day. Verses like Proverbs 22:6 "Raise up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it" and "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6) give me tremendous peace as a mother! Knowing God's Word and treasuring the important and special moments in our childrens lives can give us courage as we all let go or watch them go through difficult times and help us to trust God with their lives. After all, He loves them even more than we do (hard to believe but true!).

Mary and Jesus both knew that the pain He went through had a purpose. It didn't make it easy, but I can see that God's grace strengthened them and helped them through those difficult times. Yes, we call Mary blessed - but deep down I know that with that blessing came tremendous difficulties, heart wrenching pain and a resolve to allow it all to happen because she trusted God's plan for His life.

As I ponder these things in my heart this morning, my prayer is simple..."Lord, please give me grace and strength to trust Your plan for my children's lives - even if it doesn't make sense to my mom-heart."

It's the Most Fattening Time of the Year!

2011-11-26T10:46:00.000-05:00

It’s the most fattening time of the year!

There’ll be much over-eating; on diets we’re cheating

Til the the New Year is here...

It’s the most fattening time of the year!

It’s the nap-nappiest season of all!

While food is digesting, our bodies are resting

Can’t get into gear…

It’s the most fattening time of the year!

There’ll be parties for hosting

Marshmallows for toasting

And caroling with lots of cocoa

There’ll be food inventories

And tales of the glories

Of Christmas feasts long, long ago!

It’s the most fattening time of the year!

There’ll be much egg nog flowing

And muffin-tops showing

As extra weight starts to appear…

It’s the most fattening time of the year!

It’s the most fattening time…

It’s the most fattening time….of the year!

Sorry, friends - I couldn't resist. :) Made this up on Thanksgiving to be sung to the tune "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year". Love you all!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

2011-11-23T06:42:00.000-05:00

In celebration of the coming festivities, I wanted to share this poem that I like to share annually, which I wrote a few years ago as I lamented the Holiday party pounds I seemed to gain each year! Hope you will enjoy it...

(Photo by Carol McDaniel Photography)

Twas the night before Christmas, when to my surprise

I saw in the mirror someone I didn't recognize.

I was too busy to notice the weight I'd put on,

The holidays were upon me and soon they'd be gone.

The cookies, the pies, the holiday cheer!

Who cares about the weight? I'll just lose it next year.

Nobody will notice - it's winter, you see.

I'll just wear big sweaters and many layers to cover me.

January will be here and I'll join the local gym.

That's when my resolution will kick in!

I'll work and I'll sweat and I'll lose all the weight!

I'll do all I can to fit into my size eight.

Wait! Didn't I say that I'd do that last year?
When my size was a six before my holiday cheer?

But it's never too late to start eating right!

So I'll put out the cookies and this battle I will fight.

I really do mean it - I've got to feel better.

I can't spend the summer hiding in this big sweater!

So here I go, look out! I'm ready to sweat!

This Christmas season I will not regret.

And you'll hear me exclaim as I jog out of sight...

"Merry Christmas to all - may your clothes not be tight!"

Salt

2011-11-19T08:17:00.001-05:00

When I was voted off Survivor, I had been in the jungle eating hardly anything for nine days. When I did eat, it was plain rice with snails in it (we called it “snail risotto…haha). But the food was so bland and disgusting that when I was voted off and had food with flavor, it actually hurt so much to eat – it was like my salivary glands exploded! It made them over-react and it was so painful in my jaws for about a week because I went from no flavor at all to way too much way too fast! It was something that should have been gradual – a pinch here, a pinch there, leading up to the high-flavor food items I could enjoy again.

In my quiet time this morning, I was reading Mark chapter 9. In this chapter, Jesus told those who follow Him, “You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.” (Mark 9:49) First of all, salt is found in wells, in mines and in the seas. Have you ever felt you were found by God in a vast sea, or in the dark, cold mine or maybe even the bottom of a well? Maybe you felt abandoned or alone when he rescued you? Well, no matter where He found you, He can use you! You are a priceless treasure to Him! So, what are the qualities of salt?

1. A preservative

2. A flavor enhancer

3. Melting ice

4. Disinfectant/Healer – does not allow germs to grow, heals wounds

5. Refining

6. Enduring. (Even an 800° fire cannot destroy salt’s unique chemical composition)

Do we have the qualities of salt in the world?

Do we live in peace with each other?

Are we preserving life or destroying it?

Do we enhance conversations or do we pour it on a bit too much? Or maybe we aren’t enhancing it at all and the ones we talk to are left with no taste of Jesus at all?

Is God using us to melt an ice-cold heart by our compassion and love for others?

Are we bringing healing to others' lives or do we open their wounds by our actions?

Does God use us to refine others by living lives of grace, peace, love, forgiveness and gentleness or are we judging and defining them by their actions?

Do we endure and trust God in the midst of the trials in our life? Only by His strength is this possible. Only in Him can we live as salt in this earth.

Live well, my friends. In our own strength, we will never be able to display the qualities Jesus asks us to display. But with God, all things are possible!

God's Greatest Teachers in My Life

2011-11-17T11:11:00.003-05:00

My two youngest girls have been teaching me a lot about faith lately. I always enjoy learning from my children (they are the greatest tools God uses to teach me!). As a matter of fact, my oldest daughter, Stephanie, is one of those whom God used to show me what a real relationship with Jesus looks like! You can read about my story with her by clicking here. Lately, my two girls who are still at home have been teaching me such deep and powerful truths. Now, it's not as if they set out to do it intentionally, but as I watch them live their lives and learn to love and trust Jesus more, I am learning and growing myself.

Kennedy & Peyton

My 11-year old daughter, Peyton, has been showing tremendous faith recently. This morning I shared on my facebook and twitter accounts something she said during the tornado warning last night that just blew me away. During the storm, we had to move to the basement in order to stay safe (it was literally within a few miles of us) and as we sat down there, I realized she was calm. She even had a smile. This is a little girl that used to be afraid of everything! She said, with complete confidence, "Mom, I'm not afraid of this tornado. God told me that He has big plans for my life and I haven't done anything big yet." I was speechless. I don't know that I have ever trusted God so much in the midst of such a literal storm! I think she just did something big - at least in my heart!

Here's another example: A few nights ago, she was sleeping in my room with me. She was talking with me before we turned out the lights about how many people were believers in the world. She heard someone say 2 billion. But she knew there were 7 billion people in the world. She was very concerned about this and so I told her to pray about it and see what God would say. We turned out the lights and I rolled over to go to sleep. A few minutes later I hear her sweet little voice, "Mom! Is there a verse in John 16:3?" I said, yes, but I wasn't sure what it said. I asked her why. She said she asked God why so many people were not Christians in the world. So I looked it up. This is what it said:

John 16:3 New Living Translation (NLT)

³ This is because they have never known the Father or me.

Peyton & Kennedy in younger years!

We were both shocked! Peyton gasped and wondered if God does that all the time with us! Could this be a coincidence? No, I don't think so. I don't believe in coincidences. A man I used to know who passed away several years ago used to say, "There are no coincidences, only God-cidences!" I believe that.

I also have a 13-year old daughter named Kennedy. I was watching The Passion of the Christ with her the other day and was so struck by how much of the movie she knew was prophetic or scriptural. She'd comment, "Mom, wasn't that to fulfill the prophecy about how Jesus would refuse the drink on the cross?" or she would say, "Mom, I'm so amazed how God knew the Jewish people would crucify Jesus but He allowed it because it was all a part of His plan." Seriously? At 13 she is noticing this stuff? I looked her in the eye and said, "Kennedy, I didn't realize you've really been listening all these years!" She giggled. I'm ashamed to admit I never thought they were really listening. I thought maybe those teachings were too deep for them to grasp. I was wrong.

God is doing something big in our childrens' lives! Let's not miss it. Remember, the prophet Isaiah spoke..."A little child shall lead them." Are we attentive to our children and are we helping them build their faith? They are listening. They can handle more than we could ever imagine. They are hearing from God, I believe this with all of my heart. Do we have the faith of a child? Because they have the kind of faith we all desperately need. Faith that doesn't question. Faith that believes. Faith that keeps us from fear.

Peyton and I were reminded the other night, there are 5 billion people in the world who have never known Jesus. We are here to lead them to Jesus! And how will they be led to Him through our example if our faith is frail and based on the wisdom of the world? I want the faith of a child. I'm so thankful God has given my children to me as an example. They are not perfect (let's be real here!), but they are listening and they are growing in their faith every single day! What a blessing.

Sigur Ros - Fljotavik (Icelandic Music)

2011-11-15T08:10:00.002-05:00

Sometimes you don't need to understand the language to understand the heart behind the music. I think this group has one of the most unique and beautiful sounds I've ever heard. The group is called Sigur Ros and they are from beautiful Iceland. This video has a message we can all relate to...we all love, we have all lost and we all must go on in spite of our pain. Life is not always "fair" but there is always Hope. Always.

Though I cannot understand Icelandic, I wanted to give you the English translation of this song in case you were wondering:

We see over spars
a sea, we're cutting from
We're sailing on the mast of faith
We're sailing, stretching ourselves
to the steersman on the bridge.
We're sailing on the land
on a big stone, on the sand
We're wading into land
unknown place
Yes, ...
I felt myself happy there.
We are really thankful
in the pail of disaster's house.
And we slept...fell asleep
the scary storm was outside...far away.

http://lyricstranslate.com

For those of you who may be wondering...Sigur Ros is not a "Christian" band, but I do believe God has gifted these guys with a powerful talent and even though I cannot understand the words, I can definitely appreciate the music and the art behind it. Enjoy!

Interview with Erik and Jaime Huffman

2011-11-14T14:23:00.001-05:00


This is their original Zhan Hu Tribe - Jaime & Erik met when they were cast for Survivor China in 2007.

For the latest Real Life with Leslie Nease Podcast, I'd like to introduce you to my fellow Survivor China castaways and now dear friends, Jaime & Erik Huffman. We sat down at their one-year old son's birthday party a few weeks ago and chatted about all of the amazing ways their lives have changed since competing on the show in 2007.

Erik and Jaime were not on my tribe on Survivor, but I had the opportunity to spend some time with them on the show when their tribe "kidnapped" me as part of a challenge. Jaime and I got to know each other very well when our tribe kidnapped her as part of a reward challenge, too! You will love getting to know them and hearing their story. God definitely had a plan for their lives - beyond what they could have ever imagined - when He sent them to China and introduced them to each other in such a unique way! They may not have won the million dollar prize, but they won so much more. They met each other on the show and now have a wonderful life together in the Greenville, SC area.

Below is the podcast link - enjoy the show and enjoy meeting some very special people in my life - Jaime and Erik Huffman.

Dancing at their wedding in 2009

Their Rehearsal Dinner Cake! (ha!)


Me meeting Harper Huffman for the first time - I was moved to tears. :)

Harper's 1st Birthday Party!

Is Jesus a Crutch?

2011-11-13T18:06:00.002-05:00

Someone asked me once if Jesus was just a "crutch" in my life. This person thought it was weak of me to depend on something (or someone) other than myself and he thought people who claim to follow Jesus were just using Him as a crutch - an excuse to not deal with the reality of life.

When he first asked me this, I was really taken back. Of course I said "No way! He's not a crutch to me at all!" I never thought of Jesus as a "crutch" and certainly didn't feel like I was using Him as an excuse to not deal with the reality of life.

I couldn't shake his question, though. I looked up the dictionary definition of crutch. Here is what I found: a staff or support to assist a lame or infirm person in walking, now usually with a crosspiece at one end to fit under the armpit. This really struck me as I read it for many reasons.

It immediately made me think of the Psalm 23 where it says "Your rod and Your staff - they comfort me". The dictionary describes a staff as this: a stick, pole, or rod for aid in walking or climbing, for use as a weapon. In the hand of Almighty God, a staff can protect us and defend us! And I don't know about you, but that sure does give me comfort.

I could not help but notice that a crutch is used for the lame or infirm person in walking. Honestly, I love this. I'm fully aware of the fact that without Jesus Christ, I am lame and completely infirm. That is why I came to Him. In order to walk out this life, I need Him to help me. Without Him nothing is possible, but with Him, all things are possible. As my pastor says, things are "Him-possible"!

I was drawn to the part in the definition that said, "a crosspiece at one end to fit under the armpit." That, to me, is so rich in meaning when I apply it to the kind of support that Jesus offers me. There are days when I just don't feel like I can go on. Those are the days when He lifts me up by the armpits and carries me on. Psalm 28:8-9 says "The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever."

The fact that the crutch has a "crosspiece" is not lost on me, either. How is it possible that Christ can carry me, support me, have a relationship with me and give me strength for this weary life? Only because of what happened on that Cross on Calvary. He took my punishment on the cross. I recently re-watched The Passion of the Christ and was again reminded of His deep and unfathomable love for me. Every whip, every hit, every nail, all of the pain and suffering - it should have been me. I was the one who deserved that punishment! I deserved to die! But He loved me so much that He took my place. The crosspiece on the crutch is a reminder of the Gospel that sets me free! And He did that for you, too.

So, I suppose if you asked me today if Jesus was my "crutch" I'd say absolutely. I do not lean on Him so I don't have to deal with the realities of life, though. I lean on Him because only with Him am I capable of dealing with those realities!

He paid a great price to be my "crutch" and I gladly take Him up every day and lean on Him so my lame feet can walk on this earth. I can't do it alone! Thank God He provided The Way so I don't have to.

Isaiah 35:1-6 says "...they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert."

The Battle Begins (An Honest Confession)

2011-11-09T08:22:00.000-05:00

This particular blog is going to be the hardest and most difficult one I've ever written. It will be wildly transparent and honest and it will probably make some of you judge me, while most of you who know this battle all-too-well will understand perfectly. If people being real about their struggles bugs you in any way, I invite you to quit reading right now.

For those of you who are still with me, I want to let you know how much I appreciate your willingness to "go there" with me. (smile)

In 2004, I wrote a book about fitness called Body Builders: Cross Training. I've been a fitness instructor for over eighteen years and I've battled obesity in my past and somehow managed to dig deep enough to lose sixty pounds through healthy eating and exercise. I have helped write curriculum for Lifestyle Rehab, a program we used to teach at the YMCA. I was Mrs. North Carolina in 2001 where I went around educating the public about the importance of physical fitness for children in order to prevent obesity-related health issues in their future. I helped scores of people meet their fitness goals and lose weight as a personal trainer.

Fast forward to November, 2011.

I am now struggling with my weight again. I stepped on the scales yesterday because I could tell it was time to stop pretending. None of my clothes fit. I feel grouchy and I feel heavy. I knew I had to fight this horrific battle, yet again. What I saw when I stepped on the scales made me absolutely nauseous. It felt like a powerful blow to my gut and it immediately brought tears to my eyes. Not because I feel like my scales define me. Not because I care what anyone else thinks. But because I know better. I know how to take care of myself and I haven't been doing it.

Now, I will say that spiritually, I've been great. I've been very good about my quiet times. God has really been working in my life and using me to share His truth with others. I have a wonderful, personal relationship with God. I used to get up early to exercise, but now I get up early to read and study and then the exercise, which I always think I can fit in later, never happens. Sure, I walk. I do the minimum. But since I quit teaching fitness classes in May of this year, I really haven't pushed myself consistently the way I need to and I've put on about fifteen pounds. When you teach intense fitness classes for eighteen years, you cannot just stop working hard! You actually have to work a little harder in order to get your heart rate up to where it was when you would teach in order to keep the weight off or even just to maintain. It's difficult. And I've been lazy about it. And now I have to pay the price. It's so humiliating. Some sins are easy to cover up and hide - but not this one. It's obvious to everyone. And it's got to be dealt with!

Here's the big issue: Satan knows I'm struggling with this and he has been having a wonderful time belittling me, telling me what a failure I am and trying to convince me that everyone is talking about how, "Leslie has really let herself go! Didn't she write a book about fitness? What a failure!". I know in my heart that these are just thoughts - not reality - but it's been extremely difficult and I can tell I'm beginning to believe some of these lies as I struggle within, silently. In my past experience, shining light on dark things in my life makes the enemy run for the hills - so this blog is doing just that. I don't want to struggle in the dark anymore - I want to shine light on what is going on in my life and invite those of you who are having the same struggle to join me! We can do this - but we need to confess it, accept God's forgiveness and move forward in His strength - together.

So...the reason I'm writing this blog is because I just want to confess this to you, my friend and reader. I think sometimes people can read blogs about others and think that person has it all together. I don't ever want anyone to get that assumption from reading my blog. This is Real Life, remember? :) I also believe in accountability and think it's one of the most important things I can do to make a change in my life, aside from surrendering my issues to the Lord (which I have done). I've repented to God for neglecting His temple (my body) and He has forgiven me and given me grace and peace as I go out to fight with Him leading the way!

If you are in this battle, or if you know you should be and haven't picked up your armor yet, why don't you join me? My friend and I have come up with some questions we have written down to ask ourselves each morning, as a template for our journaling. Why not copy these questions and begin the journey with us?

1. Did you have a quiet time with God today?
2. Did you exercise today? What did you do?
3. How much TV did you watch today or how much time did you spend online?
4. What did you feel guilty about today?
5. What were you afraid of today?
6. What are you thankful for today?
7. What do you need to repent of today?
8. What do you to ask God for today?

Answering these questions for the past few days has been very insightful for me. I also began to journal my food intake and exercise at www.myfitnesspal.com. I invite you to join (it's free!) and it's easy to use (look me up - we can be accountable to each other there!). You will be amazed at what a wonderful tool this is.

I want to encourage you to take the first step. From what I remember, those first few weeks are by far the hardest. But once you begin to see results, you will be amazed. I also want to encourage you to read a chapter from my book Body Builders (you can read it FREE here at Google reader: click here) called "Food for Thought", which will help you tremendously in knowing what to eat and how often to eat. It's a quick read but I think it will be helpful to you.

As I have been attending fitness classes lately, the verse from Hebrews 5:8 keeps coming to mind as my heart is beating out of my chest and I feel like giving up...."Even though Jesus was God's Son, He learned obedience through suffering." If that's how He learned obedience, why would I be any different? And in my mind I know that the suffering will end. Eventually, my body will enjoy the exercise - but I have to go through some tough times before that will happen. I'm okay with that when I keep it in perspective and allow Him to remind me it's going to be worth the effort.

As we all go forward, let's remember Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." I know I can do this - in His strength. And so can you.

Much Love,

Dancing Leaves

2011-11-06T16:04:00.000-05:00

Strolling along the beautiful walking trail in my neighborhood lined with trees, I saw some leaves dancing on the ground. My first thought was "What on earth would they have to dance about? They're dead!" The poor little leaves. It looks like their "hayday" is over. They are withered up and they've fallen to the ground only to be raked away and toted off as trash. It's a shame, because they look so beautiful on the outside with all the reds, oranges, yellows, purples and browns scattered across the walking trail. But just because they were beautiful, that didn't change the fact that they were not alive anymore.

But they were dancing...

I wonder... if the leaves could think, what would they think? Maybe they would recall the days when they were just a tiny bud, bursting into the warm sunshine with excitement and a zest for life. Each precious day, they would soak in the rain, the sun and enjoy the warm breezes that blew through, prompting them to sing in unison with the other leaves holding tightly to the tree branches as they all rustled with the wind in harmony.

I wonder... if the leaves could think, would they think back to the day that they realized things were beginning to change? Life was beginning to get more difficult and the sun wasn't shining down on them as much. Their colors became more beautiful and vibrant on the outside, but inside they were not feeling beautiful or vibrant at all. I wonder if they knew something was wrong. Instead of a welcoming breeze, the winds were chilly and uninviting. I wonder if they recall the moment they realized they were hanging on by a thread to the tree...ready to fall to the ground, to give up and just let go at the first sign of the next breeze.

I wonder... if the leaves could talk, would they tell us how it felt to float gently to the ground the day they finally let go? The force of the wind was more than they could bear. They had to surrender. Would they tell us tales of how they would lay there, among other beautifully colored leaves, wondering what was going to happen next as they huddled together, terrified and vulnerable. Would they admit that they pondered if this was the end of the road for them - that there was nothing left?

Then I wonder...if leaves could talk, would they tell us about the day the wind gust began to blow through their huddle with a powerful blast and instead of singing with the other leaves up in the tree as they did in their youth when those gusts would go through, they found themselves dancing with those very same leaves, all dressed up in their autumn colors, as if they were celebrating their new life! A chance to dance freely - given only by the strength of the powerful and mighty wind.

Yes, the leaves may have been dead...but the wind brings life to them. So they celebrate! They are filled with hope again. Life is different now, and their path is determined by the wind these days, not by the security of the tree branch they so tightly held onto before the change. They must trust not in their own strength to hold on now, but in the wind's strength to carry them through to where it would have them go. Their mourning has turned to joyful dancing and they are clothed with joy!

What a beautiful picture this has given to me of the life God gives to us through His Spirit.

Psalm 30:10-12

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

John 3:8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

The Difficult Path

2011-10-31T07:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went on a hike with my husband and our two oldest kids. It was a perfectly beautiful day in the mountains of North Carolina. We began our hike up the "difficult" path, a very steep, rocky path that had me breathless in the first minute or so, but it was worth the hours of effort to see the beauty from the peaks of the different mountains we were able to ascend. Seriously, it was breath taking!

As we were hiking one of the more difficult trails, my daughter Stephanie and I decided we would go slowly. No need to hurry, we though, because we didn't want to risk hurting ourselves out in the middle of nowhere! There were these little trees on either side of us at one point that had sturdy branches we were able to hold onto at moments when we felt we might slip. The trail was still a bit wet and even a tad icy from a storm just a couple of days ago. The branches were so sturdy, it was as if someone was holding out their hands to help us!

Stephanie mentioned how timely it was that those trees were so readily available for us to grab onto at just the right time. She said, "Every time I feel like I'm going to fall, it seems there is a tree right there for me to hold onto. Kind of like life - just when I feel my feet are slipping, God always sends someone I can grab onto to help me up."

Ah...this was turning into the perfect day. Family. Nature. Sunshine. Exercise. And now, a spiritual analogy! (smile) I love hearing God speak to me in the things of nature. As I thought a few moments about what she said, I added, "You know, that's so true. God always provides someone to help keep us from slipping. But their roots must be deep in Him if they are going to be able to hold us up!"

Do you have someone in your life who keeps you from slipping? Do you have an accountability partner, a friend, a mentor - someone you can depend on, whose roots are deep in God's Word and who can help keep you from falling flat on your face in the midst of a rocky, slippery path? If so, why not take a moment to thank them today? Maybe they are not even aware that they are that person in your life.

And one more question...are your roots growing deep in Christ and God's Word? Our roots determine our spiritual sturdiness. If our roots do not go deep, we will wither away during times of difficulty. (Luke 8:13)

We are not meant to walk this difficult path alone. We are here to encourage one another, to love each other and to be rooted deep in God's Word so we can be a sturdy help for others in their time of need. The view from the top will be worth the effort! And together, we can do all things through Him who gives us strength.

Colossians 2:6-7 "And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."

Wholeheartedly

2011-10-30T06:33:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans that I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me."

I read this scripture passage this morning and kept backing up over the word "wholeheartedly". According to the dictionary, the word means fully or completely sincere, enthusiastic, energetic, etc.; hearty; earnest. Am I seeking God like that? Because if I am, that means I'm going to find Him. There are days when I know I'm not seeking Him like that - the days when I can't find him no matter what or how hard I try. So what signs can I look for to know if I am seeking Him wholeheartedly? Here's some ideas that come to mind...

Am I seeking His approval before others?
Am I seeking His will above my own?
Am I seeking His praise above man's?
Am I seeking His Word or the advice of my friends?
Am I seeking His Kingdom or my own?
Am I seeking His truth or the way things seem to look in my life?
Am I seeking fulfillment in what I can do for God or in my personal relationship with Him?

These questions can help me to know if I'm seeking God with all of my heart. When we seek other things first, even if they are good things, we are not seeking Him with all of our heart. When we look at things from an earthly perspective, we can lose sight of God completely. But when we look at things from an eternal perspective, everything changes.

Today, I pray we will not base our faith on our feelings, our friends, our expectations on others or our emotions. I pray each of us will seek Him first above everything else. He tells us in Matthew 6:33 that when we do that, everything else falls into place.

I like that.

It's Just a Little Sin...

2011-10-25T08:02:00.001-04:00

My friend had someone come to her home to fix her broken car windshield. She was disappointed because apparently, they don't replace the entire windshield anymore - seems they just fix the ding with some sort of ding fixer and it supposedly makes it all better. The only problem is, she can still see it! And it's right in front of her face - a total distraction. She is going to have to replace the windshield altogether at her own expense, since insurance won't cover fully replacing it.

I see a parallel here. James 2:10 says "For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws." Sometimes we often think that one sin is worse than the other - like maybe if we think an evil thought or gossip "just a little", God won't look at it as that big of a deal. I've even heard people say they think they will go to heaven since they have never murdered anyone; as if there are sins that we can actually get away with, but some we can't.

The truth is, once we break even one of the laws, we've broken the whole thing. Just like my friend's window. We can try to fix it or cover it up, but the flaw will still be there. Did you know that God didn't give us the law (the Ten Commandments) so we would follow them? He knew we couldn't! He's not putting unrealistic expectations on us - He is showing us our realisitic condition. According to Romans 3:20 "No one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are." So, even our seemingly "tiny" sins are enough to ruin us.

Even if the only sin you've ever committed is checking the box "Yes, I have read these terms and agree to the conditions" when you haven't really done it (smile), you are a sinner in God's eyes. Just like the window that cannot be fixed with "ding fixer", we must be replaced in order to be made new. Why? Because our sinful condition is unacceptable to a Holy God - He will not tolerate it and it's for His good and for our good that He judges our sin. But if all of this seems hopeless, think again. God's love for us is beyond comprehension.

How do we get "replaced"? God has us covered by His Insurance Policy....

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. Romans 3:21-22

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. Ezekiel 36:26-27

For more information on what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit www.christianityexplored.org.

Platforms, Motives & Ministry

2011-10-19T06:45:00.000-04:00

There can be tremendous pressure in westernized public ministry. If you are in ministry, you probably know exactly what I mean. Don't get me wrong - real ministry - the kind that comes from a heart to serve, a heart to love and make a difference for the Lord - that's different. I'm talking about commercialized, public "ministry" where the world tells you that you must make it big in order to be significant and make a difference - you know, build a platform, create a persona, seize every opportunity to get your name out there - so that's what you do. You try. You wear yourself out. Then you question your motives. I have been through this and I can tell you, it's the hardest thing I've ever struggled with. There's a fine line between promoting the message God has given you and promoting yourself.

I spoke to a friend once who told me that she was discouraged because she was a Christian speaker who couldn't find anyone to publish her book. She said that they told her that her story (her testimony) wasn't "edgy" enough. She didn't feel she'd ever be able to succeed in ministry because she didn't have one of those rags to riches (spiritually speaking) stories that seem to sell books. It made me wince when she said this. I knew she was right, according to the publishing world...but I also knew her heart for ministry was genuine and I knew she would be successful in God's eyes - even if that meant she'd never "make it big" in the world's eyes. He's looking at her heart, not her popularity. My heart breaks when I hear believers who grew up in a Christian home, who never had to go through a big "gory story" say that their testimony isn't interesting! I think it's a beautifully encouraging story when you can share with people that it truly is possible to live the Christian life from an early age and it can actually carry you through adulthood! Wow, that's a testimony in my book.

A couple of years ago, I was in serious talks with a book publisher who wanted to publish a book with me. We had the first three chapters done and the proposal done. But then I found out from CBS that I couldn't even mention the word Survivor in my book or they would not approve it. So I thought I'd just try to change the way I wrote it and not write about anything that had to do with Survivor. Well, I was basically told that without my Survivor platform, I was not going to be a good risk for publishing because nobody would know who I was. They closed the door on that deal quickly. My literary agent parted ways with me, since I was an "unknown". I was devastated. It hurts to be told you are a "nobody" and it took me a very long time to recover from this blow.

I was also once told that unless I have a published book, nobody will want to bring me in to speak. I have a self-published book, but that's different (I was told that a self-published book was a big no-no to publishers, too - I just couldn't do anything right!) I bought into this for awhile and felt very discouraged because I felt that God had given me a speaking ministry - and I find tremendous joy in sharing God's word and my story of His faithfulness in my life with others. So I prayed. I just finished my quiet time and I read in Matthew 7 about the wise man building his house upon the rock while the foolish man built his house upon the sand. During my prayer, the Lord whispered to my heart: Leslie, Survivor is a sinking sand platform. I want you to build this ministry on the Rock - the solid Rock - Me. You may be "unknown" to them, but I know you and I love you. You are mine.

After this prayer, I gave up my quest to be a more well-known speaker and get a book published. I just totally let it go. I was trying too hard. Yuck! Usually that is a red flag that I'm doing something God hasn't asked me to do. Desperation doesn't look good on anyone. It's not about being well-known - it's about doing ministry from the heart. Ministry is actually out of the overflow of a heart that is full and in love with the Lord. If my purpose in doing something is so that publishers will notice or so that people will know ME, then I'm in it for all the wrong reasons.

I don't want to be self-promoting...I want to be Christ-promoting. I want people to seek Him, not me. And you know what? God, Himself, has lined up speaking engagements for me this past year and a half. I've been busier than ever! He's doing it - not me. I'm just trying to be content in whatever He has for me at this time. One day at a time - one step at a time - with my eyes focused on Him. I can honestly say this past year and a half of ministry has been the most rewarding yet...as I just "mount up on wings of eagles" and allow Him to carry me where He wants me to go and serve.

And that book? Well, it's flowing out of me and I don't care if it ever gets published, I'm going to write it. It's ministering to me as I write it out of an obedient heart that has no expectations. If God wants to publish it, He will. Whether I'm a "nobody" in the eyes of the publishing world doesn't matter because I'm definitely not a nobody in His eyes. (smile) I'm trying to remember that man's rejection is always God's protection. God has a purpose in everything and I cannot take it personally.

If you are in ministry and you've found yourself a slave to the way people say you should do things...please, let God speak to you today about your motives. When I searched my heart, I didn't like what I found. Was I seeking Him first, or was I seeking a platform? But in the process, I also found tremendous grace and peace from the Lord. He will open the doors He wants opened and He will lead me to do the things He wants me to do for His glory, not my own.

This is a tough line - I know it. Some days I just want to quit everything and disappear all together! The temptations to build a kingdom of my own are always there and the world is there cheering me on to do just that. It would be easier just to stop everything and just hide out at home under the covers. When you put yourself out there, you are vulnerable. But I have to trust God's timing and His plan and go forward in the gifts and passions He has put in my heart as I delight in Him.

Who knows what God will do in the future? It's not a focus of mine anymore, though. I've decided to focus on my relationship with Him and allow all the other stuff to happen in His timing. I'm standing on His sturdy platform!

I want to encourage you...trust Him. Seek Him. He will guide you and direct you. And if you never publish a book, I guarantee He will still use you. He's God - He can do anything. And when He's working through you, so can you.

Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

What Are You Living For?

2011-10-10T09:14:00.002-04:00

In honor of football season, I thought this was appropriate for all of us. Will you join me?

The Magic Kingdom

2011-10-06T10:40:00.001-04:00

Let the memories begin! Disney's motto is written all over the flags that adorn the outside of their theme parks. We were giddy with anticipation on the outside gates of Disney's Magic Kingdom at about ten minutes until opening time while we slathered sunscreen all over us and prepared for a day of fun as we park-hopped all across the four theme parks. We decided this would be the cheapest way to experience the parks - and yet it still cost us an arm and a leg for four people. We'd better have fun!

Memories of my childhood came flooding back to me like a tidal wave. We spent a lot of time at Disney when I was a kid - but it was the one over in California (Disney Land). I teared up a bit as the Mayor came out, along with all of the Princesses and characters waving and welcoming all of us at the gates as we counted down from ten to one and the gates magically opened to our day of fantasy and adventure!

We squeezed through the narrow gates of the park entrance with thousands of other people who imagined this might be a good week to come, since it wouldn't be so crowded (yeah, right - it's Disney!) and were face to face with Main Street USA. All the people who were working in the stores were standing outside in their fun and bright costumes, waving and smiling - so happy to see us!

It was all so "perfect". Walt Disney has managed to tap into something inside of each of us that few people have managed to tap into. What is it? Fantasy? Dreams? Wishes? Magic? It's amazing to me that Walt Disney was fired from a job as a young man for not being creative enough! There's something about this place that makes everyone who goes there turn into a fool to experience it. We spend outlandish amounts of money for this experience. We travel great distances. We purchase over-priced food and souvenirs. We walk at least ten miles in a day and endure crowds of people that would normally make us run for the hills. There was even a recent news story of a woman who tried to sell her newborn baby for $15,000 to take her other children to Disney World. Unbelievable. I'm telling you - this is powerful. I'm intrigued.

As the morning progressed, we found ourselves looking around as we stood in long lines, watching small kids come unglued as they were tired, hot and done with all the "fun". People were getting frustrated and complaining about the heat, the crowds, the waiting, the price. Then a minute later they would pose with a Disney character and all would be well - everyone smiling.

I know I may seem cynical and I sincerely apologize if it seems that way. But I am really struggling to understand what it is that we are all drawn to in this fantasy world that doesn't really exist? Where is the authenticity of this fantasy land? Is it that what we're drawn to, after all - a place where everything seems perfect and filled with joy, laughter and unity? If so...why are we looking here?

Friends, as much fun as we had in between the frustrating parts of our Disney trip the other day (and I will admit - it was fun - I'm not trying to deny that!), The Magic Kingdom has nothing - and I mean nothing - on The Kingdom of God. And His Kingdom is one that lasts forever. I'll never have to go back. That is something I'm willing to be a fool for. I suppose that's why I do what I do - speak and write about His Kingdom. I think this is why Walt Disney was able to tap into that place in all of us that has made his earthly kingdom very rich...we all have a place in our hearts and souls that longs for this Kingdom.

Oh, friend, can't you see it? Listen....everyone is eager to enter into God's Kingdom and it can only be entered through a narrow gate, but must be entered into by those who are like children (Matt. 5:3, Matt. 7:13 & Luke 16:16) It is goodness and peace and joy - only it's authentic because it's based on God's Spirit, not a fake smile given by someone who's not really feeling joy down deep (Romans 14:17). It's a place where we will share in God's glory and be where Jesus Christ is (not a fantasy land with a pretend mouse that has a squeaky voice) and it will be unshakable and will stand forever! (1 Thess. 2:12, Hebrews 12:28, 2 Peter 1:11; Daniel 2:44).

Maybe the reason Walt Disney is such a genius is because he's discovered how to market that void in all of us that screams for filling from God and he's shown that when it's tapped into, people are willing to do just about anything to fill it. It's a place that God put inside of each of us so we would search for Him. Disney is an expensive and temporary substitute that satisfies us only for a moment...but it can never replace that void inside all of us that is specifically there for God's Kingdom. We yearn for it with everything in us...and though it cost Jesus everything to offer us this Kingdom, it won't cost us a cent.

Oh, Snap!

2011-09-22T16:35:00.000-04:00

It was one of those mornings a few years ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was doing just fine...had a greatquiet time, began my day by waking my daughters with sweet butterfly kisses,began to pick up little things here and there...and then it happened...

(Cue the disaster music) My youngest daughter yelled out "You never do laundry! I don'thave a clean undershirt!" Just then, the dog barked. Nobody had let him out yet and his water and food were completely empty. I had to let him out. I promise you, if not for me, that poor dog woulddie of neglect. Then my other daughter started complaining about nothaving clean and matching socks. I realized I had three loads of laundrythat were clean but sitting in various corners of my home waiting to befolded. I had to step over my son who fell asleep in the living room the night before. If I didn't clean my bathroom soon, I was sure social services would behere to give me a citation. I had a sink full of dishes and I promiseyou I think this has to be my worse hair day ever!

I couldn'tresist it one more minute. I completely snapped. I let 'em haveit:

"I'm the only one who does anything around here! I didn'trealize I was your personal slave! Maybe if you would gather up yourdirty laundry and bring it down - maybe then you'd have cleanundershirts! I don't have any socks either because you take all of myclean socks out of my drawer when you can't find yours and they disappear intooblivion somewhere! Someone's gonna catch something in that bathroom! CanI get some help around here for crying out loud? Today after school, it'son til the break of dawn! You kids are cleaning and organizing andhelping me get this house in order! I'm over it! No playing today,no fun til the work is done!"

As I stormed around the house, picking things up (I do this when I'm upset -can't control it - it's like I turn into a little cleaning tornado) I began toask God to help me. I knew I'd blown it. All the quiet time wordsof wisdom were gone. I think they went into the oblivion my socks gointo. Then I heard a still voice in my heart say "Resist thedevil and he will flee from you."

I can honestly tell you that there was a very big part of me that thought "Youknow, I don't feel like resisting right now!" But as I satthere, folding one of my loads of laundry, I began to pray. "OH,GOD! Please help me right now. I'm angry, I'm bitter and I'm in afunk. I can't do this."

Just then, my husband who hadbeen observing my not so pleasant morning, approached me and put a book in mylap that was opened to a page that said "Never, never, never giveup." And the scripture that was with this quote was Galatians6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season weshall reap if we do not lose heart.

My perspective began to change as the Lord brought to mind my friendJulia. She had dirty laundry, two young boys, a husband, cleaning, cooking, a full time job and two dogsto care for and she did it all while going through chemotherapy - for years andyears. And she did it hoping all the while that the Lord would give hermore time to continue to serve her family in this way. The conviction was almost unbearable at this point.

I heard someone say once that there's no such thing as a badday when you have Christ in your life - because of His sovereignty, you canchoose to look at the bright side of every situation. Sounds good, but what does that look like? How do you begin?

I think it begins with being thankful. So I began....

I'm thankful for my health so I have energy to clean and pick up my home(and I'm thankful we have a home!)

I'm thankful for my missing socks because it means my daughter can havea set of clean, matching socks on her feet.

I'm thankful for the dirty bathroom because as I clean it, I will beserving those I love.

I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to care for my dog, because hebrings tremendous joy to all of us.

I'm thankful for the dirty dishes, for it means we have food to eat.

I'm thankful I had a son to step over in the living room (because now he's grown up and moved out of the house and I miss him terribly.)

I'm thankful for a bad hair day for that means I have hair.

I'm thankful for times like this becauseGod uses them humble me and remind me of what is important in my life.

I'm thankful that when I apologized to my girls that morning, they gave me a kiss and said "We love you Mommy. It'sokay."

And I'm definitely thankful for a godly husband who, without a word,pointed me to the truth of what I was experiencing.

I think of the day that I "snapped" often. I think of being thankful when I do have these days. And my days become more joyful when I do. What are you thankful for today?

Surviving by God's Grace

2011-09-21T07:44:00.002-04:00

It was day eight on Survivor China and we were in yet another physical reward challenge. I was already frustrated because for some reason, the show I finally get selected for turns out to be one of the most physical one-on-one combative seasons to date. It was like Survivor - Gone Wild! Most of the challenges I'd seen on the show were a team effort in the past. Not this season. We were doing hand to hand combat, one on one and it was the hardest thing I'd ever done.

This challenge on day eight was one of the hardest yet. We were on a make-shift boat and had to literally wrestle each other and try to fling the other tribe, one by one, off the boat into the nasty lake water. It was women against women, men against men. I had been very sick since day two and at this point, I was so weak I knew that I would have to dig deep for strength.

Jeff signaled for the challenge to begin and I almost burst into tears as I saw the three young girls from the opposing tribe coming at me. We wrestled and fought and as we did, I could feel that some of the girls were pulling on our clothing, trying to distract us so we would try to cover ourselves up instead of fighting. I couldn't help but tug at my clothes with one hand, trying to keep myself covered while wrestling with the other hand. My other two tribe mates had already been flung into the water and I was the last one standing for the first round. Before long, three girls from the other tribe came after me and flung me as hard as they could into the lake. They won round one.

We had a couple more rounds in this challenge and I was physically and emotionally spent. One of the members of my tribe was yelling at me to stop fussing with my clothing. She said it was a distraction from the fight and that I shouldn't worry if they stripped my clothes off. It was a competition - who cares who sees you at this point? She was definitely angry with me. But I couldn't help it. I was not there to strip naked on national television. It's easy to forget that 15 million people are going to be watching you at some point when you are out there fighting for your life in the jungle. But I knew it was not something I wanted to do.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I put high expectations on myself to represent Him well. And when I would mess up, I was so hard on myself. That's probably why, after the third round of this combative challenge, as I was being flung into the nasty lake water for the last time, losing the challenge (and almost my clothes), I yelled out an expletive word that I regretted the moment it left my mouth! I hit the water and swam to the side of the boat where I just wept uncontrollably. There I was, wrestling with other women and screaming out a word that I should not be screaming, much less on national television. This was not what I signed up for!

One of my tribe mates and dear friends out there, Courtney, helped me out of the water and asked me what was wrong. When I explained to her that I had just said a word I wished I hadn't said on national television, she laughed, hugged me and told me to shake it off. But I couldn't. I felt just horrible. I was a mother, a Christian speaker and radio host. I really felt I had blown my witness. They would show this on national television and everyone watching would judge me and possibly even judge my God based on my behavior! What if they fired me at the radio station? I put the weight of the world on my shoulders.

I was so distracted by beating myself up that I didn't even realize my tribe was plotting to vote me out that night. When we focus on our sin and not our Savior, a lot of things can go unnoticed in our lives, you know. Once I was voted out, I lost many hours of sleep, re-playing that moment in my head over and over and wishing I hadn't said what I said. I was tired. Sick. Exhausted. Upset. Would any of that matter to the millions of people watching? Would they ever understand?

I asked the Lord for forgiveness and honestly, I felt He forgave me before I even finished asking. But I couldn't forgive myself. I continued to re-live the moment for months - until the show aired in October of 2007.

While watching the scene, I braced myself. I felt nauseous. I just knew the producers were going to show the "Christian Lady" yelling out an expletive. It would be the end of my ministry! It would make God look bad! He would be so disappointed in me!

And then....

Nothing.

They didn't even show it on the air. They took it out completely. I was flabbergasted. In shock. All those hours and sleepless nights of worrying about how I was going to damage God's reputation and they didn't even show it. What was going on?

As I prayed about this with the Lord, I felt that what He was showing me is something He wants us all to know. We are human. We will mess up. We are not perfect (the very reason we need Jesus so much!). And He showed me something that humbled me and will continue to humble me until the day I die....I am not powerful enough to ruin the God of the Universe's reputation. He's perfectly capable of protecting His honor. Even if they had shown me screaming out a word I wouldn't normally use, God would have been just as holy. My actions proved I was human and I made a mistake, but they did nothing to discredit my God.

I don't know what you're struggling with today, my friend. But I know that if you are having a hard time forgiving yourself, you need to remember that important truth. He loves you, He forgives you and He is not depending on you to be perfect in order to show others how amazing He is! Remember....while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! He knows we are not perfect. As Jesus said to the woman who the judgmental Pharisees caught in adultery...go and sin no more. (John 8:1-11)

When you are exhausted, hungry for God's Word, thirsty for His Spirit and you're in a situation that is anything but what you are used to, you will be more vulnerable to do things you normally wouldn't do, too. It doesn't give us an excuse, but it certainly shows how much we depend on Him for our righteousness. And if you mess up, fess up. Learn, grow and move forward. Remember it, but don't dwell on it. As a Christian, we are a new creation, but sometimes our old self seeps out when we are in a vulnerable situation. Protect yourself from those situations whenever possible by staying in His Word, praying and allowing His Spirit to control you. (Galatians 5:16)

When I told my tribe mate, Courtney, what I yelled out, her reaction wasn't one of, "Oh, I see. You SAY you're a Christian, but look at what you did!" It was more like this: "Oh, I see. You're human."

My Christian friend, you are human, too. You will make mistakes. Learn from them. Grow from them. Allow God to use the sins that you regret so much to teach you and form you into the person He wants you to be. But do not allow those sins to define you. Allow them to refine you. And move forward, in His grace. God's grace is always way bigger than the grace we show (or don't show) ourselves.

Not By Might

2011-09-20T07:01:00.004-04:00

Reading the book of Jonah made me let out a giggle the other day. God sent Jonah to Ninevah to preach because He wanted them torepent and turn to Him. We know the story…Jonahdidn’t want to go. He actually goton board a ship to go as far west away from Ninevah as he could. He didn’t think they deserved God’sgrace! He thought they were just a bunch of wayward sinners with no hope.

God prepared a storm that came to show His displeasure withJonah and the guys on the boat threw him overboard. Once Jonah was overboard,he was then swallowed by a fish that was prepared by the Lord. He stayed there for three days, prayingand thanking God for saving his life and telling God he would obey now. God then ordered the fish to spit Jonahout on the beach.

Jonah went to Ninevah and preached an amazing andwell-though out message that was so moving and eloquent that even the mosthardened of hearts was softened. Is that the truth? Not atall. All he said was “Forty days from now Ninevah will bedestroyed!” The Biblethen tells us that the people of Ninevah believed God’s message and repentedand turned to God. This is thepart of the story where I let out my giggle! What kind of message was that?

Interesting. Ioften think of the preacher who preached the message of salvation the night Ifinally surrendered my life to the Lord. I used to think he was a more gifted communicator or a more eloquentspeaker than the preachers who I heard before him. I don’t believe that’s truethough. Yes, he is gifted and yes his message made sense to me – but I heardthat message many, many times before from other preachers and never turned toGod.

I believe that the night I surrendered my heart to the Lordwas an act of God finally softening and preparing my heart to receive the truth about Jesus Christ. I believe that preachercould have said “Forty days fromnow, ....Charlotte.... will be destroyed!” and I would have fell tomy knees in repentance. Why do Ibelieve this? Because the Biblesays very clearly in Zechariah 4:6 “Itis not by might and not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.”

Jonah got all mad and left Ninevah in a huff. He was so mad God had spared them fromtheir doom because he thought they deserved it that he sat outside of the cityand sulked, watching to see what would happen. As he sat there, God prepared a plant that grew up andshaded him. Then God prepared aworm to come and eat it. Afterward, God prepared the scorching east wind to blow on Jonah and thesun beat down on him. God wasteaching him a lesson – and eventually, we see that God was showing Jonah HisSovereignty and His mercy.

I noticed the words "God prepared" just kept coming up in this story in the Bible. Just like God prepared the storm, prepared the fish toswallow Jonah and to spit him out, prepared the plant to cover him, preparedthe worm, prepared the wind and prepared the sun, He also prepared somethingelse in that story of Ninevah. Heprepared the hearts ofthose people. That is why theyresponded. Even Jonah knewthat. Jonah knew it wasn’t hiseloquent preaching, but it was the mercy and grace and Spirit of God!

This gives me hope in witnessing to others and sharing theGood News of Jesus Christ. Theeloquence of my message and the preparedness of my “script” are not asimportant as the Lord preparing the hearts of those who listen. This shows me, clearly, that I cannotmess this up. I can’t make ithappen, either. I often stress outand think “I should have said it differently” or “I really messed that one up”or “I can’t seem to get through to them!" Why worry about this, though? God will find a way to the heart that is seeking Him and though I love to be a part of that miracle, He doesn't need me - He just allows me to be a part of that miracle sometimes!

Instead of fighting it out verbally with people to try toget them to grasp the truth, I need to fight for them on my knees, asking God to opentheir heart, open their eyes and open their ears to understand themessage. And then, like Jonah, Ineed to be obedient to follow wherever He will send me to share the truth, inlove, gentleness and respect. After all, my responsibility in all of this this is more of my response to God's ability.

In the words of the Apostle Paul...

(1 Corinthians 2:1-5) And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

A Sinking Ship

2011-09-15T07:54:00.001-04:00

We watched the movie Titanic the other night for the first time in years. It always makes me cry, never fails. I remember when the movie first came out many years ago that I watched it several times and I think there was this part of me that hoped that maybe...just maybe...it would end better if I watched it again. I know that sounds crazy, but a girl can dream, right?

While watching the movie this time, something else struck me. (I've given up hope for a new ending at this point!) I was watching as the boat was sinking and so many of the people on the sinking ship were so clueless as to what was really going on. They were listening to the musicians, who kept playing so everyone would stay calm. They would look around them and everything looked so normal, so they just didn't take it seriously. Many of them didn't even put on life-vests. The rich people were still more concerned about being separated from the poor people. The rescue boats were not filled to capacity. Nobody seemed to understand that the boat was truly going to sink and they didn't have much time! It was dire. Nobody seemed to notice or believe that the boat was actually slowly filling up with water underneath of them. Until it was too late.

The Bible clearly tells us what signs to look for in the last days. I keep hearing people say, "Things have always been like this. It's not any different than it's ever been." Maybe that's true. But when I hear this, I immediately recall the scripture in 2 Peter 3:3-4:

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created."

If you look around, you will see that the headlines in today's newspapers are like reading prophecy from the Bible. Israel is surrounded by her enemies. Famine. Earthquakes. War. Pestilence. All the while, a talk of unity and peace while our leaders from every country come together to attempt to make a one-world government. Crazy weather. Fireballs in the sky. It's all in the Bible. And the Bible says when we see these things happening, the time is drawing closer.

Sure, the world's woes today could simply be a case of living in a fallen world. But the signs were given to us for a reason. I'm sure that iceberg didn't look quite as daunting from the surface, either. But it was huge underneath it all and it sank the Titanic within a couple of hours after impact. Some of the scriptures you can look up for yourself about these prophecies can be found in Matthew 24, Luke 17:20-37, Ezekiel 37-38, Daniel 11-12, 1 Thessalonians 5, 2 Peter 3 and of course, the book of Revelation.

Before you decide to argue eschatology with me (I had to look up the spelling of that word, by the way), please know this: I'm not an end-times expert and I don't know a lot about details, politics or how it all fits. I'm just an evangelist at heart - someone who knows the truth about Christ and desires to tell the world about Him. I'm certainly not one to say that Jesus is coming back on a certain date and I'm not going to predict the end of the world by any means. I'm also not going to argue with you or be offended if you don't agree with me on this, I'm simply sounding the alarm and telling you what I believe to be true. Of everything I don't know, I do know one thing to be true: we are living on a sinking ship. But Jesus has provided a life-boat for us!

I bet there are many folks who were on the Titanic that wished someone had been honest with them about the dire situation they were in. I can only assume that many of the lives lost were lost because people were living in denial of the severity of the situation. God is sounding the alarm, my friend. Every fulfilled prophecy written in the scriptures has come to pass with 100% accuracy in the past and God's track record is not going to change. The ones that are still to come will come.

We don't know when, but we do know that God in His mercy gave us signs to look for and they are unmistakeable. Some folks say we shouldn't get "all wrapped up" in prophecy, but I say that if God put these scriptures in His Word, He wants us to know it. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

I know I'm not the only Christian who senses something is going on in this world. In 1Thessalonians 5:4, Paul tells us "But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clear headed."

Believers: are you sensing it? If so, what are you doing to warn others? Are we like the musicians on the Titanic, playing soothing music that makes others feel like nothing serious is going on or are we helping load up the life-boats to their fullest capacity?

Just like when I watched Titanic, the ending will not change. It has been written. The ship is sinking, but that is nothing to fear. It could take days, it could take months, it could take years. Our salvation comes from the Lord! And He never goes back on His word. Our God is mighty to save.

I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going way but I will come back to you again...I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. (Jesus in John 14:27-29)

Is God a Kill-Joy?

2011-09-14T07:24:00.001-04:00

I remember being a teenager and thinking I knew it all. I thought I knew what was best for me. I thought my parents were nuts. I thought God was a kill-joy. I felt choked by God's commandments because they seemed impossible to follow. So I quit trying and just went off the deep end - living a life of what I thought was "freedom". I partied and drank myself silly, made horrific choices with guys, lived me life for ME.

And the price I paid for my so-called "freedom" was way more than I could afford.

I had no self-respect. I didn't have the respect of others. I would wake up from my stupor the next morning with the heaviness of regret and the nausea of realizing I'd made choices that I knew I had to pay for either through a hang-over, relationship issues or embarrassment for something I'd done that I could barely remember. The only thing I gained was a horrible reputation, a few enemies and some fuzzy memories that I wish I could forget.

How is that considered "freedom"?

I wish I could have sat my young, prideful self down and had a talk with her. You see, I'm on the other side of that lifestyle now and I've learned a few things. I doubt I would have listened to me then, though. I would have thought I was just a preachy old lady with no idea what it was like to be a teenager. No one understands me! Yes, that is probably what I would have said. I guess there are some people that just don't learn from listening...they learn from experience. I'm so glad God never gave up on me.

One of the reasons I thought God was a kill-joy was because He said in the Bible we should not get drunk. But getting drunk was the only time I felt confident and spiritually numb. It was the only time I felt "fun" and so I thought if God didn't want me to do it, then why would He make me this way? I will never forget a friend of mine saying that to me..."Leslie, God made you to like alcohol so He must want you to drink it!" It made sense when I was drinking. Now it sounds ridiculous.

Another reason I thought He was a kill-joy was because He said not to have sex before marriage. How ridiculous, I thought! Everyone was doing it and it wasn't a big deal. It made guys like me, so it must be good, right? What I didn't know or realize was that guys didn't like me at all - they liked what I would give them. There was absolutely no love involved...only lust and afterward, a vulnerability and heart break that was not intended to be experienced by a young woman. It stripped me of my self-confidence and drew me to drink even more (because at least when I drank I was numb).

I also didn't realize that God didn't say sex was bad...He actually created it. Why would the Creator of sex tell us not to do it until we were married? Well, it's because He knew the heart-ache and heart-break that would result from my giving myself to someone other than my husband. He knew that it was not only about feeling good for the moment, but a spiritual connection - a sacred union for a man and wife. When we connect ourselves with others spiritually, we open doors in the spirit realm that we should never open. These commands about not having sex before marriage were not to stifle me, but to protect me. I wish I had listened.

I realize many years later that God knew what was best for me, but I just wouldn't listen. I know that the reason I didn't listen was because I was not a true believer in Jesus Christ, though. When you have the Spirit of God living in you, things begin to make more sense and your heart changes. When hearts change, people change. It never works in reverse.

1 John 5:2-4 says, "We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith."

Did you catch the phrase "his commandments are not burdensome"? That is so true. When you are truly surrendered to Jesus Christ and He is Lord of your life, it's harder to actually make the wrong choice than to make the right one because you are now a "slave to righteousness" and not a "slave to sin" as Paul puts it in Romans 6:20-23. Will you still mess up? Yes, of course. But there is a new Spirit inside of you that will convict you and you will want to make things right. It's His love and mercy in action inside of us!

God loves you, my friend. He wants what's best for you. He doesn't want to make your life miserable - He wants you to experience the truest joy you will ever experience. This is why He gives us guidelines to live our lives. They are boundaries to protect us. What makes us think we know better than Him? Can the created tell the Creator how to do things "right"?

I am now a new creation in Jesus Christ - not the same person I was before. I have been forgiven and given a new life. Thank God for His mercy, His grace and His Spirit! Without these, I would probably not be alive right now. He saved me. He loved me even in my sinful state. He didn't think anything I'd done was more than He could forgive. He feels the same way about you!

God's commands are not given to us to deny us pleasure or punish us. They were given so that, when followed, we can experience life with more pleasure than we could ever imagine. But it is impossible to follow those commands on your own - He must be in you, guiding you and showing you the way.

If you find it impossible to keep His commands or if you find them burdensome, please fall to your knees and talk with Him today. It could be, like me, that you do not have His Spirit in you. Remember, you cannot change until your heart does and only He can change your heart. Give Him your heart today! You can be truly free.

If you want more information on what it means to have a real relationship with Jesus Christ, please click here.

Many Blessings to You!

Is There a Right Way to Share Jesus?

2011-08-30T07:30:00.003-04:00

If you look around in churches today, you will see all sorts of cool programs and artistic expressions that have been implemented to teach and share the Truth of Jesus Christ. Things like musicals, story telling, dramatic presentations, prison ministries, radio and television programs and so much more! I have heard some people say that these programs are a waste - we should just preach the Word, like the Bible says! Why waste money on programs?

Well, that has always bothered me. Yes, I do think we should preach the Word! Everyday...not just in what we say, but also in what we do. As I look through the Bible I see that God is truly the Initiator of these creative programs. Here are some examples I've come across in my reading...

Jeremiah - He preached through tears to the Israelites. Some call him the "weeping prophet". He was obedient to deliver the message, even though it wasn't what the people wanted to hear. Today, he'd be known as "sensitive" and probably be told he was too emotional. But God sure did use him!
Ezekiel - He was the prophet who was always acting things out. Not because he wanted to, mind you. Because God told him to. I think God knew that creative expression would be one way the Israelites might actually listen. God is really into drama! He uses it as a tool to share truth with others.
David - David used his musical talent and wrote tons of songs that are still encouraging us today - you can find them in the Psalms. This art form was a gift from God to us - and we are still being blessed by those who have this gift and use it to share truth with us today in our Music Ministries and radio stations. Hey, some of them still use David's words!
Joshua - Now, Joshua was a true leader. He was the Commanding Officer and people listened to him because he spoke with authority due to his faith and relationship with God. I suppose he would be like someone who shares their faith through leading by example, whether in ministry, in the workplace or even on the battle fields at war.
Paul - Paul spent a huge portion of his ministry time in prison. So, he was the first to implement a "prison ministry". Just think of how many people were saved because he was in prison! God used him right where he was to minister to prisoners and even guards. And the people he shared Christ with were in a dire, hopeless state. I can't think of a more effective witness for Christ than someone who will share, even while in chains, to people who are in a position of hopelessness and in desperate need of the hope that only Jesus can give.
Jesus Christ - Jesus usually spoke through story telling (better known as "parables"). He knew in order for folks to "get" the message, He would have to use His creativity and share in a way that would connect with the listeners - the ones who had ears to hear. Story telling is still a very effective way to share the gospel.

There are so many more examples in the Word, but those were the few that came to my mind this morning. I find that so encouraging!

So the question is...is there a right way to share the truth of Jesus Christ? The answer is simple. Yes. There is a right way.

It's the way God has gifted you to share Him with others.

Our examples are woven throughout the Bible and they confirm that God can use drama, music, preaching, story telling, prison ministries, and even our workplace to share His truth!

So what are you waiting for? Get creative and share His truth - after all, God is the Creator...and He is the one who gave you those creative gifts to use for His Glory!

A New Creation

2011-08-15T16:17:00.001-04:00

"Mom, did you ever use one of these?"

Kennedy held up the cigarette lighter in the car and asked me that question this morning. She'd never understood what those "things" were and asked why people used them. When I explained they were cigarette lighters, she thought that was weird that car companies would put that in as an accessory. I agreed. And then the question came..."Mom, did you ever use one of these?" I knew I had to be honest.

My kids know I used to smoke years ago. I usually smoked only when I would drink alcohol (but I drank often). Man, of all the lies I fell for in my life, this one is just incomprehensible. What did I ever see in it? It smells bad, it discolors teeth, it's a waste of money, it's bad for me and anyone who was around me...I can't honestly think of anything good about this habit but I was so blinded that I couldn't see it. Thank God He opened my eyes!

I'm honest with my kids about many of the things I used to do "B.C." (Before Christ). Sometimes I hate talking about it because I'm a completely different person now. It comes up occasionally, though. I can't evade it, but I am learning to use these moments as a time to really teach my kids about God's amazing grace - and how we are all trophies of that amazing grace of His!

When I became a Christian, I became a new creation because of Jesus Christ. That's such an important lesson to learn as a believer and it's one I want my girls to understand. And the earlier the better! So I explained to them that I refer to my "old self" as Fleshlie (smile). Fleshlie made some bad choices and still tries to get me to make bad choices, but she doesn't have power over me. Jesus does now (that's what being Lord means!) Kennedy said her "old self" must have been named Sinnidy. Peyton said she must have been Hate'in. We laugh, but it's a powerful picture of our old vs. new creation.

Why is this such a big deal to me? Well, let's just say the person I used to be, although I was a friendly person, was not exactly a picture of morality. I was actually quite insecure and the fact that I made some horrific life choices made that matter so much worse. Maybe you can relate to this? I had absolutely no respect for myself because I was living two lives. My friends probably didn't respect me much, either, because I was a chameleon. I was a different person at church than I was when I was with my friends. I was straddling the fence - big time - and I was getting splinters. If I went to a high school or college reunion, many of the people there would have a hard time seeing me as anyone else other than that person I used to be...but God sees so much more!

I'm not proud of who I was, but I'm so very excited to say that in spite of all of that, God loves me and uses me to share His truth with others. He uses my past sins and mistakes to refine me and they no longer have the power to define me. As a result of what I've been through from the consequences of some of my choices, I can totally relate to others who are struggling with the same things. I get it. I've been there.

So...back to my story. How did I respond to my daughter's innocent question, "Mom, did you ever use one of these?" I simply said: "Yes, the person I used to be - Fleshlie - used one of those before. But not the person I am now!" She smiled big.

I think she gets it.

Do you get it? Are you still allowing past sins to define you or will you allow God to use them to refine you? Walk in the truth of who you are and don't believe the lie that your past defines you! Beth Moore said it best, "You cannot amputate your past to step into your destiny." It's true...we cannot hide our past. But why would we want to? How, then, would people be able to see the amazing miracle of God in your life? Only He can take something the world would consider unworthy and make it a trophy of His grace.

2 Cor. 5:17....Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Are We Lifting or Pointing a Finger?

2011-08-11T10:53:00.003-04:00

Do we really want to have an impact on the world? As a believer, I sure do. But I wonder if some of the things that we sometimes do as Christians are as effective as we think they are.

In Matthew 23:4, here is what Jesus had to say about the religious people who imposed the law on others: "They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden." (NLT) So, the question is: Are we lifting a finger or pointing one?

I will admit, it's a lot easier to point a finger than to lift one! I'm absolutely the first to admit I find it much easier and often find myself falling into this trap. But nowhere in the Bible does God condone pointing fingers at others. Also, nowhere in the Bible have I ever seen a commandment to Christians to impose our rules on those outside of the church. In 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, Paul tells the Corinthians that they are not to judge those outside of the church - he says that's God's job.

We often spend so much time pointing out the sins of society...but why are we so surprised when people sin? Isn't that what people do? Can we change them without the power of the Holy Spirit? No, we cannot. But we can show them a better way by lifting a finger to help them - not pointing a finger of condemnation. After all, we're crazy if we think they don't notice that the church struggles with the same sins that they do! I believe it's easier to point out others' sins than it is to deal with our own.

I'll give you a couple of examples of those who are lifting a finger - people who get it and are actually making a huge impact on the world for Christ:

Crisis pregnancy centers. Instead of standing outside of the abortion clinic and shouting at the people coming out or putting them on a guilt trip, they are lifting a finger to help those who are facing an unplanned pregnancy by offering support, encouragement and most important, unconditional love and the message of Hope in Jesus Christ to those who come into their office for help. That, to me, is a beautiful picture of someone lifting a finger - and the fruit of this? Life.

Mission agencies who send people out to assist and help those who have been hurt by disaster or calamity all over the world. They offer help, support, encouragement, truth and love. This is also a beautiful picture of someone lifting a finger - and the fruit of this? Life.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:20 "For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk, it is living by God's power. Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?" Am I living by God's power? Am I approaching others with love and a gentle spirit? Or am I trying to "crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden?" (Matt. 23:4)

2 Timothy 2:24-26 says "Andthe Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." Am I being kind or quarrelsome? Am I patiently enduring evil and correcting in gentleness or am I being forceful and unyielding?

Lord, help us to lift a finger to help!

Am I focusing on God or law? Am I living in His power or my own desire to be right or in control? I hope I'm not so busy trying to change the world through religious laws that I completely miss the mark. Our purpose is not to make a moral society. Our purpose is to glorify God and become more like Christ. Are we doing that? "The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing." (John 6:63)

Forcing others to obey the law and Christian morality is absolutely useless. It must be a heart change, brought on by the power of God in someone's life. No one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law anyway. It is by grace through faith - not of ourselves. So why do we focus on making people moral before we focus on grace and truth? (Galatians 2:15-16; Ephesians 2:8-9)

In Jesus' last prayer before His crucifixion, He did not pray that we would have a moral society. He did not pray that we would be empowered to pass laws forbidding sinners to sin. He was more concerned with our unity. "I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one - as you are in me, Father and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me." John 17:21 Passing laws and imposing morality on the world does not convince anyone that Christ is who He said He was. Christian unity shows them that He is who He said He was. As hearts change, so do people. It never works in reverse.

Look around, my friends. Can we honestly say the church is unified? Maybe that is what needs to be addressed. When we are unified, we represent Him well. When we are unified, we can worship Him freely as Lord of our lives. When we worship Him as Lord of our lives, people notice and then they want to know about the Hope that we have, so they ask us. And we answer them with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15-17) I'm not trying to point a finger at those who point fingers (smile)...I'm just asking the question and openly admitting I struggle with this, too.

Father God, help us to represent You well! Give us insight to lift and not point a finger so that we can become more like You.

Caring for Orphans in Zimbabwe - A Call to Action!

2011-08-03T10:41:00.004-04:00

It's hard to imagine how difficult it would be to have both of your parents pass away at young ages due to the AIDS virus. Yet, that is what thousands of children are facing today in Zimbabwe. It's heart breaking to imagine the hardships these precious young people face daily - some of them knowing they, too, have been infected with such a vicious and unyielding disease.

I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Misheck Mlambo, who works with HOPE for AIDS in Zimbabwe. He gave me instance after instance of how God is using this program to spread the Hope that Christ brings to a very hurting population of people who are in desperate need. (www.hopeforaids.org) I was inspired and encouraged - and also burdened. I asked how I could help. He said the need for children's clothes for these orphans is very great. So that is why I decided to have this clothing drive to help meet this need for these precious children!

As you go through your children's clothes and sort out the ones they have outgrown, please consider donating them to this cause. Before you donate them, please make sure they are clean (the least we can do!).

We are in the process of working out various drop off locations throughout the Charlotte, NC/Fort Mill, SC area. I will update this blog and the Facebook page as these locations are solidified.

DROP OFF LOCATIONS (DROP OFF BETWEEN NOW AND THE LAST WEEK OF AUGUST):

**SIM INTERNATIONAL, 1838 Gold Hill Road, Fort Mill, SC
Drop off times: M-F 10:00am-5:00pm

**REMEDY CHURCH, 249 E. Main Street, Rock Hill, SC
Drop off times: SUNDAY MORNINGS ONLY - come join them for worship when you drop off your kids clothing donation!

**WEDDINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
13901 Providence Road
Weddington, NC 28104
Drop off times: On Sundays in Helms Hall, or M-F at the office
Note: Please put "Kendra Wallace" on the bag so she can collect them for us! Thanks!

**ABUNDANT HOPE CHURCH, 13501 Dorman Road, Pineville, NC. Between the hours of 10 & 1 on Sundays only - leave the bags of clothes outside of the white shed near the building - if it is raining, they will leave the shed unlocked!

**TRANSFORMATION CHURCH, 9030 Northfield Dr # A, Fort Mill, SC Please drop off your donations during the services ONLY during the weekend of August 20-21! The bin will be in the lobby!

If you do not have clothing to donate but would like to help, we invite you to help in any way you can! The cost for postage will be very expensive, so if you are interested in helping out with that, please contact me directly at lnease@leslienease.com. We also need volunteers to sort, fold and package the clothing near the end of this month. I would like to have the clothes mailed out to them by September 1!

If your church would like to be a drop off location, please email me at lnease@leslienease.com. We are so excited about what God will do through this effort and know He is completely in control! Thank you for helping!

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. -James 1:27

Smashing Gourds

2011-07-18T08:40:00.011-04:00

While reading in 2 Kings 4 the other day, I was reminded of something I did as a young girl, maybe around twelve years old. My sister and I picked some gourds we found on our church building property and threw them, smashing them into pieces all over the parking lot. I know you may be wondering why, but I honestly couldn’t tell you why at the time. I just know it felt naughty and wrong, but I couldn’t help myself.

The pastor of this church was very angry with us. In fact, he was so angry that he took us into the office and paddled us. It sounds ridiculous that a pastor would do that, but I assure you, it happened. He said those gourds were his "personal gourds" and he was growing them for a purpose. Granted, I believe we needed to be disciplined because what we did was absolutely wrong. But there was so much more to this whole story than meets the eye. This was the church that also told us we couldn’t wear pants, we couldn’t listen to “devil” music (anything that was on the radio clearly qualified as such) and they were very controlling of our family’s personal life. If I told you more details, you may not believe me. Or maybe you would, if you came from the same kind of background. As a matter of fact, when we finally wised up and left the church, we received anonymous hate mail from members for months. It was horrible.

Down deep in my heart, I think I may have been as bitter as those gourds probably tasted because my dad allowed us to go to this controlling and legalistic church for so long. It was just a terrible memory and honestly I’ve blocked a lot of it out of my mind because it was so traumatizing. But after reading 2 Kings 4, I feel differently about the whole situation.

In 2 Kings 4, verses 38-41, I read this:

³⁸ Elisha now returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. One day as the group of prophets was seated before him, he said to his servant, “Put a large pot on the fire, and make some stew for the rest of the group.”

³⁹ One of the young men went out into the field to gather herbs and came back with a pocketful of wild gourds. He shredded them and put them into the pot without realizing they were poisonous. ⁴⁰ Some of the stew was served to the men. But after they had eaten a bite or two they cried out, “Man of God, there’s poison in this stew!” So they would not eat it.

⁴¹ Elisha said, “Bring me some flour.” Then he threw it into the pot and said, “Now it’s all right; go ahead and eat.” And then it did not harm them.

Immediately, my “smashing gourds” act came to mind and I began to wonder what God was going to teach me, so I prayed for His wisdom. I realized quickly that the servant of Elisha was really trying to do a good thing – and so was my dad. He didn’t realize the gourds were poisonous – he was just trying to feed the people. My dad was doing the same – trying to feed his family, spiritually speaking. I immediately released the resentment that I held onto for so long and my heart began to change.

But there is more….so much more to this important lesson. The gourds, to me, represent the legalism and man-made religion that can seep in and poison the church. What was Elisha’s solution? He sprinkled flour into the pot of stew. What on earth could that possibly mean?

In researching the original text of the scripture, it was actually the Hebrew word quemach, which is the word for “meal”. It was the flour used to make bread. Well, who is the Bread of Life, according to John 6:35? Jesus, Himself. So when Elisha sprinkled flour into the stew, God was showing us that when we sprinkle the Truth – Jesus – into our poisonous stew of legalism and man-made religion, He can make it healthy and nourishing. What a miracle!

I have always been upset about how I was brought up in legalism, but now I have a completely different perspective. Though I was raised for a few years in legalism, I can also say that I was raised in the Scriptures. God’s Word does not return without accomplishing what it was sent out to do, according to Isaiah 55:11. All of the scriptures that I memorized during those years at a legalistic church have come to life inside of my heart now that I have found a true relationship with Jesus! What a blessing that is! Though they were just words that were imposed on me then, they are words that are imbedded in my heart now and for that I am so thankful.

If you’ve been raised in the poisonous stew of bitter-gourd legalism, just sprinkle the Truth of Jesus into your stew and watch what He does. He takes what the enemy meant for harm in your life and miraculously changes your poisonous stew into a nutritious and healthy meal if you will allow Him!

By the way, it is not lost on me that I was smashing those bitter-tasting gourds on the road as a young girl. I feel it was a sneak peek into my future. God was graciously showing me I would be smashing those poisonous things as part of my ministry for many years down the road.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.

Judging By Appearances

2011-07-03T09:22:00.001-04:00

What if there was a way to live your life so that those who are judgmental, imposing and cruel would be weeded out before you even had to meet them? I think there is a way to do that, actually. And a lot of teens have figured it out.

My family was in the mountains once and went to a downtown area where we found a culture that was steeped in new age philosophy with lots of astrological stuff, "emo" fashion, tons of drug references, upside down stars, coffee shops and other hang out places where they would all congregate. A lot of the kids were wearing all black and had earrings, tattoos, purple and blue hair and body piercings. I thought for a moment it would be a difficult place for me to walk through. But something else happened that day.

I felt the judgmental attitude creeping up on me so I prayed immediately that God would show me these people the way He sees them. He answered my prayer and instilled in my heart a deep love for these kids. Instead of walking through there uncomfortable and offended, I felt compassion for them. I realized that often, the reason so many kids define themselves in a culture like that is to weed out the people who are going to judge them right off the bat. Those would be the people who don't take the time to get to know them as a person because of how they look. I don't want to be one of those people.

But what if their appearance didn't freak us out? Instead of rolling our eyes and labeling them, what would happen if we reached out to them, without batting an eye? What if instead of looking at the outside, we began to ask God to show us the inside?

What I saw was a culture of young people who are seeking Truth...but looking in the wrong places. I saw kids just like mine, but with different clothes, opinions and ideas than mine. I saw people who need to know Jesus and I realized that the chances of them finding Him in a culture like that are very slim if Christians don't give them the time of day based on their appearance. Instead of cringing and judging, I was praying for them and connecting with them. They just want to be loved...just like everyone else. It's our deepest human need.

The day after we returned home, I was reading a devotional and came across this poem...

I dreamed death came the other night;
And heaven's gates swung wide.
With kindly grace an angel
Ushered me inside.
And there, to my astonishment,
Stood folks I'd judged and labeled
Unfit or of little worth.
Indignant words rose to my lips,
But never were set free;
For every face showed stunned surprise...
No one expected me! (author unknown)

How many young people seek Truth by going into a church only to be told they need to change their hair, clothes or jewelry in order to attend? How many young people would never go near a church because that was the place they felt the most judged and condemned? What about the young person who is in a deep struggle and the only one who is reaching out to them is the one who has a pipe in one hand and a new age philosophy in the other? How many kids are just waiting for us to see past their facade and into their heart? How will we ever see it, though, if we are avoiding them and judging them?

Oh, I pray God will keep me focused on what matters in this life! Appearances are not what God is interested in. It's a heart thing. If I'm so focused on what others look like on the outside and base my opinions of them on that, I could miss a heart that is yearning and seeking God and tragically, I could miss out on the blessing of helping them to find the Truth they are seeking so desperately - Jesus Christ.

Oh, and one more thing that I must mention. Some of the strongest, most on-fire Christians I know have tattoos, piercings and "colorful" hair. God not only reaches out to those who look different, but He uses those who look different, too. Never put Him in a box...God never fits in those boxes we try to squeeze Him into.

1 Samuel 16:7...the Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

1 Corinthians 13:1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

I Don't Want to Be a Ham

2011-06-23T08:16:00.000-04:00

I was told a lot when I was growing up, "You are such a ham!" and if I were honest I'd say I might still have a little "ham" left in me. That's the expression people use when you like to be the center of attention - in the spotlight - the one who is up front and likes to perform. I suppose some of us were born like that and since God now has me on a stage and on the radio, I'm glad He put it in me because I don't get as nervous since I grew up with that desire. Now, though, I hope people see more of Him than they do me. He can use my "hamminess" for His glory!

There's another Ham, though, that I find myself emulating on occasion that God cannot be glorified through. It's not the kind of ham that enjoys the spotlight for his or herself, but who forces the spotlight on another Christian brother or sister's weakness or sin. Let me explain...

Noah had three sons named Shem, Ham and Japtheth. In Genesis 9:18-29, we read about those sons. One day, Noah drank a bunch of wine and became drunk and passed out naked in his tent. When Ham saw that his father was naked, he went outside to tell his brothers. One can only imagine that he was laughing at him. Otherwise, he could have covered him up with a blanket to spare his father from embarrassment, but instead he told his brothers. You can almost hear him, "You should see Dad! This 'man of God' isn't acting much like a 'man of God' at all right now - he's passed out naked in there! Go see for yourself! haha"

But the other two brothers didn't make a mockery of their father along with Ham. They put a stop to it. Instead, they took a robe, held it over their shoulders and backed into the tent to cover their father up. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see him naked. They were showing grace, mercy and respect for him in a way that Ham did not.

When Noah woke up, the bible says he learned about what Ham did and he put a curse on him. I heard a pastor say once that Noah sinned, too - a sin of the flesh. He should not have gotten drunk and passed out. It was wrong and it was sinful and we are sure God and Noah had a few things to work out after that. But when Ham sinned, it was a sin that came from a dark and uncompassionate, judgmental heart. Those are the sins that bring curses on us even more so than the sins of the flesh that are so painful. These "heart sins" are the ones that reveal the true condition of our heart. Ham's heart was not filled with mercy or grace or love - his heart was filled with gossip, judgment and condemnation. And he paid dearly for this.

Recently, a very large local church has been in the spotlight because of something that happened on Easter Sunday. Apparently, a young boy with Cerebral Palsy was asked to leave during a service because of an outburst that he made while trying to say "Amen". The mother was very hurt and it was not handled well, from what I gathered in the news. When I first heard about it, I will be honest - I was irate. I was angry and I was confused. How could this happen? That's not what Jesus would do! But as I prayed about it, I realized something very important...

I know tons of people who attend this church regularly who are very, very strong believers in Christ. Thousands of people have come into a relationship with Christ as a result of the ministry in this church. God is using this church in so many profound ways! Do they do everything the way I do? No, but that's okay with God. He likes it when His children use their gifts and abilities in unique and diverse ways to glorify Him and He made us all different for a reason. Is there fruit in this ministry? Yes, it cannot be denied. Could they do things differently in some areas? Yeah, of course. So could I. Do I attend this church? No, I do not. Are they perfect? No. Am I? Umm....absolutely not!

My point is this...I've seen news stories, blogs and social media rants about what happened at the church. Many of them were written by Christians who are angry and frustrated and with good reason. A lot of people have a lot of things to say about this church and they don't seem to have any problems doing it publicly. I do not believe God was pleased in the least by what happened...but I believe He is also not pleased when we sin in our hearts by gossiping, judging publicly and exposing them to the world.

God is dealing with them and teaching them in many ways through this experience. He can redeem this and they can learn from it - and so can we. Could it be that, instead of exposing them and pointing out their faults publicly, that we should come alongside of them and show some grace? Yes, we are to judge those inside of the church - but shouldn't that be going on inside the church, not for the world to see in public places?

How does the world perceive it when churches bicker and pick on one another because they are "different" or one church messes up and other churches are quick to judge? I know it must grieve the heart of God. He knows if something needs judging and He is the only One who can judge situations from a perfect perspective. But as an unbeliever watching on...I bet it's pretty unsettling to watch all the back-biting and strong words we have for one another. God is perfectly capable of defending Himself and actually prefers it over having us try to defend him from our limited and human perspective.

My prayer is that God will keep me from being like Ham in this and in every situation. After all...if I mess up, I certainly wouldn't want a Ham exposing me! Instead of exposing, may I show compassion and kindness in how I share with others about my brothers and sisters in Christ. And if I have a beef with someone, I pray I will not act like Ham in dealing with it. (smile)

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

Starbucks Quandry

2011-06-21T06:18:00.000-04:00

My daughter, my son and I went to the movies after a run to Starbucks awhile back. We had not finished our coffee when we got to the theater and we knew they probably would not allow us to have outside drinks in the theater, so we were left in a quandary. What followed was strangely psychologically intriguing as we all three reacted in ways that totally reflect our personalities...

Stephanie: Stephanie is very cautious, never does anything to offend anyone and is super sweet. Her personality is always "Avoid confrontation at all costs." So....Stephanie chugged her coffee in the car before we approached the ticket counter to avoid any and all confrontation.

Tommy: Tommy is a rebel. He is one who takes risks, enjoys a challenge and is always angry that the movie theaters charge more than they should for food and drink so he has no issue with bringing his own food or drink in. So....he took the coffee and put it inside of his jacket and zipped it up.

Me: I've learned by life experience that "we have not because we ask not". I did not want to chug my coffee because I knew it would make me sick, but my convictions would not allow me to hide it and I said to my kids, "You're over-reacting..let's just ask what we should do and then we will be able to make a decision." So....I asked the lady as I purchased my tickets if it would be okay if I took my coffee into the movie theater. She warmly replied "Sure! No problem."

At that point, my kids looked at each other and started cracking up laughing as they realized their decisions completely reflected their personalities and mine reflected mine. Often we think we know what we are up against but honestly we don't know until we ask or take a concerted effort to find out! My mother always told me, "The only failure is not to try!"

By the way, Stephanie ended up with an upset stomach after chugging her mocha and did not enjoy the movie as much as she could have. Tommy ended up burning himself when the coffee spilled inside of his jacket and then smelled like Starbucks the rest of the day.

I, however, enjoyed my coffee...one sip at a time. :)

He Waits to Be Wanted

2011-06-16T08:02:00.004-04:00

He waits to be wanted. I read this quote yesterday morning from AW Tozer and it hurt my heart deeply. God is so patient with us. So faithful. So loving. So kind. And yet we get so busy...so distracted...so prideful and self-absorbed that we can't see that He waits for us. Why would He love us so much that He would wait for us to want Him?

He waits to be wanted. Why should He have to wait to be wanted? Why don't we want Him? What is it that we want instead of Him? Those are the questions that keep coming to me and I don't have any good answers. He offers peace, forgiveness, joy, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, love, gentleness and patience. The world offers lies, hurts, unfulfilled promises, hypocrisy, hate and heartache. It seems like there would be no competition! And yet...we seem to chase all those "things" with reckless abandon. All the while....

He waits to be wanted. Would I do that? Usually when someone rejects me, I shake the dust off my feet and move on. I don't wait to be wanted. Their loss, in my book. If they don't want to be my friend, I usually just write them off. But Jesus knows we are just being foolish when we reject Him, He knows what is best for us so He pursues us. His identity is not wrapped up in whether we accept Him or not - He just loves us so much that He waits for us to come to our senses. So why does He pursue us? Because He knows without His intervention, our relationship with Him will never be restored and we will face judgment. He does not want us to have to face that. He loves us too much.

God must judge sin because He is Holy...perfect...and good. Sin goes completely against God's holiness. He must judge sin because He is good and it is in His character to be just and right- not because He is mean or unloving. Oh, but He offers us an opportunity to receive grace instead - through Christ's sacrifice. Can you understand this? I want you to really get this...the God of the Universe loves you. He wants a relationship with you and He waits to be wanted. Not so He can be validated - He does not need our validation. He is God and He is Holy. He waits to be wanted because He loves us and He knows that if we reject Him, we will face His judgment. He doesn't want that for any of us. Period. (2 Peter 3:9; 3:15) But He will judge us if we continue to go our own way. He is fair in doing this. He is always right in His judgments.

My pride is what kept me from God for so long. I'll be honest - I didn't like having someone tell me I was a sinner. Who were they to tell me I was a sinner? Geez. The nerve! I did good things all the time. I was a loving, caring person. But I also did sinful things. And even one bad thing is enough to separate me from a Holy God. So in order to be able to restore that relationship, I had to turn from my sin to my Savior, who accepted me with open arms. It's called "repentance" in the Bible and that word gets a bad rap, honestly.

Repentance is a gift. It's not just saying "I'm sorry" but saying "I'm through!" and then turning away from sin toward Christ, trusting Him to give you strength to stay turned away from that sin. Oh, I admit it was not easy. I liked my sinfulness. I wondered if I could live a life without some of the things I enjoyed so much. As a matter of fact, I still struggle with sin. I mess up all the time...but I try to learn from my sins and I seek His forgiveness and grace with each one, admitting when I fail. I allow Him to use those mistakes and grow me into a better person. I also reap consequences when I sin - something He often allows in order to show me that I don't ever want to go there again! He gave me a new life when I repented of and confessed my sin (agreed with God that I am a sinner) and received Jesus' sacrifice on my behalf. He has given me new desires and a longing to be more like Him. I could never do this without Jesus.

And thought He waits to be wanted, in Isaiah 55:6, it says, "Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near." This tells us that there will come a time when He will not be near. I pray you will seek Him today! Hebrews 3:15 says, "Today when you hear His voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled." Today is the day of salvation. He waits to be wanted...but He will not wait forever. He is calling you today.

He waits to be wanted. Is He still waiting for you?

Some scripture references that might be helpful to you if you want to hear what the Bible says about the Jesus who waits so patiently and lovingly for you:

Romans 3:10-31
Galatians 3:19-24
John 3:1-21

Need more info? Please call 1-888-NEED HIM or visit www.needhim.org

Busy Signal

2011-06-10T08:44:00.000-04:00

Remember the busy signal? That annoying little "Beep...Beep...Beep..." we'd get when we called someone back in the day before call waiting? Maybe you're reading this and you have no idea what I'm talking about...that makes me feel very old. (smile) Anyway, I had a thought the other day about that busy signal because I felt like God was trying to "download" some things into my heart and mind and when He would try, He would hear that "busy signal".

Oh, I know I'm supposed to slow down and listen. I know I shouldn't over-commit. I know I should prioritize. Heck, many of my blogs are about those very things. You'll find in my life that most of my blogs are written because I'm dealing with some things and when I blog it helps me to sort things out, communicate what I'm learning and it gives me the added accountability of throwing it out there for the world to see (not that the world is reading my blogs...haha...but I digress...)

This morning I was trying to focus in my quiet time with the Lord but first I decided I would open my computer to check my email since I get several quality devotionals sent to my inbox each morning. I love reading them. The only problem is, often when I open my laptop, I get sucked into distraction and before I realize it, my "quiet time" has turned into anything but quiet time. I mean, the room is quiet, but my mind is not. I've checked my email, my facebook, my twitter and I've caught up with the world's news. But that time spent, quiet in the presence of Almighty God, is absent and I feel it in my spirit. I begin to grieve. I've done it again. My bible is lying right beside me, unopened. My heart sinks.

Maybe that is why I feel like when God is ready to "download" some important truths, some foundational precepts, into my heart and mind but He keeps finding a busy signal. My mind is busy. So busy, in fact, that I often forget what I'm doing and go off on little rabbit trails in my mind that take me far from the presence of God. Can you relate to this at all or am I alone in this struggle? I have a feeling I'm not, though I may not hear from you because you're struggling with this too but maybe you're like me and don't want to admit it. (smile)

I read this verse the other day and it sent shivers up my spine: Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink He will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go", whether to the right or to the left. Then you will destroy all of your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, "Good riddance!" (Isaiah 30:20-22)

So...what was it about this verse that sent shivers up my spine? Well, it was the part that says, then you will destroy all of your silver idols...". My MacBook Pro is silver. And it's an idol to me when I choose to spend time with it before I spend time with my God. Isaiah was saying that once you've experienced the presence of God and the leading of God, you will do away with those silver idols out of a pure desire to hear from Him. Once you've tasted what it's like to be in the presence of God, nothing else can compare! Please hear me...I'm not trying to be legalistic. I hate legalism. I don't believe computers are bad at all - but I do believe that when we choose to use them over spending time with God, that is wrong. It eats my time up like a moth on cloth. It distracts me and prevents me from experiencing true intimacy with God. So, at times, it is my "silver idol" and it must be destroyed.

Now, please don't think this is as drastic as it sounds. I'm not going to go blow up my MacBook Pro. I'm not even going to get rid of it - I need it for the work I do. But today I'm going to promise God in the presence of those who read my blog, that I will not open it until I've spent my quiet time with Him. I can feel the difference on those days when He is first and I need that daily. I'm deceiving myself if I think for one moment that I can do this without Him! I need the accountability and I need the focus.

I know He has much to show me and download into my heart and mind and until the busy signal is gone, it will evade me. So I'm going to free up the line. I'm going to free up my heart. I'm going to free up my ears to hear from Him. Once I've heard from Him, I know I can freely open my silver MacBook Pro and as I hear from the world, my facebook friends, my tweeters and the news, I will be hearing it through the filter of His Truth.

I can already hear Him saying, "I have so much more for you. You only have to be still and listen."

So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help. (Isaiah 30:18)

Be Still & Get Moving!

2011-05-27T10:03:00.000-04:00

What on earth does it mean to be still? You hear the verse often: Be still and know that I am God. But does being still mean playing a game of freeze tag with God? Does it mean we do nothing and make Him do everything? This question has been on my mind for a long time. Until I ran across some really good stuff in Exodus a couple of weeks ago.

I was in Exodus, chapter 14 reading about the Israelite's Exodus out of Egypt with Moses as their leader. The Israelites were approaching the Red Sea and the Egyptians were hot on their trail. There seemed no way out! They were panicked and crying out to the Lord, saying to Moses, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn't we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? It's better to be a slave to the Egyptians than a corpse in this wilderness!"

Poor Moses. He was only following what God told him to do. He calmly told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today...the Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm."

Just for the record...I can totally relate to this. Everything seems fine until things look impossible when we are walking with the Lord. That's when we begin to question everything. Not only do we question everything, but we question God Himself. Why does He allow such things? It's easy to just go back to Egypt. Our Egypt is wherever it is that we came from before we began a relationship with God through Jesus. It's tempting to just want to go back there and live. Goodness...things seemed simpler then. The enemy didn't bother us because we weren't a threat! How quickly we forget the bondgage, the slavery, the horrific way of living back in our Egypt. I wish it was as easy to get Egypt out of me as it was for me to get out of Egypt!

Anyway...in the next verse, God told Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!" Wait a minute. Didn't Moses just tell them to be still and let God fight for them? What was God doing? Why was He telling them to move when they were just told to be still? Which should we do when we are facing our own "Red Sea" moment?

The answer is simple. We need to be still and get moving! See, being still doesn't mean just standing there and doing nothing. In Joshua we read how God told the people to be still and let the Lord fight for them. But did they just sit there? No. Being still isn't always an outward retraction. It's more often an inward reaction.

The original Hebrew word used for "still" in Exodus 14 is yatsab which means to place, set, stand, present oneself or station oneself. It also means to station oneself, take one's stand, stand, present oneself, or stand with someone. God wants us to take a "stand" when we are being still. That means we are steadfast in believing in our heart that God is going to fulfill His promises. We will trust Him. We have peace in our hearts, but we are not just sitting there doing nothing! It's an inward reaction brought on by our total dependence on Him to use us as we go forward in obedience.

What is it that God is asking you to do right now? Is He asking you to be still and wait on Him? Please...obey Him in this. Be still and get moving!

That means if you have a dream you feel God has placed in your heart, continue in what you have before you right now. Prove your obedience in the small things, knowing and having peace in your heart that God has it all under control. He put that dream in your heart for a reason.

It means that if you are waiting on God for physical healing, do all you can to be healthy, make good choices, go to your appointments and pray without ceasing, knowing in your heart and having peace that God has it all under control. Healing and deliverance will come.

It means that if you are waiting for one of your children to give their life to Jesus, you continue to pray, fulfill your duties as a wife and mother (or husband and father) and have quiet trust in your heart that God has it all under control. He hears you and He has a plan.

But it doesn't mean to just sit there and do nothing. There is still life to be lived. There are still responsibilities that need to be met. There are still others who can learn and grow from your example of having peace in the midst of your "Red Sea" moment.

Blessing always follows obedience. According to what I've learned on this little biblical "treasure hunt", being still is one of the most action-filled things God asks us to do! It is one of the hardest things, too, because we always feel like we must control everything around us. Being still is relinquishing that control to Him and trusting Him to get us through. It is when we are willing to allow Him to fight the battles while we walk forward in confident trust that He has it all under control. It is rarely sitting there, doing nothing.

I'm in the Weeds!

2011-05-23T17:43:00.002-04:00

For many years, I was a waitress. If you've ever been a waitress or a waiter you know it can be a really crazy job sometimes. There are times when every table is full, the pace is light speed, your heart is racing and the buzz of a busy Friday or Saturday night at the restaurant can make you feel like you are in over your head! When these times would come, we would say "I'm in the weeds!", which, translated means "I'm super busy and don't know if I can take any more!"

There's a story Jesus told about the wheat and the weeds in the Bible. It's found in Matthew 13. In the parable, Jesus talks about the wheat and the weeds - the wheat representing the believers (Christians) and the weeds representing non-believers. The type of weed that is described in this parable is probably darnel, a type of weed that can hardly be distinguished from wheat until the head matures. The workers of the field go to the farmer and say "Should we pull up the weeds?" and the farmer says, "No, let the weeds and wheat grow together until the harvest. If you pull the weeds, you will uproot some of the wheat." He goes on to say that the weeds will be "weeded out" by the harvesters during the harvest (which represents judgment) but until that time, let them grow together.

My pastor once pointed out that the farmer tells the workers to "let them grow together" since tearing them apart can be detrimental. The Bible is clear that we are to be in the world, just not of the world. We are told time and time again to love others, serve them and show them the love of Christ in our lives as we build relationships. Also, the weeds could represent people who claim to be believers but have no heart change. It's hard to know the difference sometimes! Only God can tell the difference most often. We will waste valuable time and energy if all we do is try to figure out who is genuine and who is not. God clearly tells us to leave that to Him. Our job is to love and serve others, not judge their motives.

All of this makes me think of my "in the weeds" waitressing days. Yeah, those busy days were very difficult at times. But they were also very invigorating and challenging. I was most laser-focused when I was in the weeds. I was most productive when I was in the weeds. It was a testing of my skills, too, and those days when I would come out of the weeds with victory, it really built my confidence. The days when I would fail, I would realize where I needed to grow more. I look back and realize that one of the things I miss most about my waitressing days is that invigorating feeling of being in the weeds!

Something else cool happens when we are in the weeds - we all end up helping one another more. My fellow servers would come alongside of me or I'd come alongside of them and offer help and encouragement during those crazy times. These times really helped us learn to lean on one another and realize that often we needed to ask for help - no one person can do it all.

Have you been in the weeds lately?

Colossians 4:5-6 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Exalt! Talent Show Coming to Charlotte, NC

2011-05-20T06:00:00.001-04:00

Halton Arena

Hey friends, I just wanted to let you know about an opportunity for vocalists in the Charlotte, NC area to not only perform but also to give glory to God with your talents and gifts through music! Exalt! Talent Show live auditions begin in June (taped auditions have been going on for awhile) and the finale is August 5 at the beautiful Halton Arena. It doesn't matter if you sing Gospel, Contemporary, in a group or as a soloist - they are just looking for people who love to worship through song for the show! If you are interested in learning more, please click here for a link to their website.

Proceeds from Exalt! will go to benefit those who have suffered financially because of catastrophic medical bills due to major illness in the family. Their facebook page has a lot more information, along with how you can purchase tickets to the event, how you can volunteer and how you can audition to be a contestant!

Dear Friend,

2011-05-19T10:34:00.000-04:00

This is a poem I wrote back in 2009 that I felt I wanted to share with you again today. So many people judge Jesus by looking at Christians, and unfortunately we often fall woefully short of representing Him the way we should. So this poem is a letter I wrote to anyone who has decided to walk away from Jesus as a result of something they have experienced with someone who claimed to represent Him as a Christian. I hope you will take a few moments to read it before you continue walking away from the purest and most beautiful Treasure you could ever find....

Dear Friend,

I've heard of your decision to turn away from Jesus Christ
and I understand the reason is some folks you've met in life.

Apparently some Christians that you've come across before
have much to say of the wrong you do, but your needs, they just ignore.

Many who claim to know Jesus don't really know Him very well
(At least the way we live our lives, it can be very hard to tell)

Our lives should always reflect Him, but they don't and that's a shame.
We judge, we point, we criticize - all in Jesus' Name.

I think we believe it's easier to point at others when they sin
than to look into the mirror at the person who's within.

We often quote the Bible to prove to you that we're right
instead of loving and praying for you, we'd rather win a fight.

Although we read in scripture that quarreling is not effective,
instead we should show grace and love while listening to your perspective.

We often say that we know God and that He tells us what to do
but we live a life that's contrary to what we've shared with you.

God tells us in His word that for the world His life He gave
But we judge and avoid the "sinners" - the very ones He wants to save.

Sometimes I think we just forget that we are sinners, too.
Our broken lives, healed by His love - the same love He has for you.

He's the only One you can fully trust - the rest of us are frail
we're in a process - just like you - and often we do fail.

In the pages of the scriptures, though, we see a better way
We must live out what we believe if it's Truth we want to convey.

I beg of you to look to Christ - He's the only One who is perfect
He saves us, though we aren't deserving - He believes we're worth it.

My deepest apologies, dear friend, for the treatment you receive.
I pray you'll look past our many faults and in Christ, by faith, believe.

Matthew 7:1

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live...

Choosing to Love

2011-05-18T06:23:00.002-04:00

I remember it like yesterday, even though it happened in fourth grade. She was a year ahead of me and she was the "cool girl". She was so mean to me. She made fun of me, stole my friends and even convinced the boy I liked that I had cooties so he ran away from me. That was my first taste of utter rejection and bullying and I can honestly say I didn't like her much. It may have been my first taste of that kind of rejection and humiliation, but it certainly was not my last.

Unfortunately, there are people in our lives that just irritate us, berate us or make us feel like we are not lovable. These people are easy to hate. But they are hard to love. And yet, Jesus tells us clearly that we are to "love our enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven." (Matt. 5:44-45). I remember thinking that was impossible the first time I read it.

This morning, I read another verse that blew me away about this subject. See, I never took revenge on my fourth grade bully, mostly because I was inexperienced, but in my life I have tried taking matters into my own hands with people who were ugly to me and it was never a favorable outcome. Now I think I see why...

"Don't rejoice when your enemies fall; don't be happy when they stumble. For the Lord will be displeased with you and will turn His anger away from them." Proverbs 24:17-18

I know I've read this verse before but for some reason it just screamed at me this morning. The part that got me was where it implies that when I find sadistic joy in someone who I don't like falling (or failing) that God actually turns His anger from them and is displeased with me. It's like this invisible force-field of protection that I put up around my enemy! How crazy is that?

I know it's tempting to want to get even. I know people can be downright difficult to live with. I know there are times when it seems appropriate to be the avenger. But the next time I feel like I need to get even, I need to remember that when I try to do it myself, I'm in essence telling God "No thanks, I've got this one" and He then protects that person from me.

So....my question for you is... whom are you praying for today? I know the list is probably a long one of the people you love, the people on your prayer list from church or bible study. But what about those who are under your skin, irritating you to the point of frustration? What about those who laugh when you fail? Or try to take your job? Or make fun of the way you look? Or talk behind your back? Or maybe this person broke your heart?

The challenge for today is to pray for someone you don't necessarily feel like loving. I know that God can change your heart for this person because His Word says so. It's pretty hard to be mad at someone you are praying for! God has a way of softening our hard hearts when we trust His ways and go against the flow. There's a reason this person is in your life - maybe it's to help shape you into a better person by learning to love the difficult-to-love people or maybe it's because that unlovable person needs to encounter the beautiful love of Jesus and He has chosen you to be the vessel through which He will pour it out onto them.

Matthew 5:38-39 You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also."

The Broken Vessel

2011-05-17T08:14:00.000-04:00

The Survivor: Redemption Island finale was Sunday night and I was one of the ones up until 11pm watching it, of course. I still get the question, "Do you still watch the show?" Um...yes! I was a fan way before I was a contestant and I'll continue to be a fan of the show.

This season was especially interesting to me. I knew from the moment I saw Matt Elrod on the show that he was going to have a tough time staying in the game because the first thing he mentioned was his faith. To people who don't understand what faith in Jesus Christ is all about, it can seem very unsettling and it's easy to be misunderstood - especially in a game like this. In the scriptures (2 Corinthians 2:15-17) it clearly says that to some, we are like the fragrance of death and doom - but to God and to those who are being saved, we are the pleasing aroma of Christ. You can see that play out in the game of Survivor when you throw a believer in the mix.

In all the previous seasons of the show, believers are usually one of the very first people voted off and I believe it's for that very reason. It's hard to be around what Jeff Probst calls "morality" when you're in a game that is usually played without morals to a certain degree. Also, it's very difficult for a believer to play this game and maintain their witness and morality without compromising. So...you can imagine how excited I was to see Matt make it all the way to the finale in this game!

Matt was voted off very early in the game. But this season was different - they had a new twist in it where the person voted off gets to go to "Redemption Island" and duel it out with the next person voted off for a chance to stay in the game. It was amazing to see Matt win every single duel and then find himself back in the game a few weeks ago. Of course, he was voted out right away again but then continued to win the duels again until the very last one where he had to balance a clay vase on a board with his foot. The vase tipped over and shattered into pieces, leaving him on the jury and not in the running for a million dollars. It was not lost on me that Matt, God's vessel used to bring Him glory, was taken out of the game by a broken vessel. Isn't that what we all are? Broken - but put back together as a beautiful, priceless mosaic by the loving hands of our God!

I get the feeling he could have cared less about the million dollar prize. Matt wasn't motivated by that money - he was motivated by bringing glory to God and he did just that. God used him to show the world the amazing impact a true believer who is sold out to Jesus Christ can have on others when given the chance to stay in the game. God protected Matt from playing the game and allowed him to spend about a month on Redemption Island, where he was able to spend hours in the scriptures and in prayer with God. (On a side note...I often wish someone would strand me on a "redemption island" where I could spend hours alone with the Lord, reading His word and praying...but I digress!)

The other contestants were able to spend one on one time with Matt and his Bible as they were voted out of the game and onto Redemption Island and many lives were changed as a result of this. Matt wasn't perfect (um...who is but Jesus?) he was human, but he was real and his faith was inspiring. To me, that is what makes this game so intriguing. It's a social experiment, of sorts. And this season, I believe God used Matt in a very mighty way. There were moments of tremendous heart-wrenching honesty when Matt described how God was carrying him through the long, difficult days out there. He was broken, but God definitely put him back to together, piece by piece and even though his "broken vase" is what lost the game for him, this "broken vessel" won way more than a million dollars.

Congratulations, Matt! I'm proud to be your sister in Christ and I look forward to seeing how God uses you, a beautiful mosaic vessel for Him, to pour out more of His truth and light onto the lives of others in even bigger ways in the future! You may not have won the title of "Sole Survivor" but you definitely won the privilege of being used by God as a "Soul Reviver". God bless you!

Where Was His Mother?

2011-05-10T08:37:00.000-04:00

I've heard it told from many angles and it never gets old. It's the story from Luke 15 about the prodigal son - the son who wanders away from his father, takes his inheritance (basically cashes in on it before his dad is even dead), lives a wild and crazy life for awhile before he crashes and burns and then finally comes back to his senses. When he comes home, his father is there waiting for him with open arms. The brother, who never left, is not as happy to see him but is angry because he feels the mercy and grace his father shows his wayward brother is unwarranted and undeserved.

The angles I've heard recently on this story have been fascinating. One missionary pointed out a few months back that the eldest brother was responsible for running after the wayward son - but he never went after him. Apparently, that was the tradition with the Jewish people then - the eldest brother was responsible for the younger siblings in that way. His point was - why didn't he go after him? And...why aren't we going after our prodigal brothers and sisters? I thought that was so powerful.

I also remember reading about how the story should not be called "The Prodigal Son" but instead should be called "The Faithful Father". I couldn't agree more. The picture of the father running toward his son with open arms as he came home after being gone for so long and being so ungrateful and selfish is just overwhelming to me.

In talking with my mentor yesterday, we discussed how the wayward son had to hit rock-bottom (the story describes him eating with pigs) before he would ever be able to come to his senses and come back home. How often does this happen in our lives? When we are stripped of everything and left with nothing - that is often what it takes to wake us up. We can be so complex and hard-headed sometimes.

But one angle I've never heard in all the years I've heard this story shared is what keeps coming back to me. Where was the mother in this story? I talked with my mentor about this before - we both wondered the same thing. As mothers, our hearts break as we think about how devastated she must have been. Why on earth would God leave her out of this story? If it were my son, I would be pacing the floor, praying non-stop and would be completely devastated. I wondered if she was doing the same thing? Not even a mention of her, though. Nothing. I wondered why.

Until yesterday. I prayed and asked the Lord for some insight into why He didn't give her any face-time in this story. As a mother, it almost upset me that she was not mentioned and I was honest with Him about that. I think God appreciates when we are honest with Him and He definitely doesn't shy away from the tough questions. I wanted to know how she handled it! I wanted to know if she was as desperate and scared for her son as I would be! I wanted to know if she begged her husband to do more, prayed the same prayer over and over again or if she ran after him at all. What did she do?

Then the answer came to me so gently during prayer. Perhaps the mother was not mentioned because she was doing exactly what God told her to do in this devastating situation? She kept quiet, surrendered her son to the Lord and submitted to her husband's leadership in this matter. You see...we moms can't take this kind of pain. It's just unthinkable. It's devastating and it's more than we can bear. The good news is, we don't have to take this pain on ourselves. God tells us to give Him our burdens. He tells us to submit to our husbands. And He doesn't do that so we will be a doormat or so we will be lazy and not handle things; He does this so we will be protected.

Perhaps in quiet strength, the mother continued to look after her home and her children. She probably stayed busy and continued to run her errands. I'm sure she prayed for her son - probably constantly. I'm sure she had her moments of weakness and tears. But perhaps her strength was in her submission and her trust in her God to bring her son home.

And we all know the end of the story. Her wayward son did come home. And as the father in the story was preparing the feast, I can't help but wonder if the mother was on her knees in the background - thanking God for bringing her wayward son home and giving Him glory for this precious reunion.

Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands. Ephesians 5:22-24 (Message)

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:1-4 (NIV)

He Loves You

2011-05-03T16:44:00.001-04:00

I was listening to a preacher on the radio talk about his story of how he found out about Jesus. He said that he was at a church service and the pastor told him that God loved him. It was the first time anyone ever told him that before! I sat there, almost sick in my gut because I realized that often I forget that some people don't realize this truth. We hear it and read about it so often that we forget that some people never hear it at all. How heart breaking. But God loves us all. He loves you!

As I thought about this, I thought about the lies that the enemy will send as soon as someone tells you that God loves you. I know that's what he did to me. He reminded me of all the "stuff" in my life and asked me questions like "Why would God love you anyway?" and "Do you really think God could ever use you after the sinful life you've lived?" and I really struggled with believing.

God's voice is always so gentle and kind. I remember once I told my daughter about the verse in 1 Kings 19 where it says that Elijah heard God's voice in the gentle wind, like a whisper - not in the strong, violent wind, the earthquake or the roaring fire. She really must have listened because later that night as she read her Bible story to me, when she would speak the words that God spoke, she whispered. I was so moved.

I wrote this poem as I reflected back on what it's like to come to terms with realizing that God really does love you. I hope you will enjoy it. And today - let's remember to tell people how much God loves them! Better yet - let's show them. They may have never heard this before.

I love you.

Those were the words I heard as I ran away in fright
I ran because I didn't have the courage left to fight

I love you.

Though His words were true, I did not comprehend
That His love is unconditional and on it I could depend

I love you.

There He goes again! I cannot run away
His voice was getting stronger now - my knees were giving way

I love you.

Even though I didn't love Him like I should?
Why would He love me anyway? I'd never do Him any good.

I love you.

Oh, His voice was sweet and gentle and so clear!
So why was I afraid to trust a love that was sincere?

You're worthless.

The other voice is loud - the one that tells me lies.
I'm weary from this battle now, my tired spirit cries.

He's mad at you.

See, I knew that it was too good to be true
After all I've done to hurt Him, after all I've put Him through

You're a fraud.

This couldn't be truer - I've pretended and deceived
I based my faith on religious acts, but I never truly believed.

I love you.

Oh that Voice again! I feel more safe and sure
That this Voice is speaking Truth to me, it is so gentle and so pure.

You're priceless.

Could it be the Truth - that Jesus died for me?
A price that no one else could pay - to set my spirit free!

I'm not mad at you.

He reminded me that His wrath was satisfied
On the day that Jesus gave His life and was brutally crucified

I love you.

I couldn't live this life of pretending it wasn't so
That lying voice was silenced now! It was time for it to go

I'm sorry.

Please forgive me Lord! I've sinned and gone astray!
Would you forgive me for my sin and live in me today?

I love you.

I believe Him now, and I receive this truth for me
I feel the chains are lifted and I'm finally living free!

I love Him.

So my life has changed, I'm not living like before
His Holy Spirit's presence in me has given me hope for what's in store!

Jeremiah 31:3

..."I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness."

Taking a Stand

2011-04-26T06:00:00.002-04:00

It was February, 2003, and my husband and I were preparing to go to a Discipleship class at Steele Creek Church of Charlotte. We wanted to join the church, but needed to go through the class first. I remember telling Rod, "I don't know why we have to go to this class - we already know everything he's going to talk about!" He agreed, but we both went anyway because we felt we were in the right church and we really wanted to join.

We were sitting among about twenty-five other people who were all there to learn more about what SCCC believed and as we sat there I began to pray that my husband would really listen and understand the message that Pastor Kelvin was giving about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I had said a prayer to receive Jesus over a hundred times in my life, usually out of fear of going to hell, but I wasn't sure where my husband stood that night so I prayed for him.

The pastor talked about things I'd never, ever heard before that night, though. Maybe I'd heard them, but I wasn't listening - until this night. He described what it means to truly believe in Jesus - not just with your head (he pointed out that even Satan believes Jesus is God's Son!) but with your heart - to make it personal. He said that everything changes when you become a true believer. Your life, your passions, everything. He said that when you give your life to Jesus Christ, making Him the Lord of your life, you will change. It would be a firm conviction, full surrender, and a life-style that would reflect that surrender.

As he spoke, I realized I had none of the "symptoms"of a real relationship with Jesus Christ. I said a prayer - many times - and even went forward and stood up to go to the front and ask Jesus into my heart. But my motivation was never because I was repenting or sorry for my sin. Instead, it was more about "getting out of hell free" and I was told if I would say the prayer to receive Christ, I would escape hell. It was a no-brainer!

But as I really listened to Pastor Kelvin, I realized I was way off. I had never repented of my sin. I'd never seen a consistent change in my life. Usually when I would be sorry for what I did, it was because I'd been caught. That night, I realized I'd been missing the mark completely - I'd been playing a game with God. But God wasn't playing games with me - He opened my eyes, ears and heart to the truth of what it means to truly surrender to Him that night. While I prayed for my husband to see the truth, I realized I was being shown the truth! It was overwhelming.

At the end, the pastor asked those who wanted to give their lives to Christ to raise their hands while everyone's eyes were closed. He walked them through a prayer to receive Christ and I prayed the prayer for the first time from my heart right along with them. I was truly sorry for my sin. I needed His forgiveness and grace and for the first time in my life, I felt the presence of God! After the prayer was over, the pastor asked everyone to stand if they had said the prayer to receive Christ. My husband stood to his feet beside me as everyone looked on and clapped. I was so overwhelmed by God's presence and I was so shocked and thrilled at what had just happened in mine and in my husband's life together that I had no strength to stand. My mind was whirling, my heart was pounding and my legs were weak. I'd been awakened to the Truth for the first time in my life!

On our drive home, Rod and I talked about how I didn't physically stand up at the end. He and I agreed it didn't really matter if I stood or not, because I knew I meant business with God and He knew my heart. But I will be honest...I carried around some guilt for a few years. I had doubts because of the verse where Jesus says, "If you stand for me, I will stand for you, but if you deny me, I will deny you before my Father in Heaven". Had I denied Jesus by not standing that night? I hoped not.

As the days went by, I saw the fruit of His presence in my life; however, I had been raised in a very legalistic church that would have frowned on my not standing that night and probably would have told me I was not truly saved. I prayed and asked God to strengthen me and He did. I asked Him to tell me if it was not real, if I had not pleased Him that night. He never revealed to me that He was not pleased, so I trusted Him. But it was still in the back of my thoughts and it would surface every now and then with a twinge of condemnation. I would remind myself of Romans 8:1, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." My salvation was not based on anything I could do anyway...it was all based on Him and what He did!

Several years later, while I was a contestant on the reality show, Survivor China, we were confronted in the first few minutes with a "welcoming ceremony". It was in a Buddhist temple. When asked to bow before the huge Buddha in the temple as part of this "welcoming ceremony", I excused myself and left the temple. When Jeff asked me why I said, "I'm not religious, but I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I'm only going to put my face on the floor for Him." (You can find the clip of the show on the menu bar under "Bio").

There it was. God, by His amazing grace, gave me an opportunity to stand again - and this time, He gave me the strength to do it. I am so grateful for this gift He gave me. I no longer beat myself up about "not standing" because in my heart, I believe God is telling me "Leslie, you may not have stood physically that night at church, but for the first time in your life, you stood for me in your heart." He is so good. All those years of standing and going forward physically did nothing. It was only when I stood in my heart that it truly counted. And when He asked me to stand physically, I did, and it wasn't out of a duty, a fear or a religion - it was because I loved Him and wanted to stand for Him - after all, He stood for me on Calvary.

If you've stood for Jesus physically many times but inside you are not sure where you stand, you could be deceived just as I was for so many years. I pray you will get honest with yourself and with God! He loves you so much. He, and only He, knows your heart and your intentions. If you need more information on what it means to truly be a Christian, please check out this website: www.christianityexplored.com. I pray God will open your eyes, ears and heart to the Truth!

Or, on the other hand, perhaps you have struggled because you didn't physically stand that night you received Christ. I encourage you to take a look at your life since that precious moment when you repented of your sin and asked Him to be your Lord and Savior. Is there a change in your life? Not the self-induced kind that wears you out, but the kind that comes from deep within - from His presence. You cannot help but change when the Holy Spirit gets a hold of you! It's slow sometimes, but there is always a change of some sort. If you repented of your sins, received His forgiveness and if you love Him and you see evidence of His presence in your life, please don't beat yourself up any longer! You stand for Him by the way you are living your life - each and every day. His grace is sufficient. By living your life for Jesus, you are taking a stand.

Difficulty That Led to Destiny

2011-04-25T08:33:00.001-04:00

I remember when the doctor came in and looked me in the eye and said "We're not sure she's going to make it." After that, I sort of blacked out. I woke up and there was a man with a priest-like collar in the room, asking me if I wanted him to pray for me. He prayed and then once he left I said my own prayer. I knew I didn't deserve to have my prayer answered because I wasn't living a life for God at all - as a matter of fact, since I left my home to get married and start a family, I had completely turned my back on God and didn't even go to church anymore. But things seemed dire at this point. Would He listen?

A few days before, my daughter Stephanie, who was four at the time, had come down with the chickenpox. She was very sick from the get go but the second day of her illness, it got much worse. Her fever had gotten up to 106 and I was scared. I'd taken her into the doctor several times and was told "It's just the chickenpox. Give her ibuprofen and give it time, she'll be fine." But things weren't fine. Her body was swelling and she was moaning as if she was in tremendous pain. She couldn't even stand for me to touch her. I finally called the ambulance and said "You are taking her to the hospital right now and I'm not bringing her home until you tell me what is wrong with her!" They took her to the hospital.

Now, they were telling me she had the flesh eating bacteria and that her body had gone into septic shock. The doctors had cut off her hospital bracelet twice and replaced it because it kept getting so tight from the swelling that ballooned her tiny body. She was now unconscious and it seemed hopeless. Doctors crowded around her, poked at her, took x-rays and blood and now they were telling me they did not think she would make it. I was absolutely devastated.

I think a part of me believed God was punishing me for running from Him. I even think a part of me, due to a legalistic upbringing, believed I deserved it. But that morning I found myself praying for the first time in years. Through loud sobs, I begged God not to take my baby away. I told Him I was sorry for turning my back on Him and that if He took her away I was afraid I wouldn't survive. I begged Him to please let me keep her. I told Him that if He would allow me to keep her, I would dedicate her to Him - she would be all His. I wasn't sure how that would all work out, but I remember vividly that I was not willing to give up myself, but that I was willing to give her to Him. I knew I had already proven that I couldn't live up to the standards of a good Christian, so maybe she could? My ideas of God were so twisted.

God chose to heal my daughter, much to the doctor's surprise. She was in intensive care for two weeks at a Children's Hospital. It was the longest and most frightening two weeks of my life. But God gave me the grace I needed to get through this time. To this day I think "How did I do that?!" and then I remember the grace. He helped me through it. I could not have done it without Him.

Once we were home from the hospital and she was all healed, Stephanie developed a love for Jesus that I cannot explain. I certainly cannot take credit for it. She wanted to go to church. So my husband and I would drop her off and come back and pick her up or we'd send her with her grandparents. I didn't go with her - honestly I think there was a part of me that didn't want to ruin it for her. She was doing so well and I knew I was a failure in God's eyes (or at least that's what I was convinced of).

As I watched my daughter grow up loving Jesus, I saw something in her that I desperately wanted. It was a relationship. She wasn't religious at all - it wasn't about keeping rules and playing the church game like I did most of my life - it was about grace and relationship. It was beautiful and it was real. I began going to church to see if I could find what it was that she had. Eventually, the Lord did open my eyes to the Truth and I gave my life to Him. I often smile when I think about how I thought dedicating my daughter to Him was such a better idea than dedicating myself. God knew that He would use that relationship with her to get to me, too! He's so good.

Today, Stephanie is a 21 year old junior in college. She is passionately in love with Jesus. She is majoring in Intercultural Studies and wants to be in missions. I look at her often and thank God for allowing her to stay here with us and for showing us Himself through her witness. I know that few weeks back in 1994 had to have been the most difficult of my life, but I also know that through that difficult time, God eventually brought me into a real relationship with Him.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by life right now - please remember that God has a plan. You may be able to look back on your life in a few weeks, months or years and see how God was weaving His will into your life through these situations all along. He will give you the grace for the moment - for whatever you are going through. Trust Him. He loves you!

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Are You Functioning Half-way?

2011-04-16T08:50:00.004-04:00

Gosh, I love my husband. We went on a date, just the two of us, last night and had a nice meal. Then we sat in the parked car and talked for hours. As we talked, I realized that it had been awhile since we'd done that. We are currently living with my mom and step father until our house is ready to move into (we close on April 28!) and it's a smaller space with six people and three pets and though we all get along fabulously and there isn't any drama, it's hard to find one-on-one time with each other. I'm sure Mom and Dave feel the same way! They are being so sweet about it though.

As Rod and I talked last night, we began to rehash the past few months as we looked for a home together. We both laughed as we remembered all the many, many (did I say many?) houses we looked at together. If Rod had been left with the decision alone, we would've moved into a house that would not have been my choice. If I had made the choice, he would not have been happy with it, either! But together, we made the perfect choice. The day we were driving to see the house we ended up purchasing, I remember saying something to the effect of, "We're never going to find a house we agree on!" I remember feeling frustrated and wondered if we'd ever agree on anything.

But the moment we walked in, we both knew. I don't even think we spoke as we walked from room to room. I was stunned at how at home and excited I felt and didn't want to share it with him because I thought that meant he hated it. But I glanced over at him and saw "the smile". You know, the look that says, "Oh yeah, this is the one." So after we'd looked over the whole home, I looked at him and said, "This is the 'one', isn't it?" We hugged and I knew that we'd found it. The offer was made just two days later and we've not had one single regret. No doubts. No fear.

As we talked last night, he said something that impacted me deeply. He said that we need to make more decisions in our life like we did about the house. Whether it be in our careers, our ministry, our family, no matter what...we need to be in agreement. We are not just two individuals. We are married, and according to God's Word, we are now one. But often in our lives, we make our decisions without a thought of what the other might think. Now, we don't do this to be inconsiderate, and I even think we sometimes make these decisions because we don't want to bother the other with what we consider to be our own issues. But we are one. We are married and next month, it will be twenty-two years that we've been married. Did it really take us this long to figure this out? (smile)

What a blessing it is and what a privilege it is to be married to Rod! He loves the Lord, desires to lead our family spiritually and there is never a doubt in my mind that he loves me. Last night, on our date, I was reminded of all of that. Thank you, Lord, for giving me such a wonderful man to walk through this life with. My "other half".

Have you dated your spouse lately? If not, I encourage you to do it. And talk. Really talk. After all, your spouse is your other half. We are not meant to function half-way.

Genesis 23-24:
²³ “At last!” the man exclaimed.
   “This one is bone from my bone,
      and flesh from my flesh!
   She will be called ‘woman,’
      because she was taken from ‘man.’”
²⁴ This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Good Morning, Lord!

2011-04-06T06:57:00.000-04:00

"My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds "Lord, I am coming." -Psalms 27:8 (NLT)

As I read this verse this morning, my heart just skipped a beat. It's true - every morning these are the words I hear from God in my heart - "Leslie, I'm here - come talk with me"- and those words get me out of bed more often than not these days. I find my days go much smoother and I am a lot more at peace when I begin my days looking at God's face before anyone else's. That was a quote by Charles Spurgeon that I read in The Little Red Book of Wisdom - "We should first seek to see the face of God each day before seeing the face of any man".

So, how in the world do I explain those days when I roll over and push the snooze button every nine minutes until I realize I've missed out on my time with God? What's that about? I have so much to look forward to - reading His word, praying, giving Him my burdens, and yet I choose to sleep through it sometimes. Oh, I pay for it dearly (as does my poor family, I might add!). But inevitably, there comes a day more often than I care to admit, that I do the exact opposite of what my heart really wants to do.

I'm so glad God is gracious and loving and forgiving. And that He doesn't base His love for me on my works, but on His character, mercy and grace. I would be in big trouble were it not for His unconditional love.

I had a wise woman say to me once "Leslie, if you are having a hard time waking up for your quiet times with the Lord, think of Him sitting on your couch, looking at His watch, eagerly waiting for you to come out and spend some time with Him. Maybe He's petting your dog. Maybe He's eagerly tapping His foot in anticipation! Whatever He's doing, He's doing it because He just can't stand to be away from you for one more minute."

I love that. It doesn't make me feel guilty or obligated at all - it makes me feel loved and that the God of the Universe is expecting a visit from me and He has much to share with me and it can't wait! And it's true - He waits for me. And He waits for you!

I've never in my life heard anyone say "Gee, I wish I hadn't gotten up so early each day to spend time with God - what a waste of time." Nope. And I never will. I promise you, if you are having a hard time getting up early to spend time with your Father in Heaven, He will give you the grace you need to get up (even if you're not a morning person - I promise!) and not only will you get a fresh, new word from Him each day, but you will find that you are more aware of Him in every day life. He will fill your life with His presence.

"Getting up early and spending time with God is like getting dressed for the day. Who would go out into battle without getting dressed in their armor first? Spending time with God first each day ensures we are ready for whatever life brings."

Courtney

2011-03-21T15:26:00.000-04:00

When I was cast on Survivor China, I'm pretty sure the producers were confident that Courtney Yates and I would butt heads. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure both Courtney and I thought we would, too (at least initially)! Courtney is a waitress from New York City with spunk and attitude out to "there".

We were around each other for a few days before being stranded on the show, but we were unable to talk. I was able to make slight judgments about the others based on their body language and facial expressions. I will be honest - at first, Courtney seemed to be one of my least favorites. But, I'm pretty sure I was one of her least favorites, too (as you can easily see in some of the pre-show interviews when she talked about "that lady with the Bible who will hate me")!

Then the show began and we were stranded on the same tribe together. She complained about being "stranded in a land of flight attendants and Sunday school teachers" and I wondered how I was going to be able to stand being around someone so different than me. But we soon realized that first impressions can be very deceiving. She and I bonded almost immediately.

Courtney and I had a lot in common, as it turned out. We were both there to play a game, but not to be a fraud. Neither of us were there to be someone who we weren't. You can sniff out authenticity a mile away, and I could tell that although our opinions and lives were different, we were both authentic and real. She took the time to get to know me, to ask me questions, to listen and to share her stories with me. I was amazed and inspired by her brilliance!

What many do not understand is that this woman is a genius! She reads, she studies and she is very good at communicating her ideas and thoughts on issues that many people would shy away from. She and I were the "water runners" and we'd go get water together all the time to bring to camp and boil. During our water runs, we'd talk the whole time. I was really challenged by her and I was so excited that someone on my tribe took the time to actually listen to me and wanted to know more about my faith and why I believed so strongly. She was genuinely interested in me - not just interested in talking about herself. It was refreshing in a game where pretense is pretty much the norm. But when I was with Courtney, it was always real. Always honest. It was a break from the game to spend time with her.

Survivor stips you of all that is familiar, all that is comfortable and all that is normal and then places you in a tribe of people who are vastly different with considerably different world-views and opinions. Then you add the fact that there is little food and no clean water so you're hungry and dehydrated and in a very scary setting with wild animals and poisonous snakes. Your real self comes through. And there is no stopping it. Usually, this is not a good thing! However, with Courtney, it was a very good thing.

At Erik & Jaime's wedding goofing off

When I got sick in the middle of the night, she told me to wake her up so she could walk out to the jungle with me. She didn't want me to go alone because she and I both knew the cameras only follow you when there is another with you (otherwise - no drama!) and if the camera followed me, I'd have light on the path. Otherwise, I was in the jungle - in the deepest jungle - completely enveloped in darkness and God-knows-what. She insisted that I wake her up. So, every time I'd get sick, she'd come with me. Once I heard her talking to the camera man about 20-30 feet away as I was getting sick and I heard her talk about how much she cared about me and how unfair it was that I was sick. She knew how much I wanted to play the game and she was so sad that I was having such a hard time. I knew at that moment I'd found a friend for life.

Courtney began to tell everyone to "clean up their language around Mama" on the tribe (she, Todd and Amanda called me Mama). She and I would escape to what we called "the air conditioning", which was a cooler spot deeper in the jungle where we'd go and talk for hours. We were both amazed that we got along so well, and the producers were perplexed. Once, a producer said "What is it about her that you like so much?!" I said, "You know, she's just so real. And she gets me - which is more than I can say for most of the others here."

At the Survivor 10-year Reunion

When I was voted out, she was devastated and so was I. She told me later that she felt like "Bambi" out there - like they had killed her mom and she was left to herself in the big, bad jungle! I laughed, but I also understood. I don't know what I would have done if she would have been voted out that night - not having her there would be very difficult. My on-camera role on Survivor was over, but my off-camera role had just begun. I decided that I would pray for her, Todd and Amanda, as if they were my own kids. I was worried about Courtney because she was so thin, so I prayed daily for her health and well-being.

When the show was over, Courtney called me and said, "Mama I played the game as hard as I could and when I wanted to quit, I would remind myself how much you wanted to play and it would keep me going. I went as far as I did because I was playing not just for me, but also for you. I hope you are proud of me." Oh my. My heart about burst open and I sobbed. I think every time I thought about that I sobbed for the next year or so. Heck, I'm crying right now as I type this! How special is that? What a precious gift she gave me.

Since Survivor, our lives have remained forever bonded. Though we don't talk daily or even monthly at times, when we do talk it's as if we are sitting in our "air conditioned" spot in China talking about life. When she was on Survivor again, I watched as nervous as a mother would be watching her kid out there! She did great - and I was proud of her - again.

Courtney is having a birthday in a few days and I just wanted the world to know what a special young woman she is. She is still feisty and has an "attitude out to there" because, well, she's Courtney! But she is so much more than what you will see on Survivor. She's the real deal, and I'm proud to call her my friend.

Courtney...happy birthday, my dear! I love you.

Four Leaf Miracle on Fei Long Camp

2011-03-17T13:36:00.001-04:00

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to re-post this blog I wrote last year. I hope you enjoy!

When I was training to be on Survivor, I remember finding four leaf clovers all the time along the trail as I was running. I felt like it was a little encouragement from God as I was training and preparing for what would be one of the most grueling challenges of my life to that point. I've always loved four leaf clovers, but not because I think they make me lucky or anything. It's because they remind me of something very sweet....

When I see a three-leaf clover, it reminds me of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - all together, in unity. When I see a four leaf clover, it reminds me of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and a true believer in Christ who is linked up with them - together in unity. It's just special. I love it.

I knew when I went out to my camp in China that God would probably show me a four leaf clover or two on my camp. I even told some of my tribemates about it - and explained why it was so special to me. Yeah, they probably thought I was a little nutty, but who cares? I was sure He would show me one at some point.

Well, about four days into our adventure, I was walking a back path behind the camp with Denise and we were looking for snails (yes, for food!). I looked out of the corner of my eye and found a four leaf clover. I was so excited! But then it got even more exciting when I realized there wasn't just one, not even two or three - but thousands of them! It was an entire large patch of four-leaf clovers! I couldn't even catch my breath I was so excited! I told Denise, "God gives us far more than we could ever ask or imagine!" and then I picked eight of them and ran back to camp to show everyone what I'd found and to give them each one of the clovers.

I gathered my tribe mates around. They asked if I'd found food. I said "No, but I found something better!" OK, oops. You should never say you found something better than food on Survivor, but I digress....

I reminded them of my search for a four leaf clover and told them how I'd found an entire patch of them. Most of them took the clover I'd picked for them and as I looked on, they popped it in their mouth and said "Hmmm...not bad..." Ouch. For a moment, I was kinda hurt I suppose. Nobody seemed to understand my excitement! Almost immediately, though, I felt the Lord calm me down and remind me that the experience was for me, not to take it so personally.

The producers called me aside and said "How did it make you feel when your tribe ate those clovers you picked for them?" "Well," I said "It's okay. I understand that was between me and God - but I'm happy I could provide them with a spring salad!"

I was telling this story to a friend at lunch today. As we walked out of the restaurant, I walked over to a patch of clovers I saw from a distance and looked down and sure enough - there was a four leaf clover. I was so excited! Then...not a moment later...another one. I hardly had to look. I just love how God speaks to us through His nature.

I've always loved Matthew 5:8 "God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God." I believe that if you see evidences of God in your day to day life - whether it is in finding a four leaf clover, seeing a sunrise, witnessing a baby's smile, enjoying a hug from your children or however else you get a glimpse of Him - it's because you have a pure heart and you are seeking Him. Enjoy the blessing! He loves to encourage us in these ways.

We Are All The Same

2011-03-17T08:14:00.001-04:00

When the earthquake hit, it didn’t matter who stood the tallest...everyone was brought to his or her knees. When the ocean crossed its established boundary and swept through the land without apology, everyone was victimized. It didn’t matter what their socio-economic class was or where they lived. You cannot buy off a natural disaster, even if you are the wealthiest person on earth. Nature was not discriminating. When the wave went back out to sea and people were left with splinters instead of houses and their possessions were strewn across miles of soil and ocean, it didn't matter who was more beautiful or more attractive to look at. Everyone faced the same devastation. We are all the same.

When life gets flipped upside down like it did in Japan this past week, we begin to really see that when it all boils down, the things we chase after so hard and with such fervency are not the things that matter at all. We all have needs, we all love deeply, we all suffer loss. It doesn’t matter how much money we make, how famous we are, how beautiful we are or how prestigious our job is in the world. Everyone is equal in suffering. We are all the same.

Today, while we go about our busy lives, seeking after money, fame, beauty and prestige – the things that matter the least - may we stop to pray for those in Japan and other hard-hit disaster areas and remember….we are all the same. We may not be in the throws of suffering as they are, but we are just as vulnerable, because we are all the same.

God, please give us eyes to see and hearts to love. Give us the gift of Your perspective in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Help us to see past this worldly vanity and instead to embrace the love, compassion and truth that You offer to us. Help us to remember that You love us all...the same.

Speaking Samples & Endorsements

2011-03-15T20:50:00.002-04:00

Recently, I released a promo video and after the awesome feedback I received, we tweaked it and this is the finished product. If you have feedback for me, please share it! I'd love to know what you think. Also, please share it with your friends or anyone you might know who might be looking to book a speaker for their next event. For more information on booking, please email us at info@leslienease.com. Thanks so much!

The Truest Disaster of All

2011-03-12T09:27:00.062-05:00

Very few moments in time leave us completely speechless. Yesterday was one of those days for me. I watched in horror as the tsunami waves crashed through an already earthquake ravaged Japan. The feeling of helplessness just swept over me and I was nauseous. I still have that same nauseous feeling when I see the photos and updates today in the news. I remember this same feeling just a few other times in my life - when the space shuttle exploded; during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans; on September 11 during the terrorist attacks; the Oklahoma City bombing and a few more that were such horrific events that my human mind and heart can not fathom them.

I've always loved Japanese people so much. I was raised in Okinawa, so I know the culture well and the people are always so kind and respectful. I have often said that once my children are all grown, Japan would be a place I'd like to go and serve as a missionary. From what I've heard, the Christian population is pretty scarce in Japan. I've heard anywhere from 1-3% of the population believes in Jesus Christ.

I would never presume to know God's intent for allowing such a horrifying event to happen. Only God knows why this has happened, and I trust Him. I know that it could never happen unless He allowed it, though, because God's Word tells me He is sovereign and in complete control of the earth. I will tell you, that if there is any chance that any of these precious people would seek after Him and begin to trust Him through this disaster, He will be waiting with open arms. Suffering can usher us into God's arms, because in the midst of it we are reminded most that we are human, we are powerless and we don't have all the answers. After all, Jesus suffered tremendously here on earth - but because of that suffering, we are now able to be restored to God through Him when we put our faith and trust in Him and what He did for us.

Will you join me in prayer for this precious Nation? I know from my own personal experience that God's mercy in the midst of suffering is what opened my eyes to His Truth in my life. I don't think I would have paid attention if He had not allowed suffering in the boundaries of my life and honestly, I'm thankful for that. No matter what the suffering here on earth, it doesn't even come close to comparing to the suffering of an eternity separated from Him! Listen to what the Apostle Paul had to say about suffering in this passage from Romans 8:18-21-

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

I've been listening to the news reporters refer to "Mother Nature" and that "she" is angry and caused this disaster. "Mother Nature" does not exist, but Father God most certainly does. Some say God would never allow disaster, but I believe He does allow it or it wouldn't happen, since He's sovereign. It's strange to comprehend, but in His mercy, He allows suffering here on earth. In His compassion, He comforts us in the midst of it. The truest disaster of all is someone dying and facing an eternity separated from our merciful and compassionate God. And He knows this, so He allows things in our life to get our attention while we are still able to call out to Him.

So I am praying those who do not know Him will seek Him and allow Him to comfort them today, not only in Japan, but everywhere in the world. Our suffering does not have to be in vain.

Psalm 103:19 "The Lord has made the heavens His throne; from there He rules over everything."

Trusting Him

2011-03-08T07:46:00.002-05:00

We are in the process of moving and if you've ever moved, you know it can be pretty stressful. I'm thrilled we've sold our house, though I must admit it has been bittersweet. We've lived here for twelve years - the longest I've ever lived anywhere. My kids were raised here and I have tremendous memories with family and friends in the house. It's going to be so hard to leave. We close on Friday at 1pm, though, and this time next week, it will be a memory.

My husband is a smart guy and he doesn't allow his emotions to make decisions for him. I think that is one of the many reasons why God put me with him! If it were up to me, we'd stay here for the rest of our lives because the house is so special to me. But it is just a house. And his idea is so brilliant that I am submitting to his leadership in our home and trusting that God is speaking to him to move us on. We just don't need all this space now that two of our kids have moved out of the house, so we are going to move into a smaller townhome that we can pay off quicker and get out of debt. It makes total sense. Oh, and he won't have to mow the lawn anymore so you can imagine, he's thrilled to say the least!

The only issue is that we have no idea where we are moving yet! Well, we know where we'd like to move, but unfortunately, it's a townhome with a short sale that already has an offer on it. Short sales confuse me - because the title "short sale" makes you think it won't take long to do, but it's quite the opposite! They should be more aptly called "really long process sales" but I digress. (smile) We went ahead and put an offer on it as a back up for the seller in case the other buyers change their minds but in the meantime, we wait. My mom and step dad have offered to let us stay with them, but we don't know how long the "meantime" will be at this point because we are not sure where we are going or when! On a side note, THANK YOU to my parents! They are brave and wonderful to allow us to stay with them indefinitely.

It's tough not to know things. But the most important thing God has taught me through this process is that we may not know some things, but there are other things we do know. We know we have to get out of the house by Friday. We know the house is sold. We know we have to keep our eyes and ears open for other possibilities and our Realtor is doing the same. We know the area we want to live. We know that we have a God who already knows where we will live and when we will be living there. Other than that, we cannot frustrate ourselves with the "what if" questions. This has been a huge life lesson for me!

Instead of focusing on and stressing over the things I do not know, God is teaching me to focus on what I do know. And I'm not kidding when I say it has been tremendously freeing, to say the least! My husband and I were walking the other night and I shared this insight that God showed me with him. Many times over the past few days, he has said that has helped him in prioritizing and decision making and how much he appreciated that little "nugget of wisdom", as he referred to it. We both thank God so much for His leading in our lives!

I want to encourage you that if you are facing a stressful day (and I know we all have them sometimes), please...focus on what you do know and allow the other stuff to work itself out. Don't drown yourself in the "what if's" in life or you will easily become overwhelmed. Make your decisions and set your priorities for the day based on what you know and watch how our Sovereign God will take care of all the rest.

I will keep you posted on our move. But in the meantime, as I learn to trust Him and focus on what I know, I'm not stressed about it at all. I'm just trusting God, who knows everything. And I pray you will trust Him in whatever you are facing today, as well.

Proverbs 16:9 "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do and He will show you which path to take."

Pierced

2011-02-27T11:04:00.000-05:00

The hands and feet of Jesus are what we’re told to be

To go where He will lead us - to serve in humility

To love and care for orphans, to support the weak and poor

Our lives a living sacrifice with motives that are pure

And yet to be his hands and feet, we must never forget the cost

Christ’s hands and feet were pierced that day as He hung upon the Cross

The piercing was so painful and it held him in His place

While the soldiers mocked & beat Him and death He bravely faced

He was pierced for our transgressions as our sin was cast on Him

We are pierced by our transgressions now each time we commit a sin

We are pierced when those we love don’t respond to Jesus’ Name

Or when we see a suffering child whose illness seems in vain

We’re pierced when our lives seem hopeless and we question God’s intent

If things don’t go our way and our faith seems to have been spent

We’re pierced when we see the Truth but to act means sacrifice

To truly live like Christ, we must give Him our whole life

That means the money that we’ve saved and the possessions that we own

It means the dreams that we have dreamt and the relationships we have grown

But sacrifice is never as hard as the enemy would have us believe

We must trust God enough to give without expecting to receive

The hands and feet of Jesus are what we’re told to be

Pierced but raised to New Life – walking in His Victory!

-Leslie Nease

He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on Him,
and by His wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

A Fabulous Day...

2011-02-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

When I worked for New Life 91.9 in Charlotte, one of the first promotions I did was this Skydiving Adventure! It was absolutely terrifying but a wonderful experience all at the same time. I wanted to share it with you today since for some reason, I was thinking about it and reliving it this morning. I hope you enjoy it! :)

Video Diary #2 - Memphis Trip

2011-02-25T08:13:00.001-05:00

Here's our final video entry for the trip. The movie was FANTASTIC and I am asking you to please, please go see it and support it either today or tomorrow if possible. The opening weekend is so very important and determines how long the movie will show and if it will show in more cities. Trust me...we want EVERYONE to see the important message of grace and forgiveness in The Grace Card. It was truly spectacular.

Video Diary #1 - Memphis Premiere of "The Grace Card"

2011-02-25T08:09:00.001-05:00

My daughter, Kennedy & I went to Memphis this week to see the world premiere of The Grace Card movie for His Radio! We were joined by His Radio's contest winner, Denise Fulmer and her son, Will. We had a BLAST! Here is the first of the two video diaries we recorded with the flip camera Denise won as part of the His Radio prize package:

Whose Opinion Matters Anyway?

2011-02-24T12:25:00.000-05:00

Today as I vacuumed my carpet, I thought about what a mess my house had been lately. We are in the process of moving, so boxes are everywhere and it's in complete shambles. As I vacuumed I thought about how horrified I would be if someone were to stop over unannounced. I shuddered as I remembered the first time I felt that overwhelming feeling of insecurity...

I was in the third grade. John Busbee was my friend and I had a little crush on him. He came to my house, unexpected, and wanted me to go to the beach with his family for the day. I wanted to go so badly! I remember I felt insecure about my body though, and I begged my sister to give me back my one-piece bathing suit so I could go. I didn't feel confident in a two-piece and that was all I had. My sister was wearing my one-piece though, and she was washing the car with my mom.

After about ten minutes of begging her, through tears, to please let me have it back so I could go, John and his family finally left. I was covering up, hiding in the bedroom because I had on a two-piece and I didn't want him to see me in it. I had never felt this way before that moment. But it certainly wasn't the last time.

Can you relate to this feeling? It's the feeling that if someone you care about (or someone whose opinion you care about) were to see you in a vulnerable, dare I say real state, you would be completely mortified. Why do we care so much about things like this? What happened in me that made me think for one moment that if someone wasn't going to like me for who I really am, it would be the end of the world?

I also recall walking down the road in my apartment complex one day. I had just given birth to my son, Tommy, and I was struggling with my weight. I was the largest I'd ever been and I was already insecure about how I looked. For many years I was the cheerleader, popular girl with "looks" and all of a sudden, they were gone. I had lost my identity. I heard some teenage boys talking about me from one of the apartment windows. One of them said "Oh, look! She's hot!" and the other one said "Are you kidding me? She's a fat cow! Are you blind?" and the other (charming) guy said "Oh, you're right, my bad." Then they proceeded to "Moo" at me. I was absolutely sick and it tormented me for days.

Why did this bother me so much, though? I mean, who really cares what two immature, obviously disrespectful and mean teenage boys have to say? But at that moment, I took it as truth. It was painful and it shook me to the core. Just a few years prior, they would have been cat-calling and I would have been rolling my eyes at them! Funny how you hate that so much when you feel good about yourself, but when you've lost your "looks" and the cat-calls stop, you begin to wonder if you are still beautiful.

I wish I had known Jesus at that point in my life. I would have been a lot less bothered by it. And yet still today...I had an insecure thought about ,"What if someone saw my house like this?" I prayed the moment I had the thought today, though. I prayed the Lord would help me to overcome my insecure thoughts. I prayed I would be okay with being flawed and imperfect.

He reminded me of these words in Jeremiah 17:5-8:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
   who draws strength from mere flesh
   and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
   they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
   in a salt land where no one lives.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water
   that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
   its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
   and never fails to bear fruit.”

Friend, the moment we take someone else's opinion of us as truth over what God says about us, we are putting them in the place of God in our lives. They become an idol. I pray that we would all see the truth in the above words from the prophet Jeremiah and put our trust and our faith in God and God alone.

I've said it before, but it seems worth repeating today:

Trust in man = insecurity. Trust in God = In Security.