It’s been over a year since I last blogged and there are numerous reasons why.   Regardless, the catalyst that compelled me to begin again was the encouragement and training I received while attending the Mom’s Heart Leaders Intensive Training August 5-7, 2010 in Colorado Springs. Many thanks to the Clarkson family/ministry for their vision to equip and encourage moms to return to God’s design for the family.  Once I am able to fully process the wonderful events of this training I promise to share more.

However, God impressed on my heart to share the below as an encouragement to my older daughters, the future generation of leaders on college campuses, and whoever else reads this.

When my older girls, Caryn (21) and Courtney (19), were young, I had them memorize 1 Timothy 4:12-14 (NIV) Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

I desired to give them a vision for greatness and I wanted to set a God standard for them. This past year they have lived out this verse well despite people questioning them including their parents, church leaders, and friends. When questioned, the girls would respectfully reply, “We answer to someone higher and must walk in obedience to His calling.”  They are devoted to Jesus and it was not important to them to be understood by others.  They have a vertical focus verses a horizontal/worldly focus. The cost has been great as they have lost some friends and have been misunderstood. However, their obedience has been such an example to me and I have been humbled by the steadfastness to their calling.

God graciously reminded me of 1 Timothy 4:12-14 last Wednesday night when I had 25+ college students, including the girls, who were attending the Austin Student CPx training, into our home. I thought I would have them over to bless them with a meal and ended up being the one blessed.  They arrived around 6:30pm and by the time they left after midnight I was exhausted but my soul was honestly refreshed.  I wish I could say my motives had been pure but I was still trying to understand this two-year-old ministry called Student CPx. Last year my daughters went through the Student CPx 10-day training in Austin and made many radical changes in their lives. They decided to leave our traditional church of 3,000+ to start a house/simple church. To start a conversation they would go up to strangers and say something kind to them.  They would even asked to pray with those injured for healing. These actions opened the door to share their love of Jesus to individuals who typically might not ever walk through the doors of a church. I believe because their faith was genuine they were showing love by their actions and others received it.  I didn’t understand their actions or what they were doing at the time.   However, I knew both girls passionately loved Jesus, sought Him daily through His word, prayer, journaling, and quiet time.  Honestly I envied all the time they spent in His presence. It was because of their discipline and spiritual foundation we, their parents, could trust the direction they were being lead even though we did not fully understand it.  Did they sense our faith was not good enough for them? It was hard to not take their decision personally as a criticism for how we brought them up and I deeply missed worshiping together as a family. However, I saw the joy they exhibited as well as their wisdom and commitment they had while continuing to meet in their simple church regardless of the skepticism they encountered.  I think with any new movement there is an apprehension as to whether it is legit but all new ministries have to start somewhere.

Fast-ward to this past week as Student CPx was back in Austin conducting their 2nd training but this time Caryn and Courtney were helping to facilitate, serve, and lead it. When asked If I would prepare a meal I thought why not have them into our home which would allow me to meet some of the students and maybe get a better feel for this ministry especially since Courtney was now part of their traveling team and both were more fully invested in this ministry. Yes, Courtney will be traveling around the US to various college campuses this Fall with Student CPx.  Currently she is in Phoenix and then will head to Portland to encourage and equip students.  God indeed has called her out of her quiet, timid, and guarded self. She is a self-professing “x-introvert.”  Check out her blog to follow her adventures http://courtneywerner.wordpress.com/

Today I write having a much better understanding of the ministry my girls are serving with. I not only have peace but excitement for the impact they are having on college campuses. Last Wednesday I had several students share with me the impact the girls have had on their lives. It was hard not to be proud of how God is using them. Many friends have asked me what Student CPx is and I never really knew how to answer until now. Briefly, it is a 10-day experiential training school designed to give students the tools and experiences to plant networks of simple churches on their campuses.

The students I met were not ordinary; they were extraordinary.  The reality of the lyrics from the song Hosanna flooded my mind as I watched and listened to these students share:

I see a generation

Rising up to take their place

With selfless faith

With selfless faith

I see a near revival

Stirring as we (they) pray and seek

We’re on our knees

We’re on our knees

These students were passionate about their love for Christ. They bubbled over with joy. I was deeply moved as they sent out one of their own as he was leaving the next day for college. He would be ministering on his campus in KS among Native American Indians. You could sense the love and confidence with which he was being sent. These students were real with their emotions and not caught up in how they looked to anyone other than their Father. They indeed taught me with their life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. It will be exciting to see what these students do on their campuses and elsewhere around the world.

Happy New Years!  I know it February 1st but our January was spent moving, unpacking, settling in and getting back into a “family groove” of sorts. 

Christmas was spent in Louisiana with our families.   My dad continues to fight a courageous battle with cancer.  It’s hard not to be inspired when I read his updates as he honestly shares his journey  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jamesbienvenu  It seems that with each forward step he encounters an unexpected set back. Currently his pain is so intense it’s causing him to resort to stronger pain meds.  My mom has been an amazing and dedicated care giver.  It’s during times like these I wish we lived closer so I could drop in for a few hours to help carry the load.  I am so grateful for the wonderful support system they have as I know it lightens the load and mood. Jon’s mom has been caring for her sister Loretta for the last few months so I know it was good for her to have us with them for a few days during the holiday.  I have such an awe and appreciation for our parents and I probably don’t tell them enough how much they bless our lives. 

These past few weeks I have been somewhat introspective.  As a parent I’ve made mistakes along the way. Hopefully I have made amends and reconciled with those I have hurt.  We did the best we could with the knowledge and wisdom gathered along our journey.  We live in an ever changing world and continue to change ourselves as we grow in wisdom, knowledge, & experience.  Our dependence needs to be on the Lord for direction.  Along the way we have had critics about our parenting methods (as well as a boat load of other things) but our allegiances has been to be to King Jesus (Luke 19-21 & Matthew 12:48).  You can’t please all people all the time but you do have a choice as to who your audience will be. Sadly at my age I still find myself caught up in the opinions of others.  I know this to be true as when I am criticized or disappoint others I plummet into negative thoughts about myself.  It is in this area of my life I hope to grow more dependent on that which is true. Moving on.

The company that was suppose to buy us has been like thick molasses. We found out 12/16 that they were putting all deals on hold until mid-January.  Needless to say this caused us some disappointment but in the grand scheme of things it’s not so bad.  We are taking things in stride and trying to keep a good sense of humor.  Jon’s  ring tone  is “The Waiting is the Hardest Part” by Tom Petty.  Whenever we are given a date of any sorts I add two weeks to it.   Luckily things continue to move forward but much slower than we would like or ever anticipated.  How will it turn out? Honestly, we have no idea.  Given the world-wide downturn in the economy along with a raising unemployment rate, Jon reminds me how grateful we should be for any sort of deal.  I am reminded of  the wonderful hymn Count Your Blessings by Johnson Oatman, Jr.:

On December 17th we decided that we needed to get out of the corporate lease and find a more family friendly place to call home while we continue to wait for God’s best.  So began our search for another lease home which God graciously provided as we had the opportunity to lease a home in the Mueller area where we were building a house that we let go of when the deal did not close last year.  We get to test drive the neighborhood and location for 6 months or longer if need be.  We were all excited to get our things, especially winter clothes, out of storage on December 29th.    A month into our new place I must say it is different living off I-35 as I am still learning to navigate the traffic and city.  The neighborhood amenities have been a blessing especially given the many glorious days we had in January as Cayley and I spent a lot of time outdoors once I got the house unpacked and settled in by January 7th.  I must admit I was a slave driver and worked 12+ hours daily to “getter done“  The upside is that there is peace, joy, harmony, and we are again settled in our home.

Courtney turned 18 on the 9th of January and we promised her that we would have a Courtney day.  So as a family we celebrated the precious gift she is to us.  As we headed to bed that evening we learned that Jon’s aunt lost her courageous fight to pancreatic cancer.  Jon was able to leave Saturday the 10th to fly home and celebrate Aunt Loretta’s life with the family.  Please keep his other Aunt Joann in your prayers as on the 12th she was told she had breast cancer and will have surgery on 2/2/09. Jon’s mom is very close to her sibilings and with the recent loss of her sister Loretta and now her younger sister Joann having breast cancer I can only imagine the stress on her so please keep her in your prayers too.

January 20th marked a new beginning for the Werner family as Caryn began classes at UT thus a new loyalty.  Needless to say we are thrilled that she was accepted into the university.  Having two daughters in college truly validates the choices we made in their education through high school and gives glory to God who has been with them every step of the way. Caryn plans to study photo journalism.   She continues to work part time building her photography business http://www.c2wphotography.com/ and is able to talk me into helping her from time to time as her back up shooter

“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Ps 13:1-2).

Have you ever heard someone jokingly say, “It’s not easy being me?” This expression is poking fun at their unique personality or challenges they face in life. Well, it wasn’t easy being King David.

His life was a life of extreme highs and extreme lows. He was a shepherd, a political leader, a builder, a prophet, a businessman, a warrior, a lover, a giver, a murderer and a worshiper. He must have been criticized by others as being hypocritical in his early career. In each of these roles he achieved things for God but he also failed God on many occasions. He had a creative-type personality, which is often very passionate with many mood swings. We see this side of him when he unabashedly danced before the Lord in front of his subjects almost naked (2 Sam 6:14).

When David wrote his psalms he was honest about what he was feeling. When he feared his enemies he expressed it. When he could not understand why God was silent, he expressed it as in the psalm above.

However, David never stayed in the place of despair. He often ended his psalms like this one. “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me” (Ps 13:5-6).

David chooses to focus on what God has done for him, not what He has not done. If you are waiting for a breakthrough with God, be honest with Him about your hopes and dreams. However, also affirm your faith and trust in Him to accomplish His purposes through your life. Be an overcomer.

I am so excited about traveling to Washington D.C. next week with Jon and Cayley.  This trip is a bit educational, reunion, and work.  Let me explain.

Jon and I lived just outside DC from 1985-1991 in Arlington and Clifton, VA.  What a great place to be right after getting married as we were truly on our own away from family and friends thus having to cleave to one another.  We both had a very worldly existence and desire to accumulate great wealth while living for self.  I was seeking something to fill an indescribable void I continually felt.  After our first year in DC Jon began a new job where he was employee number 3. His two co-workers, Dwight and Dave, both lived a life that intrigued Jon as they were friendly, diligent, and hard workers.  Neither one had typical work ethics.  So finally Jon popped the question, “what is it about you two that is so different?”  Both men attended the same church and were believers.  However, they never preached to Jon as they let their lives be an example.  Since we had been looking for a church we decided to visit Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, VA.  It took several months before our visit and it took IBC only two weeks to visit us at home. The most exciting and life changing event for both Jon and I was our spiritual birth on 2/25/1987  [John 3:6 Jesus said, Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.]  as Jon and I both accepted Christ through a home visitation.  Our lives have never been the same since and honestly I can say my life has taken a 180 degree change.

Soon after accepting Christ these two men and their wives began to disciple Jon and I.  We went through various studies on the Bible and parenting book studies as I had no desire to have children.  We eventually began a study adding three other couples who all poured into our lives.  Then in November 1988 we were blessed with our first child Caryn.  For months leading up to this joyous occasion I had numerous trips to the hospital to stop premature labor and the family of believers became our family away from home as they prepared meals, cleaned our home, and helped in numerous other ways.  We went through the same sort of pregnancy with Courtney and again my church family helped with child care also. It was here that I learned about spiritual mentoring and the incredible value it can have in one’s life.  I can’t imagine what sort of parent I would have been without these mentors.  So it is with gratitude I go back and thank them again for the impact they had on my life.

This will be Cayley’s first visit to Washington DC and since we are home schooling I have some great field trips planned.  We have tickets to see the White House as all children what to see where the President lives.  Learning History hands-on is so much more exciting than reading about it in a text book.  We have made plans for each day by reading books on George Washington so she looks forward to visiting his home at Mount Vernon.  We are now reading a book on Abraham Lincoln. I told her about him being assassinated which sparked her curiosity on how each of the presidents has died.  Thanks to Google we were able to find this info and now, of course, wants to see Ford’s Theater.  I am also really thankful for Priceline as we got an unbelievable rate at a 4 star hotel in the middle of town plus used American miles for airline tickets that all made for a sweet get away.  Of course I will miss the older girls but they have college classes and jobs to keep them busy.

I will help Jon at the Marine Corp. Running Expo where I get to share about the great product Bones In Motion developed with folks who actually enjoy running.  What always surprises me is how many people are completely unaware of the product and when shown a demonstration they get so excited.  These Expos remind me of why we have given up so much to pursue a dream Jon had six years ago.

They say no news is good news as is the case with BiM and the Werner family.  Last time I wrote an update was April 13th.  We have patiently waited and finally with guarded excitement share that BiM received a letter of intent (LOI) on 8/20/08 from a global fitness brand to acquire the assets and provide jobs for all the employees. This transaction is scheduled to close before Thanksgiving although we sure would like it to be sooner   This summer has been busy as BiM launched a trial with a wireless carrier in Italy. Here is a clip from a promo piece http://www.nextim.it/web/guest/tim_personal_trainer?xsWs=1219787491194  Also they will soon be launching a content partnership with The Weather Channel. 

As many of you know we moved the 1st of August from a rental house to an apartment placing almost all of our belongs into 3 SAMS storage units for what we thought would be 2 months.  It looks like we will be here until December as we wait for this deal to close and build a home in the Mueller area  http://www.muelleraustin.com/  We are super excited about this location as well as watching the house go up.  Cayley told me I had to call it a house as it is not a home until we move into it  

• - Wisdom and discernment during the negotiations for both Jon and Andy
• - For patience during the process as this is a big company that isn’t as nimble as BiM
• - For how the proceeds of the sale should be allocated to glorify God (knowing it all belongs to Him)
• - That God would use this transaction to open up the hearts of BiM employees on the west coast 
• - That all the glory for this acquisition would go to God

Life can be so hard.  Life can be so frustrating. Life can be so …..life!  We all face disappointments, delays, setbacks, financial woes, etc. but that’s part of life!  The issue is not that life is going to be hard as that is certain but how will we respond when it is hard and we are thrown a curve.  Will we respond with bitterness and upset or will we exude contentment- with calmness, cheerfulness/joy, and peaceful acceptance?  Contentment doesn’t come naturally nor is it easily learned.  In fact Paul said “I have learned to be content in Philippians 4:11” Contentment is a process that one must desire to learn. Would you like to live a life that isn’t dictated by your circumstances? Would you like to be able to say as Paul did I too have learned to be content?  Or be able to say, Psalms 131:2 MSG I’ve kept my feet on the ground; I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content

As I have learned to be content I’ve allow God to pry my fingers open to let go and let God.  I am today freer from worry, fear, and insecurity experiencing more joy as I learn to trust my heavenly Father – and trust “my world” into His control. Life will disappoint us sometimes, but our Heavenly Father never will. No matter what life may bring, for the believer there is a happy ending in store.  Contentment begins with God, and His unfailing love for us.  When we are satisfied by His love, our joy will last for the rest of our lives.  Psalms 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.  Our control robs us as when we take over and try to control what happens, we take our focus off the One who is in control and put our eyes on our circumstances.   As we place our focus on the one who is in control of all things and is king over all then contentment is possible.  Read with me 1Timothy 6:15 God is the blessed controller of all things, the king over all kings and the master of all masters.

J.I. Packer says “Contentment is essentially a matter of accepting from God’s hand what He sends because we know that He is good and therefore it is good.” Contentment is accepting God’s sovereign control over all of life’s circumstances.  It’s easy to accept the good in our life but if God is sovereign than we must be willing to accept the negative also.  Let me share four lessons I have learned traveling the road to contentment.

1) First lesson I have learned contentment is a choice on how we look at life.  1 Timothy 6:6

Linda Dillow in her book Calm My Anxious Heart wrote:  Two women looked through prison bars

One saw mud, the other saw stars.  Our choice is will we focus on the mud or lift our eyes and see the stars?  We all have the circumstances that appear to be prison bars. 

EXAMPLE: we sold our dream house to finance Jon’s company a little over 6 years ago.  This was to be only for a few year but three moves later we are still leasing.  This weekend we will be going from a 3,000 sqft house to a 1333 apartment.  I choose to view this as an opportunity to draw closer as a family as the bigger the house the more spread out and off alone upstairs the older girls.  They will be gone before I know it we get to live like we are on vacation for the next two month or until God directs us to our new home. 

2) Second lesson to contentment is found in changing the way you see the situations – looking at the bright side or finding the silver lining.  A few foundational truths that have helped my outlook are found in:

A) Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future You can be content with your life and your future knowing God has plans for your life and He has given you hope.  Our family clings to this truth and we have it hung on our wall as a reminder. 

B) Your perspective on how you view life is better when you remember that even your trials have a purpose in your spiritual growth. Your perspective makes all the difference in the world and it influences how you respond to problems.  Is the glass half empty or half full. Let’s look at  James 1:2-4

Also 2 Corinthians 4: 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

There is nothing that happens in life by accident.  My life has been transformed mostly because of the hardships and trials of life.  Life is a series of trials.  Every time you solve one, another is waiting to take its place.  Not all are big but all are significant in God’s growth process for us.  Trails draw us closer to God.  I desire that God uses each situation to conform to His imagine and teach me to be content.  On this side of heaven nothing will ever be perfect.  We are to be faithful in circumstances we find ourselves.  Trails are a test of our resolve. Trails strengthen our character and can glorify God is we allow them to.   

3) The third lesson I have learned is that the journey to content is a two part process.  I am responsible for my part and God will be faithful with His part.  Turn with me to Philippians 4:4-9.  I will go verse by verse and lay out the various parts.

Our part is seen in v. 4- 6

o       Rejoice

o       Do not be anxious or (worry)

o       Pray

o       Give thanks

I find it amazing that Paul begins this exhortation saying to rejoice not once but twice.  When Paul wrote this he wasn’t living the carefree life you might expect. He was in prison, had been beaten and was alone.  Not the American life of comfort but yet he said he had learned to be content, tells us to rejoice and not worry.  The secret of contentment is Christ in us, not us in a different set of circumstances.  Our anxiety should be the very thing that gets us on our knees to pray specifically as well as with thanksgiving. 

What is worry?   “to strangle” or “to choke off”  and that is exactly what worry and fear in the mind does; it chokes off the creative flow from above.

Worry is a route which leads from somewhere to nowhere.  Don’t let it direct your life. Take God’s advice found in 1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 

What a comforting promise.  As believers why worry as scriptures tells us we have a God who is our refuge, strength, He will meet our every need and is there when we need him, He is our hiding place and so much more. ( Ps 9:9, 32:7, 46:1-3; Phil 4:19)

George Muller said, “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith. The beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”  True as when we worry aren’t we saying “God you can’t”  If we are walking in anxiety we’re not walking in faith. 

Let me differentiate between anxiety and depression as I learned from Minirty and Meir clinic.  Anxiety is linked more often to the future, “What if” and depression is past focused.  So anxiety is a mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of real or imagined danger or misfortune.  Anxiety causes us to react when necessary [a child running into the path of an oncoming car – anxiety is good as we react to protect the child] but how much time and energy is wasted over perceived danger? Jon’s company might never sale, our financial situation will not get better, we will not be able to pay for the girls college or weddings, I or my children might have cancer, etc… by the way the girls are both in college one with a full scholarship given by a friend and the other one has most of her school paid.  

A French philosopher Montaigne said “My life has been filled with such terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened.” 

Other quotes/stories I like are:

• Worry is like a rocking chair it gives you something to do but gets you know where.
• “Fear and worry are interest paid in advance on something you may never own.” i.e. There’s a story that is told about a woman who was standing on a street corner crying profusely.  A man came up to her and asked why she was weeping.  The lady shook her head and replies:  “I was just thinking that maybe someday I would get married.  We would later have a beautiful baby girl.  Then one day this child and I would go for a walk along this street, come to this corner and my darling daughter would run into the street, get hit by a car, and die.” 

Sounds silly but isn’t this the way we often respond when we worry?  We take a situation or event which might never exist and build it up all out of proportion in our mind.  I did the very thing this past May as I had to have gall bladder surgery and I let my mind drift to not waking from the surgery, leaving behind Jon and the girls, to the point I had tears as I wrote in each of the love journals.  Contentment is ultimately a shift in attitude than a change in circumstances. 

More importantly anxiety and worry are wrong and sinful because of reasons given above (lack of faith and trust). Also Jesus commands us not to worry 5 times alone in Matthew 6:25-34 Worry is a faith problem – as we do not trust God when we worry.  It is our duty and privilege to rejoice in God, and to rejoice in him always; at all times, in all conditions; even when we suffer for him, or are afflicted by him. ^  1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

God’s part is seen in v. 7

• Peace

The good news is if we pray instead of worrying we will experience God’s peace.  So if you feel anxious and fearful vs. being content ask yourself have you done your part (are we rejoicing, praying, and praying with thanksgiving?)  It’s easier said than done.  I know first handed as there have been many times that I would follow this formula and my mind still dwells on the “what ifs” “whys” or “if onlys” of a circumstance.  In fact as I prepare for this I’ve prayed many times this month and these past years for the potential buyer of BiM to make an offer and my days have turned into weeks, months and years and we still have no offer.    However, when I choose to pray vs. worry about our future financial situation or whether BiM will be bought I experience peace. EXAMPLE – last Friday when we finally heard from the potential buyer it was not the price we had hoped for, not the time frame, thus we have months of waiting ahead of us with great uncertainty.  Share about walk, talk, and then prayer time together and as family as the peace we all experienced.

4) The fourth lesson I have learn is that when the peace begins to dissipate I choose to “REMEMBER” the promises of God and His past goodness to me.  The best way to survive life when a curve is thrown your direction is to remember who God is and what He has done in the past for you. Psalm 77:11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. And Jonah 2:7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.  This year I started a study on how often we are told to remember in scripture.  I have been surprised by the number of times I have circled the word remember and I will remember in my bible.

Deut. 8:18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

Deut. 8:2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

Each year in writing I summarize our high and low points of the year.  As milestones or answered pray is realized I write them down in form a thank you.   You know what I’ve realized?  When we are in the midst of a storm or dark period it is hard to remember the many blessings we have experienced thus the importance of writing them down. 

Continuing on with Our Part as seen in v. 8  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

• Maintain a positive thought life.

One verse has done more to transform my life than any other and is found in Proverbs 23:7 As a man think in his heart so is he.  Our thought life has such an incredible impact on us.  In Romans 12:2 we are told to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  So what exactly is excellent or praiseworthy?  I hold before you a love letter filled with wonderful promises found starting in Genesis all the way to Revelation.   This is what we need to dwell on as it is the remedy for discontent.

Our part and God’s part in v.9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

• (our part) We have to practice what we have learned and heard
• (God’s part) God’s peace will be with us.

When I hear the word practice I think about something you have to do over and over to learn and become proficient at and this is true with contentment for as we practice peace and content will follow.  It is then we can say in any circumstance that it is well with my soul.   

Paul tells us we are to practice “these things,” it is our choice to

• Give our anxieties to God
• Pray specifically
• Pray with thanksgiving
• Dwell on the positives.

So do you practice substituting prayer for worry, positive for negative thought life, and are you experiencing the God of peace?  It’s your choice to practice these things.  

The Israelites have been wandering for many years and finally they are about to enter the Promise Land.  Moses demands their diligent attention to the word of God, and His statutes and judgments that were taught them.  The book of Deuteronomy shows the blessings of obedience and the curse of disobedience. God warns them to not be influenced by the sin of idolatry 4:16-17 Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, ^ so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape;    Idolatry would be everywhere they went and would greatly mess up their lives.  God knew the Israelites were going to be influenced by the many people and different cultures they encountered so over and over He implores them to let His words, promises and past deeds to not only influence them but also their children and future generations.   As I prepared for this it occurred to me that Moses wasn’t just talking to the Israelites he was probably extremely passionate, emotional, and almost pleading with them as he knows how important obedience was.  Everything depended on their obedience – life itself, possession of the Promised Land, victory over their enemies, prosperity, and happiness. 

^ Imagine that you are passionately sharing the above with a loved one.  I thought of my daughters and how I would be pleading with them. Hear/listen Caryn: The LORD OUR God is the only one you need. Caryn love the LORD with everything you have. Make Him number one.  Please study His word daily to know what He expects of you and to know Him.   Remind other you love to keep God first and foremost in their lives by the example you live wherever you are. Share God’s goodness whenever possible. 

The above passage is often taught in the context of parenting and home education but I want to challenge you to consider that this passage applies to us as teachers and Christ bearers. We all have someone who either looks up to us or will look up to us.  I’m sure you can think back to someone or something that greatly influenced you. I can vividly remember the first Christian couple/parents who discipled Jon and I after accepting Christ.  Their influence on my life was huge as I did not want to have children because of my childhood baggage but how this couple interacted with their young boys, as well as each other opened my world up to parenting and marriage unlike anything  I had experienced growing.  Likewise, the influence of those responsible for my care and nurturing negatively tainted my view on marriage and parenting.  We all have been influenced and have influence on others whether we realize it or not.  Through our influence we impart values, stimulate creativity, develop compassion, modify weaknesses, and nurture strengths.  We can open life up to another individual.  And we can open an individual up to life.  So what exactly is influence?   It is ability to indirectly control or affect the actions of other people or things. The meaning of influence therefore depends on who or what is being affected, and to what end.  

Here is a video called Children see – Children do  it is put out by an Australian children’s rights organization as a public service announcement.  It is easy to think that kids are not paying much attention to what the adults in their lives do and say.  However, I think you will agree otherwise.

http://www.thethinkingblog.com/2007/06/children-see-children-do.html   Make your influence positive but how?  As Christians we have the greatest privilege to influence others for Christ which is what I would like to focus on today.

Influence first begins with YOU v 5 ________ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  Then we are to take Gods words He speaks, and write them “on our hearts.” God says in various passages, “You are My people; I love you.  I have chosen you; I am always with you, I will protect you.  I am only asking you to obey Me for your good.  We need to make God’s words a part of our lives by letting His teachings reshape our values, attitudes, and our ways.  We are to love God ourselves and take His words to heart.  Because God’s people are His, He wants them to walk in the world in the way that benefits them, separating themselves from evil.  Once our lives are influenced by the goodness of God and His word we are to talk about them in the context of daily life, and so make them real to others.  Through our lives we set an example for others to follow as we no longer are merely hears of the word we are doers as well.

I will next will share the how, where, when and what of positive influence. The next step to positively influencing those in your life is accomplished HOW?  In Deuteronomy 6:7 we are instructed to impress (teach or talk) to our children diligently using the relationship-based model because to “teach” in the Hebrew culture meant building a relationship, spending time with a person in order to learn from watching him and interacting with him. WHERE? “When you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Today this may look more like as you drive all over town, at bedtime, during mealtimes and the many other teachable moments. WHEN?  Basically we are to be teaching and impressing truth 24/7.  Our children will learn from us – good or bad, positive or negative, be of God or the world.   Former NBA star “Sir” Charles Barkly said “I don’t want to be a role model”. Silly, that’s simply not our choice. We only have two choices in the matter; to be either a positive or negative role model, but it’s one or the other!  

WHAT?

1) We are to teach and impress primarily that Jesus is Christ as seen in Acts 5:42 which says Every day they were in the Temple and homes, teaching and preaching Christ Jesus, not letting up for a minute  

2) Scripture is truth – as opposed to fables, false doctrine, and genealogies (1 Tim 1:3).   

3) lastly we read in (2 Tim. 3:16-17 ; All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.)   So we are to use the Scripture to:

1)    establish doctrine by declaring what is right;

2)    provide reproof by defining what is wrong; 

3)    make corrections by telling how to change wrong to right;

4)    to instruct in righteousness – applying truth to life’s circumstances.

The ultimate goal for the teacher is to see her students engage in good works.  Jesus is the example of what a teacher is to be and how to influence others.

Moving on in v. 8-9 Godly influence must be consistent.  v8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.  Moses’ command here is a symbolic one, intended to emphasize the value of one living for god in their personal life represented by hands = (action/what you do/how you live) & forehead = (one’s thoughts); their private life/home life (doorframe of the house); and their public life (gate).  The idea here is that of consistency as one’s life of influence should not simply be to live for God in public, but in private, as well as in his personal affairs.  Who are you when no one is looking? People will know you are a Christian by the way you live your life.   If one is going to make a godly impression upon others, his life must be characterized by godly example and consistency. You see, it is unreasonable to expect others to listen to your advice but to ignore your example as people normally pay more attention to what we do, rather than to what we say. 

Scott Adams, the cartoonist of Far Side said, “You don’t have to be a “person of influence” to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they’ve taught me.”

Each day we are in immediate danger of falling prey to the influence of American culture.  The remedy is allowing daily influence from God’s word to penetrate our lives in order to counteract the bombardment of worldly influence.  Remember Godly influence must be Christ centered, it begins with you, and is consistent.  I challenge you to consider whether you are allowing God’s truth, His past goodness, and promises to influence more than the worldly god’s?  What god’s are you allowing to influence your life? Maybe it’s prosperity, successful, beauty, power, prestige, etc.  Choose today who or what you will be influenced by.    Make your influence not only positive but Christ centered.  

From Adversity to Destiny
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
07-13-2008

“The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position” (James 1:9).Most of us avoid pain. We keep our medicine cabinets loaded with pain relievers. We couldn’t imagine major surgery without an anesthetic. We are so averse to pain that we think God must desire that we will experience pain-free lives. After all, a loving God surely wouldn’t want us to suffer pain, would He? Although God takes no pleasure in our pain, we have to acknowledge that He sometimes allows painful circumstances to occur in our lives in order to shape us and make us more like Christ. Sometimes our times of despair turn out to be a much needed light into our soul.

I once came across the following poem written by an anonymous Confederate soldier, a devout young man who fought in the American Civil War. The lines of this poem express the soul of a man who has learned to view his times of adversity from a different perspective:

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked God for health, that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among men, most richly blessed.*

Do we trust God to lead us even though we can’t see the pathway in front of us? Do we trust Him to be all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful? Do we believe He does all things well? As Paul wrote, “Everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23). That’s why God leads us through the dark places.

Only in the darkness do we learn to walk by faith.