CHEERFULLY EXPECTANT!

Posted on November 30, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Romans–Passionate Christian Theology

“Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant.”
Romans 12, The Message

I had four full days off for the Thanksgiving holiday. Today I’m back to my regular routine of getting up early, preparing my mind for another day of teaching and all the prep that goes with my work. The coffee mug is more than half empty, so my mind is becoming more alert to the day ahead. I now look to my Master. I feel His Presence as I read His Word. I realize, once again, I will need Him for every hour of this Monday, this new day, this day of expectation of what might not be “normal”, so I will not be thrown off when something unexpected happens. I smile at the thought.

Be alert servants of our Master, Paul proclaims in his letter to the Romans. As believing followers of Jesus Christ, our Master, means we live and work in His court. We look for his nod, for the wave of His hand, and most of all, we focus on His eyes that tell us when to move, to serve, to help and when to be still and wait.

Paul adds…be cheerfully expectant! If we serve eagerly because of our pure love for Jesus and focus of ways to please Him and not the world, then being cheerfully expectant comes rather easy. But we must focus. The expected task might overwhelm us, but these circumstances are used to grow and transform us. Expect it. Cheerfully expect it. And it will happen. We might not know what “it” is for today. But we know our Master knows and we also know He wants the best for us.

And I’m singing…”He gave His life, what more could He give…Oh, how He loves you. Oh, how He loves me. Oh, how He loves you and me.”

Be alert to the Master’s call, cheerfully expectant? YES, I’ll have a cup of that! It’s the least I can do for my Master who gave His life for me.

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Dear Heavenly Father, Your Word is so profound in Paul’s letter we can only take one sentence of thought at a time. Simple, yet profound. The world tries to complicate who You are and what You have done and are doing in our lives, when it is us believing and following Your call that give us peace and contentment. I am looking, listening and cheerfully expectant for what You will do with THIS day that You have given. We will rejoice and be glad in it, too! In Jesus Name, Amen

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BURN…AND KEEP BURNING!

Posted on November 29, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Romans–Passionate Christian Theology

“Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.”
Romans 12, The Message

Randy has to occasionally remind me that cars cannot keep running unless more fuel is put into the tank to spark the fire that keeps the engine going. I know that in my mind, but I also like to use up every drop of fuel until it is gone AND I don’t like stopping what I am doing to get more fuel. I LOVED it when the invention of new gauges on cars were created to tell you exactly how many more miles you can go. Well, almost.

It is a sad event when your fuel runs out and the car/van/truck will no longer get you where you thought you needed to go. Is that God’s fault that I ran out of fuel before getting to my destination? Nope. It’s my fault. It’s poor planning, mistaken judgement in what I thought I had to keep me going. It’s not keeping the tank full so there are no worries of being caught without fuel, it’s going and going and not stopping to refuel and that causes trouble for everyone.

When you run out of fuel, everything stops. Your life is put on hold. It’s not just about you. Your actions affect others around you…your loved ones, first. Others are called on to stop what they are doing to bail you out and bring you fuel. Sometimes your engine is so depleted that it might take some extra fuel splashed in the right place to restart the engine as well as fill the tank for reserve. Mm.

Our lives get that way with poor planning, thinking we can go the extra distance without refueling. We have no reserve, no margin of error in our lives. Let’s change how we think. We must keep the “tank” full at the filing station of God’s lap of listening each morning. Keeping the tank full is better planning for a whirlwind day of expectancy of what God will do next in our lives and possibly or quite probably in the lives of others. We are ready, then, for anything if we have first been filled with God’s Holy Spirit. This is the fuel that keeps us burning brightly for Him. This “fuel” fills to overflow on others, too! We can no more do this for ourselves than expecting our vehicles to go to the gas stations for themselves.

This passage reminds me of Jesus’ story of the virgins keeping enough fuel in their lamps to burn brightly until the bridegroom’s (Jesus) return. Mm. Some were ready, others…not so much. (Matthew 25)

Are we ready, refueled and always aflame, for wherever God wants to take us? I would hate to have to say, “Ah, just a minute, Lord, while I refuel…”

Jesus invites

Dear Heavenly Father, Ouch. These words are fuel for our souls. You have convicted us to make sure we remain full of the fuel You give us through Your Holy Spirit each day…enough for each day…our daily manna. Thank you, Lord. We are ready! Thank you for always being with us, dear Emmanuel, speaking to our hearts with love, mercy and grace.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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THE CENTER

Posted on November 28, 2015 by randscallawayffm

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THE CENTER

Posted on November 28, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Romans–Passionate Christian Theology

“Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.” Romans 12, The Message

The world we live in today, using media, books, technology, small group therapies and more, has done it’s best to teach us “how to” do just about everything emotionally, physically, mentally and even spiritually. God’s Word is simple yet profound. “Love from the center of who you are”. Yet, we want to complicate this thought with “how to”. Or do we want to justify “how to not” do this? Would we rather hang on to our selfish desires to love only ourselves? Is it because our “center” is not driven by Jesus Christ?

These are all questions of reflection and meditation, maybe even conviction, that are healthier to respond to than another “how to” resource. If our center is selfishness then we work hard to fake love. We use love to get ahead, on top, to get what we think we need. If our center is Jesus, who loves us unconditionally and we know that, then our love is real and flows easily from the center of who we are, where He resides, and works in us from the inside out to transform us because of His love.

Selfishness does not play second fiddle and wants what the flesh wants: attention, glorification, admiration, praise for everything they do…in other words…all that is only reserved for God, our Father.

Be good friends who love deeply…and you will attract those who are searching deeply for God’s love which is true, unconditional and pure.

It’s really pretty simple. Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…and “Red and yellow, black and white”, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves ALL the children of the world.”

Be led by the Center of our being. Be led by Christ and His love for us who must be at the center. And I’m singing…

Jesus at the center of it all
Jesus at the center of it all
From beginning to the end
It will always be, it’s always been You Jesus
Jesus

Nothing else matters, nothing in this world will do
Jesus You’re the center, and everything revolves around You
Jesus You

So Jesus be the center of my life
Jesus be the center of my life
From beginning to the end
It will always be, it’s always been You Jesus
Oh Jesus

Jesus invites

Dear Heavenly Father, We repent of our selfishness once more. Remain at the center of who we are and may we be driven by You in everything we are, say and do. In Jesus Name, Amen

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IF YOU WORK WITH THE DISADVANTAGED…

Posted on November 27, 2015 by randscallawayffm

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IF YOU WORK WITH THE DISADVANTAGED…

Posted on November 27, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Romans–Passionate Christian Theology

“If you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.” Romans 12, The Message

Teaching falls into this category every day. We never know what our students have endured before walking through the front door of our classrooms. Maybe no one was there to help them get up, get dressed and have something to eat. Maybe there is nothing to wear that is clean. Maybe there was someone there but they were drunk or hungover from last night’s drinking. Maybe there is nothing to eat in the house. Maybe someone was there but screamed at them, or worse, while kicking them out to the curb to catch the bus. Maybe the live in boyfriend or girlfriend resents their very existence and takes what little dignity they have left and grinds into the ground mentally and emotionally. Maybe they are tired from being up all night, caring for younger toddler siblings who cried all night because mom was out bar hopping to earn a few coins. My heart aches, (and still does because of my current teaching work). I can picture all of these students. Over the years of my teaching and even now, these students have faces and names.

This verse of few words speaks volumes to those who strive to be a difference in the lives of those who are cast aside, under nurtured, neglected or abused in many other ways. These are some of the disadvantaged. It is not always about having enough money. It is about the advantage that we can give of having a deep, unconditional love, acceptance and the secure feeling that no matter what, they belong to someone who cares for them. Just knowing this, students excel.

When disadvantaged students such as “the least of these” as Jesus talks about, get in your face or act out in other ways or are just very quiet, our response is not to get irritated but to genuinely love…with a smile on our faces. They are not “out to get you” they are fighting back at life as it is. We can give life or drain it with our response to their feelings of abandonment. To get depressed at their situation with a dose of pity thrown in demeans who they are and rips away at their dignity. Give life.

Our classrooms can be an oasis where fresh starts and big doses of different, safe environments of pure acceptance with respect for who they are as a student, an intricate, brilliant and needed part of the whole, is a better, healthier attitude. Over time, this student grows and thrives because we, as teachers, knew they would. We expected nothing less. Every student is valuable in the eyes of God, our Father. So, every student is valuable to us.

“If you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.”

LOVEJESUS

Dear Heavenly Father, Your Holy Spirit has me in tears this mornng as I read these few words that cause me to remember many faces with names in hard circumstances. I pray for all of them now. Bless the children who have grown to be adults. Bless those who are still children in need of your touch, healing and others in their lives that will point them to You, the greatest Love of all. Bless, protect, provide, but most of bring Your salvation into their homes. And let it begin with me.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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“KEEP A SMILE ON YOUR FACE”… Romans 12, The Message

Posted on November 26, 2015 by randscallawayffm

be thankful

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IF YOU’RE CALLED TO GIVE…

Posted on November 25, 2015 by randscallawayffm

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IF YOU’RE CALLED TO GIVE…

Posted on November 25, 2015 by randscallawayffm

Romans–Passionate Christian Theology

“If you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond”…Romans 12, The Message

It seems in the busiest times of life, right in the middle of our “list of to do’s”, thinking we cannot fit another thing into this schedule (or budget), an opportunity to give beyond what you think you can, stands up right in your face.

Our family was busy cleaning the church (only pastors of small churches will totally understand this) on one of those particularly busy days. The girls and I were giving a good cleaning inside while our son mowed and trimmed the lawn. Randy, the pastor, was putting finishing touches on Sunday’s preparations. I don’t remember the special occasion, but we were pretty busy getting things ready. Randy left his teaching job to pastor our small, struggling congregation, so our funds were limited…or so we thought.

A trucker came to the front lawn and asked our son if the pastor was inside. Our son led him inside the church. The man had a “story” of despair and needed forty dollars or so to get to his next destination. He promised to repay on his next run through town. Randy and I never had cash on hand and didn’t carry a checkbook. So Randy went to the bank and withdrew forty dollars from our balance of just under one hundred dollars! The trucker probably stopped at the next church and asked the same thing. I know what you are thinking…No, we never saw him again. And we knew that we probably would not. But the Holy Spirit led Randy to do it anyway.

Our church was close to two busy roads. So occurrences like this began to happen often. We learned to take people to get groceries rather than give them cash. We learned to pray with them, while the Holy Spirit directed us with the best way to give that would really help people long term, not aid their addictions or what they thought was insurmountable circumstances.

Once Randy took a guy who needed cash for tires for his truck, to a local scrap yard of car and truck parts who had used tires. Randy taught him how to pick out tires with enough tread on them to drive for awhile longer and replace them in this manner. The business owners figured out what Randy was doing and put the tires on the truck for free! Sometimes teaching others how we learned to handle our meager finances was “giving”, too!

“If you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond” …cheerfully, praying to God, our Father, for wisdom, discernment, clarity, insight and understanding for the best ways to give that will be of most help to the receiver.

Randy was “taken in” many times, but we were blessed beyond our wildest dreams by our Father who led him to give…with eyes wide open.

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Dear Heavenly Father, You have taught us over the years that there are many ways to give and that our work is to keep our eyes open, focused on You. You will invite us into situations where You will use us to give to someone in need in the best way. Thank you for every opportunity to be Your hands and feet. Where you guide us You have always provided for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We cry out for wisdom and discernment. What would You have us do?
In Jesus Name, Amen

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IF YOU’RE PUT IN CHARGE…

Posted on November 24, 2015 by randscallawayffm

 

“If you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate…” Romans 12, The Message

What?! Manipulation…do we do that? What is it exactly? I looked it up. Defined, manipulation is the skillful handling, controlling or using of something or someone. Whether it’s the sculpture you made in art class or how you convinced your friend to do your homework — both are considered manipulation.

Leaders who manipulate are generally not well liked. They low-grade manage more than they lead. When these leaders’ backs are turned, those in their charge generally resort to doing things their own way or try to manipulate someone else to do the job they were supposed to do because of the way they are being led. Manipulators breed other manipulators. Using people is not what God wants. Being used is a degrading feeling when manipulated from a heart of selfishness. To manipulate is a form of bullying.

I read some good advice a long time ago that has helped me, “A skilled communicator seeks to persuade–NEVER to manipulate. The difference between manipulation and persuasion arises out of the purity of one’s motive. If a speaker desires to move a crowd in order to achieve his own ends, he manipulates. If he seeks to motivate people in order to glorify God and improve the lives of those to whom he speaks, he persuades.” (Dewey Bertolini, Back to the Heart of Youth Work)

Have we been put in charge? Who are we as a leader? Do we lead with our heart? Probably. Then what is in our heart? These are questions for reflection today. Need help? Let’s reread Philippians 2 that gives us the example of Jesus Christ’s leadership.

Jesus invites

Dear Heavenly Father, You have given us many opportunities to lead. We repent of those times when we manipulated just to get a task done in our own way instead of persuading others, to see and accomplish Your will and purpose, Your way, for Your glory, honor and praise. Forgive us of using people. Help us to, instead, honor others by recognizing their gifts and talents. Help us to realize we are all in this together with You, ultimately and forever, in charge! In Jesus Name, Amen.

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