Tag: #inspiration

Focal Point

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

I recently watched a video, Above Inspiration, in which Joyce Meyer proclaims exciting news- among other encouraging messages—that we can enjoy our lives while God works on our problems.

Meyer also said that what we focus on will be magnified in our lives. I can relate.

Change can lead to loss. Loss leads to grief. Grieving loss is okay, but we shouldn’t allow them to consume us. Instead, we can flip the script and start being thankful for the gains—focus on the positive. This intentional act and prayer for God’s help make a big difference in our daily outlook.

Change brings growth, but that doesn’t mean it is easy. Most change is challenging. Still, we can focus on celebrating the gains and good things during our season of change. When we turn this around, even small gains become significant victories. God knows how to give good gifts—worth celebrating.

Our attitude plays a substantial role in celebrating small victories when we have what seem like huge losses. The gains far outweigh the losses for me and likely most others—it comes down to what we focus on. A thankful heart knows many blessings. If we allow our negative thoughts to take over our minds, we’ll be miserable and make everyone else miserable.

But when we weigh the gains against the losses and see them as victories to celebrate, we win, and the enemy loses. Satan wants to divide, destroy, and keep us from the God-given joy that is ours in Christ (John 10:10). I’ve said it before – Satan is a liar. God is love, and in Him, we find unity and harmony that not even the enemy can take from us if we claim it by the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ mighty name.

God is our almighty refuge in times of trouble (Ps. 46:1).

I am reading Roxanne Parks’s Bible plan, Speaking Life, in which she supplies a fabulous analogy for the importance of what we seek. A hummingbird and a vulture flew over the desert, searching for food. The vulture was looking for dead animals – death, and the hummingbird was looking for nectar – life. They both found what they were looking for. I love this!

She continues to say that our lives will always move in the direction of our most potent thoughts. Maybe this is why Paul advised the Corinthians to take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). What we focus our thoughts on matters.  We can think about the positive, life-giving gifts or the life-sucking negatives the enemy uses to overwhelm us. It’s our choice. Once we focus on the good and Christ – God will help us find peace and joy in our hearts.

Our thoughts and words matter, and what we think about ourselves matters.

As believers, there are life-giving truths about all of us in God’s Word. We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139.14)—sons (and daughters) of the King (Rom. 8:14-16) – fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17).

I don’t know what you are going through, but God does, and He cares for you immensely. Take a moment to ask yourself what you are focusing on; if you need help identifying it, ask God to reveal it to you. Then, see if you can intentionally flip the script by listing all the gains and things you can be thankful for during this season of change. Make Christ your focal point and note your daily attitude to see if it changes your negative thoughts and outlook.

“Here my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth, I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings” (Ps. 61:1-4, Emphasis added)!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:4-7, Emphasis added).

“If you, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13, Emphasis added).

Tug of War

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

We struggle with a tug-of-war daily between the flesh and the spirit. It’s a continuous battle. I don’t know about you, but when someone gut-punches me with an unkind word, or I do not feel especially valued at work, my human side wants to pull me across the line into the muddy pit of self-pity or a pool of hurt pride or even anger, at times.

However, my behavior is more Christlike when zealously pursuing Christ and His truth and approval (2 Tim. 2:15, English Standard Version) than my own or what the enemy wants me to believe. I must remind myself to recalibrate my thinking to the mind of Christ to have the same attitude Jesus had (Phil. 2:5, New Living Translation). Then, I can pull the rope to the spirit side and find joy no matter my circumstances.

Emotions are fickle and cannot always be trusted. They make us do and say things we usually wouldn’t. Therefore, giving ourselves time to cool off and calm down before we act is wise.

The word Selah comes to mind. We see it mainly in the book of Psalms and once in Habakkuk 3. The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary explains that the term has an unknown meaning. Of course, there are several theories on the subject, one being a signal to pause for silence (Brand 2015, 1426).

Mels Carbonell agrees. In How to Solve the People Puzzle, he recommends using the acronym ACT to change our behavior. A – acknowledge and accept: Acknowledge who you are and accept the way you are made (when we understand our strengths and weaknesses, we can alter our behaviors). C – commit and control: Committing yourself to control your feelings, thoughts, and actions instead of letting them control you. T – think: Think before you do things. Pause and consider their consequences (Carbonell 2008, 304).

He says, “There’s an ancient proverb that loudly cries, ‘Selah.’ It simply means, ‘pause and think!’ I’ve told many people over the years to ‘think past the present.’ In other words, think past the present moment and consider the consequences of your actions” (Carbonell 2008, 305).

Good advice. In a nutshell, we can change our behavior for better outcomes. It can be our goal to tug the rope in a more spiritual direction.

“You must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (James 1:19, emphasis added).

God is Not a Genie

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (The Bible. ESV Study Bible. English Standard Version. Ps. 37:4, Emphasis added).

This verse sometimes needs to be better understood. God is not a genie in a bottle that we can expect to give us everything we want. We must focus on the first part of the verse – “Delight yourself in the Lord” (Ps. 37:4, emphasis added), to help us understand the context of the message. When our hearts are in the right place with God, we will delight in Him, and therefore, we will want Him over everything else. Additionally, we will align with what He desires most: to be with us. When we align with His ways, we will enjoy Him more.

We may have good intentions, but even our most heartfelt and sincere desires that are anything other than Him first are considered selfish. We cannot expect God to give us all our wishes. Only when we put Him foremost above all else will everything be in its proper place, humbly and delighting in His presence, we can relinquish control. This posture unblocks our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit as He moves according to His will and purpose. Jesus warns that wherever our treasure is, our hearts will follow (Luke 12:34). The nature of our hearts will reveal what we value most. This emphasizes the importance of what we love – the character of our heart – the center of our being and most profound desires, including reason, convictions, emotions, and will. Jesus explains that what comes from our mouth proceeds from the heart (Matt. 15:18).

When our heart delights in God, He changes our hearts to want the right things.

He is the giver of every good gift (James 1:17), and He delights in supplying provisions when we acknowledge Him as our Father and express our gratitude and need for Him. Nevertheless, He is not obligated to us for anything. Many heartaches in our lives are misunderstood while we are going through them. However, we can rest assured that our sincere prayers are heard. They are addressed. The goodness of God is embedded in His character. He is a God who sees us and cares about us. His heart breaks when we are in pain, just like a good father who cares for his child. Just because we cannot see the end or how it will turn out does not mean He is not there for us. Jesus says, “I will be with you always” (Matt. 28:20, emphasis added).

God’s Masterpiece

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

If you have ever hunted for sea glass at the beach while on vacation, you know that it can be a fun pastime, and sometimes it is hard to find. When you find a piece, it is worth the effort. But have you ever thought about how long it takes to form? According to an article by the science website Geology Page, it can take thirty to forty years, or in some cases, a century.

The saltwater weathers the colored glass and adds to the design, giving it a frosted appearance. Many people use it to make jewelry and other unique art pieces. However, it started much differently. It takes time to be a finished and stunning work of art. It likely began as a jagged piece of broken glass from a beverage bottle or other discarded item. You could say it was just a piece of garbage that spent years tumbling around in the water. It was rough around the edges and painful if you cut yourself with it. 

Given our broken nature, this is how we start. Our hearts are rough around the edges, and we cause others pain. Others sometimes discard us as trash, and we end up in a sea of troubled waters. Then God lifts us out of the mire, just as we are. He begins to shape us and smooth out our rough edges. However, like sea glass, it takes time; we are a work in progress – God’s masterpiece. He created us in His image (The Bible. English Standard Version, Gen. 1:27). Although we are not perfect because of sin (Gen. 3:6), He wants us to strive to be more like Jesus.  However, not in our performance (Titus 3:5; Rom. 11:6) but in how we love God and people (Matt. 22:37-39). The Hollman Illustrated Bible Dictionary notes that our good works are insufficient to earn our salvation but will naturally flow from a life of saving faith in Christ (Brand 1669).

Our lives are like shards of brokenness awaiting transformation only accessible through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Like sea glass, sometimes we tumble and fumble around for years before we begin to take shape, as God forms our character and helps us become a beautiful piece of art that the Master delights in blessing so we can be a blessing to others.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17, emphasis added).

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ ” (John 14:6, emphasis added).

Storms

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

As a child, I was terrified of thunderstorms, as most kids are. I knew someone a little older than me who loved to see a storm brewing in the midst. With nose pressed to the pane, he delighted in watching the strikes pierce the night as they danced across the moonless sky. But not me. I buried my head as deep underneath the covers as I could, no matter how hot. Mom hung blankets over the windows to block out the lighting, but that didn’t keep the thunder from penetrating my ears.

These days, I am more drawn to the window to see God’s handiwork. I welcome the storms, in a strange turn of events, especially at night. The flashes and rolling thunder remind me that God is in control, which comforts me. I no longer need to cover the windows. If I were the one in control, there would be reason to bury my head.

We can respond the same way when life’s storms come. Even as Christ-followers, we are not exempt from the pains in this life. Sometimes we want to bury our heads. But we can rely on God to see us through the storms because He is still in control no matter what happens. That brings comfort, even through fearful times.

He is a good Father who provides shelter, but He also disciplines us for our good and supplies us with a way back when we stumble. God is not watching and waiting for us to mess up so He can waggle His finger at us or punish us. He wants the best for us. He longs for us to come to Him.

He is our Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer (2 Sam. 22:2, ESV; Col. 1:13), Way-maker and Way-forward, Strength, Shield (Ps. 28:7), Rescuer (Acts 12:11), Shepherd (Ps. 23:1), Promise Keeper (2 Cor. 1:20), Redeemer (Job 19:25), Lord and Savior (2 Peter 1:11), Steadfast Anchor (Heb. 6:19), Hope in the dark (Rom. 15:13), Safe Haven (Ps. 36:7), and the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:12) and that is just the beginning. His arms are wide open, waiting for us to run into them with childlike wonder. It is there that we find complete rest.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28, NLT, emphasis added).

The Mayfly

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

After I became an unattached woman for the first time in my adult life, I realized I needed to figure out what I wanted to do and who I was instead of riding on the coattails of others. I was never good at making decisions, but being single forced me to change. My relationship with God plays a huge role in the decisions I make, along with knowing who I am and whose I am – as a child of God.

Since my bucket list became more prominent after my accident, I began to take trips alone to check them off. This season in my life was empowering and eventful. I did more in a couple of years than in my lifetime. Things I once feared and thought I would never be able to do by myself. One of those things was fly fishing in a creek – with waders – I was too excited about the waders. I have written about my experience before, but a recent writing class assignment brought back one detail of that trip that made a big impression—the mayfly.

While in the creek, I listened closely to my guide, and I remember his making a point to show me a mayfly that landed gracefully on his arm as I caught fish. He seemed honored to witness its presence, explaining that their lifespan is so short that they only make it a few hours to a day at most. It made an impression at the time, but I had recently researched the elusive creature in Encyclopedia Britannica when I was tasked with writing a poem and needed fresh inspiration.

Living their one short life fully with one task – laying thousands of eggs for the next generation – stood out to me as a purposeful mission we can learn from. They also indicate a clean water supply as they cannot survive in polluted waters. They begin their lives as larvae at the bottom of the creek bed and go through as many as twenty life stages before emerging above the surface to spread their wings for a day, lay eggs, and die.

The slippery rocks in the stream I was navigating represent how easy it is to fall back into the same patterns and pitfalls the enemy tries to trap us. Just as I had a guide leading me through the creek, God guides us and provides us with sure-footed steps to hold us up through treacherous waters. The mayfly represents living in the moment. What if, in our lives, we lived a purpose-filled life for Christ with our one life as intended?

I hope you enjoy the poem:

A Purpose-Filled Life

A mayfly’s passing life,

An instance to behold.

Emerging in a debut flight,

Testing new wings spread wide.

With purpose and poise,

One life to live – a moment in time.

Like raindrops dancing across the sea,

A legacy of eggs deposited in a creek.

Warm rays piercing translucent wings,

On the cusp of living,

Life ends nearly before it begins.

A brief hello, a brief goodbye,

With a final bow.

A purpose-filled life – one moment in time.

Kairos Moments

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

(A time when conditions are right for accomplishing a crucial action: the opportune and decisive moment – Merriam-Webster)

I can look back over my life and see times when I was at a crossroads. These Kairos moments were critical. I could choose life or death. I didn’t realize they were such desperate choices then, but they were. There were two pivotal moments in my life when I could pinpoint where a decision had to be made – for the first one – the devil was in my ear. Newsflash – the devil is a liar! It coincides with the beginning of the year I had dreaded since childhood. Maybe God was trying to warn me, but I chose the wrong path and dove deeper into darkness: keeping secrets, telling half-truths (which are a lie), and panic attacks that took my breath in the middle of the night; I cried myself to sleep more times than I can count. Bottom line: I was miserable, and it only got worse.

I often chose the wrong path, which I now know led to a type of death – loss of self-worth, my identity, and self-control, and I took on lots of fear and shame because of it. It led to my darkest moments when I put a man in the seat only God is to hold in my life and heart. I now know my identity is only found in Christ as a daughter of the King. I have no reason to fear – perfect love casts out fear (I John 4:18, ESV).

I wasn’t rooted in God’s Word and steeped in His love then. But when I hit rock bottom – broken in every sense of the word – a broken heart, bones, mind, and spirit. That is when Crossroads # 2 presented itself, only this time – I chose God! It was the first time I asked God what He wanted. I surrendered to His will and went all in. It is the best decision I have ever made. I have repeatedly had to tell the devil to take a hike since. There is spiritual warfare and a battle that can only be fought with the help of spiritual weapons (armor of God), the Holy Spirit, and the mighty name of Jesus. I had to renounce soul ties, destroy strongholds, and claim my inheritance as God’s child. In the words of David, God’s Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path (Ps. 119:105).

Have you ever thought about the crossroads you met over the years? Maybe you are at one now.

What are three things you would tell yourself if you could? I would say to myself:

  1. The devil is a liar (John 8:44, ESV).
  2. Don’t settle for anything less than God’s best.
  3. You can have a relationship with God and learn to put Him first.

Let’s take a moment to unpack those. First, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6, emphasis added). He tells the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32, emphasis added). They question him about being a slave. In verses 34-36, he explains that everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin, but the Son (Jesus Christ) can free you. The devil would like us to think the opposite. He can twist the truth to appeal to the flesh and make us feel free to do as we please with our bodies, which leads me to number two. 

Not settling for anything less than God’s best means not compromising integrity for momentary pleasure. It is not worth it, and it leads to death. The Cambridge Dictionary defines integrity as the quality of being honest with strong moral principles. God always wants the best for us. God must be our biggest desire, which leads me to number three.

I always believed in God, even as a child. But I didn’t know how to have a relationship with God or understand how my little heart could love Him more than my family. Learning to put God first in my life was life-changing and improved all my other relationships. Because of my love for the Father and His love for me, I can love others better. When we align our hearts’ desires with God’s desires for us and not only believe but accept Christ as God’s Son and our Savior, everything else falls into place. There will still be pain and heartache (John 16:33), but Jesus Christ will be with us to help us through those times (Matt. 28:20). He sends the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts to comfort and guide us, a gift from God (Acts 2:38).

These two verses (Ps. 37:4; Matt. 6:33) go hand in hand: If we can learn to seek the kingdom of God first and foremost, our biggest desire is God, and our hearts are filled with His love, which leads to unspeakable joy. Even when this broken world delivers terrible news and death, there is always life-sustaining Good News that leads to eternal life as we wait expectantly for Christ to return.

When we seek God will all our heart, we will find Him (Jere. 29:13). Just as the Good News of Jesus is like cold water to a thirsty soul, a righteous person who chooses sin muddies a spring – evil pollutes a person’s way (Prov. 25:25-26).

We cannot keep beating our drums to the world’s rhythm and expect a new song to form in our hearts.

Next time you find yourself at a crossroads, I encourage you to choose the life Christ offers. It is worth it. You are worth it. Christ died so we could live.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4, ESV, Emphasis mine.)

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33, ESV, Emphasis mine.)

U-turns Allowed

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

I recently saw a flock of geese in full-on V formation flying overhead. There were about twenty of them. But, instead of continuing their current path, they managed to do a complete 180 and head in the direction they had just come from; they made a U-turn. I started thinking about the leader. Did he make a mistake in which direction he was taking them? As the rest of the clan followed the leader, how would they know they were on the right path?

This reminded me of my dad. When we went on car rides as a family, we quickly realized that he panicked easily if he thought he missed his turn. The first time we saw this in action, we were headed to the farm after supper, and Mom made a plate for our neighbor, Mr. Hall, something she often did. She told Dad to stop on our way so she could drop off the plate of food.  His house was just around the curve from ours, but Dad had already forgotten. So, just as we began to pass up the driveway, Mom yelled that he missed his turn. Dad slammed on the brakes, and we were rear-ended. This is the first time I recall hearing the term whiplash after my sister Donna’s neck began to hurt.

My siblings and I were sitting in the backseat of our turquoise 1966 Chevy Impala, and with Mom in the front seat, we didn’t get the benefits of her instinctive arm that naturally came across the waists of anyone sitting in the front seat when she was driving. Mr. Hall’s supper ended up all over the inside of the car and us.

After that, Mom learned not to yell when Dad missed turns. The next time we were riding along, and he passed up our turn-off, I remember her calmly turning to him in a monotone voice, saying something like – I think we were supposed to turn there. Panic still ensued, but at least he didn’t slam on the brakes; instead, he began nervously looking for a place to make a U-turn.

As I meandered around the neighborhood, continuing my run that morning, I saw a neighbor walking their dog. When the dog saw me, it wanted to run with me, but the owner, not so much. She guided the dog back to their path with a slight leash tug.

We all go down the wrong path occasionally and make poor decisions, sometimes running off on a whim without consulting God about which direction to take. We may even panic when we realize we are on the wrong path and have made a mess of our lives and caused damage to ourselves and others.

God’s grace not only gives us the space to make a U-turn but helps us clean up the mess and offers complete restoration to heal any damage that occurred while on our hiatus from the path God intended. Thankfully, God is patient with us. We, too, need to be tethered to Christ and let the Holy Spirit guide our hearts instead of allowing our hearts to lead us. The ultimate healing is only found in a relationship with Christ. It is not too late to make a U-turn.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV, emphasis added)

Intentional Connections

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell
It’s not the back of the truck, but another fond memory on the farm with Dad. On the back: my cousin Debbie, sister Donna, and brother David (JD).

One of my fondest childhood memories is riding in the back of my dad’s truck. I remember being a lookout for a crop of tobacco I had spotted earlier that day, thinking Dad would like to see this field of tobacco. So, when he got in from work, I used my super girl skills to convince him to let me show him. The only problem was I couldn’t find it.

At the time, I was disappointed that something I thought I could connect with my dad was gone. But, looking back, I now have fond memories of riding in his truck, looking for the lustrous tobacco crop I could no longer locate. I now see that Dad took time away from resting after a long day’s work to appease my childhood whimsy.

He saw it as a time to spend with his kids.

My dad got up before dawn every day for 30+ years to drive an hour each way to work at IBM in Lexington. When he got home, he went to the farm to feed, water, and count the cows, besides whatever other chores I did not know about, such as mowing or grading the road with his tractor. And if we happened to be living at the farm (we had spent our summers there since I was nine), he still had to haul water down from our other house every evening because we didn’t have running water at the time. (We thought this was a big adventure – not seeing all the work Dad did to make it happen). I spent many days brushing my teeth with a cup of water and spitting off the side of the porch.

He wasn’t the only one who got up that early; for years, Mom got up with him to prepare a full breakfast before he left for work – at least until they changed their diet to heart-healthy oatmeal. I remember waking up many mornings to the sound of their not-so-quiet whispers in the kitchen. Perhaps the smell of homemade biscuits and gravy, sausage, and eggs awoke my senses to their breakfast chatter; either way, I see how they made time to spend a few minutes alone before we got up.

He did not have to get up that early. He could have grabbed something on the go and spent a few extra minutes in slumber, but he chose to connect with Mom during those early mornings, and she chose to get up with him and make breakfast and sip coffee from saucers in the wee hours of the morning. They found time to spend together in a five-room house full of kids. (Talk about tiny house living – we had no idea it would become popular).

It is those precious memories that aren’t soon forgotten.  I think that is the most important thing God asks of us – to spend time with our heavenly Father. All He wants is to spend time with His kids – and we are better off for taking the intentional time to connect. Sometimes, that may mean getting up a little earlier and being still before the hustle and bustle of our day begins. It is allowing His whispers to seep into our heart and mind awakening us to the sweet aroma of the bread of life that feeds our hungry souls.

“Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’ ” (John 6:35, NLT, emphasis added).

“Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10, Emphasis added).

Dose of Encouragement

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

Everyone can use a dose of encouragement regardless of age or how far we are on our journey.

One morning as I approached the mailboxes on the main street leading into my neighborhood, a gentleman stopped to make a deposit.

As I ran past, he kindly said, “Great job! Keep up the good work.” 

I thanked him and gave a thumbs up. But, as most things do, this reminded me that whether it is running, another sport, or our faith walk with Christ, at the beginning of our training, or a seasoned vet, we can all use inspiration to keep on going, press on, don’t give up.

As I ventured further, I met two other women running in the opposite direction. As my route winds back around, our paths crossed again, only this time they were walking.

As if to justify themselves, one girl said, “It’s hot! We’re from Ohio.”

Oh well, that explains it all…buckeyes. Only kidding. I paid the encouragement forward. But this reminded me of my trip to Austria a while ago. Climate change can make you uncomfortable and disconnected when in unfamiliar territory. I was out of my comfort zone on that trip, so many miles away from home, unable to have my usual quiet time and space. I was trying to find my rhythm on a new route, with new people to meet and work alongside.

Before I left, God gave me a few images: a sundial and Russian nesting dolls. Strange right? It didn’t make sense until I struggled to find peace and saw these images in Vienna. In those moments, I knew God was still with me and that He knew I would need these reminders.

Another time, on a church summer camp excursion with middle school girls, I desperately needed some time away from the chaos to reconnect with God. So, every chance I got, I stole a few minutes away on the other side of the lake to reset, recharge, and refresh my spirit to tackle another night. We all need these times to give us the strength to pour into the lives of others and not get burnt out.

“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength” (Is. 30:15, ESV, emphasis added).

“Encourage one another and build one another up” (I Thes. 5:11, emphasis added).