The Most Available

By Lexi Ellis

“For it is God who works in you,

both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Philippians 2:13 (NIV)

Once, I overheard one of my precious fourth graders trying to convince the other that he/she was “more busier.” After gently correcting the superlative (always a teachable moment), I smiled and lovingly said, “I guarantee you both are busy. Now, how about we get busy with learning?”

I don’t need to convince you we’re busy. I don’t need evidence and studies to show we’re fast-paced…that our world never seems to stop. And yet, in the midst of the busyness, God has recently laid on my heart that He calls us to be available.

When we look at Christ’s ministry, we see Him becoming more available to others as His ministry continued. His availability increased, despite having a much “busier” mission. We see Christ pausing to be available for questions and to love on others. John Hinger, a youth pastor in Illinois, told my Student Council members at a leadership conference, “Those who make the greatest impact are the most available.”

When we show up, we have opportunities for God to use us. When we are available to God, we are given the joy of caring for others. When we slow down, we give God the opportunity for open doors to share Christ with others and tangibly show His love.

I think of the times my husband has stopped what he’s doing to be available when I needed to talk. I think of how my parents have made themselves available to just sit and listen when tragedy has struck. I think of the response work team that left to help after Hurricane Sandy, or the individual who covers a Sunday School class when there’s a need. These people are available.

This isn’t to say that what we fill our lives with is bad, or that we should drop everything. Nor am I trying to guilt you into serving. But what I personally have been convicted of is that we need to be available to God, so He can use us to be available to others.

We are the tangible hands of the Church and we must be willing to ask the Holy Spirit how He wants us to be available. It will look different for all of us. Maybe being available is responding to the email when your church needs something. Maybe being available is carving out time in your schedule to build into others or serve. Maybe being available is paying attention to when God wants you to just show up and be present with someone.

We are busy…even my dear fourth graders. But Jesus was available…and we are called to be, too.

GOING DEEPER:

1.  As we move into 2015, ask the Holy Spirit to convict you of what tangible way you need to be available today and this upcoming year.

FURTHER READING:

Philippians 2:12-16

Lexi’s family consists of her, her husband, Andrew, her daughter, Sloane, and her dog, Calvin. She teaches sixth grade Reading and Writing and serves with Children’s Ministries.

Hidden Yet Valued
By Sarah Walker

…the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.
1 Corinthians 12:22 (ESV)

Do we value the hidden roles that go largely unseen by the world around us? The Apostle Paul uses imagery of the body to highlight those roles that seem weak, less important or unseen as being necessary and honorable. Do you trust that God sees you and values you? That He values you and your assignments likewise? That He has a plan for the hidden seasons in your life?

I was recently confronted with these questions in an unexpected way. As a full-time mom, I feel hidden at times. Many of my efforts go unseen by the world around me, yet I know this is the place where God wants me at this season in my life. While in this season, I have been slowly working on a manuscript for a book that is now almost complete.  A manuscript that I am beginning to get impatient to finish. In recent weeks though, I have had to put that project on hold and intentionally move it to a place of lower priority than my main task of raising my two boys, and caring for myself and baby number three.

Some days that means I take a nap when my body is worn out rather than editing. Other days, that means I spend my down time talking with friends and family, playing piano or reading. I have discovered that in order to fulfill my current role well and to produce good fruit (rather than bad fruit like anxiety, fear, anger or exhaustion), I need to entrust my manuscript to God and instead spend my time getting the type of rest I need to complete my main task.

Perhaps you too find that your role is less visible? Sometimes we try to force ourselves into a more visible role rather than valuing the hidden role we find ourselves in. Though your role may be hidden at this time, it does not make it less valuable! God has a purpose for every member of His body, and sometimes we are asked to see the work He has given us to do from His perspective - - rather than from our own.

We all innately desire to be seen, known and acknowledged. However, the only one who can truly fill that desire of our soul is God. In this season of my life, I am learning how to value my own hidden role like God does. And in one way or another, each of us are confronted with that same choice: Will we choose to value the hidden the same way He does?

GOING DEEPER:

1.    How can you value the hidden roles God has given to you?

2.    How can you value other people to whom God has entrusted hidden assignments?

FURTHER READING:
Genesis 16:13; 1 Corinthians 12:21-26; Romans 12:4-5

Sarah is married to Scott and is a full-time mom to their two young sons. She and Scott are involved in a small group focused on prayer and are expecting to welcome their third son in January.

S.I.N. Scan

 By Elin Henderson

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me...”

Psalm 139:23,24a (NKJV)

Most all of us have had (or will have) some kind of scan of our body: an MRI, CAT scan, ultrasound scan, etc… Its job is to see the unseen, check out what is going on inside, and then give clarity and wisdom to the doctors who are deciding on a diagnosis for us. Sometimes, we knew something was wrong (hence why we were at the doctors). Other times, there were not any symptoms and yet something revealed in the scan indicated that something WAS indeed really wrong. 

In Psalm 139, David recommended for himself, and for us, a frequent SIN scan from God. A scan that goes beyond the outward appearance into the heart itself, looking for areas of degeneration, areas of division (anxiety = divided), places where growth should be happening but it isn’t. Or maybe there is an out-and-out infection that is eating our souls because we refuse to deal with it? 

At other times, David speaks of having a clean heart and clean hands. I can’t help but think that he could say such a thing because he submitted to frequent SIN scans from on High. If we want to live healthy spiritual lives full of growth and abundance, we too must submit to frequent SIN scans… allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal to us any areas of known or unknown sin, hardness or even atrophy.

Now what we do with the results of the SIN scan is up to us. Will we recognize the shortcomings, the failures, the areas that need to be grown and changed? Or will we just choose to allow them to remain as is? More often than just Communion Sunday, let’s take the time to submit to frequent SIN scans, keeping our accounts short, our sins confessed, and our growth in line with what God has for us!    

           

GOING DEEPER:                                                       

1.    When was the last time you submitted to a SIN scan from on High? 

2.    As God reveals deficit areas in our lives, what are some ways we can be actively pursuing growth and change?

FURTHER READING:

1 John 1:9; Job 17:9; Psalm 51:10

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with Ethnos 360 in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to eighteen-year-old Callie and fifteen-year-old Elias.

Reawaken Your Wonder

By Susan Klein

“Then, leaving her water jar…”

 John 4:28a (NIV)

It started out as a day like any other. She lived on the less-desirable side of the tracks. Outsiders rarely ventured here. Her life had brought her several failed marriages and many hard times. She had no luxuries, no servant girls to draw her water or do her chores. Time to get up and start the busy day.

Hefting the large urn upon her shoulders, she set out for the well outside of town. Her feet knew this path so well she could travel it in her sleep. Maybe she’d get there before the others and avoid any contact.

But He was there, this man, this Jew. What was a Jewish man doing at the well in Sychar? She just wanted to retrieve her water for the day and be on her way. He looked tired. He spoke directly to her, strictly against customary rules. He seemed to know her. Intimately. Who was this man?!! A prophet? No, he seemed to know so much more. She believed the Messiah would come one day and explain matters such as this.

“I who speak to you am He,” the stranger spoke.

What?! So filled with awe was she, that the day’s water was left behind in her hurry to get back to town and alert the others before He could leave. The Messiah had come, to her town, to speak to her!

It’s a December like any other. The holiday season is upon her. She is busy with planning, preparations and projects. She has a mile-long to-do list to finish for Christmas. If only she could pay someone to do her shopping! No time to waste wishing for things she does not have.

She promised the kids she’d help decorate the tree after dinner. It’s been such an exhausting day…couldn’t she just take a long hot soak?! Her oldest son puts on some Christmas music to get everyone in a festive mood. The two younger ones argue over whose turn it is to put the star on the top this year. Her husband plugs in the lights, and there is only darkness. Groans abound. Guess that means another trip to the store tomorrow. Add that to the list. Everyone retreats to their rooms, leaving her to clean up the boxes and stray tinsel.

Just then…“Silent Night” begins to play. Her ears perk.

All is calm, all is bright.  She drops the boxes and sits.

Holy infant, so tender and mild… Peace enfolds her.

Son of God, love’s pure light. She loses the cares of the day, embracing this awe and wonder.

                          

GOING DEEPER:

Take some time to do something that will reawaken your wonder.

FURTHER READING:

John 4:1-42

Susan is married to Mark, and co-leads an in-home small group. She serves as a mentor to young women, and is a member of Oakwood’s Peace Team, helping people work through conflict.

All to Myself

By Jeannine Sawall

"I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.”

Hosea 6:6 (NLT)

A few years ago, some friends and I were talking about our quiet times with the Lord: when it works best for our schedules (morning versus evening) and how having routine quiet times impacts not only our daily lives, but our family’s lives as well. As we continued our conversation, the question came up about quiet times on Sundays. If you’re headed to church, do you need to have a quiet time on Sunday, or is your time at church good spiritual nourishment for the day. There were varying answers; neither right nor wrong. But there was an answer I loved the best. One of my friends said, “I still have a quiet time on Sunday because I love having Him all to myself.”

That answer has stuck with me.  Oftentimes, my quiet time gets pushed back in my day due to busy schedules and getting the kids off for school. Even Sunday mornings are gallant efforts to move everyone efficiently out the door to church, let alone have a quiet time before we go.  While I know quiet times are a vital part of my daily existence, sometimes they seem to be one more thing I need to check off on my “to-do list” before I can get on with my day. 

However, after hearing my friends answer, I’ve come to the conclusion that a change in my “heart-titude” will affect how I look at my quiet time. When I approach the throne out of dedication to “doing the right Christian thing,” yes, I get “credit” for having spent time with the Lord…and, more often than not, in His great grace, God fills me and meets with me, despite my “Quick! Let’s get it done” attitude.  But when I approach Him out of devotion, with the heart of one who longs to be with her Lord, I come away not just with enough to get me through the day, but I come away overwhelmed by His love and overflowing with His glory. 

The Lord desires our love over sacrifice. He wants us to know Him and love Him more than He wants us to do our duty to Him. Our heart attitudes should reflect the privilege He gives us when we come together. Rather than HAVING to have a quiet time, we GET to have a quiet time because there’s no greater joy than having Him all to ourselves!

GOING DEEPER:

1.  What does your heart reflect as you make time for your quiet time?

2.  How can you change your schedule to allow time to have the Lord all to yourself?

FURTHER READING:

Matthew 6:6, 31-33; Psalm 119:105

Jeannine is a wife and mother of four great boys. She works in the property management business. Jeannine serves in several behind-the-scenes ministries at Oakwood and has a heart for those who are grieving.

Grace

By Peggy Kleckner

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8 (NIV)

I know that we are in the season of Advent, the season of waiting for Christmas. Waiting can be hard work. 

When my children were younger that was especially true. They knew that presents were being purchased. They could feel the excitement building, the hum of secrets. Oh, they enjoyed Christmas concerts and cookie baking, but opening presents was what they had their hearts set on!

My mother lived in Florida and so she would send a package for us that arrived before the actual date of Christmas. I guess I could have made them wait until Christmas, but truly I didn’t see the point. Why wait and let everything be discovered in one frenzied, chaotic day?

Nope, we waited just long enough for all of us to be together after our work and school days…then we opened our presents! It relieved some of the waiting and I am sure my mother enjoyed the phone call that followed. Not only did we open the gifts early, but we didn’t wait until Christmas to call and thank her. We both - - the giver and the receivers - - enjoyed some of Christmas early.

As I pondered the waiting of this season, I thought to myself, “Christmas is every day!” Every morning, there is a package waiting for me to open. Each day is a gift of His grace.

There is no waiting until I am good enough, no waiting until I take care of that one blemish in my character. The verse in Romans 5 reads, “while we were still sinners.”

The price for my sins is paid. There is nothing that I need to add to it. I can’t deserve it or earn it. I do, however, need to receive it and enjoy it. 

Many of us have received the gift of salvation. We trusted in Christ as our Savior, but now we are trying to work to hold on to it.  The work has been done.  Open the gift of grace He has for you each day and share the joy of it!  Call out to Him and thank Him.

Christmas is every day for those who have put their trust in Jesus.  Forget the wait, keep opening the gifts!

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Do you believe that the only joy He has for you is held on the other side of this life? If so, would you be willing to reconsider?

2.  How can you enjoy the gift of His presence with you today?

FURTHER READING:

Ephesians 4:7-8

Peggy is a wife and mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and is an active encourager at Oakwood Church in Delafield. 

Tell Me

By Lisa Boyer

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

Romans 5:8 (NLT)

While the beloved movie A Charlie Brown Christmas is well known for Linus’s explanation of the true meaning of Christmas, this year I found myself thinking instead about something that Charlie Brown had said. After checking his mailbox for Christmas cards, Charlie Brown stated, “Nobody sent me a Christmas card today. I almost wish there weren't a holiday season. I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?” [1]

Hearing those words from Charlie Brown made my heart hurt for him. And then I wondered…are you feeling that way, too? Are you struggling through this Christmas season, longing for reassurance that you matter - - that you are loved? Charlie Brown didn’t necessarily find the perfect answer to his feelings of being “let down” by Christmas. However, I’ve recently heard a song that starts off sounding a bit like Charlie Brown, but ends with answers:  

I feel like I'm a nobody, wonder if I'll ever amount to much

Seems like no matter what I do, it's never gonna be good enough

Should I just give up?

Lord, I need to hear You speak

Tell me I am loved, tell me I am known

That You died for me, I am not alone

Tell me I'm Your child, the one Your heart beats for

I can find my strength knowing I am Yours

You've always known what my heart needs and You tell me

You wrote Your name upon my heart

You knew me long before my life began

You still have a plan and when I'm starting to forget

Jesus, You tell me who I am

You tell me I am loved, tell me I am known

And that You died for me, I am not alone

You tell me I'm Your child, the one Your heart beats for

I will find my strength knowing I am Yours

You've always known what my heart needs

And You tell me

Your voice has the power to heal the hurt inside

Your voice speaks the truth, brings my heart back to life

I am loved

Oh, I am known [2]

I, too, have struggled with the feeling of being “let down” by Christmas. But I can testify that His voice truly does have the power to heal the hurt inside. That He speaks truth and brings my heart back to life…I just have to listen to what He tells me.   

GOING DEEPER:

1.  If you’re struggling, will you spend time in prayer?  And then… will you take the time to listen for His answers?

2.  Take a few minutes to listen to “Tell Me” by Carrolton on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjEUyTBySq8.

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 139; Matthew 6:8; Jeremiah 29:11

Lisa is married to Ted and they have two sons in college. Lisa serves as an event photographer at Oakwood and wherever else she is needed. 

[1] A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) by Charles M. Schulz

[2] Tell Me by Carrolton, Copyright: 2015 Centricity Music

Follow the Leader
By Jen Wollner

“…I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go…”
Psalm 143:8 (NIV)

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, many of us have “turkey” on the brain. Well, we’ve had years where we’ve also had a few in our backyard! One day, I noticed a small group just outside my window, so I stopped to watch as they peacefully wandered around, picking at the grass for food. Almost immediately, I took note that one of the turkeys wasn’t like the others. She stood out because she was slightly bigger and she didn’t have her head down looking for food - - she was standing tall, slowly gazing in every direction, keeping a close eye on the other turkeys. I soon deduced that she must be the mommy turkey!

After the little turkeys had gotten their fill, they headed in the direction of some tall grasses that separate my property from my neighbor’s. Suddenly, they all stopped. They were waiting for their mommy! They stood at the edge of the grass, looking for her signal. After many minutes, when she was sure it was safe, the mother turkey entered the grass first, with all the little ones following behind. They didn’t stray as far as they had in the short grass and they didn’t have their heads down the entire time. They stayed close to her, constantly looking up to see where she was going. At last they got to my neighbor’s lawn on the other side, and they went back to their carefree grazing.

It might sound crazy, but I believe that our Heavenly Father is a lot like a mother turkey! When our life is calm, we might not pay much attention to Him, but He’s always there, just a few steps away, gently guiding us and staying alert to danger. And, when our lives turn upside down, He, again, leads us, until we make it through the valley and come out safe and sound on the other side. I wonder, though, do you and I respond to our Heavenly Father the way the young turkeys did with their mother? Do we trust Him to protect us and guide us, in good times and bad? Are we always aware of His presence and do we constantly seek Him for direction, whether our path is smooth or rough?

As I walked away from the window, I couldn’t help but think: How did this mother turkey know where to go and how to protect her children? And then it hit me - - she was simply following her  Leader.

GOING DEEPER:
1. What situation in your life do you need to follow the Lord more closely and trust Him more fully to take care of you?
2. What steps can you take to make sure you keep your eyes on Him?

FURTHER READING:
Psalm 23; 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Jen and her husband are busily parenting three teenagers. She serves Oakwood in various Children's Ministry and Women's Ministry roles as needs arise.

Temple of Heaven

 By Elin Henderson

“Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’s thy God,

 the earth also, with all that therein is.”

Deuteronomy 10:14 (KJV)

Two years ago we had the incredible experience and privilege to visit China on our way to a conference in Thailand. Thanks to the assistance of a helpful Chinese guide, we fit in an inordinate amount of “tourism” in a short 36-hour period. We saw everything from the Great Wall to the Forbidden City. And last, but not least, was the Temple of Heaven. She explained to us that this was where the Emperor would come twice a year to make sacrifices and pray to the heavens. 

There was much ritual and formality to ensure that the god of the heavens/nature god would give them a fruitful planting and then harvest season. As we were walking through the incredibly colorful and ornate passageways leading to the Temple, she made sure that we knew that the ritual doesn’t take place anymore because there is no Emperor. She then continued to say that people do still pray to the heavens - - for they control the seasons. 

I asked her, “Who then controls the heavens?” 

Perplexed, she stopped. Then looked at me with a grin and replied, “No one, I guess.” 

It broke my heart to hear her reply and to know that to her, along with millions of others, that question remains unanswered. How I longed to have the time to sit down and share with her that there is One who controls the heavens. And more than that, there is One who knows us all by name and loves us! 

Nature, disconnected from a Creator is a sad, random and disorganized thing. How encouraging and hope-giving is it to know that our Creator spoke the heavens and earth into existence, organized and ordered them. [1] That He owns them. [2] He controls and dominates them. [3] He dwells in them. [4] He can open them up or shut them down. [5] He listens from them. [6] They cannot contain Him. [7] That He pours out blessings from them as well as righteousness. [8] And the list could go on… 

The heavens are His temple and to Him do we lift up our prayers and hopes, not twice a year, but every moment of every day!

                                                                                            

GOING DEEPER:                                                       

1.    How does knowing the God of the Heavens bring peace to your little piece of earth today?

FURTHER READING:

Deuteronomy 28:12; Psalms 136:26

[1] Genesis 1

[2] Deuteronomy 10:14

[3] Job 9:8

[4] 2 Chronicles 6:33

[5] 2 Chronicles 6:26

[6] 2 Chronicles 6:25

[7] 2 Chronicles 6:18

[8] Malachi 3:10, Isaiah 45:8

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with Ethnos 360 in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to eighteen-year-old Callie and fifteen-year-old Elias.

Just Because

By Karen D’Amore

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”

 1 John 3:18 (NLT)

It was an ordinary day: not a holiday, anniversary, birthday or any other special occasion. I entered my vehicle to leave for work and found a card taped to the steering wheel. The unexpected sentiment was left by my husband…just because!  It’s not the first time he’s left something in my vehicle, taped to the bathroom mirror, or in my suitcase when I’m traveling. These unexpected expressions of love have always impelled me to ask, “What prompted this?” To which he always replies, “Just because!”  Something always draws me to believe that these random expressions of love must be contingent upon something I’ve done!

I doubt that my husband even realizes how much those “just because,”  unexpected displays of love warm my heart. Knowing that his actions are spurred by heartfelt emotion versus being dictated by a date on the calendar fills my love tank to overflowing! And I love that he always leaves these surprises someplace for me to find in his absence, allowing me to carry that piece of him with me when we’re apart.

As my relationship with Christ grows more personal and intimate, I’ve become more aware of His perpetual “just because”  personalized expressions of love. Knowing best how to fill my love tank, God expresses His “just because”  love for me…through the beauty, complexity and creativity of His creations. ^“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen…” (Romans 1:20a, NASB) Cognizant of how powerfully nature touches my heart and soul, God becomes visible to me through His creations.

Every time I gaze upon a masterfully brilliant sunrise or sunset, I see the signature… Love, God  woven into the tapestry of His hand-painted sky. When He nudges me to look out the window, just in time, to catch a glimpse of a grazing deer, my heart hears Him whisper…Love, God. With each expression engraved in my memory, an invisible God becomes visible through His signature, Love, God.

Scripture assures us that God’s love is NOT contingent upon anything we’ve done. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8, NLT).  This powerful display of “just because”  love stretches beyond human comprehension. And to think that, still today, as undeserving sinners, God longs for us to experience His personal expressions of love…

…just because!

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Watch for God’s love notes!

FURTHER READING:

John 3:16; Romans 5:6-11

Married to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns Salon and a Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility.