Rachel Spinuzzi

Finding Joy in Philippians

Jun 272011

Submitted by Rachel Spinuzzi

Have you ever had one of those seasons, the kind where you feel like there must be a target taped to your back? When you are trying to do all the right things, but you feel like Satan has your number on speed dial? That’s where I have been living this semester. In January I agreed to lead a small group Bible study on Philippians that was titled “Joy” and it seems like ever since then the joy stealers have been lining up. Stuff like the flu, strep, pneumonia, my 5-year-old cat dying of cancer, my 16-year-old cat wasting away and then also dying of cancer 2 months later, serious medical issues within our family, waiting on the ever lovely referral system in Tricare to find out just how serious things might be, and did I mention we’re moving?

God was not surprised about any of this.

When the results of the 5-year-old cat’s surgery were devastating, that shock made me realize once again about the frailty of this life. I started worrying what could happen to my family. Inoperable cancer could just as easily strike someone close to me. Fear set in cold and deep. Then news came just a couple of weeks later that my dear hubby might have a serious medical problem, but we had to wait on the system to find out what, if anything, was wrong. In Philippians it says to be anxious for nothing and to rejoice in the Lord always (4:4 and 4:6). The author of our study said that worry was a sin. Seriously? I am not cut out to be the perfect Christian who can live in this imperfect world, be subject to sin and death, and not be anxious. And moving, I am always apprehensive about moving. Lord, help my unbelief. Father, Healer, Comforter, help me, help us.

God’s word is helpful; it is His letter to us. Philippians is helpful; it points me to Jesus. Jesus is the true Savior, the humble servant, and the Holy One who has paid the ultimate price for me. I need to focus on Him, worship Him, compare my sufferings to His, and consider the work He has already accomplished. That gives me perspective. I need to continue to think about others and not just sink into my own little pity party (Phil 2:4). God saw fit to give me a neighbor who went through both a pet dying recently and a husband with a serious medical issue to walk beside me and encourage me. Thank you, Lord! He is our ever-faithful Provider and will supply our needs according to His riches (Phil 4:19).

I press on because I have not attained Christ’s likeness. I am FAR from it. I cannot obtain it on my own, but Christ has made me His own. He dwells in me and has promised to perfect me. When I am discouraged by my weaknesses, lack of faith, and worry habits, He reminds me that He will continue to bring the good work already started in me to completion (Phil 1:6). I try to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead. Our citizenship is in Heaven, until we get there things aren’t going to be pretty or perfect or easy. I can count on Him to strengthen me (Phil 4:13) until then.

In my effort to find peace and hope I must pray. I must rejoice in what the Lord has already done and will do in the future, rejoice in His Righteousness, rejoice in His victory, rest on His strength, take all my requests to Him, and count all the blessings He has given and continues to give so generously (Phil 4:4-7). Then I need to focus on things that are honorable, true, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent, keeping my eyes fixed on Heaven and the hope we have there (Phil 4:8).

(By the way, that big scary medical problem that I thought my husband had? It disappeared by the time we finally got the bigger better test. Either the problem was never there in the first place, or God healed my husband. So I really was anxious for nothing.)

Glory to God!

Rejoice!

Gratitude Challenge

Devotions

Jan 242011

One sermon tagline I remember with clarity from my childhood is: thankfulness = happiness. It was simple, it was catchy, and I still remember it. My pastor explained that you must be thankful to be happy, and you must have gratitude to find joy. We must count our blessings to know that we are blessed. During November of 2009, I was challenged to make my social network status say something I was thankful for every single day. The Thanksgiving themed challenge was called “30 days of Thankful.” It was a particular test for me because on the 13^th on November my dear husband was scheduled to deploy. So for the 2 weeks leading up to his departure and the 2 weeks after he left, I was forced to come up with at least one thing per day that I was thankful for. It really helped. It made me focus on my blessings instead of my hardships.

Some folks keep a gratitude journal. I’m not very good about being diligent in keeping journals. But I can remember to say thank you to God for at least one thing every time I pray. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father (James 1:17), so we should be continually thanking Him. I also remember that my mom remembers those who give her thank you notes and those who do not. She is more likely to give additional gifts to those who have sent her prompt thank you notes. Surely God knows when I am truly thankful for something He has given me and when I forget to give Him credit for that wonderful thing that just happened to me, be it huge or small.

So here is my challenge for the women of PWOC: be grateful daily, be thankful even when things are not going well, find and count your blessings, and give credit to the One who loves to bless you. If you make a list, you might be surprised by how long it is each day. God loves us so much. We need to recognize the multitudinous ways He shows us His love and love Him more in return.

Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.

1 Chronicles 16:8

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Psalm 100:4

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thes 5:18

Third Sunday of Advent: Rejoice!

Devotions, Seasonal teaching

Dec 142010

When is the last time you felt sheer joy? When is the last time you jumped up and down with delight or did a happy dance? Sometimes when I am really happy I kind of wiggle and bounce because I can’t contain it. When my first child was born, I was so overwhelmed with joy and exhaustion and could only utter “oh” over and over with tears running down my face. Now think about the last time you felt that way about our Lord.

He is the maker of the universe, of every tiny snowflake, of every blooming flower, of every sandy beach, and He placed the stars in the sky. He came to earth so He could save us from eternal darkness. He loves each and every one of us despite our faults. His love for us is wider, deeper, and longer that we could ever imagine. He forgets our sins when we confess them and repent. He is the giver of every perfect gift. He hears us every time we pray. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. And He is building a home for each of in heaven. These are just a few reasons to find joy in Him this Advent season.

Take some time this Christmas to really rejoice in the Lord, maybe even do a happy dance.

Isaiah 61:10
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Habakkuk 3:18
Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

God and Birds

Devotions

Jul 122010

I am a self-professed bird nerd. I love birds. A pretty feathered friend outside my window can easily distract me. Anyone who is a facebook friend of mine can attest to my bird-nerdiness. I have documented the drought of hummingbirds this Spring and most recently the growth of a Mockingbird family right in my front yard.

What do birds have to do with God? Well, I believe that He uses birds as one way to show me He loves me. And His bird timing in this case was spot on. This past June 20th was Fathers’ Day and also my 12th Anniversary. Due to my dear hubby’s deployment it was sure to be a depressing day. But God had other things planned for me. First, He gave me an awesome husband who remembered our special day and spoiled me rotten from afar. Then, He planned in advance a special birdy treat just for me.

A few weeks ago we noticed a pair of Northern Mockingbirds building a nest in our little oak tree out in the front yard. Time passed and on a cool, stormy day, I noticed that one of the birds was patiently sitting on the nest. Eggs! Immediately I suspected she was sitting on eggs. And sure enough, she was. I needed the ladder to confirm it….there were five beautiful speckled eggs in that nest.

A few days later I noticed that both birds were suddenly being very attentive to the nest. That told me the chicks had hatched. We hauled out the ladder again, this time with the camera, and began to document the babies as they grew from fragile, weak, ugly, featherless creatures, to cute fuzzy chirping adolescent birds. Everyday we watched as they made great strides in maturity and development. We took great joy in watching the bright yellow beaks pop up at any sound or movement. It was a thrill hearing their little chirps for the first time on Day 7. We learned a lot about them and had such fun.

Early on June 20th (baby bird Day 13), I noticed that one of the babies was out of the nest on a branch. Then a short while later, two were perched on branches. We spent most of the day (when we weren’t at church or eating) keeping track of the birds’ movements. All five left the nest. All five left the tree. It was a big adventure for their family and mine. We were running all over the place trying to keep up. One baby spent a good deal of time in our backyard, so we could see him up close and watch as he hopped around and tried to fly a little. The parents were brave and merciless in defending their offspring, attacking bigger birds, squawking at my cats and us if we were too close to the babies.

As I lay down that night I realized that the entire day had passed without a tear, without a single moment of heaviness. God had carried me through it and given me a precious glimpse into His wonderful creation. He had even made it fun. He’s so good to me. I don’t deserve His love, but I will gratefully receive it and give Him the glory.

p.s. A pair of finches are building a nest in my hanging petunia and the humming birds have finally arrived and look like they may stay a while. My cup overflows.

Psalm 17:6-8
I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings

Psalm 36:5-7
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O Lord, you preserve both man and beast.
How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Matthew 7:11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

A Message in the Midst of Grief

Devotions

Apr 192010

Feelings of grief come and go. Sometimes they surprise me when they return after a period of joy and relative peace. Grief hit me smack in the face on Monday morning. The past few months have been full of reasons for grieving, I think I’m in a season of it. There have been deaths (loved ones of all ages, from a baby 2 days old to a grandfather who was almost 103 years old), senseless violence, life threatening illnesses, deployments, and many other horrible heartbreaking things. It seems like it is all around me, happening to those I love and many people close to me.

But life goes on and blessings abound. Flowers are blooming, and I love flowers (Hello bluebonnets!). Grass is turning green. I got used to feeling good again. Then WHAMMO! That ugly grief thing reared its head. Monday morning I was hit by an overwhelming sense that I wanted to talk to my husband face to face, for more than five minutes, and in person. This is the husband who has been in Iraq for about 5 months. R&R isn’t for another 93 days or so, give or take. There has been so much going on that I can’t just type it all in an email. Goodness knows that I love Skype and how it has blessed my family. But it isn’t enough sometimes, especially when those conversations happen right before MDH gets out of or into bed. We are constrained by his requirement to get to a meeting or his need for every precious minute of sleep he can get (not to mention the little ones sitting on my lap trying to get their face time with daddy).

I was bummed all day Monday and into Tuesday. Tuesday is my PWOC day. I found it very difficult to get ready on time and had been in tears at least once that morning. I finally made it in the car and was trying to obey the speed limit on post and still be on time for our program. The clouds and fierce winds outside reflected my mood on the inside, gloomy, fitful, sad. As I came around a big corner, the clouds opened up for a brief moment. A big shaft of morning sunlight pierced the clouds and beamed directly towards the side of my car and lit up my face. It felt like a big spot light aimed at me in my car. It made me laugh out loud.

During my last study we had been learning about “God’s Love in 3-D”. One of the lessons encouraged us to find ways that God was speaking directly to us. So I knew that this blast of sunlight was coming directly from Him. He made the sun, after all, and moves the clouds where and when He wants to. He was sending me a message. This is my interpretation of it:

“Hey you, sad daughter of mine, Rachel! I am here!
I AM here! Always, even it’s behind the clouds. I love you. I think you are special.
I moved these clouds just for you, just for this instant to remind you how big I am and how much you mean to me.”

Then I arrived at our chapel where I was surrounded by my fellow sisters in Christ who further blessed and encouraged me. God is good and He is faithful. He is our help in a very present trouble. If you are grieving, or in the midst of deployment, or just in the throws of your busy life, please be encouraged to look for ways that God is revealing Himself to you. He loves you in a very real and personal way.

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see the works of the Lord,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields [fn2] with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

In the Thick of It

Devotions

Jan 112010

I’ve been in the thick of it lately. Like that old saying, “when it rains, it pours”, it’s been pouring on me lately. Fort Hood, my place, my city, my neighborhood, was thrown into a whirlwind of tragedy and mourning on November 5th. My husband left for a year in Iraq on November 13th. My grandfather, who is 102 and has been living on his own all this time, has been in the hospital with pneumonia and now faces the fact that he should no longer live alone. My sweet mother-in-law has been diagnosed with colon and liver cancer. My own mother has had surgery on both her eyes in the past month. My 2 year old is suddenly acting like a 2 year old. I have had 2 minor surgeries recently. There are many more little and big things too numerous to list.

I don’t write all of this to make people feel sorry for me. I know there are individuals who have it far worse than I do and many who are in the same boat. I write this so that you may be encouraged as I have been encouraged. God, my faithful and loving Father, has surrounded me with friends and family that pray for me, support me, and have stepped alongside me to walk with me during this time.

God, my provider and protector, has used His marvelous Word to reaffirm His love for me and reiterate that He is in control. Here are just a few of the scriptures that have spoken to my heart lately:

Isaiah 43:1-2 But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (NIV)

1 Peter 2: 12-13 Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. (The Message)

Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8 “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (NASB)

Every Soul Has a Purpose

Devotions

Oct 192009

“Everyone who breathes has a mission, has a work. We are not sent into this world for nothing; we are not here that we may go to bed at night, and get up in the morning, toil for our bread, rear a family and die. God sees every one of us; He creates every soul for a purpose.” John Henry Newman

Have you reflected lately on your purpose in life? Are you already aware of the ways that God has gifted you? Have you seen the ways in which God wants to use you in your community? We get so busy and wrapped up in the every day things of life that we sometimes forget the bigger picture. There really is more to life than getting through it day by day. God has made each and every one of us in a unique way with gifts that He wants us to use for His glory.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 says “there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”

What is the BIG picture God has for you? What is your mission, your work? Are you a teacher, a leader, an encourager, an evangelist? What are you doing today to fulfill God’s plan for your life? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, how do you find them? One simple way can be found in Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God. Blackaby says to find out where God is already working and join Him. If you see something God is already doing that really excites you, jump in. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. God gave you talents and desires that naturally express where He may want to use you.

1 Peter 4:10 says “each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

Take a minute in your busy schedule to consider your personal calling. The constant list of demands in your daily life can obscure the richness to which you are called. Consider your destiny. What are you doing today that will have eternal significance? Try to fit the little things in your life into the bigger picture. Prioritize your daily activities to include what God has planned for you.

Psalm 34:3 says “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.”

Heaven

Devotions

Oct 122009

I’ve been thinking about Heaven lately. I recently moved from a very large city that was over crowded, had crazy traffic, terrible pollution, and a few very unpleasant smells. On the way to our new duty station we stopped in Hawaii. It was overwhelming. After cohabitating with millions of people in a tight urban space, Hawaii was paradise. The contrast between to two places kind of blew my mind. We only had a few days there, which weren’t enough, but better than none. The lyrics “Better is one day in Your courts, better is one day in Your house, better is one day in Your courts than thousands elsewhere …” kept repeating themselves in my head. Three and a half days in Hawaii were great, but what will heaven be like? I know it will be more beautiful than Hawaii, more beautiful than I can imagine.

Psalm 16:9-11

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

As life ramps up and gets busy, keep your focus on eternity and things that are eternal. Prioritize your life in a way that gives the weight of your time to things that will last and less to the things that will pass away in an instant. Take heart in the hope that our present sufferings and annoyances will all change when we meet our Savior face to face.

On the Move

Devotions

Jul 272009

Tuesday Devotions

Like so many others in the PWOC world, I am on the move again, this time from Korea back to the states. Everybody in the military knows that moving can bring on stress. Currently I am having trouble sleeping. I often go to sleep easily but awaken about 3 or 4 a.m. and can’t go back to sleep. I’ve also been having those dreams that I have a final exam and haven’t been to class in weeks. This anxiety keeps me from getting a full night’s sleep and leaves me less than my best the next day. I need some help!

But where, oh Lord, does my help come from? It comes from You! Right away Philippians 4:6 comes to mind…be anxious for nothing. How can I apply this to my right now world, my anxious night time reality? Let’s read that verse and include some surrounding verses to get the context:

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 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. 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.

Oh, man, it starts off with “Rejoice!” Not just ‘count your blessings’ but “Rejoice!” He wants me to really enjoy and appreciate all the fabulous things He has done for me here in Korea and what He is continually doing for me daily. Then He promises that He will be near me, thank goodness. I can use a guy like Him around. Next, He wants my gentleness evident to all around me, including and especially my family and my neighbors. He commands me not to be anxious, but to ask Him about all my needs and He wants me to be thankful when I ask. I keep in mind all the times He has answered my prayers in the past and be thankful that He knows me and has control of what is best for me. Sometimes I forget that I can ask for simple things like a good night’s sleep.

Used by permission.

Waiting Stinks

Devotions

Jun 292009

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14 (NASB)

Waiting stinks. I don’t like it very much. My life has been full of waiting. I waited for 31 years to find “Mr. Right”. That was a LONG time. Fertility issues made me wait for lots of things like tests, test results, answers, and that ever elusive plus sign on the pregnancy test stick. We have waited for orders from the Army that tell us where we are going next. And I have waited for that email or phone call when my husband was deployed. Everyone waits and it isn’t much fun.

But God has been very faithful to me. There were lots of bumps along the road, but I am truly blessed. My husband turned out to be well worth the wait. He is a man worthy of honor and trust who loves the Lord. God gave us two beautiful sons who are continual blessings. The three guys in my life are physical reminders, spiritual markers, of the times God has answered my prayers beyond all that I could ask or think.

A while back I did a word study on “wait” in the Bible (check out an online Bible search engine). It seemed like waiting was one of the recurring themes in my life. I wanted to see what God had to say about waiting. I was amazed to find that the word “wait” is almost always paired with the word “hope”. What an “aha!” moment. If God, the creator of the universe, is on our side, if we are in a love relationship with Him, then we can have hope while we wait! All my past thoughts about waiting were negative, but all of His are optimistic. God uses the process of waiting to draw us closer to Him and to change us into the likeness of Christ.

May you find hope while you wait. Whether it be waiting for your next assignment, waiting for medical test results, waiting to hear God’s will for your life, waiting for a child who has turned from God to come back, waiting for a loved one to choose God for the first time, waiting for a deployment to be over, please pray while you wait. Meditate on the promises He has given us in His Word, and seek His peace.

Psalm 39:7 And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You. (NASB)

Psalm 130:5-8 I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (NASB)

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (NASB)

Lamentations 3:25-26 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. (KJV)

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PWOC International Blog

Rachel Spinuzzi

Finding Joy in Philippians

Gratitude Challenge

Third Sunday of Advent: Rejoice!

God and Birds

A Message in the Midst of Grief

In the Thick of It

Every Soul Has a Purpose

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