When Someone Else Writes Your Song

Leadership Development, Testimonies
Oct 272010

I love music. I love to listen to music and sing music. I love praise and worship and anything that focuses my thoughts and heart motives on Christ. I have many favorites; they draw me closer to our Savior and Creator. They fill my heart with His love.

But with this song, it’s like someone else saw deep into my soul and wrote what I wanted to but didn’t. It’s by a group called downhere. I saw them in June of 2008 at Stone Mountain Park while attending AtlantaFest, and while struggling with something for a while (putting my name in for leadership selection for this board position), they sang a song that was like God saying, “Go For It.”

Have you ever had a life verse from Scripture or some kind of motto in your life that was more prominent than others? For most of my life, mine has been from the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah. I learned this verse when I was a young girl attending church and missions conferences, always in reference to giving our lives over to God and His work in the world.

The song includes some of these lyrics….

You reach for the deepest hope in me
And call out for the things of eternity.

That’s what God was doing. He had to dig deep into my relationship with Him to pull out something eternal. He was calling me into a God-sized assignment, something I couldn’t do in the flesh, but that was promising to bless many and reap something big. For Him.

Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is part of Your plan
Here I am

This has been the chorus of my life….that whatever He has given me would be able to be returned as an offering unto Him. That He would call me, that I would answer. That He would continue to write His Name on my heart. That I would continue to acknowledge His work in my life and in my service.

These broken parts you redeem
Become the song that I can sing

He took a mess of a heart and still is recreating it in the image of His Son. He is just that loving and forgiving!  I love how He uses our natural talents, learned skills and spiritual gifts for His purposes. Are you seeing that this message is not just about me but also about you? Yes, you! YOU have so much to offer the Body of Christ, and I encourage you to listen to God’s song over you. What is He saying? How is He calling? Look for the confirmations of His calling in Scripture, in prayer, in conversations with trusted godly people, and just maybe, you’ll hear Him singing His song to you at an outdoor music festival. I did.

Thanks for the opportunity to serve you in the area of Communications for these two years. It’s been an incredibly sanctifying journey.

Somehow my story is part of His plan.

Love,

Melinda

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 ESV

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The Communications – 3VP update is published on the fourth Wednesday of the month. For questions or comments please email communications@pwoc.org

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“When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.”

regional review
Sep 232010

Submitted by Kelly Phillips, Pacific Region President

As the mother of two young children, I understand why mama grizzlies go on the attack.  Recently it seems that my eight year old daughter has been the subject of verbal attack from some of the other neighborhood girls.  She walks in the door crying because one girl or another said something mean.

When I see my child hurting, Mama Bear comes roaring to the surface, claws and all.  My first thought is that I want to give that little child a piece of my mind.  I’m tempted to fight fire with fire.

Fortunately at this point the Holy Spirit usually speaks to me and reminds me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5.

“But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also…But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”

Matthew 5:39, 44, 46

It can be difficult to convince an eight year old that she should turn the other cheek, especially when I am more than willing to go “turn the cheek” of the offending child.  But we are different from most of the families in our neighborhood.  We bear the name of Christ.  Because of that, we MUST react differently.  If I come roaring out of the house in defense of my child, then I am no different from any other person.  And if I come out to defend my child, she doesn’t learn the lesson of how to appropriately deal with sinful people in a fallen world.  Neither of us really wins.

We have a new routine when my daughter comes home in tears.  The first thing we do is pray together.  We pray for the child who has hurt her and then we pray that she would be able to forgive that child.  Recently I was blessed to see her mend a friendship with another little girl in our neighborhood.  It was so very difficult for me to keep Mama Grizzly in her cage when the offense occurred, but by the grace of God I did.  This little girl now comes to church with us every Sunday.  Her brothers have begun to tag along as well.  I have hope that mom and dad may not be far behind.  All because I didn’t try to fight fire with fire.

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Resolutions for 2010

Devotions
Jan 182010

During the Christmas/New Year season each year I find myself evaluating my life in terms of what God calls me to do. I ask myself, how am I loving and obeying my Savior? Also, how well do I love my husband, my children, and my friends? As I look towards my ability to keep the particular resolutions, I’ve often gotten discouraged when I think of my past success in keeping them. Where does the strong resolve I need to keep them come from so I don’t end up dropping them by the 2nd or 3rd week?

First, I need to aim high, because following God with unwavering obedience will lead me to new heights. Psalm 119:106 reads, “I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.” An early Puritan once said, “A soldier unresolved to fight may easily be defeated.” Psalm 119 also shows the Psalmist making vow after vow couched in constant dependence on the Lord to help him.

Second, the only way such high standards can be fulfilled is by His grace. My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in your weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). When I come to the end of myself and my ability to keep God’s laws (or any resolution I make before the Lord), I confess the sin to the Lord and then experience complete forgiveness and the gift of Christ’s perfect righteousness. He continually gives me the overwhelming grace I need for every single moment. Most important, He gives me His abiding presence that I can know and trust in the midst of any circumstance. This is what scripture and life are all about.

Love inspired by the mercy of God in Christ is what will most powerfully and persistently compel me to pursue righteousness. May we all echo what Psalm 27:4 says “To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord” every moment of 2010.

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Worthlessness makes me useful?

Seasonal teaching
Jan 072010

Submitted by: Kelly Phillips, Pacific Region President

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I have no doubt those words are familiar to many of us.  What may be unfamiliar to us is the context.  The Apostle Paul wrote those very words almost 2000 years ago, from a prison cell.  The epitome of hopelessness, he was in an actual, physical prison cell.  Yet Paul had hope.  With his words Paul expounded on his ability to trust in the Lord Jesus, regardless of his circumstances.

This past summer, as I contemplated some of the things I felt the Lord was calling me to, this particular verse repeatedly came to my mind.  One night I hit my knees and cried out,

“But Lord, I can’t do it!  It’s too hard!”  The Holy Spirit whispered to my heart,

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”   I whimpered back,

“I can’t.  I’m not worthy.”  He whispered to me,

“Realizing that you’re not worthy is what makes you useful.”

I was stunned.  Knowing my worthlessness makes me useful?  How?

His answer:  Because then you’re not trying to accomplish things in your own power, but in His.

I immediately began to comprehend that my fears were baseless.  I was afraid that I would disappoint the Lord.  That I would let Him down by not accomplishing the tasks He had for me.  I also began to see that my fears hadn’t come from the Lord.  The enemy of my soul was trying to keep me from the work the Lord wanted to bless me with.  The enemy had put me in that prison cell with Paul, but my attitude was keeping me there.

I determined right then and there that if the Lord was calling me to it, He was going to get me through it.  It wouldn’t necessarily be easy.  But it would be worth it!  And the best part was, I knew I couldn’t fail!  I was going to be doing God’s work, with God’s strength.

What is God calling you to?  Is the enemy trying to keep you in a prison cell?  Is he squelching your hope?  YOU can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you.  Like Paul, trust in the Lord, regardless of your circumstances!

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For I know the Plans I have for You

Real life stories, Seasonal teaching, Testimonies
Dec 012009

Submitted by Amanda Villiers, PWOCI Administrative Coordinator

“…For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…” Jeremiah 29:11

This has always been one of my favorite scriptures… but, this particular truth has taken on new meaning for my family this year. We found out sometime this spring that my husband would be heading off for his 4th deployment overseas. The thing that I struggled with the most was the fact my husband was going to be deployed with a “non-deployable” unit… Although we had hoped to be stable for 3 years before the army would again send him overseas… the Lord had other plans! From this scripture, I know the Lord wants me to prosper. I looked up various definitions of the word prosper and here is what I found it to mean; to thrive (more than just surviving), steadily grow (where He has called me), and undergo a transformation (through my circumstance). We may not always know why the Lord brings certain circumstances into our lives, we just need to trust that His plan is PERFECT! It also gives me peace knowing that in His infinite wisdom, He has the “big picture” in mind!

Where are you putting your trust, hope and confidence… is it in the world or your circumstance? How about your spouse or your kids, your physical health or your financial well-being? Make Christ your one HOPE and the one constant in your life…even in the ever changing military life! I encourage you to meditate on this scripture as well when the Lord calls you into a new season or unexpected change in your life!

Find rest, Oh my soul, in God alone; my hope (expectation in the KJV) comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.                                                                        Psalm 62:5-8 NIV

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