Guest Post: Die to Self is Figurative-Right, Lord?

Recently, God has really been working on my heart with my fear of reaching out to others. It can be a scary thing to reach out to someone. It can stretch us out of our comfort zone and leave us wondering if we really can make a difference. But as my friend Jennifer found out, it can also be very rewarding.

Today I’m welcoming back Jennifer Slattery to share about a time when she was afraid, and how God worked through that experience. In this post, she’ll also be sharing more about her “Reach Out to Live Out” campaign-a project I am extremely excited about, and one I hope you’ll join with me in supporting.

Read on to find out more, and let’s welcome Jennifer!

Die to Self is Figurative-Right, Lord?

by Jennifer Slattery

I sat sandwiched between my husband and chattering daughter, forcing a smile while my insides catapulted. We were headed to El Salvador, traveling by plane, and I was ready to hurl. Passengers sauntered on, smiling as if they had no idea how many planes crashed in the past ten years. Okay, so neither did I, but I’d seen a news clip or two. Besides, percentages aside, it only took once to kill you.

They say flying gets easier the more you do it. Not true. The way I figure it, the more you fly, the higher the probability you’ll crash. It’s a statistics thing. And yes, all these thoughts raced through my head the entire flight. They reached a crescendo when darkness fell, a storm hit, and jagged lightning zipped through the night sky. At one point, the plane actually dropped. Trying to assure me, my husband said that was only because we were going through the mountains. I didn’t find his explanation helpful. Before we reached baggage claim, I told my husband I never wanted to fly again.

Sitting on the plane a week later, after spending time with sweet orphan girls, I started to think about how I might return. How could so much change in such a short time? God allowed twenty-eight giggling girls to grab hold of my heart.

It’s funny how things changed once I turned my eyes off myself and started to let God love others through me. My fears diminished and my excitement grew.

Serving has a way of doing that—of forcing one out of self-imposed misery and inviting one to be part of something bigger than one’s sel. More than that, it allows one to rise above the here and now to catch a glimpse of eternity. I’ve seen this happen again and again. When people begin to join God’s love-circle, sadness turns to joy, hopelessness turns to purpose, and isolation gives way to community. There’s no greater adventure this side of heaven, and in my opinion, there’s no better way to fully experience the love of Christ.

Jesus said He came that we may have life, and have it to the full, only first we have to surrender. But oh, what a glorious gift we get in return!

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it” Luke 9:24 (NIV).

For me, my moment of fear, once placed in God’s hands, resulted in a beautiful blessing that drastically changed the way I view the world. It enabled me to experienced God’s love on a deeper level and stirred within a passion for orphans.

What about you? I’d love to hear about a time when God pushed you to reach out, even though it was hard. Who knows, your story may encourage others to do the same! I’ve launched a “Reach Out to Live Out” campaign to encourage others to join the great adventure. My prayer is when people read about some of the big or small ways other believers are reaching out, they’ll be encouraged to do the same. Want to join me? Send your “Reach Out” story, photo, or video to jenniferaslattery(at)gmail(dot)com, and I’ll post it on my blog. You might even win something! Visit http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/reach-out-donors/  to find out more.   

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Jennifer Slattery lives in the Midwest with her husband and daughter. She writes for Christ to the World Ministries, the ACFW Journal, Internet Café Devotions, and Jewels of Encouragement. You can connect with her online at her devotional blog at

http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com or via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JenSlatte

The Soul’s Ibuprofen

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was afraid to reach out to others. Out of that fear, she wrote a farewell letter in her heart:

Dear Compassion,

I’m afraid it’s time for me to move on. You see, I have too much to do to waste any time with you. I can’t slow down to listen to you if I want to get any work done. Besides, listening to you only brings me more misery. I have enough pain of my own, and you want me to add even more to my burdens by taking on others’ hurt? It’s much more productive to focus on my own worries and troubles.

How do I know these people even want my help? I’d probably only make things worse. What if I say the wrong thing? Reach out to them only to have them reject me in return? Or worse, draw them away from God?

No, no. I think everyone would be far better off if I just said goodbye to you, Compassion. You take me out of my comfort zone, and you make me feel things that I can do nothing about. Not everyone can make a difference. I certainly can’t. The only thing you bring me is more pain-pain that I can’t fix. It’s time for me to protect my heart.

Farewell, Compassion. I hope you understand-it’s easier on everyone this way.

 

But God wasn’t ready to give up on the girl. One day, He spoke to her through a song:

After listening to the song, the tears flowed down her face. With shame, she realized just how hard her heart had become, and she wrote a prayer pleading with God to bring compassion back into her life:

 

Help me see tragedy, and

Break me out of complacency,

So I can help the poor and needy.

 

Take away the umbrella,

So I can feel the rain,

And take away the soul’s ibuprofen,

So I can feel the pain.

 

Give me arms to hug and heal,

Give me knees that bend and kneel.

Give me a heart sensitive to your Word,

Help me set the captives free as a bird.

Give me calloused hands and skinned knees,

Oh, Father, please!

Give me tears that cry for change,

Put room in my heart, rearrange,

Break me, pour me out;

Oh, love’s what life’s about.

 

Put me in the ICU with the mom holding her son’s hand,

And place me in the impoverished land.

Let me feel the burning hunger of another,

And taste the stinging tears of my fellow brother.

Put me in the trench where the fear and blood is thick,

And in the child whose body is so sick.

Give me a heart tender and compassionate,

Oh, Lord, I want to be sent.

 

Jesus placed his feet on sinner’s land,

Accepted our hurt with an open hand.

Got his hands dirty and made a stand,

Touched and healed the leper’s hand.

Took on our sickness and pain,

Washed us anew in Heaven’s rain.

Walked into our darkness and gave us the light,

Took on our blindness and gave us sight.

Took our wounds and healed our souls,

Became broken so we became whole.

 

Became a prisoner so we could be free,

Walked through the fire with me.

Left heaven’s throne,

So I would never be alone.

 

‘Twas love that led him up to Calvary,

And ’tis love that says, “Take up your cross and follow me.”

My eyes, once blind, now see-

With perfect love comes bravery.

 

God honored that girl’s prayer, and for the first time in a long while she noticed the starving children on her television, and felt the tears stream down her cheeks. She noticed the sadness hiding behind her friend’s eyes, and remembered there were many who lived in darkness, just longing for the light. Light she could share with them.

The girl began to pray more, speak out more, and even cry more. But instead of adding to her burdens, it made her feel alive and free-as if a part of her had been re-awakened. And things around her began to change.

She has more purpose in her step now, more joy within her heart. For she realized that when you are loving is when you’re truly living. And she realized what the devil had been lying to her about for years, and it was this: that she could make a difference.

Now she lives in the truth, and the truth has set her free.

Once upon a time there was a girl, and that girl was me.

　

　

Be Still

Be still, and know that I am God.        (Psalm 46:10)

I don’t know when it happened. Somehow, I became an adult.

How do I know this, you ask? If you’re wondering, it’s not because of my age. (The whopping, brand-spanking new age of twenty-one!) It’s not because someone told me I was. It’s not because I can drink or drive (not at the same time, of course) or vote or any of those things.

It’s actually much more simple than that: my life is busy.

Busy? I can hear some of you ask. Yes, busy. It’s full of responsibilities, worries, chores, and stress. I go to town to run an errand only to realize I have another errand to run after that, only to realize I have an e-mail to answer when I get home, only to realize I have a lesson for school to get done soon, then a friend to call and wish a happy birthday to, then a post to answer on Facebook, then an article to finish, and somewhere in there I should read my Bible, then a blog post to write, then assure my family that yes, I am still living, and maybe somewhere in all of that I’ll find a chance to eat.

Sound familiar? If so, you’re an adult. If not, you’re either much younger in years, or Lord bless you, you’re lying.

It’s a sad thing, but I think most of us do associate adulthood with worry and stress. I didn’t feel like an adult because I had a birthday or because someone told me I was all grown up. The moment I felt like an adult was when I realized how very busy I was, and realized that all those things that needed to get done rested on my shoulders alone.

It used to be my parents who got things done for me. It used to be that I didn’t have to worry, because they would take care of it. Now I think about things like: how do I get my career going so I can make enough money to support myself, and what day should I go to the bank, and is the gas tank full? None of that is bad. It’s a necessity; a part of growing up.

But I have to admit I miss living in the moment.

I think that’s what we can lose as adults if we’re not careful-just living and being fully present. We can be so focused on to-do lists and schedules, we lose sight of the miracles in every-day. Wasn’t it Jesus who said He came so He could give us life, and life to the full? I don’t think God wants just the mundane for His children. If anything, He came to give us joy through the mundane.

We’re not just supposed to survive. We were not created to worry ourselves to death, but to live in the midst of death.

I teach Sunday School for five-year-olds, and I also have a six-year-old niece. What those amazing kiddos continually teach me is to just slow down. To see beauty in simplicity, and to take joy out of the little things. To see wonder in a dandelion, or giggle until my sides hurt.

Slowing down and living in the moment doesn’t mean we suddenly abandon our responsibilities to the wind, but it does mean not letting our responsibilities run our lives, either. It is neither irresponsible nor reckless to simply rest.

In fact, it is encouraged many times in the Bible. After a long day of ministering, Jesus would often go off by himself to pray.

And who could forget Mary and Martha? But just in case you did between the errand-running, carpooling, and decision-making: “As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.’ But the Lord said to her, ‘My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:39-42.)

We don’t have to be afraid of the stillness. I think once we become adults we think we’re supposed to be busy to be responsible and productive. The quiet can suddenly become scary and unnerving. But even Jesus allowed Himself some rest.

So today, if you find yourself in a never-ending blur of activity, I ask you to consider: are you afraid of being still? Sometimes busyness can be a camouflage. Doing a lot of things can make us feel productive, but it’s not the amount of things that make that so. It’s the things we’re doing.

Don’t be afraid to slow down today. Take a little break. Smell the proverbial rose. Take something from your schedule that really isn’t necessary, and most importantly, if you haven’t been still in God’s presence for a while, go and sit at His feet. Don’t miss what Martha did.

And if you’ve forgotten how, go and spend some time with your kids. They’ll be more than happy to teach you.

I Hear Ya: When did you realize you’d become an adult? What are some things you do to slow down?

Guest Post: From Fear to Faith

Today I am thrilled to welcome Jennifer Slattery as today’s guest writer. Jennifer and I first met at last year’s Writing for the Soul Conference, and since then I’ve come to know her as one of the kindest, most caring, and compassionate people I’ve ever met. She is an excellent writer, and her blog is one of my favorites to read. Jennifer has also started something called the “Reach Out to Live Out Campaign”- a campaign that focuses on sharing true stories to make acts of love contagious. To share your story and be entered to win a free gift basket, you can find more information here: http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/reach-out-donors/.

But now, please join me in welcoming Jennifer!

From Fear to Faith

by Jennifer Slattery

If I were to ask a group of believers for their favorite Bible stories, I suspect a few would rise to the top: David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lion’s Den … Abraham and Isaac. We love to hear stories of courageous men and women following God with unhindered obedience. If only we had their courage and unwavering faith!

And yet, I can’t help but wonder what happened in the “back story.” Were these heroes of old always courageous, or was their courage learned through experience?

We like to think these Bible heroes are somehow more than human, but the truth is, they likely struggled with the same emotions as you and I: fear, sadness, anger, discontentment. What made them great was not their super-human spirituality, but instead, a superior God who continued to mold, guide, strengthen and transform their hearts.

I love the story of Abraham because it demonstrates a steady progression from fear to faith. I’m tempted to start and end on Mount Moriah, where God tested Abraham’s faith and Abraham came forth as gold, but if I skip over his times of struggle, I miss out on crucial growth steps.

In Genesis chapter 12, God promised to bless Abraham (called Abram). God repeats the blessing once Abraham arrives in Canaan, but with more details.

Abraham’s offspring will inherit the land. Only there’s a problem–Abraham and Sarah don’t have any children. This means, God’s going to have to grant them children in order to make good on His promise.

And yet, a few verses later, once Abraham gets to Egypt, he fears for his life. Faith would say, “God said He would bless me. God promised I would have offspring. Dead men don’t have children, therefore, God will protect Sarah and I in this foreign land.”

Abraham didn’t say that. Fear took hold instead, and motivated him to take matters into his own hands. Perhaps he thought God needed a little help. And so, Abraham came up with a plan.

Before entering Egypt, Abraham told Sarah, “I know what a beautiful woman you are.　

¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.　¹³

Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.” (Genesis 12:11-12)

And what happens when we allow fear to control our actions and take matters into our own hands? We make a mess! Which is exactly what happened here. Because of Abraham’s sin and lack of faith, countless Egyptians suffered.

17But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. (Genesis 12:17)

Abraham takes Sarah, and a large amount of riches from Egypt, and moves on. God is gracious, and in Genesis 15, He repeats the blessing. This time He’s even more specific, telling Abraham his child will be his own flesh and blood.

6Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.(Genesis 15:1-6)

So now, God has spoken to Abraham on three separate occasions, promising to bless him, protect him, and give him a son. And Abraham believes God … at least, during the miraculous moment when God speaks. But notice what happens in the very next chapter:

1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar;　2 so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed to what Sarai said.　(Genesis 16:1-2)

God promised Abraham a son. Abraham’s married to Sarah. Sarah’s not having children, so Abraham decides he needs to help God out … again. He takes Hagar, Sarah’s handmaden, and sleeps with her. The result? Another mess. Tension fills the home, to the point that Abraham sends his own son and Hagar away.

 By the time we join Abraham on Mount Moriah, he and God have quite a history, don’t they? Time and time again, God’s promised to bless Abraham, yet when difficulties arise, fear takes hold and Abraham takes matters into his own hands. Each time, his actions create chaos and pain. I’m thinking by the time God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, he’s finally learned that God’s ways are indeed better.

So basically, Abraham’s faith grew through experience, by watching God show up again and again, by hearing God’s promises again and again. With each failure, Abraham learned God’s grace wasn’t dependent on Him.

The same is true for us. I believe our faith starts once we get to the end of ourselves, when we realize that we are incapable of going it alone. When we’re tired of creating messes.

It is hard to have unshakable faith straight out of the gate, but as we continue to walk with God, He shows us day after day and year after year that He is good, and strong, and wise. Then, when new difficulties arise, we can remember God’s faithfulness and derive courage from our past experiences.

Are you struggling with fear today? God wants to replace your fear with unshakable faith. Spend a moment in His presence, and remember times He’s proven Himself faithful in the past.

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Jennifer Slattery lives in the Midwest with her husband of 16 years and their 14-year-old daughter. She writes for Christ to the World Ministries, Internet Café Devotions, Jewels of Encouragement, the Christian Pulse, and maintains a devotional blog at http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com. 

And the Winner is…

Thanks to everyone who entered to win Donna Pyle’s Bible Study and DVD set “Your Strong Suit,” and a huge thank you to Donna for her generosity and for offering to give a free set away here on The Fear List! Thank you so much for visiting this week.

Without further ado, the results are in.

Congratulations to…

Nichole Parks! 

Nichole, you must be on a lucky streak! You’ll be receiving your free Bible study and DVD set in the mail soon.

For those of you who lucked out this time around, you can also purchase Donna’s study here: http://www.artesianministries.org/store

Thanks again to everyone who visited this week, and I’ll see ya on Monday!

Guest Interview and Giveaway

Today I am proud to feature the lovely Donna Pyle. Donna was my roommate at last year’s Writing for the Soul Conference, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone more fun or friendly.

A while back, I talked about God’s armor as described in Ephesians 6. If you missed it, you can read it here: http://wp.me/p132LV-nN. It just so happens Donna wrote a Bible study on the very same thing, so I thought it would be awesome to have her on to go even deeper on the topic. Lucky for me, she agreed!

Donna is the founder of Artesian Ministries and travels to teach her study internationally. You can find her at

www.artesianministries.org or her blog at www.hydratedliving.com. Comment to have a chance to win a free copy of the 8-lesson DVD and accompanying Study Guide book. We’ll draw a name on Thursday, March 22, and the winner will be announced on Friday, March 23!

She’s written and recorded an 8-lesson DVD-based Bible study based on God’s armor that released in November 2011. The study has been very well received and many are already asking for her next study. Here’s a little snippet about the study:

It seems odd that Christianity and warfare are intertwined. Isn’t Christianity about love and peace?

“Yes, but dark spiritual forces launch continuous attacks against us, our loved ones, and every area of our life. Satan’s goal is our complete and utter destruction. Suiting up in God’s armor provides our only hope of survival. God did not provide our armor so we could admire it hanging in our closet. Walking through our day without His armor means walking onto the spiritual battlefield surrounded by snipers we cannot see nor triumph over.” Donna digs verse-by-verse through Ephesians 6:10-18 to reveal the battle, our armor, His protection, and our place in God’s army.

Donna says: “Spiritual warfare is a tough issue for some to face. I have seen some people choose to ignore the raging spiritual warfare because of fear. They abdicate their post on the battlefield because the reality that a powerful, unseen enemy actively labors to destroy them is simply too frightening to bear. Also, we are an exhausted generation. Technology, over-crowded schedules, and over-committed lives allow no margins. Dwelling too long on the topic of spiritual warfare seems overwhelming in light of other obligations, so they just remove it from the list. One less thing to ‘deal’ with, so to speak.”

“God prompted me to write this study because I needed to understand the level of protection that He provides to us. I had heard of ‘suiting up’ and ‘standing firm’, but until I really dug deep into this study, I only vague understood what that meant. This study has changed my faith walk on every level. We are so loved and uber protected by God Almighty Himself!”

Here’s a video preview of the study:

“Lives have been transformed by this study. It has been amazing to hear the personal stories of many, previously shackled by fear, step out in faith in new areas of their personal, relational, and ministry-related journeys. Knowing that God’s armor provides impenetrable protection has fostered a renewed trust and confidence that nothing the enemy attempts will take them out. In hope and His strength, they have relocated and work to rebuild their lives as they help their neighbors do likewise. Let His praises ring!”

Remember, leave a comment here by Thursday, March 22, to have a chance to win the 8-lesson DVD study and study guide.

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An engaging speaker, author, Bible teacher and worship leader, Donna has a passion for studying and teaching God’s Word. She has authored 18 Bible studies, numerous devotions, and magazine articles, and serves as a Staff Writer for Blessed Life Magazine.

Donna’s latest full length Bible study on comfort (through Concordia Publishing House) releases in July 2012. She’s currently working on her first non-fiction book with her literary agent, Rachelle Gardner. Donna fuels her creativity with Chick-Fil-A® and Starbucks®, and enjoys writing, blogging about faith-based issues, traveling, reading, singing, and torturing her cats with feather toys.

Drum Roll, Please…

Out of a total of eight entrants, the randomly selected winner of Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Mothers and Daughters is…

Tessa! 

Congratulations, Tessa! I hope you enjoy the book.

A huge thank you to everyone who entered and helped me spread the word! I wish I could have given a copy to everyone.

For those of you still interested in reading it, here is one of the places you can purchase the book: http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Soup-Soul-Inspirational-Entertaining/dp/1935096818/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331872842&sr=1-1.

Please stay tuned on Monday for a fabulous guest post from my friend Donna, and yet another giveaway!

Who knows? This time, the winner might be you.