"Just Do It."

 “It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life.  Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom.  Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows.  For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself.  That’s an act of true freedom.”

–Galatians 5:13-14 MSG

For the past few months God has stirred in me a renewed heart for service.  I come from a family of servants so watching it growing up certainly laid the foundation.  However, I must admit sometimes I get a little tired, wondering if I’m really making a difference.  My time in prayer and meditation revealed to me that’s my fleshly need to ‘see’ the end result.  But if I’m trusting Him, then I should trust that He would not lead me to service if it wasn’t making a difference.  There are countless examples in His Word that call us to service.  So as the Nike slogans says, Just Do It!

With all the violence and division we are bombarded with daily, you can quickly become disillusioned and believe the world has gone completely mad.  In Romans 12:20-21 (MSG) God’s Word says, “Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink.  Your generosity will surprise him with goodness.  Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.”  This is more than a devotional, it is a challenge.  A challenge to help those in need.  A challenge to perform a random act of kindness, expecting nothing in return. 

Here are a few suggestions of local organizations that could use your help, or individual ways that you can help:

·        Blessing bags for the homeless:  Fill a plastic storage / freezer bag with individual sized toiletries such as toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, washcloth, deodorant, and a snack.  Keep them on hand in your car.

·        Food 4 Thought:  Hazelwood School District’s food pantry which services all 33 schools.  Food 4 Thought provides students who lack access to nutritious food at home with a reliable source of food for evenings, weekends, and other breaks from school. (In the interest of full disclosure, I am the Chairperson).  To make a donation, or host a food drive, contact me at mslaught313@yahoo.com.

·        Angels’ Arms: Angels’ Arms is dedicated to providing and supporting loving homes for foster children by keeping brothers and sisters together within a nurturing family until a forever home is found.  Angels’ Arms currently operates 12 homes.  To donate or volunteer, contact Angels’ Arms at (314) 842-8400, email  info@angelsarms.org, or visit their website at http://angelsarms.org/.

·        Horizon Club:  A 24 hour drop in center for individuals with developmental disabilities without homes that offers showers, laundry, and computer/internet access.  Their wish list includes: socks, underwear (adult sizes), travel size toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush), first aid supplies and brown bag lunches.  Horizon Club is located at 202 N. 23^rd Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, (314) 421-0090. (Expected to close the end of August, 2016).

·        Shower to the People:  Shower to the People is a mobile shower truck that provides hygiene services and hot showers to the local homeless population of St. Louis, visiting multiple locations across the greater St. Louis area.  To find out how you can donate, email them at volunteer@showertothepeople.net, or visit their website at www.showertothepeople.net.

Margaret Slaughter

Recommit Every Day!

 “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.” –Proverbs 24:16a

Several weeks ago I decided to seriously commit to a healthier lifestyle. Changing my eating habits, and committing to an exercise routine. In the past one of my downfalls has been overcoming the guilt of a bad day. If I consumed more calories than needed, or if I failed to exercise, I would decide I had messed it all up so I may as well give up. I recently read a fitness article that reprogrammed my thinking. Recommit every day! How simple, but powerful. It has been a tremendous help in keeping me focused and committed. Had a bad day? In the morning hit the reset button and recommit.

What if we applied this principle to our Christian walk? Every morning, hit the reset button, and recommit yourself to Christ daily. This practice will not only strengthen your walk, but it can also serve as a 'check in' or encourage repentance. 'Lord, I know I fell short in ___________, but here I am today, back at it.  Forgive me, and strengthen me for this new day.' Don't give up, recommit every day.

Margaret Slaughter

"Know Him For Yourself"

“Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.” -- Philippians 3:8-9 MSG

 How many times have you met a person, and someone else begins to give you their opinion of that person, good or bad. Until you get to know the person for yourself, the other person's opinion sometimes shapes yours.  

The same goes for our relationship with Christ. Others' opinion of Christ, good or bad, can shape your opinion of Him and His power, until you get to know Him for yourself.  If your ‘circle’ is part of the turn up, and they see no benefit in having a relationship with Christ, then your initial opinion of Christ is negative.  But, if your ‘circle’ loves Christ, and believes in His infinite power, then your initial opinion of Christ is shaped in a positive light.  However, even with their positive opinion, your knowledge of Christ is still limited until you get to know Him for yourself.  How do you get to know Him for yourself?  Just as you spend time with a person when you’re trying to develop a relationship, the same goes for developing a relationship with Christ.  You spend time with Him by reading His Word, setting aside time for prayer and meditation. As in any relationship, you cannot experience the benefits of that relationship until you get to know them for yourself.  How will you get to know the character of Christ, and all that’s available to you as a child of God if you do not get to know Him for yourself? 

 Margaret Slaughter

With Expectation!

 

“Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD.

Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.”

Psalm 5:3

There’s just something about communing with God in the stillness of the early morning.  Calm and quiet with no distractions.  Fulfilling the need to check in with God before you begin your day.  And ‘wait expectantly’.  What does that mean, ‘wait expectantly’? 

Have you ever had tickets to a concert for your all-time favorite group?  And weeks leading up to the concert you’re excited, you can hardly wait for the day to come.  That’s how we should approach our day, AFTER we’ve checked in with GOD.   

Expectantly is defined as:  feeling or thinking that something will happen; expecting something.

To go a little further, synonyms for ‘expectantly’ are: actively, breathlessly, earnestly, energetically, enthusiastically, gladly, hungrily, intently, readily, willingly, zealously.

Hmmmm, is this how you usually approach a new day?  Or do you draaaaag yourself out of bed wishing the day was already over?

Let’s push the reset button and start our day making our requests know to God, and waiting in expectation for what He’s going to do.

Margaret Slaughter

F.R.O.G.

I saw this acronym a few years ago, F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely On God), and I thought, ‘how cute’.  There were t-shirts, bumper stickers, bracelets, you know how it goes.  Then I started to wonder, how many of us really do it?  Fully rely on God?  F.R.O.G. means I don’t do things in my OWN power, or rely on other natural beings, but I rely on the matchless power of God. 

You buy a new TV stand, and you get home to put it together.  You don't bother with the instructions because you've got this.  How hard could it be.  You put it together, and there are lots of pieces left.  How can that be?  The pieces must be necessary because they put them in the box.  NOW you refer to the instructions.  It would have saved you a lot of time, and been much easier if you had consulted the instructions FIRST.  It's the same way with our lives.  If we consult Him FIRST, and follow HIS instructions, our lives would be much easier. 

Can’t sleep at night?  Agonizing over a family member or situation?  You are not practicing F.R.O.G.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 MSG says it like this: “Cursed is the strong one who depends on mere humans, who thinks he can make it on muscle alone and sets GOD aside as dead weight.  He’s like a tumbleweed on the prairie, out of touch with the good earth.  He lives rootless and aimless in a land where nothing grows.  But blessed is the man who trusts me, GOD, the woman who sticks with GOD.  They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near rivers – never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.”

Chances are you already know what happens when you don’t F.R.O.G.  Now it’s time to experience what happens when you do F.R.O.G.  God is interested in every detail of our lives.  Turn 'it' over to Him, and let Him instruct you on how to handle 'it'.  God’s Word tells us if we rely on HIM and not ourselves, we will be blessed.  We don’t have to worry when we look around and every’thing’ or every’one’ seems to be falling apart, He’s got it. 

Here are a few more scriptures to help you F.R.O.G.:

“Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” – Psalm 37:5

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid what can mere man do to me?” –Psalm 56:3-4

“My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” –Psalm 121:2

“Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” –Isaiah 26:4

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” –Philippians 4:6

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” –Proverbs 3:5

 

Let's F.R.O.G.!

Margaret Slaughter

I'm Going Back

I'M GOING BACK

Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy

¹¹ Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”  ¹⁴ When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.  ¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.  ¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

In layman’s terms, leprosy is defined as: a chronic, mildly infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, affecting the peripheral nervous system, skin, and nasal passages, including ulcerations, tubercular nodules, and loss of sensation that sometimes leads to traumatic amputation of the body part.

Traditionally, lepers were considered unclean and banished from society, forced to live in seclusion with no physical contact for fear of spreading the disease.  “As long as the serious disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean.  They must live in isolation in their place outside the camp.”-(Leviticus 13:46)  If a leper encountered a ‘clean’ person, they were required to shout, ‘unclean, unclean’.  That Jesus interacted with the lepers was in itself uncommon, compounded by the fact that they were Samaritans.  By all accounts, this interaction should have never taken place.  Not only did it take place violating numerous societal regulations, but they were healed.  You would think that would cause a great deal of thankfulness, however, only one returned to show Jesus his gratitude. 

In biblical terms leprosy was sometimes seen as associated with sin.  Like leprosy, sin can quickly spread, affecting every area of our lives, and more importantly separating us from God.  We’ve all been in situations where we’ve said, “Lord, if you get me out of this one . . .”, and Jesus does it, and we go on with our lives as if nothing happened, failing to keep our promise.  How many times have you been ‘healed’ or forgiven, and failed to ‘go back’ and tell Him thank you? 

As Christians, we must get to a place of thankfulness.  We cannot continue to take God’s healing, forgiveness, grace, and mercy for granted.  If He’s done something for you, no matter how small, we must begin to live in a state of thankfulness.  Don’t be like the nine.  ‘Go back’ and tell Him, ‘Thank you!’

Margaret Slaughter

"What do I Know?" by Margaret Slaughter

What Do I Know?

We spend a lot of time focusing on what we don't have, and what we don't know.  In the corporate world, we spend a lot of time bragging about who and what we know.  Not so much in the Christian world.  So I thought, ‘what do I know’?  God’s Word is full of thousands of promises, sure to help you IF you know them.  This year, I've purposed to focus on what I DO have, and what I DO know.  Here are a few things I know . . . 

I know that He knew me before I was born:

“You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Ever moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” –Psalm 139:15-16

I know that He doesn’t make junk:

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it.” –Psalm 139:13-14

I know that He values me:

“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered!  I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!  And when I wake up, you are still with me!” –Psalm 139:17-18

I know I have experienced real love:

“This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” – 1 John 3:16

I know I can accomplish anything with His help:

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” –Philippians 4:13

I know He will fight for me:

“This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid!  Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” –2 Chronicles 20:15

I know He wants me to succeed:

“Commit your works to the LORD [submit and trust them to Him], and your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].” –Proverbs 16:3

So, the next time someone asks you, ‘what do you know’, what will you tell them?

Margaret Slaughter