Beautiful Risks By Lynn J Simpson

(Disclosure: I sat to write on our theme, and opened my personal blog where I had written on the subject of risk earlier this month. Reading it, I kind of liked it better than when I wrote it. Is it okay to take a risk and like our own writing? To believe we really do have something of value that resides in us and risk bubbling it out to the world even though it may just be poked at, popped, or not seen at all? And even enough to share it twice? I guess I take that risk today!)

"True enough: Sometimes, our worst fears come to pass. Sometimes, things break. Sometimes, we ourselves are the most broken things of all.

But that’s the thing. To live a beautiful life, we have to take the risk. To live a beautiful life, we have to lose the fear of stepping across the threshold." INCOURGARE (by jennifer dukes lee)

It's only one year, she says. She raises her coffee cup up in the air, like an athlete with the winning trophy, daring me to raise my own. My fingers entwine the warm handle, and I raise up my now empty cup, tap hers with mine, my lips a closed tentative smile. 

Only one year, her words echoing in my mind like stadium applause when the game is over. 

Yes, just one year. 

I think back on why in the previous years I have shrunk back from taking the risk. The risk of focus that means choosing to let go of those things that may be good, but do not move.  Those good things that take your time yet you stay in the same place, year after year.  Kind of like your favorite sports team that places second years in a row, and with frustration you complain. "Get rid of the coach!" you say. 

A new strategy is needed, to make a change.

But bringing in a new coach may not mean the team will win the next year. They may even place third or worse that year. Yet, the new coach is not fired. As leaders know learning new strategies takes time. And third place, although worse than the year before, is a change.  

And change is growth.

Change is movement. 

And even though it might not be in the right direction at first, we have taken the risk to learn, to grow, and to move and change. 

We may even fail but have learned what does not work.

So there really is no failure in taking a risk, and begins with a step of change.

Just one year, she repeats. 

And somehow the risk wrinkles. A year of letting go, building an etched road in time paved with experience in the field where I have picked the identical flower, only the locus changing. 

And things may break, beams may split, turfs may plummet. 

That is the risk. 

Along with the risk of new strategies erupting, new plays to practice for years to come, victorious and conquering. 

And picking beautiful, novel flowers along the way.

Is it time for you to take that risk, embrace that God-nudge of change, or to unfasten from infertile ground? 

Love,

Lynn
CONNECTING STORIES-INSPIRATIONAL WRITINGS
LYNN J SIMPSON-Making changes one step at a time

Faith is the willingness to risk anything on God. Jack Hyles

God's Gift of Authority

One day as Jesus was preaching in the temple courts, the priests and the teachers of the law challenged Him, “Tell us, by what authority you are doing these things? Who gave you this authority?”

Among the crowd were experienced teachers of the law and elders, and leaders of the people. Suddenly, Jesus comes along preaching the good news of eternal life. Do you think that these leaders could have been threatened by His presence? Was Jesus convincing to them? Perhaps in their minds they could not deny God’s power of authority.

According to Matthew 7:28, the crowds were amazed at His teaching and they acknowledged Him. “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching because He taught as one who had authority, and not as teachers of the law.” What was the difference then? It was this: Jesus responded to the challenge of the priests and teachers by asking if John’s baptism was from heaven or from men. After some discussion, they could not answer. But the answer was clear; the authority came from heaven. Jesus said: “My Father is always at work to this very day, and I too, am working. I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his father doing because whatever the father does the Son does also.” (John 5:17 &18)

As believers, God gives us authority also. We probably have the concept of having the authority to drive out Satan or rebuke sin when we have to. That may be so, but the authority that God gives is the authority to build up the church. (2 Cor. 10:8) It is for building up not for tearing down. Using God’s gift of authority means availing of God’s power.

Jesus gave the disciples power and authority to cure diseases and drive out demons but also to preach the Kingdom of God. We can build the church fearlessly and with great confidence. We can build up the body of Christ and we can continue to preach Salvation. There is a profound verse that is worthy of mentioning: “For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.” (2 Cor. 13:8)

Remember the question, Jesus asked? Was John’s baptism from heaven or from man? If it were from man there would be little convincing or conviction. When work is ongoing to benefit the Kingdom of heaven, God will give us the authority to make His truth and purposes known. That’s what makes all the difference in all we do! Whatever we do, do as though working for the Lord! Go in the strength of the Lord. Amen!


Janice Keats

Allowing The Holy Spirit To Stir His Children To Pray and Believe

We all know that God answers prayer. All Christians ought to have an experience of answered prayer. But do we, His children, come together often enough to “share” together in prayer? Do we encourage one another by sharing answers to our personal prayers?

Every Tuesday morning a prayer meeting is held in our church. About 20 people come together to share various needs and concerns or intercede on behalf of others. Once a hearty list is detailed, we begin to intercede on account of those individual needs. Through praise and prayer, we lift up the names by those who have activated their faith and uttered the requests.
What then? We close our eyes in prayer and we hardly realize there is a person sitting next to us. Are we really sharing together? Is there power in numbers in a prayer meeting? Are we really agreeing together or do we simply mouth our needs to the Lord?

Sundays is also another specific allocated time and place for prayer. Before the church service begins God’s people are praying for a stirring and a mighty outpouring of His love. What then? Do we believe that God is going to do something? Do we believe that God will actually convict the sinners to come to repentance? Do we labour and wait upon the Lord? Or do we sit at leisure and wonder if God heeded our prayers?

Are these moments of prayer time producing encouragement to continually seek God in times of deepest need? Maybe we are forgetting something. If God is an answering prayer God why doesn’t someone say something. Perhaps we need to implement various ideas and approaches to prayer to keep our faith stimulated and active. There are various ways of enlightening prayer meetings. During one Tuesday morning prayer, I felt strongly to restructure the format just a little. We began by sharing the concerns followed by a prayer time and singing the appropriate songs in between. Then we had a personal sharing time of reflection. The group began to share openly about their initial encounter with Jesus.

The sharing time proved to be very positive and uplifting. One by one people began to open up and express their answered prayers. It was somewhat reminiscent and it brought about a fresh flood of wonderful memories of God’s wonder working power. The love of God saturated the very hearts of those that spoke and listened. It was so good to hear each other’s “faith” stories. It was good that the knowledge and grace of God was shared. Many times following the initial conversion the first love somehow fades away for a time. Christians who have been serving the Lord for years need to reflect upon His love and leadings of life. We ought to keep our faith firm and fresh. As a result, prayer, praise and “answers” will all complement each other.

The strength is not only in the praying but also in the answers and the willingness to share the Gospel message of hope fearlessly. When we accomplish God’s will, others will see that God is truth and life. An honest openness and acknowledgement of sharing and speaking about the leadings of the Holy Spirit in ones’ Christian walk gives encouragement and increases the faith of the body of Christ. May the beauty of Jesus be seen in each of us!

Jan Keats