Seasons of Change

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1

Natural seasons, personal seasons and spiritual seasons all have a purpose,they are designed to move us toward God's purposes for our lives - if we allow it to. "People who understand the principles of change handle changing seasons without wavering in their purposes because they know the Unchangeable One. They understand that as long as they put their faith in Him, they, too, will remain steady".~Dr. Myles Munroe

Seasons are purposed by the Lord The word season is often used to denote change, it defines change that is not a short-term event but rather an extended period of transition. Let's face it our flesh does not like transition, and we definately do not like to hear that a season of transition can be more often than not an extended period of time. We would like it to be as short as possible and get on with a more desirable "season". But we have to remember that there is a purpose and God desires for that season to work its purpose in and through us. Showing us what ever it is he desires for that time.

The seasons He has purposed are by his design I remember like it was yesterday when we came to give Kansas a visit. It was the middle of winter, January to be exact. I noticed change before I ever stepped foot on the ground, from the view from the airplane the landscape was different all together from what I was accustomed to in Florida, from a warm climate and a peninsula surrounded by water to patches of squares from the sky,and winter temperatures waiting to greet us. This Florida girl was about to experience a "real" winter. I remember visually taking in how dry and lifeless everything looked, to be honest it didn't look very "pretty". During the drive from the airport I remember saying "Lord, I don't see anything apppealing to me." He quickly reminded me that we do not walk by what we see but by faith.(2Cor 5:7). It wasn't two minutes later, I am sad to say, that I again said to the Lord "but Lord I dont see anything desirable". He immediately spoke this to me, he asked me a question " "Do you think Mary saw anything desirable about the manger? But out of that undesirable place I brought forth the DESIRE of NATIONS, so don't you think I can bring something desirable out of what you think is undesirable."
There was no doubt about it this was His tender loving correction spoken into my life, and what a correction it has served to be. I will always be thankful for this special moment when He spoke. I have since then asked the Lord to forgive me in my little way of thinking, for numerous times I have remembered praying and thanking Him that His plans and purposes were being fullfilled in our life, but thinking it would be done in a certain way, not realizing that plan and purpose was being fullfilled before my very eyes, that this was His way of bringing about transformation. Sometimes I wonder how many times we wrinkle our nose up to someone or something because of the "winter appearance" it may have, it may look dry and lifeless at the time but inside be full of Beauty and Purpose that within due time is revealed. Remember,God sees the desirable even when we cannot.

Monroe states " No matter what our personal desires, wishes, or attitudes may be, we cannot control an unfolding season of divine destiny. Just as we can't stop winter from coming after autumn, we can't prevent a season of God's purpose, no matter how much we may become angry, pray, or propose plans for doing so. The change is inevitable. It has arrived in the fullness of time.The beginning and ending of a season are not determined by man but by God's sovereign agenda".

Many times we get so accustomed to what we know and are familiar with that we find it hard to invite change. To be honest, I struggled for awhile with comparing the known to the unknown, the familiar to the unfamiliar.The truth is, we can still be apprehensive to change, even when we have felt the stirring in our Spirit that transition is coming, it's like when we feel the change in the air right before Autumn arrives, we know that next season is right around the corner but yet there is a part of us that loves the long dog days of summer. One thing that I have found to be true is, the season that brings transition and change will look nothing like what we have already known and are familiar with. I believe moving into the "unknown" is something that God desires for all of us at certain times in our lives, He calls us to adventure beyond what we know.

God desires for us to move from a place of "eyesight"
to a place of "faithsight"
from a place of "what I think"
to a place of "what God knows"
We are not always given all the details before we follow Him, but the bottom line is that we are called to follow Him. What will "following Him" look like, only He knows the complete picture. He knows what is down the road and around the bend, and as we follow him we will discover what that picture looks like step by step, when we are walking in obedience to His leading. In that process of following Him we will see the effects of change and the benefits of it as well.

Shine Like the Dawn,
Jennifer

Expecting

On Mother's Day I was honored to share a message with the congregation at my home church. The Lord laid on my heart that there are those in our congregation that are in a state of expectancy.
How about you? I wonder how many of you are expecting,not necessarily in the physical sense of "being pregnant and expecting" but expecting God's plans and purposes being fulfilled. What are you expecting?
Just as there are different trimesters in pregnancy, We are all at different stages in our expectancy as well. Some are just at the early stages of conception...this time is very important and what happens here can be crucial to the development of what is to come. God wants to birth ministry out of you, destiny and purpose.
Some may be in the "middle stages", this is your waiting time , your meantime, also known as your meanwhile. Webster's Dictionary says the definition for this is know as "intervening time" ...WOW!when I read this, I was excited and thought it to be very interesting.This is the time where God is doing something, He is intervening, working miracles! Have you ever heard someone say " I am waiting on God"? I have, and some make it sound as if there is nothing they can do but just sit and wait.If you are at a waiting point in your life let me encourage you to be careful not to get in a rut of thinking there's nothing you can do because you are "waiting". This time should never be passive. During this time it is important that you DO SOMETHING! Be proactive in your waiting time, get yourself ready! Body, mind and spirit.
Prepare...,
Pray...,
Seek God...,
and Grow. And when your "fullness of time" is complete you are going to be amazed at what God is going to bring forth from you!Remember it is in the meantime, in your waiting time... that "intervening" time when miracles are birthed!
For others, you are in transition. Ask any woman who has been through labor and she will tell you, This is the hardest part of labor,this is where it gets down to the nitty gritty, but it is essential, it is necessary in the birthing process. Yes it's hard, yes it's painful, but you can't give up now, or turn back. You can't leave what God has deposited inside of you, it needs to come forth. I heard one of my friends say during her labor "I can't do this anymore!" and some of you may feel that way right now during your transition time. God's word says in Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Be encouraged, This transition time doesn't last forever, (though at the moment, it may feel like it is)Soon the pain will be over, and the reward of all of it will be in your arms. This is where we need to be honest with God and say "here I am"... with all my hopes and fears. I don't know all the details,all I know is I AM EXPECTING!!! This leads us to a place of surrender, a place of trust. Just as a mother surrenders by laying down to give birth, and through this it gives way to a new life. God wants us to be in a place of complete surrender as well. Get ready because the baby is coming! God wants to establish you, cause you to grow and bring into existence what He has placed inside you .
Shine Like the Dawn,
Jennifer

Love on Purpose

While I was leading Worship Wednesday night with our Student Ministries Worship Team, we were singing a song entitled Came To My Rescue and the bridge of the song goes like this:

In my life be lifted high
In our world be lifted high
In our love be lifted high

As we paused after this song the Lord gave me a question to ask the students. The question was this, "What will it take for me to be lifted high in your life....., in your world,... in your love,... what will it take?
It was silent... you could hear a pin drop. Each student had their own answer to that question, which they kept to themselves. I went on to share that Jesus loved without reservation, he loves when he isn't loved back. If your not sure how to love watch how He did it, read about it and learn from Him.
John 15 :13 says :There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friend.
John 15:13 in the Message Bible says it this way: >"I've told you these things for a purpose; that my joy might be your joy,and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: LOVE one another the way I LOVE you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do these things I command you. I am no longer calling you sevants because servants do not understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I have name you friends because I have let you in on everything I've heard from the Father."
God's word commands us to love, it is not an option. And yet so many Christians today live like it is.I am so thankful that Jesus didn't live His life like that, that He didn't go around loving like it was an option. Jesus Loved on Purpose, and that is how we should love, LOVE ON PURPOSE! Everything Jesus did was on purpose, everywhere He went was on purpose, He healed on purpose and He performed the miraculous on purpose! Everywhere Jesus went, there was His mission field!
We can love because He first loved us (1John 4:19)
The truth is we can not truly love apart from God, We can find no greater love than the love of Jesus. He laid his life down, He had nails in his hands and his feet, He died and he rose again. All because of His love for us! (I think that is totally amazing!)
I am encouraged today and I hope you are as well, to love like He did, so He can be lifted High in our life, in our world, and in our love.
Shine Like the Dawn,
Jennifer

Moving Past Distractions

Distractions We all face them at one time or another in our lives, however, it is what we decide to do with the distraction(s) at hand that is important to our outcome.
Distractions will get your focus off of what is before you and the task at hand. Distractions will consume your thought life, if you allow it to. Webster's Dictionary even states that the word "distracted" and mental confusion go together(that's not to surprising). That is why it is so important to renew our mind daily in God's Word. When we do this we are digesting God's word, His Truth into our very being, every part, Body, Soul, and Spirit. The Word of God is made up of Life Words which will move you forward and get you past the "trap" of distractions.

Many people allow their past to be the main distraction in their life. Our adversary loves this because he knows that if he can get you "hung up" on your past, always looking back that you'll never move forward. You will not see what is "really" in front of you because your too busy always looking back. This is the only thing the enemy can use against you, He can't use your future against you, so he will try to remind you of past failures, whatever they may be. Moral, Spiritual, Physical, Financial...you name it.When you are in Christ Jesus you are no longer the person you use to be.You are no longer identified with the old person you were, but you have become a New Creation in Christ Jesus! Allow the call of God in your life to speak louder than the voice of your past.

I am reminded of the account of Lot and his wife in Genesis 19,they were told to literally run for their life and not to look back, not to even stop anywhere on the plain.However, Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. I believe there are times in our lives where we need to run for our life and not look back! Runaway fast from the distractions that even seem to look enticing, but in the long run they will only keep you from moving forward.

Not that long ago I was faced with a situation that bothered me, and to be honest with you, I would say it played on my mind, to quite an extent.I found myself thinking on what this other sister in the Lord had said about me, during different times of the day, even when I went to bed. It was consuming a lot of my thoughts.~It was crazy, seriously!~ One night I went to bed and had a dream where I confronted her, she was sitting in the corner of a room, she was sitting how you would see a "Buddha" sit.It was as if she wanted to be in control of the room or the atmosphere. When I confronted her and told her that I wanted to talk to her about what she said, we immediately were in a different location and I no longer was talking to this woman,but it was a demon. This "thing" had a scrawny little body but a huge head with hair that looked like it had stuck it's finger in a light socket, (it almost reminded me of those freaky little creatures in one of the Lord of the Rings movies.)As I tried to get my words out this "thing" would talk while I was trying to talk and it was very distracting to me, it was a struggle for me to keep my train of thought. But I reached a point in the dream where I said very firmly, "I will fulfill God's plans and purpose for my life, Hallelujah!" and immediately the dream was over and I woke up. God reminded me of the scripture in Ephesians 6:10-12 that says "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms".
The next day my husband was giving a message to our students and he was saying how the enemy will use anything he can to distract us and immediately the light bulb went on, the Holy Spirit showed me that this was a scheme of the enemy that was talked about in Ephesians. My battle was not this woman, not of flesh and blood but this was a "scheme" of the enemy, This was intended to rob me of my peace, it was intended to be a stumbling block, but God showed me how to make it a stepping stone. And since then I have moved forward, past that distraction, Praise God!
So, with all that said I leave you with a scripture from the Message Bible Phillippians 3:12-14 I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong:By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward - to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. Dear Friend, God has so much in store for you, there is no need to be looking behind you. Keep your eyes wide open, looking onward to Jesus, and you won't miss the mark!
Shine Like the Dawn,
Jennifer