Battle Cries & Power Moves

Every hero needs a battle cry. ~ Jaime Ridler

I'm reading a great book by Christine Mason Miller called "Desire to Inspire." In it there are stories by artists about creativity, motivation, and inspiration. Different contributors also provide little exercises to get your creative juices flowing and the other day one caught my eye. As I read it I thought of how much it could encourage someone in their walk with God. The exercise is titled "The Superhero in You."

There are two parts of this exercise I wanted to share because I think they are fun and unique. The first is to choose a battle cry. It could be just a simple word or a simple sentence. Have you ever thought about having one? A battle cry would inspire you to bold action. There is only one word for the moment that wraps up all that is going on in my life whether spiritually, personally, or professionally. My battle cry is, "Adventure!" I asked a few others if they would share their battle cry and some of the responses I received were:

"FREEEEEEEDOM!"

(and yes, I counted how many EE's she used - ha)

"Soar!"
"Not of this world!"

"Boldness!"
"The time has come, let us be brave!"
"Thrive and Flourish!"
"God's got my back!"
"Relentless!"

I've also heard of battle cries of "God is victor!" and "Let's do this!" Some friends needed time to think about it and I hope you will take some time and think of yours too. I imagine that through the years our battle cries will change so no worries...you aren't stuck with just one.

The second is to create your power move. This is such a fun idea that I'm going to quote her directly: "Imagine you have a secret move, one that activates your confidence and invokes your strength. Try a few possibilities. Standing tall?  Hands on hips? Raising your chin? Flicking your hair? Choose what feels powerful and then practice this stance on the subway, at your desk, and at the market. Use this pose whenever you need a little boost of heroic energy."

So what's my power move? Well, it's kind of dance where I rock my shoulders side to side and while snapping my fingers I say, "ooooh, look at me and my bad self." It's a line from the animation movie "The Emperor's New Groove." I don't know why I ever stopped using it because when I did it again my spirits were lifted. SO, what's your power move? Is it one of the examples above? Some other suggestions are to flex your arm muscles at yourself in the mirror (it's okay if it makes you laugh), or maybe it's a combination of saying your battle cry along with one fist pumped in the air? Could it be eyes closed, arms raised, and head back? A fighting stance? Hands in prayer position? The possibilities are endless.

If you have other battle cries or power moves, please share them with us by making a comment. I can't wait to hear from you!

picture from: http://www.evelynkalinosky.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/women-in-black-with-fist-in-air.gif#women%20with%20fist%20in%20the%20air%20

Looking for God

Sometimes the world seems too big and too full of problems. Can you relate? At those moments, I feel the desire to go and look for God. Being creative helps me to shake off the problems of the world for a while and recently my creativity lead me to do something I had not done before. I went and took pictures of whatever I saw that made me appreciate the God we have and His sovereignty. I went looking for Him in the little details by giving myself 30 minutes to take photos.

I felt so refreshed and rejuvenated after my little photo exploration. And I did find God! :) I saw Him all around. If you ever decide to try this simple idea, don't put harsh expecations on yourself or what the photos 'should' look like because in the end the only goal is to take your focus from the world and turn it again to God.  

A Heart to Serve

This title is the name of a popular British comedy I have enjoyed watching. The scene is set in a clothing store of sorts and the main actors are workers there serving the customers. I think this question is one we all like to hear because we honestly like to be taken care of and served. Yet Jesus said,“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

Mark 10:45 is one of my many favorite verses. It's such a simple statement but it keeps my heart in check. It's so important to serve with a right heart or motives and I want to be a woman who goes around asking others, "Are you being served?" :)

Below are some verses for study:

a.        Romans 12:1-13

b.        Ephesians 6:7

c.        Colossians 3:23-25

d.        1 Peter 4:7-11

e.        1 Corinthians 12

Questions I often ask myself:

What gifts do I have from God?

How can I serve in my community or neighborhood?
How can I serve in church?

Are there ways I can serve my Christian brothers & sisters?

What are some ways I can serve my family more?

Can I find ways to serve others at work?

Quotes to inspire

Anne Frank: How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

Edmund Burke: Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.

Emily Dickinson: If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.
If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain.

Marian Wright Edelman: We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.

 Martin Luther King, Jr.: Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

Mohandas K. Gandhi: The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

Blessed With Sunshine & Blizzards

This week I've been overwhelmed with blessings and it's only Wednesday! ha. My life is flooded with blessings and I want to share how you can have that too. Don't worry, this is not a story about how to prosper. I'm not about to give you a formula to gain blessings in your life. What I'm about to share is about gratitude because really blessings for you abound but to be overwhelmed by them you've got to take notice and appreciate them.

First, what are blessings? Dictionary.com states the following:
bless·ing

   /ˈblɛsɪŋ/ Show Spelled[bles-ing] noun

1. the act or words of a person who blesses.

2. a special favor, mercy, or benefit.
3. a favor or a gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.

4. the invoking of God's favor upon a person.

5. praise; devotion; worship, especially grace said before a meal.

So good things! Uhhh, not always. Sometimes hard things happen, heartache, disappointment and God is using these things to send you off in the direction you need to go. But still it's a blessing because it's a part of his mercy (#2) that benefits you and even can bring you happiness in the end (#3). Just something to think about because in reflection of my own life some heartache, some hard times, some hard situations have turned out to really be a blessing to get me where I am now...even though I didn't see it at the time. I think this is where appreciation and gratitude comes into play because in our limited prospective we often only see and are thankful for blessings we call 'good.'

Now, in light of that...what are some of my blessings lately?

1. I had a project at work, that I was apprehensive about, go really well.

2. Another blogger decided to feature me on her blog and because of that "Silver Trumpets" will get some advertisement - which I'm hoping glorifies God.

3. I received a bonus at work. 

4. I've still been really sick lately; I have been chronically ill for a year or so now.

5. I found out that the whole roof on my house needs to be replaced.

6. I've been neglected by some people in my life recently.

The 'good' things I mentioned are obvious as blessings but the others, well, those are blessings too!

#4 Being sick - This has really caused me to cling to God. I've been learning so much about my character and about how to take care of myself.

#5 Leaky roof - I've learned to how to navigate the ins and outs of my insurance company plus I established a relationship with a great roofing company

#6 Neglected - This has reminded me how blessed I am to have a relationship with God as a shepherd who always looks out for me. Also, bad examples remind me of who I really want to be so I've been striving to be a better friend to others.

There are more examples but you get the point. I'm grateful for all that is happening in my life, good and not so good, because I trust that Jesus has a point, a reason, and desires great things for me so that's why all these things are happening.

If you get a chance today - write down your blessings. You might start with the good and then think about anything stinky that's happening in your life right now. As you pray for perspective, you might start to see all the ways God is using even the bad situations. If you don't see the good in it right away...patiently wait...because I bet you do in time! :) May you be continually reminded that you have a Wonderful Creator who is actively working in your life and be overwhelmed by His blessings.

Communion / The Lord's Supper

To really understand communion, often called the Lord's Supper, it helps to have background. This study takes more than a post or two can accomplish so please spend some extra time studying and praying for understanding. I think you'll be excited about what you learn and maybe learn some things you never knew!

Read about The Passover & Exodus: (Exodus 12) The blood from the lamb was used so that God’s wrath would “pass over.” Jot down some notes of your own too! 

“the Last/Lord’s Supper”: Luke 22 -The Passover Jesus celebrated before he was crucified was later called both the Last supper or the Lord’s supper.

The following are additional insights from Douglas Jacoby (Teaching Consultant & principal instructor for the Athens Institute of Ministry since 2003)

“There are five Greek terms employed in describing this sacred meal. As my paper argues, the early Christian practice was an actual meal, not a token observance. Understanding these terms will enable us more easily to enter into the discussion of communion, appreciating its history while moving toward an understanding that may differ from our current practice.” (Each bullet references the original Greek word or phrase)

* Communion is the most common term, and emphasizes the body life of the church: life in the body of the Lord as well as life in the body of believers. The common meal we participate in shows that the fellowship of the body of Christ transcends ethnic, social, racial, linguistic and other barriers. Location: 1 Corinthians 10:16. Greek word: koinonia.

* The Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20) suggests a focus on Christ, the command of Christ to celebrate this meal, and the continuity with Jesus' own Last Supper. The natural understanding of the Lord's Supper is a meal, as opposed to a snack or token representation. Greek phrase: kyriakon deipnon.

* Eucharist comes from the Greek word for "thanksgiving" and stresses the attitude every disciple should strive to maintain: gratitude to the Lord for salvation. This term is especially common in high-church circles. Location: 1 Corinthians 14:16 (see also 10:30). Greek word: eucharistia.

* Love feast (Jude 12) was another term for communion. Ancient religions often celebrated meals in honor of their gods, and their feasting often led to carousing. By contrast, the Christian meal accentuated the Lordship of Jesus and was a visible and concrete expression of the awesome love of God, as well as of the tough love that binds all true Christians together. Greek word: agape (dative plural in this passage).

* The breaking of bread (Acts 20:7) is another synonym. As Jesus' physical body was broken, so the bread of the communion is physically broken and shared. We all eat of the one loaf. This term underscores the sacrifice of Jesus as well as our common dependence on the true bread of life, Jesus Christ (John 6:35). We recognize that 'breaking of bread' can refer to any meal, but in the Christian context, it has special meaning for the communion. Thus whereas Acts 2:46 probably refers to all meals eaten together, the same phrase in 2:42 and 20:7 refers to the communion. Greek phrase: he klasis tou artou.
Additional Verses: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Acts 2:42,

Quotes about prayer

Who rises from prayer a better man, his prayer is answered. ~George Meredith

No one is a firmer believer in the power of prayer than the devil; not that he practices it, but he suffers from it. ~Guy H. King

The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him. ~William McGill

Before we can pray, "Lord, Thy Kingdom come," we must be willing to pray, "My Kingdom go." ~Alan Redpath

Prayer is communication with the Divine. It can be whispered or chanted or written or expressed in the work you do. However it is expressed, it is never in vain. ~Donna Wilk Cardillo

When at night you cannot sleep, talk to the Shepherd and stop counting sheep. ~Author Unknown

Quotes about Jesus

I happened across quotes about Jesus that were so encouraging I felt the need to share them before the other posts I had already scheduled. 

I think someone out there is really needing these quotes too!

May we always remember to focus more on who God already is and not more on who we still need to become. Remembering who he is always keeps me encouraged and wanting to grow :) Enjoy!

When Jesus comes, the shadows depart. ~Author unknown, inscription on a Scottish castle

If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me. ~Robert M. McCheyne

All the powers of darkness vanish;
Christ our Day-Star mounts the skies.~Author Unknown

He changed sunset into sunrise. ~Clement of Alexandria

Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness. ~Floyd W. Tomkins

The name of Jesus is the one lever that lifts the world. ~Author Unknown

“Yet as I read the birth stories about Jesus I cannot help but conclude that though the world may be tilted toward the rich and powerful, God is tilted toward the underdog.” ― Philip Yancey

To holy people the very name of Jesus is a name to feed upon, a name to transport. His name can raise the dead and transfigure and beautify the living. -John Henry Newman

“It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all and showing us over and over again the birth, life, death, and resurrection of his only begotten Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord. It was like a best-loved story being told day after day with each sunrise and sunset, year after year with the seasons, down through the ages since time began.” ― Francine Rivers

Jesus is the God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair. –Blaise Pascal

Have a wonderful weekend!