Oprah’s “Ultimate Favorite Things”: The One Thing Her Money Can’t Buy…

“This is how much God loved the world, He GAVE the GIFT of  His Son, His one and only Son…” John 3:16 (the Message)

As I sit here in my home today, I am watching Oprah, it’s her “Ultimate Favorite Things” show.  What this particular show is about, are the items that Oprah has found over the years, that she absolutely loves & wants to share with everyone.

Basically what happens is that she comes out on stage, & shares some kind of story about an item she found, shares how much it costs & who it’s made by, then tells her audience that they are going home with that particular item, the FedEx Elves come out & shower the people with the particular item, needless to say, the crowd goes wild!

Some of this year’s feature’s included, a diamond watch & earrings, cashmere sweater & blanket set by Ralph Lauren, a Panini maker, a Brownie/Lasagna pan, Diet books, her special Hair products created by her hair stylist, 5 years worth of free movies from Netflix, 52’ Sony 3-D Flat Screen Television, Nikon Digital Camera, custom-built closets, Nike Shoes for the Family, & a 7-Day Cruise through the Caribbean.

People get hysterical, jumping up & down, screaming, hands in the air, dancing around, hugging the people around them, slapping “high-fives”, fanning themselves, jaws dropping open, some bawling their eyes out, some just stand there shaking their heads in disbelief.  This scene happens over and over for the hour, all waiting to see the next thing that she will bring out –today Oprah actually pointed out the fact that they had Medics on site, “just in case”….

But as I sit here watching—I can’t help but think about the one thing that Oprah can’t buy, or even give for that matter!

For when I think of the Ultimate Sacrifice of my Heavenly Father, & what He gave me—the life of His One & only Son, to die a death that I deserved, so that I could have a life that will last forever with Him, ALL of Oprah’s “Ultimate Favorite Things” pale in comparison to this.

So please excuse me for a moment, as I raise my hands in praise, dance around some & cry out with all that is within my being, “I WILL BLESS YOUR HOLY NAME, & EVERYTHING IN ME WILL DO THE SAME, ALL THAT’S INSIDE THIS DUSTY FRAME, WILL BLESS YOUR NAME! (Psalms 103, paraphrased).

Won’t you join me in giving Him the praise for His Ultimate Gift to us????

“He’s Still Working On Me….”

The story is told of a group of women in a Bible stud on the book of Malachi.  As they were studying Chapter 3, they came across verse 3 which says, “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver….”

The verse puzzled the woman and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.  One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.

That week the woman called up a Silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work.  She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the Silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up.  He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were the hottest as to burn away any impurities.

The woman though about God holding us in such a “hot spot”, then she thought again about the verse, “He sits as a refiner & purifier of silver….”

She asked the Silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.  The man answered a resounding, “YES!”

He not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire.  If the silver was even left for a second too long in the flames, it would be destroyed!

The woman was silent for a moment…then she asked the Silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”  He smiled and answered, “Oh, that’s easy…when I can see my image in it.”

Every single one of us is a work in progress. We all have those times when we feel that we are getting scorched by the fires of this world, and feel like it’s just too much for us to handle.

But we have the assurance, and we can praise God, that we know His eye is always on us, that He not only knows how much we can bear, but also promises us that He will never leave or forsake us.

When I was a child there was a song that I used to sing, and it went something like this,

He’s still working on me, to make me what I ought to be!

It took Him just a week to make the Moon & Stars.

The Sun, & the Earth, Jupiter & Mars.

How loving and patient He must be!

‘Cus He’s still working on me!

He’s still working on me, and He’s still working on you. Though the fire may get hot, let us allow Him to continue the process of refining & purifying us, so that we can be made into His Image.

The Lord IS my Shepherd!

Psalm 23 (Revisited)

The Lord is my Shepherd — That’s Relationship!

I shall not want – That’s Provision!

He makes me to lie down in green pastures — That’s Rest!

He leads me beside the still waters — That’s Refreshment!

He restores my soul — That’s Healing!

He leads me in the paths of righteousness — That’s Guidance!

For His Name sake — That’s Purpose!

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death — That’s Testing!

I will fear no evil — That’s Faithfulness!

For You are with me — That’s Protection!

Your rod & Your staff they comfort me – That’s Discipline!

Your prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies — That’s Hope!

You annoint my head with oil — That’s Consecration!

My cup runs over — That’s Abundance!

Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life — That’s Blessing!

And I will live in the House of the Lord — That’s Security!

Forever — That’s Eternity!

(Written by: David the Psalmist & Unknown Author)

“Don’t Jump! But if you have to…”

Approximately one year ago, I was traveling my normal route home & passed by “The Corner”, you know the one that I talked about in “Help Lord! Where have all the Good Men Gone?”, well that corner.  But instead of seeing the Man that I usually do, I saw a young lady who was attempting to take her life by jumping off the bridge & onto the I-35, during rush hour.

I must admit, even a year after this incident, I am still heavyhearted. 

As I knelt on that cold bridge, pressing my face against the metal fence, & holding onto her wrists, talking to her, as the two other men climbed over the fence gripped her clothes with one hand, while holding on to the fence for their own lives, she squirmed and cried out, “Let me go!  I want to die!” 

As she squirmed & squirmed, I felt myself losing grip of her wrists, & the two men hold on to her could hold on no longer.  Slipping out of our grips, she fell approximately 20 feet off the bridge, where people were standing below trying to break her fall.

That was a moment that changed my life forever! 

I mean, the woman wore Crucifix earrings, & a Crucifix around her neck…but I had to stop and wonder, “Did this woman know the same Jesus that I did?”

Let me cut this thing short, my point is, YOU HAVE TO KNOW JESUS FOR YOURSELF!  ON A PERSONAL LEVEL!    It’s not good enough for you to carry your parent’s or your grandparents religion, or come to church just because they force you to, or come just to ‘go through the motions’ & to put on a show for people making them think that you are “saved & sanctified” or even wearing a Crucifix for that matter—those things are NOT going to take you to Heaven…it is cultivating a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS THAT WILL! 

Therefore, my challenge to you in 2010…***FIND JESUS FOR YOURSELF!

I don’t know who the woman was, where she was from, how she grew up, the situation that drove her to this point, or even what her relationship was with God!  But I am writing this to you to let you know that, no matter what has happened to you, no matter how hard the situation, the problem, or the issue in your life, no matter what, DON’T JUMP! 

But if you have to…jump into the arms of the One who can solve every problem, jump into the arms of the One who loves you no matter what, jump into the arms of the One who has your best interest at heart & knows your heartaches & pains, jump into the arms of Jesus!

***Speak to your Pastor, your Priest, your Bishop, your Rabbi, a religious person who you trust, & I am even going to make myself available pastorchanda@gmail.com all of us are willing to help you find Jesus for yourself this year!

Four Reasons Why I Give Thanks!

1. Jesus Lived!
2. Jesus Died!
3. Jesus Rose Up!
4. And Jesus Is Coming Back!

John 3:16-17–”This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His One & Only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole & lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.”

Give God the Glory! Give Him the Praise! And in all things give Him Thanks!

                  Ps.92:1–”It is a good thing to give thanks to God…!”

 

POWER UP!

I recently heard a story about a woman who was in search of the perfect refrigerator—and she found it!  To most of us a fridge is a fridge, but she wanted a fridge that was untypical to the normal household.

This refrigerator didn’t just serve ice—but cubed ice, &  sliced ice, & diced ice, & even crushed ice!  Not only did this fridge serve water, but cold water, room temperature water, & even hot water for tea!  This fridge was a beautiful stainless steel, with dual doors, & a very large freezer in the lower portion.  This fridge was not only able to tell you the temperature on the inside, but also the current temperature of the room, & here’s the kicker—it boasted not 1, but 2—20inch television screens in the door panels, and came with speakers for surround sound! 

The day came for it to be delivered & the men brought it in, & in all of her excitement, she quickly rushed the men out the door so she could go out & buy some groceries.

And did she ever buy a lot of groceries, at least $400 worth!  She got home and quickly stuffed her mega fridge with the tons of food she had purchased!   And after filling the humongous fridge, the woman so was exhausted, & decided to retire for the evening. 

All night long, she tossed & turned in excitement of her new arrival, in fact, many times during the night, she found herself in the kitchen, admiring the beauty of the fridge, so much so that she ended up sleeping in most of the following day to catch up on sleep.

Around late-afternoon, she was awaken by a putrid smell, coming from the lower level of her home, and as she traced the smell—it lead her to yes, you guessed it, her perfect, new, mega refrigerator!

“What on earth!” she exclaimed, as she opened the fridge, the $400 worth of grocery had become spoiled!  Quickly she reached for the phone to call the Store. “How dare you sell me a defective refrigerator?  I spent $12,000 on a fridge that doesn’t work & too top that off, my groceries have spoiled! I WANT A NEW FRIDGE, & I WANT IT NOW!”

Within 20 minutes the repair man was at her door, profusely apologizing for the mishap. He just couldn’t understand, it was in working condition when it left the warehouse.  He looked high & low, then took a step back, and with his hand on his chin, he tried to figure out what had gone wrong.  Finally, he gently pulled the fridge forward, and began to chuckle to himself, “Ma’am, I found your problem, you plugged it in, but you didn’t push the button to power it up!

Funny story huh?  But how true is this story of so many of us?  How many of us are plugged into God, but not powering up in Him?  And then when things don’t go our way, we want to yell & scream & blame God for not working things out the way we want them too.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is John 15—Verses 4,5 says, “ Remain in me, and I will remain in you…for without Me, you can do nothing!”  Basically what is being said to us that we need to power up, stay connected, be plugged into the Source daily, because without Him we are not capable of doing anything!

 So how can we remain powered up?  Here are  three simple ways—

1. Stay on our knees
2. Stay in the Scriptures
3. Stay in God’s love

 

“Pray Church! Pray!”

It was a Monday afternoon when I received the call from the Church Secretary, “will you be able to be a church at noon on Thursday?”  As I wracked my brain thinking of my ‘to do’ list for the week, I responded, “sure, I’ll be there…why what’s up?”  She assured me that it was nothing to harm me, but she was unable to share any details with me.

I arrived at church on Thursday at 1145a, went into my office, & waited until noon; the anticipation was driving me insane.  By this time, I noticed that the other 2 pastors had come into the office as well, & so I decided to do a little investigation.  I asked them if they knew what was going on, & what I managed to put together was that lunch would be served—and I am always ok with that!

A few moments after 12, a Lady came into the office, to let us know that it was now time for us to join them in our Fellowship Hall.  As we made our way down the hall, the sweet, savor of authentic, Mexican food tantalized my olfactory senses, I just couldn’t wait! (teeheheheee!)

When we arrived, the room was beautifully decorated, the food was displayed in such a manner that was fit for Royalty, & each pastor was escorted to their special seat.  “Wow,” I thought to myself, “what is this all about?”  But I continued to wait in anticipation!

As we settled in, one of the women stood up & asked for everyone’s attention.  “You may be wondering why you are here today, well…a few years ago, a group of women in this church got together, and we decided to form a group, at first it was just for simply a group to share various things that we were dealing with and for prayer.  But about a year ago, we all decided that we wanted to go deeper in our relationships with God, so we decided to recommit ourselves to God, His Word, & to a serious life of prayer.  When we made this decision to rededicate ourselves,” she said, “that is when the Devil started to reek havoc in our lives.  Some of our families were turned upside down, and things were spinning out of control!  But we kept on earnestly praying, & seeking, & worshipping God, knowing that He would deliver us.”

“And as the Lord God lives today,” she exclaimed, “I stand here & testify to you about His goodness!  And if I stood here & told you about the many awesome miracles that we have seen, I could keep going for the next year!”

“Praise the Lord!” I exclaimed, but what she said next, brought tears to my eyes, but overwhelming joy to my heart.

“But after going through these things, it got us thinking,” she said, “If we had this happen to us, and we merely rededicated our lives to God, how much more does the Devil reek havoc in the lives of our pastors who have dedicated their entire lives to God, and to the leading of people to Him?”

She continued to share with us that for the past two weeks, each of the families that surrounded us here for the meal, were assigned a specific pastor, and had been praying and fasting for us.

Till this day, I am still flooded with emotion when I think about this luncheon.  How wonderful it was to know that people would be willing to not only pray for us, but sacrifice and fast for us as well!

One of the greatest things that members can do for their pastors is not only to pray for them, but tell us that you are!  Pray for our families—our kids, our spouses (or lack thereof), pray for our needs, our desires, pray for our protection, pray for God to lead us daily with the dealings of our lives & the church, etc.  Simply Pray Church! Pray!

“Honey, You’re Going to Hawaii!”

As a pastor* the person who should have the best of your energies many times ends of with the least of them.  That person is the minister’s spouse. Demands on a pastor’s time range from sermon prep to late evening meetings to visits and then there’s the Quick-Question-For-The-Pastor calls at home.  Too many times pastors have little left for their families and for their spouses.  But a church that recognizes that fact is worth its weight in gold!

Last year some of my church members gave my wife a wonderful gift of appreciation.  My wife was talking with a member and the subject of our 10 year wedding anniversary came up.  Jeanette said that she wanted to do something special, but was not sure where we should go.  The lady responded, “You have to go to Kauai.  We went there and it is perfect.  You’ll love it.” My wife said that she would love to, but did not think that we could afford a trip to Hawaii.  The energetic would-be travel agent encouraged Jeanette to look into it. 

We checked out tickets to Kauai and some resorts and confirmed our fears. We could not afford it.  Months later, Christmas time rolled around.  We had one more stop at a wedding reception before leaving town.  Before walking through the snow to our car that was jammed with presents for our family, the lady who had told us about Kauai gave us an envelope.  She said, “Don’t leave it in your office.  Make sure you take it with you.” 

As we headed down the road, I opened the package to find a card inside.  As I opened the card, checks and money fell into my lap.  “Whoa! Jeanette, look at this!”  The card said, “This is from several church members who want to thank you for all that you do for us. Use this money to go and celebrate your anniversary in Hawaii.”  We were floored. 

Even with the tremendous gift, it was still going to be a stretch for us to afford plane tickets and a resort in Kauai.  We believed if God wanted us to go, He would have to work it out. 

Then the husband of the lady who organized the giving members at Christmas called.  He told me that since he flies all the time he had earned points for a hotel stay.  He and his wife told us that they would use his points to book us at the Marriot resort in Kauai.  I smiled to my wife, “Honey, you’re going to Hawaii.” 

The demands on a pastor’s spouse are great.  When a church remembers that and shows appreciation, it makes a world of difference. But even greater than gifts, is when a church does not force a pastor’s wife into a certain role or mold.  When churches allows a pastors’ spouses to be who God made them to be – that is the best gift a pastoral couple could ever ask for.  And tickets to Hawaii aren’t bad either.

 

*I would like you all to welcome my guest Blogger, Michael Halfhill.  He is the Associate Pastor, at the New Haven Church in Kansas & married to a wonderful woman, Jeanette.  They will be celebrating their 10th Wedding Anniversary in October and have 2 cutie pie children!

Living in the “Ma’owz” of God….

Today as I was preparing for an upcoming week of prayer, I came across this thought in the book, The 100 Most Important Bible Verses for Teens, and I thought that I would share it with you.  The Bible scripture focus is Nahum 1:7—“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; & He knows thouse who trust in Him.”

The people of Nineveh had messed up once before, & a hundred years later they were again choosing to live their own way.  By indulging in their desires, they had removed themselves from the safety & protection of God.  Getting your way has a certain appeal in the begging because it seems to offer freedom, fun, sensuality, & excitement.  The appeal however, is lost once you realize your way may not be as good as God’s way for your life.  His way for your life includes boundaries, but they are designed to ensure your safety.

Choosing to live according to God’s will is like choosing a safe shelter for your life.  The Hebrew word for ‘stronghold’ used in Nahum 1:7 is ma’owz, which means ‘a place of safety, protection, refuge’.  Imagine two houses.  One house is more like a castle with a moat, tall solid walls, & thick wooden doors designed to keep anyone inside safe from harm.  The other house has standard doors, walls, & windows. Living in God’s will is like living in the castle, compared to living in a regular house.

The people of Nineveh drifted back into the habit of doing things their way & ignoring God.  As a result of ditching God’s ways, they left themselves unprotected & open to attack from their enemies.  Speaking through Nahum, God called them back to the protection of His will.  God will be there for you when pain, disappointment, & frustration threaten to invade your life.  When you feel like you are under attack, whether at home, at school, or at work, God offers you His protection.  Nahum’s message was this: God is good.  Living within God’s loving will puts you in the most secure position you can be.

If you choose to live outside God’s boundaries, in a sense you’re choosing to live outside His protection.  What areas of your life need to be brought with the walls of God’s stronghold?

Here is one of my favorite Praise & Worship songs, I invite you to not only meditate on the words, but to  turn your life over to God, and live in the safety of His Will.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdINIPKCDJA

Why I lift My Hands in Praise….

Twenty-two years ago today, at exactly 1:15p—something happened to me that I will never forget!

As I sat in a circle in my Third grade class, it was the time of day that we all looked forward too!  It was time for all the jelly beans to be poured out of the glass jar, onto the plate, to be counted.  We had a guessing jar, and whoever guessed closest to the number, or the exact number would be the recipient of the much coveted candy.

As we sat there with glowing faces, waiting to hear our fate, one of the other students accidentally broke the glass jar.  Being the “little Miss Helpful” that I am, I told my favorite teacher, Mrs. M. that I would clean up the mess.

While cleaning up the mess, I noticed the beautiful cork top of the jar, and decided that I wanted to keep it.  After throwing the other pieces of glass out, I took the one piece of glass that contained the cork top, turned it up-side-down (with the jagged edges of glass upward), and I took a thick marker, and started to jab the cork out. 

WARNING…I am going to be a little graphic here, so if you don’t want to read what happened—stop here.

As I jabbed the cork, my hand slipped, & my right wrist came down on the jagged edges of the glass.  The broken glass pierced my wrist deeply.  I remember saying, “Mrs. M, I’m bleeding!”   She looked over in astonishment, she knew that the artery had been cut.  She quickly rushed me down to the office, & ”911″ was called.

Long story short…

The surgery lasted over 8 hours—I had severed the radial artery, ligaments, tendons, & veins as far down as my third digit.  At first, the doctors were not sure if they could save my hand, it was such a delicate procedure, I was so young, and they had never seen, or done an operation as such. (In fact, this surgery was so rare, that it is featured in a Medical Journal.)  They just weren’t sure whether I would ever have full usage of my hand again.

But today I praise God, on this 4th day of May, that I type this BLOG to you, with both of my hands!

I praise God for my favorite teacher, Mrs. M—who I still keep in very good contact with, for her initiative to pick me up, and run me down to the office that day, I praise God for Dr. Zucker & the Hospital for Sick Children Team for allowing God to work through them, as they repaired my wrist, I praise God for the Nurse, who was patient with me as I screamed as she removed all 52 stitches, I praise God for the prayers of my family, & church family, & I praise the Great God, that I have 95% usage of my right hand!

“So Chanda, why do you lift your hands in praise,” you may ask?  

Well, every time I look down at my wrist and see that huge scar, it is a reminder to me of the scars in the hands of Jesus, the ONLY One who was willing to die for me, (& you) so that I could have a second chance at life—and this is why I lift my hands in praise!