Day 2 - There is No Place Like Home

           At the end of the Wizard of Oz movie Dorothy realizes there is no place like home. She decides she really didn’t want adventure after all. She wanted to stay right where she was, in Kansas with her family. Throughout her colorful adventure through the Land of Oz she was laser focused on her destination, but she seemed to miss out on enjoying her journey.
 

            She doesn’t linger in Munchkin Land more than a few minutes (for only a song or two!) before they show her the yellow brick road leading out of town. She hurries through the enchanted forest. And at one point she and her friends run through the poppy field when they see their destination, the emerald lights of Oz, in the distance.

            Dorothy seems to have blinders on, only looking ahead to her destination, and not stopping to enjoy the amazing place she found herself. Even in our dreams how many of us get to travel somewhere over the rainbow to such an amazing place? Although she meets great friends along the way who help her reach her destination, she does not seem to have much joy in her journey. 

 

Who wouldn't want to spend more time with the Lollipop Guild?

            We can be like that sometimes, can’t we? Have you ever been so focused on your destination that you don’t take time to enjoy the journey to get there? Our family has driven on vacations where we couldn’t wait to get to the vacation spot, and we never stopped along the road to see any historic spots or amazing views. 

            Our life is mostly a journey. We can set goals and have dreams to accomplish things, but the reality is we spend more time on the journey than we do at the destination. In a marathon athletes run for 26 miles. They only spend a few seconds actually crossing the finish line. Once they reach their destination many of them start thinking about their next race. Marathon runners, like most athletes, spend the majority of their time training, practicing and running and very little time crossing the finish line. Hopefully they enjoy the running!

           

            This is not to say setting goals is wrong, not at all. It is great to focus and train and accomplish dreams the Lord has given us. Anything worth accomplishing usually takes time and training. It’s just that most of our life is spent daily, and if we don’t have joy in the daily we are missing out on the life and lessons God has for us along the way. God cares about our growth during the journey as much as our accomplishment at the end.

            How can you enjoy your journey daily, instead of waiting for joy to come at the end?

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,

but of righteousness, peace and JOY in the Holy Spirit,  . . . Romans 14:17

 

 

Joyfully,

   

Is There Life After Prison?

         "Leticia grew up, one of 8 brothers and sisters from a poor southern New Mexico family. Even though hard, the memories of her early years were good. The good life turned bad as the drugs overwhelmed her.  Eventually, the addiction shattered the marriage and eventually her life. The street life engulfed her and took her places no woman should ever have to endure.  She was raped, beaten and left for dead.  She made two very bad choices in men that almost cost her her life and did take her parental rights to her only son.

         Arrested and convicted, Leticia was sent to jail. She was prayed into jail by a guard, who saw her dead in a ditch and got up to pray!  Later that year, another guard, who was faithful to go out and make disciples, led her to Christ. After jail she was sent to prison. Prison was where she discovered and developed a wonderful relationship with Jesus Christ.  Through her four years in prison, she turned a disaster into the most wonderful relationship with God that could ever be imagined.  She attributes her prison sentence to not only saving her life, but also cementing her relationship with Jesus Christ.  That drive that made her early life successful was the determination that helped her develop an exit strategy from prison, as well as overcoming the overwhelming obstacles of post-prison life.

         During and since her release Leticia has dedicated her life to helping others overcome the hurdles of prison release.  She and others are offered ways to change through education, relocation, incarceration and rehabilitation, but only God can make the transformation.  After God made that transformation in her life and based on her experiences leaving prison, she founded God’s Provision Ministry and later with co-founders, Donna Jennings and Patricia Conkling, A Peaceful Habitation Home & Aftercare Ministry, Inc., a ministry that provides transitional housing, resources, life skills, Celebrate Recovery (12-step) and other assistance for women to make their transitions back into their communities, one woman at a time.

         Leticia lost her parental rights to her son, Isaac, but God restored him to her. He is legally adopted by her sister, Ramona, but visits on a regular basis and at the age of 6 said, “He wanted to 'rock' for God!”  He is now a teenager and serving God.  Leticia is also re-married. She and Bob met on a Kairos prison ministry weekend in 2003 while she was still on parole.  They married six months later and are still married and very much in love.  She and her husband, Bob, continue working on Kairos weekends each year.  She was also allowed to be a Leader of a women’s Kairos team; Chairperson for Grants Kairos Advisory Board; Advisory Member of the Christian Association of Prison Aftercare (CAPA); has been instrumental in the coordinating and organizing of the NM Dept of Corrections’ annual volunteer conferences; and a member of the House Memorial 3 Task Force in NM.    God brought her a long way and performed many miracles in her life.

        
 Leticia would like to one day write a book; obtain a pardon from the governor of NM; speak at churches to encourage them to embrace the formerly incarcerated returning citizens into their congregations by providing mentors and support; go to the prisons and jails to encourage others to never give up hope and embrace their God given talents and use them for the good of society.

        Leticia writes, “During our addiction and criminal lifestyles we become people that are selfish, self-centered, and even abusive. We should apologize for the pain we caused and give back of ourselves, time and money to those we have injured and taken from. We must stop blaming everyone else, take responsibility for our actions, the bad choices we made and become contributing and positive members of our families and our communities." She would also like to have another house in Albuquerque and open a business that will hire and train the former incarcerated women, who are returning citizens.

          Coming from a poor family and surviving many bad choices concerning drugs and other illegal activities, Leticia found a relationship with God that allowed her to turn her life around and offer herself to the aid of others.  Her ministry, A Peaceful Habitation Home & Aftercare Ministry, Inc., is now offering a light of hope to women coming out of prison, hope that she herself needed, to be able to overcome the realities of post-prison life."  

(article used with permission by A Peaceful Habitation)

"My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
in safe dwellings,
and in quiet resting places."

                                                                      Isaiah 32:18

A Peaceful Habitation

P.O. Box 53516

Albuquerque, NM 87153

505-440-5937

info@apeacefulhabitation.org

                                                               A 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization 

This is part of a series called 31 Days of Change. To read others in this series, click the links below. 
To read my previous year's series, click here to read about Our Adoption Adventure.  
Click here to read about Hearing God. If you would like to read other blogs and different topics you can go to Write31days.com.

Day 1:   He Did What?!

 Day 2:  Called Out in Class

Day 3:  Stuck in the Desert

Day 4:  Nicest Guy in Hell

Day 5:  Domino's Delivers More Than Pizza

Day 6:  Mommy, You Need God  - Part 1

Day 7:  Mommy, You Need God - Part 2

Day 8:  Meeting My Messiah

Day 9:   Depression to Joy

Day 10:  Seasons of Change

Day 11:  In the Enemy's Ring

Day 12:  Holding His Hand

Day 13:  Changed

Day 14:  12 Thoughts on Change

Day 15:  A Prodigal Daughter’s Journey

Day 16:  What if God Never Calls?

Day 17:  Never the Same

Day 18:  The C Word

Day 19:  Punk to Pastor

Day 20:  Lessons After Class

Day 21:  Is There Life After Prison?

Day 22:  I Can Handle it On My Own

Day 23:

Day 24:  All Fired Up

Day 25:  All Fired Up - Part 2

Day 26:  All Fired Up - Part 3

Day 27:  When the Father Ran

Day 28:

Day 29:

Day 30:

Day 31:

Punk to Pastor

         Vince grew up in a large family, one of eight siblings. His Father was an alcoholic. When he was 12 years old, one of his older brothers thought it would be funny to introduce him to marijuana. The brother and his friends would get him high and then laugh at him when he acted stupid. Little did this brother know that would put him on a destructive path using drugs and alcohol.

         He met a friend who had older brothers also, and they started smoking weed everyday before school. To fund his smoking, he became a thief. He stole skateboards, bikes from distant neighborhoods and merchandise from stores and sold them to kids. He was a punk with an attitude. Because of the drugs, he failed 7^th grade and had to take summer school in order to move on to 8^th. In 8^th grade he decided not to use drugs and turned to alcohol instead. He kept a bottle of vodka in his locker and drank everyday at school.

         He remembers a counselor explained the stages leading up to becoming an alcoholic. One stage was when drinking alcohol was no longer fun and it made the person emotional. That freaked him out, because he could see that happening to himself. He was drinking to escape the emptiness and loneliness he felt. He was brash on the outside but hurting and insecure on the inside. Drinking was no longer fun, it was starting to control him.

         The summer before his Freshman year in high school, he decided to stop hanging out with the friends he drank with. He knew he needed a change. He wanted to pursue athletics in high school and not drugs and alcohol. A different older brother invited him to a Christian organization called Young Life. There he learned God loved him, accepted him and forgave him. That was very different from the God he learned about as a kid. He learned that God loved him individually and he was special to God. He was blown away that he could become a child of God and have a close personal relationship with Jesus.

         In the summer between his Freshman and Sophomore years, he was in his room listening to his brother's Christian album. One of the songs was “I Need You.” He dropped to his knees and prayed and cried out to God. “God I need you. I am lost and going nowhere. Please save me. I need you so much.” From that day forward he could not stop talking to his friends about God’s love. He invited everyone he knew to Young Life, so they could meet this great God he knew.

         It wasn’t until he was married that he started to really grow in his faith. He developed the discipline of reading and studying his Bible, and became part of a church. The first year he and his wife were married they volunteered to teach kids at their church. Because he had dyslexia, he had a hard time reading and teaching the pre-written lessons. He asked the Kid’s Director if he could write his own lessons. This began a lifelong love of studying and teaching God’s Word. The Bible came alive to him, and he learned about God, His story and His love for people.

Vince teaching in Israel.

         After a few years, he was asked to teach a young adult couples Bible study class. He loved doing that for 10 years. During that time, God used him to bring people to Christ. He also felt God calling him to be in full time ministry. However, it would be a few more years until a church felt led to call him. Today he has the honor of helping others understand God’s love, His Word and how they can become Christ followers.

         Since coming to Christ, he has felt more loved, forgiven and free than ever before. God has given him a purpose and a passion for leading others to Christ and teaching God’s Word. He is grateful God saved him and took him off the path of destruction and placed him on the path that leads to the Lord.  

          People no longer call him punk, but Pastor. I call him my husband and best friend.  

Robyn and Vince on a boat on the Sea of Galilee.

Do you know someone on the path to destruction? Have you told them God loves them and has a wonderful plan and purpose for their life?   

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

         This story is part of a series called 31 Days of Change. If you would like to read others in the series, click the links below. 

If you would like to read my previous year's series, click here to read about Our Adoption Adventure.  

Click here to read about Hearing God. 

If you would like to read other blogs and different topics you can go to Write31days.com.

Day 1:   He Did What?!

 Day 2:  Called Out in Class

Day 3:  Stuck in the Desert

Day 4:  Nicest Guy in Hell

Day 5:  Domino's Delivers More Than Pizza

Day 6:  Mommy, You Need God  - Part 1

Day 7:  Mommy, You Need God - Part 2

Day 8:  Meeting My Messiah

Day 9:   Depression to Joy

Day 10:  Seasons of Change

Day 11:  In the Enemy's Ring

Day 12:  Holding His Hand

Day 13:  Changed

Day 14:  12 Thoughts on Change

Day 15:  A Prodigal Daughter’s Journey

Day 16:  What if God Never Calls?

Day 17:  Never the Same

Day 18:  The C Word

Day 19:  Punk to Pastor

Day 20:  Lessons After Class

Day 21:

Day 22:  I Can Handle it On My Own

Day 23:

Day 24:  All Fired Up

Day 25:  All Fired Up - Part 2

Day 26:  All Fired Up - Part 3

Day 27:  When the Father Ran

Day 27:

Day 28:

Day 29:

Day 30:

Day 31:

What if God Never Calls?

         Tom grew up in an religious Lutheran family, so religious they never missed a Sunday in church. If his family was out of town and not able to make it to their home church, his Mother would have them pull up in front of a Lutheran church where ever they were, and have one of the kids run into the church and pick up a church bulletin. She would then turn it into the church office when they returned home, allowing Tom and his sister to receive an 18-year perfect church attendance pin when they turned 18. After graduating from high school Tom wanted nothing to do with that hypocrisy.

         When he left home, Tom ran far away from church and toward everything the world had to offer. After he married and had children, a man he met led him to accept Christ as his savior.  He went to the man’s church and felt good about himself for a few months. After a while, he thought the church was too weird and he stopped going.

         Tom vacillated in and out of church for years. He landed in an inner city church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and there he learned what it was like to have a mentor pour into him. He re-accepted Christ and was baptized, for the third time. Even though he was involved in church, he was pompous and arrogant about his Christianity. He told everyone all he knew, but he wasn’t living the Christian life at all.

         His career flourished and he became CEO of a large fitness company. He and his best friend were in business together. It wasn’t enough for Tom to be successful at his career. He was recognized as an expert in his field and traveled around the world and spoke and lectured. Life was good.

         In 2012, his life began to unravel. He was separated from his wife and remembers feeling depressed and alone, when he heard God speak to him in his spirit, “I want more from you.” Tom thought, “Wow. God is going to bless me even more.”

         Six weeks later he was fired from his CEO job, and accused of embezzling by his best friend. The friend slandered him and falsely accused him, writing articles in fitness magazines, against him. Tom lost his job, his credibility, his clients,  and his income. The only job he could find was as a landscaper. He pushed a wheel barrow filled with mulch up hills all day long. He went from earning six figures to $11 an hour. It was a humbling experience and he turned to God as his only hope.

         God restored his marriage and he was offered a job as a fitness center manager in Albuquerque. He accepted the job and he and his wife moved. He knew as soon as they arrived, he needed to find a church and a group of Christian friends. He joined Sagebrush Community Church and found a caring small group, leaned in and took classes, and soon was asked to teach a class. He had to fly back and forth to Lancaster for the embezzlement hearings. He prayed God would rescue him and after several stress filled years, he was cleared of all charges.

         As God was clearing Tom’s finances, He was also purging him of his pride and self-sufficiency. Tom was grateful to God for all He had done in his life. A few years later Tom was given a promotion and offered a job as a regional manager. At the same time, his church saw his love and commitment to Christ, and offered him a job as a Campus Pastor. He had a decision to make. Should he take the promotion which would increase his salary or take the Pastor position which would cut his salary? He loved God and wanted to follow Him, but the increase in salary was very tempting. For years Tom pursued wealth, recognition and self. In discussing his options with his wife, she said the fitness company would never hire him back and would not call him again to work there even as a trainer. Tom said,

“What if God never calls me again?”

He knew he had to answer the call from God.

         Today Tom is a great fit as a Campus Pastor in a rural community. He loves horses, the outdoors and the people he serves. He says he still looks in the mirror everyday and asks God how He could use a guy like him. He is humbled and honored that God called him and is using him. God continues to bring people into Tom’s life who he can share the love of Christ with.

         Tom is a different man than he was years ago. The love of God, His forgiveness and grace changed him forever.

Pastor Tom

Have you ever missed it when God called you to do something? We have to make the choice everyday whether we will follow God or not. How do you determine what is God's call and what is your own preference?

This is Day 16 in the 31 Days of Change series. Click the links below to read the other days. If you would like to read previous year's series, click here to read about Our Adoption Adventure.  Click here to read about Hearing God. If you would like to read other blogs and different topics you can go to Write31days.com.

Day 1:   He Did What?!

 Day 2:  Called Out in Class

Day 3:  Stuck in the Desert

Day 4:  Nicest Guy in Hell

Day 5:  Domino's Delivers More Than Pizza

Day 6:  Mommy, You Need God  - Part 1

Day 7:  Mommy, You Need God - Part 2

Day 8:  Meeting My Messiah

Day 9:   Depression to Joy

Day 10:  Seasons of Change

Day 11:  In the Enemy's Ring

Day 12:  Holding His Hand

Day 13:  Changed

Day 14:  12 Thoughts on Change

Day 15:  A Prodigal Daughter’s Journey

Day 16:  What if God Never Calls?

Day 17:  Never the Same

Day 18:  The C Word

Day 19:  Punk to Pastor

Day 20:  Lessons After Class

Day 21:

Day 22:

Day 23:

Day 24:

Day 25:

Day 26:

Day 27:

Day 27:

Day 28:

Day 29:

Day 30:

Day 31:

Called Out In Class

         Everyone else was practicing their typing skills. Hands on the home row, typing    A S D F G . . . H J K L ;. Todd was sitting in the back of the class trying to flirt with the pretty blonde next to him. Actually, he wasn’t flirting, he was being crude. He was telling her things he would like to do with her. Basically, he was being a jerk.

         Overhearing Todd’s comments, a football player, named Bill Hill, sitting in front of him, turned around,

         “Todd, you need Jesus. Do you want me to tell you how you can become a Christian?” he asked.

         Surprised by his boldness, Todd immediately replied,

                          

                           “I don’t need that. I already am a Christian.”

         Then Bill Hill said something that rocked Todd’s world.

                           “Then why don’t you act like it?”

         The truth was Todd grew up going to church. He was there every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. He did not pay much attention to the preaching. He mostly sat in the back playing hangman and goofing off with his friends. He thought that was enough to put him in the category of being called a Christian.

         That day he went home from school and asked his Mom for a Bible. That rocked his Mom’s world! He began reading the book of John. When he reached John chapter 14, he read:

Verse 15 – “If you love Me, you will obey what I command.”

Verse 21 -- “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

Verse 23 – “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.”

         Todd got on his knees in his room and gave his life 100% to Christ.

         Some time after that a good friend of Todd’s was killed in a car accident. Todd realized in all the hours he spent with his friend they talked about everything in life . . . except God. He sat in the funeral service wondering if he would see his friend in heaven or not.

         Todd made a commitment to always tell everyone he knew about God’s love and forgiveness. At 15 years old he committed his life to God and said he would do whatever God wanted him to do with his life.

      

         Today Todd pastors a large church in Albuquerque. His heart is to share God’s love and forgiveness with the city and the state. He is a gifted communicator, passionate about sharing the love of Christ, because he knows “there really is a heaven and there really is a hell, and people are going to spend eternity in one place or the other.”

         He is honest about his flaws and people relate to his humor and authenticity. What people say most often about Todd’s preaching is they feel like he is talking directly to them, as if they are the only one in the room, and he knows their situation personally.

     Perhaps that is because God spoke directly and personally to Todd, through John chapter 14, and miraculously CHANGED his life.

**If you would like to hear teachings from Todd, you can find him at www.sagebrush.cc.**

     How about you? Have you had an encounter with God that changed your life? We would love to hear it!  

 

 To read all the 31 Days of Change stories, click here to access the whole list. 

 

Reluctant Obedience

 

            Like the commercial with the ‘most interesting man in the world,’ I think Moses is one of the most interesting men in the Bible.

- He was adopted by a king.

- Raised in a palace with all the royalty that went with that.

- Killed a man, and then ran from his crime.

- Hid out, and then started a humble life as a shepherd in the desert.

- Was called by God in the most dramatic way, from a burning bush.

            Moses saw the burning bush and knew it is God speaking to him. He took off his shoes because he knew he was standing on holy ground. Then, when God told him what to do, Moses argued with God! Not once or twice, Moses has five excuses as to why he didn’t want to do what God called him to do.

            I have often said to myself and others, “If God would just send me a burning bush, then I could be sure of what He wants me to do.” But the truth is, if God asked me to something I thought was impossible, I would probably argue too. Of course, it is ridiculous to tell the God who created the universe that something is impossible. Since He can do anything and the Bible says all things are possible when He gives us the strength to do them.

            Moses’ excuses to God as to why He called the wrong guy to lead two million slaves out of Egypt to the Promised Land are interesting.

            First, He tells God he is not qualified for the job. This seems to be true because at the time Moses was tending sheep. Then again, maybe herding sheep was the right skill, since he would be herding people for many years.

            Then, he says he doesn’t know enough to do the job. As an example he tells God he doesn’t even know His name.

Third, showing his pessimistic side, Moses says he doesn’t believe he can do what God wants because he doesn’t believe the Israelites will follow him.

            Then, grasping for straws, Moses tells God this can’t be his calling because he doesn’t speak well. This one is a little hard to believe because he was raised in the palace and probably had the finest education a king could provide. (And certainly in the movie, Charlton Heston had no problem delivering eloquent speeches!)

            Finally, Moses tells God he doesn’t want to do it and He should find someone else to do this huge job.

            We know from reading the book of Exodus God did not take no for an answer from Moses. He equipped Moses to do everything He called him to do and Moses liberated two million people from slavery in Egypt. It is an amazing story.

            Do we use these excuses with God? I’m not qualified to teach kids at church or home school my kids because I am not a teacher. I don’t have a teaching degree.

            I often think I don’t have enough knowledge to do the task. I need to read, study, ask questions and take a class before I feel I have enough knowledge to do something.

            Number three is a biggy. We (I) just flat out don’t believe God. We say we do, but we don’t trust that He can do what He says He will do.

            I wrote about giving my calling to someone else here, when I knew God was asking me to do it. That was not one of my proudest moments.

            We don’t want to do it. We don’t want to stay home with our kids, when all our friends have fun, fulfilling careers. We don’t want to work outside the home, when we would rather stay home with our kids. We don’t want to move when our spouse is offered a great job opportunity. Or when the going gets rough where we are, we don’t want to stay and deal with it, when it seems easier to move.

            Moses reluctantly obeyed God and he became one of the most admired men in the Bible.

            I don’t want to be reluctant to do the things God calls me to do. I want to be all in with God, and enthusiastically obey, knowing He will equip me and give me the strength to do whatever He calls me to. It helps to start by making the decision to say yes to God, no matter what the assignment. It is easier to do what He calls us to do, if we have determined we will say yes ahead of time.

            Have you ever been reluctant to obey what God has asked you to do? Have you ever used one of these excuses?

We have all heard this verse before,

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

but is it enough to cause us to say yes when God calls us to a seemingly impossible task?