Visionary Writer's

God has certainly moved us with the Visionary Writer's Camp this summer. Thank all the parents for allowing your children to be apart of this camp. We were blessed to have 17 students. We thank our sponsors and music instructor Shirley Partee and wonderful volunteers, Ashley Shy, Brenda Willins and Karmen Simmons. Additionally, we thank Borage Grill for our magnificent cooking camp. All the students did a fabulous job on their stories and songs! They worked hard preparing to go back to school.

Leading by Fear or Faith

Making decisions can at times be terrorizing. I recall when I had to decide to tell my parents I was having a child. I had one more year to complete college and I could imagine my father’s response before I even told him. I contemplated if my mother would be disappointed and think my life was over. My thoughts were consumed with negative thoughts and nothing positive. It was as if I made up in my mind to only highlight depressing things, instead of encouraging.

Recently, since I have been in the capacity of being a leader of Healing of a Broken Heart Ministry decisions have been a natural part of the job description. Decisions have to be made daily and some require less than 24 hour responses.

As a wife and mother, decisions must be made minute by minute and responses have to be declared as quickly, as a second, depending on the situation.

We are all leaders in some capacity which require for us to make the ultimate decision. Considering decisions, captures my mind to two leaders in the Bible that many are familiar with, Saul and David. When Saul was called to be king he was in hiding (1 Samuel 10:22-23); on the other hand, when David was called to be anointed as king he came with ease (1 Samuel 16:11-13).

Throughout the recordings of Saul he displayed not wanting to take responsibility because of lack of wanting to be held accountable. David’s recordings display him as courageous. Even as a child before he entered being a king he was practicing being courageous fighting bears and lions to secure sheep.

Some call Saul a coward because he sent a child to do the work of a man. Some call David crazy because he would do things without thinking it completely through. My perception is the difference between the two is Saul lead by fear and David lead by faith. Saul would use his own logic, while David typically used his faith in God. Saul and David made mistakes but Saul practice running from making decisions while David practiced activating his faith in God to make decisions.

We all have something we are responsible to make decisions towards and deal with the consequences. The consequences are either positive or negative, yet with each decision that is made a lesson is learned and we are to grow in our faith in God, as we seek Him to help us discern the best decision to make.

How are you leading today? Are you leading by fear? Do you have all these things in your head you know you are supposed to do but because of fear and looking at what you have or don’t have you remain stuck in life? Are you leading by faith? Do you have the courage to take a chance and step out on faith to do what you feel in your heart? Do you hear what God is saying and you move even if does not make sense logically?

Consider leading by faith. Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, acknowledge God in all thy ways and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Seeing Beyond

Often I tell my husband, “God is telling me to do something I cannot do or does not make any sense.” Recently, I spoke it but meditated on, “Why me?” Last year, God spoke to me about the many events He desired for Healing of a Broken Heart Ministry to hold, “How exciting,” I thought. I did not understand why and how I would participate. However, God knew and has always known. As this year has progressed, all I can wonder is, “what if I said no, when He said go.”

Logically, nothing that this ministry has done makes sense to the eyes of humans; simply because it appears as if, we never have what we need initially. I was always encouraged to make sure you have everything you need before you consider a date for an event. Yet God always pushes me out when I barely had anyone or the things needed to accomplish the set goal, He has had in place all along.

I recall the story of Samuel being sent off to look for the king for the Israelites. Samuel saw Eliab and thought he is the king but God said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have refused him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart,” 1 Samuel 16:7.

This text teaches us several lessons. It warns us as believer’s two things we should not focus on and reveals characteristics of our heavenly Father area of expertise.

It warns us to not look at the appearance. We are not supposed to have our eyes fixed on the exterior or outer shell of the situation.

Then it warns not to look at his stature. We can not get tangled with the size of the situation, the physique or how tall the issue is. Following, the text tells us why- because I have refused him. God has rejected and despised what He has warned us not to look at.

Next, is says because God can see what man cannot see. God can see beyond our narrow vision of today, yesterday and tomorrow. The Lord can see the whole situation, from the beginning to the end and we need Him to get to where we cannot see.

Has God called on you to do something? Are you looking at your Goliath? God has cast off that thing, why should we look to the very thing He has cast off? If God detest that issue, what is the point of us giving our attention to it? Are you stuck on your abilities and not what you can do through Christ? Have you been looking at the past? When God told Lot to leave He said, “Don’t look back.” His wife looked back for the last time.

Maybe you feel inadequate to do what He is calling you. Perhaps you feel unworthy or possibly your logic says, “None of this makes any sense.” God does not look at who we are but He looks at the potential of who we are to become. He can see our heart, the very thing we at times cannot see.

Consider trusting God with all your heart. Pray to God to help you not make decisions based solely on your own logic or first impression. Ask the Lord to forgive you when you knew Hs answer but chose differently. Call out to our heavenly Father to help you as you wait on His answer, so you can move when He says Go. For the Lord sees beyond what we see and looks out for our best interest.