On a Scale From 1-10

"What is your pain on a scale from 1-10?"


This question has probably been asked of all of us at one time in our life.  It is a difficult one for those who like to be exact.  Each person has their own level of pain. I've seen a child fall to pieces over a scrape on the knee and a grown man not able to function over the flu.....and then I've seen a women receive a toxic chemical in her body to fight cancer and go to work that very same day.  I've experienced a level of pain that I'm positive if you asked me at the time I would have said 10, but looking back I can see God holding me saying " you're ok, I've got you."


The Lord not only grows us during these times, but is showing us how important discipleship is in our Christian walk.
"If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength,!" Proverbs 27:10

I was in a spin class the other day and the instructor tells us to turn it up to a 7 or 8.... Then after so many minutes she'd tell us to bring it down to a 4 or 5.  This can be difficult.  I question myself and think, " is this a 7?" How small is my strength? What is a 10?

I'm thinking a 10 is "I can't function".  So.... Unless I'm dead, and even then, I'll be in the presence of my Savior, I'm not at a 10. In all areas of my life, I don't want anyone, especially my Lord, to say, "how small is your strength!"


This is why time in His word is so vital. Not the word that the pastor gives on Sunday morning. That's just extra. It's our personal, one on one, focused time with God that prepares us for that question " what is your level of pain?" Again, everyone's perspective can be so different unless we see things through the lens of God. Look at Jeremiah as he questioned God because of the trouble he faced. God asked how he ever expected to face big challenges if the little ones tired him out ( Jeremiah 12:5) this tells me God must have had a different perspective than Jeremiah.  Jeremiah must have thought his pain level was an 8 or 9 and God was saying.... "Let's try a 3 or 4!"


We can't do this thing called life without Him my friends! I often ask myself how people do it without Christ. The answer is, they do.... It's just so sad, such a struggle and a mess and it doesn't have to be.  Let's not think just about ourselves and help others have this same perspective.   But before we can help others, we ourselves need to be healthy in this area.  This holiday season feed yourself on God's word.


In His Strength,
The Mrs. Pastor

It's a choice

One thing that we all have in common is choices.  We have to make them everyday.  Some choices are just so natural we don't even think about them, while others may take deep thought and courage.  I wish I could say that as we got older we make very little wrong choices but this isn't always the case either.
In order to make the best choices, to walk in His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, we must die to our "human" nature.  That means to be in-tune with His spirit that lives within you.  Sometimes we will need to do things that just aren't natural for us.
"I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High." Psalms 9:1,2

It just seems weird to praise when we are surrounded with conflict.  It isn't natural to tell of His marvelous works when tragedy strikes.  I don't jump up to sing when circumstances look hopeless.  How can I be glad when I'm looking at sad?

Answer: I choose!  I depend on my Lord and Savior with all my heart.  I look my circumstance in the eye and say " I will".  I die to myself and plead for The Lord to take over where I have no strength in myself to handle it in the best way possible.

At the end of the day, I just want to represent Him well.  Will I mess up? yes.  Am I perfect? no.  Will some people seek out to find something to fault in me? yes.  But everyday I fall on my face and ask my maker to forgive me for anything I've done to bring shame to Him and ask Him in His grace to continue to mold me in His image!

I will.......
will you?

-The  Mrs. Pastor