First Things First

Since the beginning of November, God has been bringing the story of two fish and five loaves ( John 6) around and around. From  different perspectives and places, He just keeps teaching and revealing. And the bottom line: give thanks and believe.

Don’t look at the circumstances: 5,000 people needing to be fed (15,000 if you count women and children). Don’t look at what you’ve got in your hand: two fish and five loaves.  Look at Who you are with. The Son of the Most High God.

And what does He do? He looks to heaven and gives thanks for what God is about to do. Then as calmly as can be, the disciples began distributing. And they just kept on distributing. There were 12 baskets of leftovers. Not 12 cups. Twelve baskets.  This is after everyone has had their fill. There was no Black Friday stampeding here. Everyone had enough and there were leftovers even.

Who is this God, who is this Jesus, who is this Spirit that can impact our natural world with their supernatural power? The same God that is with you today.

Don’t look at the crowds or  your meager offering. Look to heaven, give thanks and then do what He has told you to do. He is faithful.

Here are some pearls from Abiding Glory on Sunday about gratitude that God has been expanding for me.

1) “Kingdom protocol is first “God, thank you” then please.” “ Jesus always thanked God first before He asked anything. We are instructed to “enter his courts with thanksgiving” then we proceed to the inner courts for petitions. This is a weighty concept but will change your faith life and your prayer life.

2) “Gratitude is never invisible or silent.” I love this. It is not enough to be thankful, you must express it. To God, to others. We often expect God and other people to “know” we are grateful.  But both you and the other person are blessed when you tell them, show them you are thankful. Already this week, I have been very conscious about expressing my thanks to Him and those who bless me.

3) “Gratitude sustains joy and blessing. Without it, you soon begin to take your blessing for granted. Ouch. This one hits way too close to home. Everything we have is a gift from God. EVERYTHING.  Be sure to sit in a posture of thanks rather than “I deserve this.”

4) “Gratitude begins where my sense of entitlement ends.”  It is hard to be thankful and be demanding at the same time. We are consumed in our country, and the Church, with our rights, our privileges. When “you owe me” turns into “I am so blessed,” things shift in our soul.

5) “Grateful people can find a blessing, enlarge a blessing or create a blessing in almost any circumstance.” I don’t know about you, but I want this to be my life motto.  Because the opposite affect scares me to death: Negative people can miss a blessing, minimize a blessing and destroy a blessing in almost any circumstance.

Let us be the people who remember the goodness of our God. Look to Him. Give thanks. Live in His blessing.

 

Remind me…

Remind me who I am.

This has been a week of loving reminders.  God created or stirred, from all directions, a message of loving determination.  His determination to show me love.  From butterflies (in November?), to emailed heart photos, to texts with prophetic scripture, to even a powerful dream through another person, God has been ardently, annoyingly, persistently pursing me. Why annoyingly?  Because when I am mad, or whining, or feeling sorry for myself, His acts of affections draw me out of my drama. And sometimes, sadly, I want to STAY in my drama. At least it feels that way. But finally His love broke through. His continued reminders of past promises and His faithfulness today, His repeating of my pet name, His beauty for my ashes, these God touches broke down my walls.

My heart opened again and I breathed in His intimate tenderness. Oddly enough the whining and self pity slipped away. They can’t stand in the face of His grace.  It truly is “His kindness that leads us to repentance.” Here is the kicker…Right before I got ready to teach the WGR class, my friend handed me card, sheepishly. “He told me me to give you this, ” she said.

On one side it read: He told me to “remind you.”

On the other side were words to a song. I began reading them and casually dismissed them, ‘Oh, this is a Bethany Dillon song.’ But as I kept reading, a sob caught in my throat. I quickly left the room and went to the hall so I could cry in private.

In a moment I was transported back in time. I could see the sun, and feel the wind off the beach as I re-read them.  The written words were my words. Or rather, His words.

You sing over me, You sing over me

You wave your hands and dance around

Sing of dreams, desires all over me

washing, rolling, wondering over me

There’s no love better than yours

It was a song we had written together a year before. And the over-arching message of that beach trip was His delight. Could I, would I be willing to do life with the only measure being His delight?  It was the perfect touch after a hard week of questions and hurting.

How beautiful is our God?

I am putting the song below for your listening. Read the lyrics and soak in the truths. They are for you too. And my take-aways this week, among many, are listen and DO the prompting of God. Every one of these touches came from people who thought they were crazy to reach out. But God used them to help me. Finally, receive. Look, believe, receive the beauty, the tenderness, the truths of God. They surround us always. “There’s no love better than yours.”

My Pleasure

Here I am. Waiting. Listening
Wanting to feel your Holy touch
Need to hear your words flood my soul
Feel your pleasure Lord
There’s no sound, better than yours.

Here I am. Hungry, Eager.
Believing that you’re smiling too
Glad that I’ve come to be with you
You love to hear my voice
there’s no sound better than worship

You sing over me, You sing over me

You wave your hands and dance around

Sing of dreams, desires all over me

washing, rolling, wondering over me

There’s no love better than yours

We’re here again. Mingling. Meshing.
Loving the oneness of two
Drink in the wonder of You
I love your presence Lord
There’s no pleasure better
than yours

Jana Spicka, Real.Life Worship CD

 

Who is Giving to Whom?

There is a giddy sense of excitement about Nov. 1st. Unusual for the normal prep of teaching  an intense event.  I have this “anticipation” of what is coming. Real celebration.  I don’t think I even know what is coming other than the Lord is really eager to drink in our worship, to hear us bragging on Him. I really hope, for your sake, that  you will plan to attend.

I believe the Lord has something He wants to pour out on us. Perspective? Hope? Even Faith?

Your biggest challenge will be wiping away whatever obstacle is being thrown at you to keep you from sitting with Him. I know how it feels.  I am doing the same dance. But I am calling you like He is calling me…choose to be with Him. Listen for Him. Look to Him.

Let’s see what He is celebrating Nov 1st.  My guess is it will have something to do with you…

The Power Behind the Storm

Where is God when it storms?

Our region has really taken a hit. My particular neighborhood has been especially shaken. After the last storm there were trees down over every road surrounding our house. That is a total of five roads. A huge tree from our front yard landed across the road jerking our meter and power lines with it. A steel pipe was bent at a 45 degree angle. That is one heck of a pull. We lost electricity for five days and phone service for ten.  We also lost a lot of sleep and food.

But we did not lose our house. Or our lives. Or honestly, our hope. Once the storm had passed, again, and I was cleaning up the yard, again, from all the limbs and broken clusters of leaves, I asked the Lord, “What are You up to? This is really scary and You are breaking off Your own trees.”

“Pruning.”

It was all He said. Pruning. And it occurred to me, no one prunes the trees but Him. No one pulls down rotten trees or prunes His garden but Him. The tree that fell from our yard was a beautiful oak, rotten in the core. Who knew but Him?

But He is also pruning me, you, us in the storm. Uprooting expectations and demands. Trimming back the excesses that weigh us down. Cutting off branches that left untended would cause us harm in the end. And just as He provided for our family in the aftermath through generous friends, God provides mercy for our hearts in the spiritual pruning. Do we like the pruning? Nope. Do we need it? Yep.

God also uses the storms to display REAL power. More than electricity, He is power. And when we are faced with our smallness and are pressed into our very great need for His protection, this is a good, good thing. As Rich Mullins said, “we are not as strong as we think we are.”

Finally, the Lord had me meandering through Job. It is so beautiful how the Spirit uses His word to teach and reveal.  Pay close attention to the thirteenth verse. Whether for correction, or for HIS world, or for lovingkindness.  Never presume that you know the WHY of storms.  Always press in to know the WHO behind them.

Job 37
Elihu Says God Is Back of the Storm
 1 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 “Listen closely to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
3 “Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 “After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.
5 “God thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.
6 “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
7 “He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.
8 “Then the beast goes into its lair
And remains in its den.
9 “Out of the south comes the storm,
And out of the north the cold.
10 “From the breath of God ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 “Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud;
He disperses the cloud of His lightning.
12 “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
13 “Whether for correction, or for His world,
Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

Yes and Amen Retreat

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
2 Corinthians 1:20

Friday, April 13 through Sunday, April 15, 2012

We are going to use this “get away from the world time” to talk about:

What are God’s dreams for us?

What does He see for our lives, and our futures?

What has He already said, “Yes and Amen” to that we just don’t know about yet?

How do women get Un-stuck?

False expectations and demands around food, sex, beauty, and love (and the Lord only knows what else…) What lifts women up?

Rest and release in the love of God.

Freedom to use our voice and heart.

Letting go of the need to control.


Join us for this unique retreat held at Smoky Mountain Christian Village.  A beautiful complex out of the traffic zone of Pigeon Forge, TN

Weekend Package Includes:  Cost is only $80!

  • Five sessions of Teaching and Materials with Jana Spicka
  • 2 Night’s Lodging in a large and spacious chalet.  Heated pool and nature trails on site.
  • Four Meals and Snacks. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday morning. (Friday night dinner is on your own before first session.)

This is an intimate gathering limited to 18 women. So don’t wait to register.

Reserve Your Spot Today

 

Click here to hear a testimony from one of last years attendees.

Women Getting Real Weekly Class

This  is a great place to go deeper into relationship with Jesus and  other  women. Both seem scary we know. But this is a place where we talk  about  real life topics and look for God to show up in the middle of  our lives.

The class is for all ages and does not require perfect attendance. Or homework.

Join us in person at Fellowship Church on Middlebrook Pike,  Knoxville,TN every Tuesday night from 7:00pm – 9:00pm (childcare is  provided for those who register).

For specific details around the class please feel free to email us at info@womengettingreal.com.

We meet three weeks on and one week off. Dates of class are listed below. We are planning to Livestream at least once month. So stay tuned for those details. Be sure to sign up for RSS or Facebook alerts so you don’t miss out on “Monday Snack Time with Jana”, its a weekly vlog.

Class Dates for Spring Semester 2011: April 5, 19, 26; May 3, 17, 24, 31
(new class location coming soon, stay tuned for details)

To hear audio from classes up until now check out our archived classes

Oh my, the little details…

So I can say, in all humility, that I make the best oatmeal raisin cookies ever? I know this because I spent the first ten years of my marriage trying to find a recipe that my husband likes. And when I found it, I spent the next ten years perfecting it.

However.

Last night, I was making my famous recipe, mostly from memory, and to my dismay, as well as the groans of my family, they were NOT the best cookies ever. I saw them come out of the oven, and instead of being these moist delightful little rounds of joy, they were clumpy, little knobs of batter.

About an hour later, after I had eaten a few of my chunks, I realized my error. I had forgotten the baking power, baking soda and salt. All combined these three ingredients measured less that a tablespoon of powder. But that powder has all the punch.

Can you see where I am going?  You can have all the right ingredients — oatmeal, butter, brown sugar, egg — but if you don’t have the stuff that makes it all activate, you’ve got nothing. You can have CDs, podcasts, Bible studies, small groups — but if you don’t bring honest prayer and sincere worship into the presence of the Spirit, you don’t have the power to bring about life transformation.

Maybe, go back and check your recipe. Are you sure you’ve got all the ingredients?

Anger and Armor

We have had a revealing summer. Kind of like getting a family report card, and we really needed a tutor. A spiritual tutor.

So Glad we have the Holy Spirit to teach us. What I want to share is how He does it on a small, day-by-day basis.

We will have a huge blow up. “Stop talking to each other like that.” “What’s the matter with you?” “You know better, now act like it.”

And then we all walk away a little sick in our hearts. Not because of the failure, which stinks, but because of the repetition. I want them to get the message, and change the behavior. Yet we keep repeating the same issue.

But do I think the same thing with myself and God? “I already told you Jana. Now stop it. You know better, now act like it.” God rarely talks like that to me.

What He does is call me to the righteousness within me. He reminds me of who I really am. He pours courage in, and washes sin out.

And He continues to teach, and teach, and teach.

Guess what Charis’s memory verse has been these past two weeks (Is God smart or what?):

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Ephesians 6 10-13

Holy Spirit, thank You for always teaching us truth. And teach us to pray for each other and to not fight against our loved ones, our own flesh and blood. But strengthen us to stand against the evil one. Thank you Lord. Amen.

When Words Just Aren’t Enough

I have been trying to get my words around how the Lord showed up this weekend. We named the retreat “Yes and Amen” 6 weeks ago.  But little did I realize that the title was God foretelling what He was planning to do. We spent the weekend re-discovering the promises of God. That they are Yes and Amen in Christ. But they were not just words on dusty pages. We let those promises fill us with His power and we began to dream again. We dared to sit in His presence and let Him wash away our fears, breathe new life and courage into our hearts.

We began to believe we are more than women. We are His Women created for this time and for a specific God-ordained destiny, with His Holy Spirit power shaping and forming and giving us wings to fly. Because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, “we have been disqualified from mundane and ordinary lives.”  We were made to “shine like stars as we hold out the word of life.”

And shine we did and do and will. Could we have planned any better celebration? One sweet lamb was baptized in the cold mountain water. We all stood there stupified. We had cheered, and prayed, and sung. And we couldn’t leave. We all felt it. The power of God.  You simply did not want to walk away…

Here is a beautiful offering of what happened. To God be the glory…

“Be silent
rejoice
your spirit is cleansed

You are water
free as a rushing river,
no longer dammed, damned
for I am your current

We pour and shift
around boulders
without slowing

A force
in constant motion, stop-less
Obstacles are still, lifeless

can not steal power
when you trust and live
within me

love,
God”
by Michelle Westenberger Carrico

Living in Third Person

How many names can you think of for the Holy Spirit?

Go ahead. Try.

Here are some I came up with: Comforter, Completer, Helper, Ezer, Warrior, Healer, Creator, Defender, Destroyer, Teacher, Guide, Counselor, Interceder

Can I get a “Wow”?  Jesus told the disciples that He had “much more” to tell them than they could now bear. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. “ John 16:13

So why then does it feel like we sometimes shrug off of the Holy Spirit?  The Spirit is the presence of God in the world yesterday, today, and forever. He is the heart of God hovering, moving, healing all creation.  The Spirit is the Third Person of our Triune God.

I hear a lot of talk about returning to the zest and zeal of the early church. But you know what they had?  The Holy Spirit. They were hiding in their rooms, praying and trying to figure out what to do next, when the Holy Spirit came upon them. This one fact is as startling as the Resurrection.  Because of the death and resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit  moved from just working in the world, (pillar of fire, talking donkey, rescuing out of the lion’s mouth, thwarting armies) to living in us (leading us out of harm’s way, healing, revealing truth, providing resources, and more).

To have the power of the Risen Christ living within us to guide us into all Truth is a miracle in itself.  Do we really tap into the Well of God within?  He is available and willing; God’s love in action in us. This is not heady, stuffy religion. This is real life involvement with a Real Life God. Do you look for, depend on, seek and find the Holy Spirit?

I have marked my calendar, May 23. It is the date of Pentecost 2010.  I know I already have all of God, but what I want to do during this season is pray what Jesus prayed for us, that our eyes might be opened so our joy will be complete.

I want to live in the Third Person.