Destined To Be A Diamond!

Having been engaged a number of times, actress Zsa Zsa Gabor was asked whether a lady should give back the ring. Her answer? "Of course, darling, but first, you take out the diamonds." While this is a bit humorous, the message rings true-diamonds are valuable!! Not only are they valuable, they are beautiful. One would be hard pressed to find a naturally occurring substance that is comparable in beauty to a diamond. However, the diamond's beginning is a far cry from the sparkling beauty of a stone we see in the end. Indeed, it is hard to believe that something as ugly as coal can be transformed into something as magnificent as a diamond. Even though this is possible, understand that it is not an easy or quick process. It is believed that coal has to be exposed to a temperature above 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and pressure almost 50 times greater than that of the earth's surface, and it has to constantly be exposed to these conditions over a very, very, long period of time. Without these 3 conditions-pressure, heat and time, it would never transform into a diamond.

Every piece of coal does not become a diamond. Only the ones that stand up under pressure and heat over time are formed into this valuable stone. Ladies, we need to be diamonds! We need to reflect the light of the Spirit of God to a dark, dark world!

I like what James 1:2-4 says about the pressures of life: Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 3 You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4 So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. MSG

James says we should consider it a gift when we encounter challenges in life so that we are not lacking anything!

Sometimes we may tend to focus too much on the failures in our lives, finding it difficult to move beyond them. Or we look at our circumstances, how we were raised, or our past. No matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in, God can and does use those to transform us, if we will but let Him. In order to be exactly what God calls us to be, we must stand up under the pressures of life and come out on the other side as a diamond. I believe that God looks at each one of us and sees great potential, just like that ole chunk of coal! He sees what we are and what we are destined to become-a valuable, beautiful diamond!

I am reminded of a woman mentioned in Hebrews 11:31 named Rahab - By faith-because she believed God and his power-Rahab the harlot did not die with all the others in her city when they refused to obey God, for she gave a friendly welcome to the spies.

Rahab was a prostitute. There was probably no other less likely person than Rahab for God to use, yet He chose her to help the children of Israel! Think about all of the negative labels put on Rahab because of her past - prostitute, worthless, broken, and used, just to name a few. Not only did God choose her to help His people, He chose her to be in the lineage of King David on down to Jesus, and she wasn't even an Israelite! Talk about a transformation! She was able to move beyond her past, beyond the labels others put on her to become a heroine and directly in the lineage of royalty! God saw in her the great potential to become that glittering diamond.

What negative labels or past may be holding you back from becoming the beautiful diamond God has called you to be? How about critical person, a doormat, insecure, promiscuous, addict, manipulative, or average? You may be thinking, "Can God still use me, even with my past?" God says a resounding, "YES!" Or maybe your past isn't filled with those things, but you think to yourself, "I am so inadequate. God couldn't use me. I don't have enough education or enough opportunities or enough..." Just fill in the blank, you get the picture.

The story of Rahab should give all of us hope. Think of the major challenges she had to face. Yet she risked her own life to help God's people, stood up under pressure, and believed in God and his power. My, how it paid off big for her! And it will pay off for all of us who, like Rahab, will dare to believe in the God of power and the Master of transformation. Acts 10:34 makes it plain, "...It's God's own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites!" When it comes to God, He has no favorites. God could care less where we come from or our past, He just wants to know that we believe His word and in His power.

When we are tempted to want a life free from difficulties, let us remember that diamonds are formed under pressure. But how do we stand up under pressure? Simple-we just never, ever give up. I have 5 boys and they all love to play baseball. I have enjoyed watching them play more baseball games than I care to count. If I've learned one thing about baseball, it is this, that when you swing the bat 3 times without hitting the ball, then you are out!  I'm so thankful that life ISN'T like baseball. Keep swinging the bat until you hit that ball, no matter how many swings it takes. God doesn't say, "You're out!" after 3 swings. And He is the only one that really matters! Ephesians 6:13 states, "...and, having done all, to stand." Put on the full armor of God, fight the good fight of faith, just keep standing and never, never give up and you will win! Look at challenges and pressures of life as a priceless gift and as wonderful opportunities to grow you and transform you into the precious and valuable diamond that you are! It's your destiny! This poem by Anne Linington sums it up well:

Diamond in the dark 
Formed by fire
Come to light
Cut and polished
Sparkling brightly
Multifaceted
Viewed against the darkness which gave it birth
Radiates the light supplying worth
And shines for all to see
Shines for all eternity

Because of Him,
Kim

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Don't Tell Me It Can't Be Done!

Beck Family - July 2013

My husband and I have an ongoing joke that the best way to motivate me to do something is to tell me that it can't be done. I guess I just consider it my duty as a person of faith to prove to anyone I can that through faith in God and His Word "all things are possible to him that believes" (Mark 9:23).

The five beauties in the picture are our daughters, yes... all of them. :) They range in age from 6 to 13. We get a lot of comments about how we'll make it through the teenage years with that many girls in one house. Believers and non-believers alike often say how rough teenage years can be and imply that we have no idea what's coming.

I'm not blind to the culture around me and I believe we as parents have a decent grasp of the challenges we are facing with the mandate of raising five girls in the "fear and admonition of God" in today's world. Am I frightened or worried about the job ahead of us... no, not in the least! Remember, some of my greatest motivation comes from the naysayers who tell me it can't be done!

No matter what we set out to accomplish, the Bible makes it clear that it must be accomplished by faith. It will take my unwavering trust in God and in His Word, and my willingness to act on that trust in Him that will lead me to victory in any situation. I love to read Hebrews 11 with the revelation that as long as there are people out there willing to believe the Word of God, the story is not over!

So, in the midst of a decaying and deceived culture that is sending all the wrong messages to our young people, what am I holding on to in my faith fight to raise my girls to be godly women who will shake their worlds for Christ? Of course, the most cited verse about raising kids it probably Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." I firmly believe that Pat and I are the greatest influence in our girls' lives, and as we take seriously our responsibility to teach them to live the Christ-life, no matter what else they see or hear, what we are putting into them is going to stick! We use every opportunity we can to bring the Word into situations and show them how it applies to our everyday lives.

Along with that is consistent prayer and confession over their lives. Hebrews 11:3 tells us that the world was framed by the Word of God. I believe that God's Word in my mouth has the same power it has in His when I believe! Because of that the Holy Spirit is faithful to lead me to specific Scripture for me to confess over the girls to frame their worlds with. The most awesome one I have come across is a REALLY obscure verse in Acts 21. It's so simple, but when the Holy Spirit showed it to me, it lit up my world and my faith for what I was believing for as my girls grow through the teenage years into the beautiful women of God I know they are going to be. Here it is:

" And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
⁹ And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy."

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun. The evil we see in the world now has always been here. Yet in the midst of it, Philip and his wife raised four daughters who were first were known as virgins - they were living lives of holiness and purity in their bodies, but I believe also in their hearts. Secondly, they prophesied - these four girls had a personal relationship with God that was overflowing into the lives of others around them! They went against the "preacher's kids" stereo-type and stood out so much to the writer of Acts that they were mentioned in Scripture... wow!!

So, what do I say when I am walking up and down their hall praying at night? "All five of my girls will be like Philip's daughters - they shall be virgins and they shall prophesy! They will walk in purity and have a deep and intimate relationship with God all the days of their lives. They will be filled with the Spirit at a young age and serve God all the days of their lives!"

I refuse to walk in fear over what I see happening around me or the deafening war cry that the enemy seems to have sounded against this generation. I am not waiting for my children to fail... I expect that every one of them will be the godly example the kids around them are desperately looking for to follow. I know in my heart that they are in the earth for such a time as this. The negativity in the atmosphere telling us that it can't be done, trying to convince us that the days of revival among our young people is over, should only make us more determined to hold on tighter, believe more deeply, and as Brooke put it so eloquently... drive the anchors even deeper. Take up your stand in faith and don't back down. No weapon formed against our children is going to prosper. Period.

Fully persuaded,

Debbie Beck

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DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS

"The reason you survived all hell 

breaking loose in your life is because 

the greatest days are ahead of you."

 – Christine Caine

We all have a story.  Our stories come with hopes and dreams God engraved in our hearts from the time we were little girls.  If we have lived for any length of time on this earth, it is likely that our story has had unexpected twists and turns which have brought us to the chapter we are living in.  Those dreams and desires that we have set our hearts on may not even feel obtainable when we have responsibilities or tragic events that have thickened the plot of our story.   We are desperate to skip the chapters that are uncertain and require faith and trust, to get to the good part when the suspense is over and our dreams are realized.  

     God will often stir our hearts with the dreams He has for our lives.  But like Abraham and Sara, Joseph,  and many who have gone before us, we have to contend for those dreams against all odds and trust God to fulfill the promises he hid in us when He formed us in our mother’s womb.  In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to kill and steal and destroy. “  But Jesus didn't finish there because He knew His destiny and trusted God to finish what He sent His son to do for us…

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” 

     Satan and his fleece will plot against the dreams God has for our lives, but we have a God who has already written all the days of our life in His book before they ever took form (Psalm 139:15-17). His plans are for good and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11), and He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)!   He is doing a new thing in us, making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:18-19)!

   Don’t give up on your dreams... God has called you to keep pressing forward to finish the work He has started in you (Philippians 3:13-14)!!!

“We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go.  It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all experiences right to the very presence of God where Jesus. Running on ahead of us has taken up His permanent post as High priest for us…  (Hebrews 6:18-20 MSG)”

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find out what it means to me!

I recently sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office with my daughter.  The doctor was running nearly 2 hours behind, so the waiting room was completely full.  The age range of those sitting in the waiting room was from infant to 80-ish.  It was sooo very quiet!  As I looked around the room, I was shocked that nearly everyone was mesmerized by an electronic device they held in their hand.  There were only 3 who did not, that was the infant which was taking a bottle and the 80 year old couple.  I found it sad, no one was conversing or interacting.  Even the mother feeding the baby had arranged herself so that she could hold the baby and bottle with one hand and had her phone in her other hand, with all of her attention on the phone.

Before I jump too far into this topic, let me first say it comes from my own personal conviction by the Holy Spirit.  So, please know that I'm as guilty as anyone in this arena!  

My conviction - I have allowed electronics to supersede my focus when I'm supposed to be interacting with people.  

In this day and age, nearly everyone has an electronic device of some sort - cell phone, i-pad, i-pod, nook, kindle, laptop, etc.  These devices are beautiful for keeping us connected across the miles.  They have flung the doors wide open for sharing the gospel across the globe.

But on the downside, they have also allowed us to send a de-valuing message to people. When we are with someone and receive a text or phone call and we respond to that, we have just sent the message to that individual that they are not as important as the incoming call or text.  Now, I'm not referring to emergency situations, we all have those and need to take them.  But 95% of what we respond to is not an emergency.  

The common response that I hear to this phenomena is, "Go ahead, I'm listening, I can multi-task."  That may be true, but you cannot multi-respect.  

A wise man of God once said, 'Wherever you are, be all there!"  You cannot be ALL there if you are fiddling with some sort of device.  If you are all there, you are listening, not just hearing. Here's the difference between the two:

Hearing - the faculty of perceiving sound
Listening - giving one's attention to a sound

The difference - giving attention to.  Even when we are correcting our toddlers, we often say, "Look at my eyes."  Why? Because there is an element of attentiveness (listening) in eye contact. If another individual is speaking, whether individually or in a group setting, out of respect, we need to have eye contact with them, not our device. 

Remember, I said this message comes from my own conviction.  As I've pondered this conviction, I've wondered how Jesus would handle an electronic device.  I just don't see him sitting at the table during the last supper with his laptop open checking facebook, twitter, email, etc.  Jesus loved(s) people.  He gave them His undivided attention.  As His ambassadors, should we not do the same?  

James 1:19 says this - "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak..."  This purpose of this scripture is to point out that we should focus more on listening than speaking, but the essence seems to be that we talk less to value the other person more.  How do we value them, by listening - attentively.  

Friends, I'm as guilty as anyone.  Just a few days ago, right in the middle of a group discussion, I read a humorous text message and then shared with the group.  Funny? Yes.  Necessary? No! Reading that text took my focus and attention away from the one speaking. As Christ's Ambassador, wherever I am, I want to be ALL there.  

Blessings!

Dawn 

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Stuffed Strawberries

My daughter and I recently made these for a fun treat on Sunday afternoon. They were easy and everyone loved them.  

Here's what you'll need:

Fresh Strawberries
Fresh Blueberries
8 oz Cream Cheese - softened
5 T. Sugar
1 t. Vanilla
1/2 Carton Cool Whip

Wash the strawberries and blueberries and place on paper towel/hand towel to dry. While those are drying, you can mix the remaining ingredients for the filling, until smooth.

I cut the tops and bottoms (so they would stand up) off the strawberries.  Then take a paring knife and cut out the center of the strawberry. My daughter filled them, using a cake decorating tip for the ruffled look.  However, you could just put the filling in a ziploc bag and snip the bottom corner of the bag and squeeze it out from there. Top with a blueberry! The best part - enjoy!  

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Mastering the Art of Being a Wife

We’ve all heard it said a time or two, the man may be the head but the woman is the neck giving it support.   Well, we’ve probably all heard it said a lot stronger than that, lol!  Let’s break it down a bit to see the balance of God in the situation.

We are after all his helpmate, which you can read about in Genesis 2:18.  It goes on to say, we were taken from his side; this is to stand by it & be a strength through life’s journey.  God is also clear that the man is the leader of the home in Ephesians 5:23.

That being said, it implies that we tenderly master the art of allowing our words to help the head turn in the directions of God.

Not doubt about it, “We have the ability of feminine persuasion on our side.” 

You know it’s true! Therefore, we must use this graceful God-given ability to glorify Heaven, as opposed to our own agenda.  Ouch!  There have been women through time with their own plans that have opposed God’s desires, turning many a man off his path… think about Samson & Delilah!  (Judges 16)

It’s kind of amazing that these incredible muscle bound creatures that God made can be so influenced by us, their much softer & physically weaker counterpart.  I guess that’s the beauty of God’s balance when used for His glory.  It’s perfect harmony!

So, ladies, what’s our job? 

We have to look past our emotions, divide what is soul & spirit, allowing Him to put in our hearts how to encourage our husbands.  Do we really realize how much they rise on our words of praise? It’s true!

Moreover, I’ve learned after being married over 20 years, that it’s usually not about what I say but when I say it that truly matters.  Oh my, oh my, can I get an amen?! Mastering self-control over when we use our words is among our biggest treasures, only followed by knowing when it’s best to say nothing at all!

Want to know what else I’ve learned the hard way?  I wasn’t intent to use my words to nag my husband or get my way, but to inspire him & help him to be the man God ordained him to be.  While I’m still learning how to stay in my sweet spot, I can say that my husband has become my very best friend. 

As put so perfectly in Ecclesiastes 4:9, two are better than one.  It’s God’s beautiful plan & despite what anyone says, we can work to make our marriages Heaven on earth.

~Judi Jo

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