Sometimes It IS About ME…

Sometimes it Is About Me…

Okay, hang in there with me a min before you get all judgy about the title. I know as Christians it is not supposed to be about us. We are supposed to be outwardly focused.

But…

Sometimes God calls us to examine our lives and focus, just for a min, on ourselves.

As many of you know, this year has offered a few changes in the Leazer family. I resigned from my position at Mt. Bethel UMC where I worked for a total of 10 years. I also started a new business, began writing a novel and a play, moved into a new house, and my husband took on a new position with a lot more responsibly with FCA. It’s been a whirlwind of 6 months. This change and movement in our lives all started with and examination of ME!!

Sometimes when God calls you to move its about others, and sometimes when He calls you it’s about you and your obedience. Sometimes it’s about both.

When I felt God speaking to me about stepping down from my position at Mt. Bethel. I couldn’t imagine doing such a thing.  I thought there is no way I could leave my this incredible family that has surrounded me for 10 years. I also, couldn’t imagine walking away from a regular steady income. NOT POSSIBLE!! However, at the time my life was complete chaos. I was hardly sleeping, my anxiety was through the roof, I was going through the motions studying the Word, neglecting my husband, and my three greatest treasures were being put on the back burner. I was the servant in Matthew 25 burying my treasure instead of investing in them and helping them grow the best way I possible could.

God was calling me to a change.

The Lord has called so many times to serve others, to preach to others, to take care of others…This time it was a call to take care of me and what I have at home.

Sometimes the only way we can serve others well is to take a minute in life and focus in on our own obedience, our own bodies, growing our own talents, our own hearts, our own families, and our own Spiritual life.  Growing ourselves makes us courageous, hungry, and equipped to take on the needs of others.

God has given me so many things to work on in this season. I know that this “call” to look inwardly for a small amount of time is so that I can look outwardly a little stronger and a little more fearlessly.

Rooted

Rooted in LOVE

 

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” Ephesians 3:17-21 

I love this verse above. It is one that I spent quite a lot of time studying while I was pregnant with my 3^rd kiddo Rowan. He is a blonde haired, blue eyed, Dennis the Menace; a true blessing to our family. As my husband and I were discussing what to name this third little surprise we stumbled upon a sweet little name that God used to teach me about love. All of our kids have strong Scottish names full of meaning, Nolen means “Champion” (Romans 8:37) and Riley means “Courageous” (Joshua 1:9.) But when we landed on the name Rowan and I read that it means “Tree with Deep Roots,” I was moved to my core.  The image that God placed my head when I read this name was beautiful. I could just see this kid’s life roots reaching deep down into the soil full of rich nutrients of love, God’s love. This was beautiful and there was no doubt that he was supposed to be Rowan.

You see, God used this name and this kiddo to teach me something about him that the world desperately needs to know. LOVE!!  Listen, I know my kids love me and I love, love, love them. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my sweet husband loves me and I love him more than I can say. However, this is not even close to the love that the Father has lavished upon us. Human love is fallible, it can’t always be trusted, it can disappoint, and I have to be honest when I felt like the Lord was leading me to write a blog about love I was like “oh no (insert eye roll) this is such a buzz word.” It’s such a trendy thing to say. “We just got to love them, “or “All we can do it love.” It’s kind of become akin to “Well, bless his heart.” The world has cheapened love. It has tried to sell you a bill of goods that says “love doesn’t need to tell the truth because it may hurt feelings,” with love anything and everything is permissible, and love only applies to people that look and live a certain way.” This version of love is cheap and certainly not the type of love Paul is referring to in Ephesians 3:17. As I began to study this verse, I realized that maybe I don’t even fully understand the power of the kind of love Paul is praying so fervently for us to be rooted in. Because if I did, and if I was truly deeply rooted, my life would probably look a little different.

 

 

 

 

 

If I understood that I was loved so madly and deeply with the kind of love that is almost too complex to understand by the Creator of the Universe what kind of life would mine be? It certainly wouldn’t be a life filled with the anxiety and fear that often plagues me, because perfect love drives out fear.

 

What kind of people would we be if we were really rooted in the love of Christ? What kind of fruit would we bear? If we truly understood the love of Christ and allowed our life’s roots to hunker down and sink into the richness of his love then we would be a united people empowered to do amazing things, faithful even when it doesn’t make sense, and standing for all to see in the fullness of God.

 

I don’t know about you, but I want that kind of love. I want to stand in power, faithfulness, and fullness. I want my tree to bear the kind of fruit that people take notice of and give glory to the Father for.

But before we get to the kind of fruit we would produce we have to understand a little bit more about what the kind of love Paul was praying for the Ephesians (and us.) You see Paul in prison now. His life was almost over here in the flesh. He has been on amazing journeys. He had suffered beatings, imprisonment, stoning, , near drowning, rejection; but he has also seen great things. New Christians who gladly suffered persecution for the name of Jesus, many healings and miracles, and he has even seen the risen Christ with his own eyes.

 

He is a man of prayer and he prays constantly, with tears for the nation of Israel and for the salvation of the lost.  He is one that has a great understanding of the type of love he knows the believers must be rooted in.

But why love? Why did Paul differentiate the word love from all other great things that one would think would be good to drive our roots into. Why not faith? Why not servanthood? Why not knowledge? Why not wisdom? I mean these are all good things for our roots to settle into and grow, right?

I believe that Paul was led to the word Love because love is the nutrient of life and life eternal. Knowing and operating in the awareness that you are loved by the Holy God and King and comprehending that this love is infallible, irresistible, irreplaceable, and restorational is the catalyst by which all other facets of living a blameless, righteous, and fruit-bearing life is achieved.  Love is the nutrient of life.

 

-It was out of love the God created

-It was out of love that God spared Noah

-It was out of love that God delivered the Israelites

-It was love that drew David to Him

-It was love that God sent his only Son to save a wretch like me.

The word for this kind of love is called Agape. It is word that is filled with such deep emotion that it is one of the most difficult words to translate in the Bible. It has confounded translators for centuries. It is a love that puts others first and compels a Father to send his one and only Son to die.

 

By firmly establishing ourselves in this type of love we have access to the height, breath, and depth of life.

Paul realizes that being rooted in love is the key to bearing the type of fruit that not only gives us life but offers life eternal to others.

You see, if we lived our lives rooted in love there are three key things that will happen. Our lives will and should look different.

1: Love= Power. Paul says that after being rooted in love we will have Power. Not only power but united power. This is power to see miracles. Power to move mountains. We wouldn’t fear and we would fully operate in all of the power and unity of Christ.  This is transformational power.e. (We will be able to step out onto the sea before it parts and then cross on dry land. We would have to know the details of what would happen next. We can trust him because he loves us!!!

2: Love=Surpassing Understanding. If we truly believed that were loved with this Agape love and understood what that meant, then we would not have to understand everything. Being rooted in His love creates faith and trust. We can trust Him because He loves us more than life.We need God to deepen our roots into the soil of love so that we can trust him fully and move forward in faith.

3: Love=The Fullness of God. When our roots are established in the soil of love then we begin to move into the fullness of God. This is functioning at full power. That we see him, know him, reflect him, and operate in all of the gifts and goodness that He gives us for the world to see. Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 3:18, “Now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think according to the power that works in us.” And that’s what Paul wants. He wants to see the power of God accomplishing exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. He wants us really functioning. To do this we must be deeply rooted in love.  Christ’s love.

Can you imagine the kinds of things we would see and do if we were all deeply rooted?

It would be more than we could think or imagine.

So I challenge you today to go to Him and ask for Him to let you roots sink deep in His soil of love. Love is the nutrient of life!

Fight For It !

Haven’t I ordered you, ‘Be strong, be bold’? So don’t be afraid or downhearted, because Adonai your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Most of you ladies know this mama stuff ain’t easy.  We know, in our heads, that our relationship with the Lord, our husband, our children, and the assignments God has given us are priority. We work so hard to keep it that way and maintain peace and sanity in our homes, but somehow we get off track every once in awhile.  We start to let other things cloud our purpose and judgment, and once we have spun ourselves in knots trying to keep up with everything that we have saddled ourselves with, we teeter on the verge of total burn out and everything falls apart. I get it!!! However, if we don’t fight for the call God has placed on our lives, the enemy will take it!

Mama business is not for the faint of heart. It’s hard, and sometimes we fall short and are weary from the fight.  And let me tell you, the enemy preys on our weaknesses, and He wants to take you down!

Fight for it, Mama!!!

We have to fight to stay in it when we are tired, weary, overextended, and our souls are underwhelmed. Sometimes we go throughout our days trying to put our families first while other things vie for our attention, and if you are like me, you feel pulled in so many different directions that it is almost too much to handle. Even when we know that our God given tasks are priority number one, we can be pulled off track by emotions, desires, and the need to please.  We saddle ourselves with burdens and assignments that were never meant for us to take. We say “yes” to things because we follow our wills instead of God’s still small voice. It gets harder and harder to accomplish the roles we have been given because we feel like we have to do so many others things. Maybe we feel like we won’t be accepted if we don’t say “yes” to the special projects committee at our daughter’s school, or we feel like we need to make people see that we are good at something so that we will be valued at work. In trying to “people please,” we strive and push ourselves to burnout mode.  Sometimes we are just so consumed by being the perfect wife and mom that we neglect our time with the Lord. All of this leads to a weary heart fighting a battle that will not be won.

When we do this to ourselves we are playing right into the enemy’s hands.

Sooner or later we will reach our breaking point and we will be looking to the sky with our hands up screaming, “ENOUGH…Where is the easy yoke and the light burden?”

I have been there! I was tired!! I looked up and ask, “What do I do, Lord? Give me some kind of clarity!”

“Come to me,” He whispered.

So I did. I opened my Bible and just began reading. I sat with Him awhile and listened. And as I spent time in His presence I felt some of the extra burdens I had been carrying lift. I had to be still to hear. I began to understand that if I wanted to be rested I had to stop moving. (An object in motion stays in motion.)When you are running you don’t keep going when you feel like you are going to pass out, you have to stop to rest, or you will never make it to the finish line.

You have to stop running to find His rest!

As I continued my quest for the promise of His peace, I was led to Joshua.

I heard Him in these words, “Be strong and Courageous,” and I was reminded that it’s a fight out there even if you don’t want to fight, because the enemy of your joy is striving for total knockout. Everywhere you turn he wants to throw you off track and grab any sense of peace, contentment, and purpose you have.

I continued to study Joshua’s life and I began to notice some things about him that apply to our lives as mama’s trying to keep it all together.

Joshua was asked to do some hard stuff. He was asked to lead people that weren’t too sure about his leadership. Do you ever feel that way with your kids? Mom says do this, but they want to do the opposite…You see what I am saying? But Joshua had fierce faith and blinders on to the assignment that God had given him. He stood firm even when he was the only one. He had his eyes fixed on what he was called to do; he stayed the course and did not let what other people thought, said, or did keep him from taking his people to the promise land. He led his family of Israelites and said “no” to the things that others said “yes” to.  (See where I’m going here?)

Its okay for you to stand firm, say “no” (not only to your kids, but to others as well), and keep the blinders on with eyes steady on the assignments God has given you. Not only is it okay, but it is a necessity, so that you don’t take on unnecessary burdens. Having fierce faith like Joshua, in the face of uncertainty and criticism, will shield you from the weariness that beats us up and tears us down when we given in instead of saying “no.”

But, how was Joshua so steady in his assignments? (I’m glad you asked!)

In Exodus 33: 7-18 we learn something very important about Joshua…You know when Moses would go in the tent and the pillar of cloud, the very presence of God would hover over the tent? (If not, that’s okay. You can read about it later.) Anywho…You see Joshua saw the cloud, and even when Moses left the tent and everyone followed him, Joshua wouldn’t move. He stayed in the presence of God. He refused to leave before God did.

That’s it Ladies! We are to stay in the presence of God even when we don’t feel like it; even when other things are calling for our attention. We are to love our families, complete our assignments, and stand relentless in the face of the enemy with the strength and courage we gain in the presence of God. He was the source of Joshua’s strength and He is the source of ours.

So I charge you…Be strong and courageous, stand firm with fierce faith, and get with God!!

Don’t let the enemy have your most precious assignments and rob you of the joy in them!!

Soldier on, Mama!!

 

Brownie Parfait

 

Yes, there is an amazing recipe at the end of this blog, but first…

As I looked between the mountain of laundry and my daughter’s eyes that were pleading with me to do something with her instead of fold said laundry, I was faced with a choice:  Do I spend my time doing chores or do I sow my time and attention into my daughter?

Okay, so I know that I just wrote a blog about “order,” and that does include housework, but sometimes God’s perfect order is not about chores; it’s about prioritizing our greatest gifts.  It is easy to get so bogged down with the everyday stuff. “This needs to be done, that needs to be finished and I haven’t even started the other thing…”We forget sometimes that the most important things we can do is to plant, grow, and sow into our greatest treasure, our families.

This summer I received a revelation from God’s word. I read a parable that I had read and heard a thousand times, but because God’s word is alive, I was awakened to see this story with a new and fresh perspective.

In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus shares the Parable of the Talents with a group of followers. Now, there is so much that we can learn from this parable. For instance, God wants you to be faithful and proactive with our resources, God hates laziness, and when you are faithful with a little you will receive much more. But God showed me something I had never seen before. God isn’t just interested in what we do with the monetary treasure, but He wants us to be faithful with our greatest treasure, and for me that’s my family.  I need to invest in my children so they will go out and multiply the Kingdom. (The same is true for our marriages. Marriage is great treasure and we need to invest in our spouses so that they can use that security and love that we have sown in them to go out and do the job God has called them to do, but I digress, as this blog is about my children!!)

God has given me three amazing kiddos. I am called to give them all I have, pour into them spiritually, fill up their little love tanks, and invest in their physical and spiritual well being. The time and effort I invest in teaching my children about the love of Christ and showing them that they are a priority will in turn grow our greatest treasures into fierce, God-fearing warriors for the Kingdom. Our investment in our children will then become a cycle of growth in the cultivation of a new generation of believers. They will eventually sow into another generation and our investment into the souls of others will be greatly multiplied because we were faithful with our little family that we have been given. The ripple effect will be immeasurable.

This revelation made a profound impact on me.

So…

Even when I am tired, I will stand over their beds at night and pray.

Even when it’s been a long day, I will curl up next to them and read them God’s Word.

Even when I need to work on scripts or costume lists, I will answer questions and earnestly listen to their worries of the day.

Even when I really dislike the movie, I will dress up like Princess Leia and grab a Light Saber and fight Darth Vader.

And even when there is a mountain of laundry to fold and the dishes need to be washed, I will make brownie parfaits and have family game nights.

My kids will never remember that I did laundry that night but they will always remember the fun they had making parfaits and laughing until midnight playing games with their mom and dad.

I resolve not to be the servant who did nothing with the treasure he was given. I want to look my Savior in the face and hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful Servant.”  I want my investment in my children to multiply the Kingdom of God for generations to come.

The most Amazing, Incredible, and Blow Your Mind Brownie Parfait Recipe!

• Prepared brownies in cut into cubes

Brownie Batter Whipped Cream

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup dry brownie mix

Egg-free Brownie Batter

• 2½ cups dry brownie
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 3-4 Tbsp water

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Brownie Batter Whipped Cream

• In a large mixing bowl combine heavy cream and dry brownie mix. Using whisk attachment, beat cream for 2-3 minutes on medium high speed until whipped cream forms stiff peaks.
• Set aside.

Egg-Free Brownie Batter

• In a medium bowl combine dry brownie mix, oil and water. Stir until it is a smooth consistency. Adjust amount of water on the thickness of batter desired.

Assembling parfaits

• In a small jar or parfait dish, layer brownie batter, brownie pieces and whipped cream. Repeat process.

 

Recipe from www.cookiesandcups.com (Not me!)

 

EXTRAORDINARY…

Extraordinary…

    “The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the scriptures. They also recognized them as men that had been with Jesus.” Act 4:13 NLT

As friends often do, I had one make my day recently. Walking into the sanctuary to meet up with my kiddos for chapel, downing my coffee, a friend grabbed me, held out her hand, and presented me with a little gift. A gesture that means a lot in and of itself, but this was especially meaningful to me. It was a beautiful silver bracelet with gray ties and one word inscribed on the name plate…EXTRAORDINARY. I felt a little flutter in my heart when I read the word… It’s a big one!! A word that we all want associated with our names, but afraid that it will never be.

The Dictionary  describes this adjective as “beyond what is usual,” “exceptional in character, remarkable,” “Having a special responsibility.”  The definition almost brings me to tears. I have always wanted to be extraordinary.  (Who hasn’t?) For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be special and exceptional.  I wanted a special responsibility. I wanted to have an assignment that no one else could do, a job just for me that would be remarkable. But I have always feared that I would never be enough or I am too over the top to be anything but ordinary.  (Any of ya’ll feel me?)

My entire life I have striven to make my peers notice me, to like me, and to include me. On this quest to be extraordinary I got caught in the trap of approval seeking performance. When you pursue a career that is based in performance, it’s hard not to let that aspect bleed over into your personal life. In theatre, you must be liked! The reviews must be good, the audience has to laugh or cry, the show must be spectacular and it must go on. If I am not liked then the show will go on… without me. This constant need for approval on the stage becomes a battle in your personal life as well. All of the work I did to become extraordinary both personally and professionally left me in a tailspin of the ordinary. You see, it’s ordinary to constantly tell yourself that you are not good enough and to feel that you will never do anything remarkable because you are not trained or not talented enough.  It’s ordinary to put on a show in front of people to seek their approval, and there is nothing extraordinary about any of that.

Maybe you feel ordinary and like you have never done anything special or never will.  Maybe you feel untrained, undesired, unloved, unaccepted or just plain ole’ ordinary.

Guess what…

You and I, ordinary people, are loved by an EXTRAORDINARY GOD!!!

And He wants to take what you call unremarkable and do extraordinary things.

If we look, all throughout the Bible, God takes the most ordinary, messed up, nothing special about them people and gives them the power to do extraordinary things.

In Acts 4:13, God used two ordinary men to proclaim the gospel, heal a cripple man, and put the leaders of that day on notice. It says that the Sadducees were amazed because Peter and John were ordinary men with no special training, but they also recognized that they had been with Jesus. (Did you see that?!) Because they had been with Jesus, they were taken out of the ordinary and made EXTRAORDINARY.

These desires we have to be extraordinary is not something that needs to be squelched we just need to place it in the correct hands; in the hands of a God that sees you as remarkable and has a special assignment just for you! You can and will do extraordinary things under His authority and power!!! Get with Jesus, be with Jesus; people will notice that it is out of the ordinary and you will be a living example of how the ordinary becomes the EXTRAORDINARY!!

The Order of Things…

Back to the Blog!

It’s been a while since I have written anything worth publishing. I have kind of taken the summer off from the blog. For our household, summer is a little less than relaxing. With FCA camps, School of the Arts musicals, and three kiddos to juggle and make special summ
er memories with, we have been a tad bit busy. But I’m thankful that God Doesn’t take a summer vacation. He has been steadily speaking and moving in our lives.

Over the past couple of months, God has clearly been stirring my heart with messages of “order.” This was a difficult softly-spoken word to hear. When I think about order I kinda get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, because I know that I am not good at it. I run away from this God ordained principle and straight into the arms of fear…Fear that I won’t be able to keep the order that I have planned, or that I will be so consumed by creating order in my life that I will be constantly checking off boxes and asking myself if I completed everything.  Then, if I find that I haven’t completed everything, life will implode. By the time that happens I am so exhausted and discouraged that I just give up. (Anybody feel me?) I have always been afraid that if I actually let myself get organized then I will lose my creativity, spontaneity, and who I am. I never want to be in the dreaded “box.” (I have a great fear of the “box.”  I want to make sure that I am always thinking out of it!!)

However, I did start to realize that with a third baby, things in our household were slowly starting to turn into chaos and the implosion was coming anyway. There clearly had to be a better way.

-When we blew the budget eating out three or four times a week, because I hadn’t planned well enough in advance to see that we might need a crockpot night…

God whispered, “Order.”

-When we had to race back home for karate clothes, because I didn’t look at the schedule and we didn’t bring them with us…

God whispered, “Order.”

-When my kids had to stay all day at the office with me, because I had forgotten about a deadline that I had coming up the next day…

God whispered, “Order.”

-And when a gallon of green house paint exploded in my car after sitting in the heat all day, because I was running late and forgot about it in my haste…

God whispered, “Order.”

You see, God is a God of order. He ordered the planets in the heavens, He ordered the sanctity of marriage, He ordered the creation of mankind, and it is He the orders our steps.  The day of the paint explosion, I realized that God is not trying to order my steps to put me in a box or to set me up to fail. He wants to bring the right order in my life, so that my family and I won’t live in chaos. A budget can’t be kept, a marriage can’t survive, children can’t thrive, and creativity can’t even begin to create in chaos. When you are navigating a rushing river without an ore or a compass to guide the boat you can’t get to where you want to be. The same is true for our lives. When we are just floating along with no plan and no steps to achieve our goals personally and as a family, we will go nowhere. Chaos holds us in bondage and chains us to spiraling circumstances.

We must create priorities…What are our family goals, how do we want to spend our money, how can we plan ahead, and what can we simplify?  After assessing and asking God to give us the steps we need to take to come into alignment with him, we then ask Him for strength to stand against anything that would try to move us out of His order or throw us into chaos.

We are meant to have lives full of meaning and purpose pointing people to Jesus. This takes order and following Him step by step. It’s clear in the Bible that people who followed God’s order live lives that were anything but boring.

God doesn’t want to order our lives into monotony, but He wants to free us to think, achieve, and prosper with out having chaos stop us in our tracks.

Order doesn’t put us in a box, it gives us a firm foundation to run wild and free!!!

No Other Word…

 

Name Above All Names

I have been trying for the life of me to find the right words to respond to the tragedy that has taken place in Orlando. People have died and people are hurting, people are looking for answers, people are angry, people are shocked, people feel hopeless, and some people are absolutely devastated. And everyone has the right to all of those emotions. I want so badly to say the right thing that will help ease the pain and upheaval that evil has caused in the lives of so many, but words escape me. And for a writer, that’s not an easy pill to swallow.

I don’t know how to offer hope, peace, or comfort…

Our enemy, prowls around like a lion seeking to devour, kill, steal, and destroy.  He has done that. He is the ruler of this sinful world, and the enemy of our souls.  He has had his way in Orlando.

But…Our hope does not come from this world.

Our hope and our rescue comes from Jesus. He is the only right way to say what needs to be said.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus…

Jesus

This name above all names is alluded to in every book of the Bible. He is the one that was, is, and is to come. He is the only hope.

In Genesis, Jesus is the Greater Light (or the Alpha and Omega.)

In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb.

In Numbers, He is the Cloud by Day and the fire by night.

In Deuteronomy, Jesus is the City of our refuge.

In Joshua, the scarlet thread.

In Ruth, He is our Kinsman Redeemer

Samuel, the Trusted Prophet

Kings and Chronicles, He is the Reigning King

In Ezra, our scribe

In Nehemiah, the gateway

Job, He is faithful to restore.

In Psalms, He is Jehovah and worthy of worship.

In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, He is our Wisdom

In Song of Solomon, He is the Bridegroom

Isaiah, Jesus is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

In Jeremiah, He is the righteous descendant.

In Lamentations, Jesus is the Weeping Prophet

In Daniel, He is the fourth in the furnace

In Hosea, He is love, forever faithful.

Joel says, He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit

Amos, He is our Burden Bearer.

In Jonah, Jesus is the Great Missionary.

Micah, Jesus is the Messenger.

Nahum tells us that He is the Avenger.

Habakkuk calls Him the Watchman.

In Zephaniah, Jesus is mighty to save.

Zechariah, our Fountain.

In Malachi, He brings healing in His Wings.

In Matthew, thou art Christ the Son of the Living God.

In Mark, the Miracle Worker.

In Luke, He is called the Son of Man.

In John, He is the Word that was and is.

Acts, He is the shining light.

In Romans, He is our justifier.

In Corinthians, He is our Sin bearer.

Galatians, He redeems.

In Ephesians, Jesus is Unsearchable Riches.

Philippians tells us that he supplies our every need.

He is the Fullness in Colossians.

In Thessalonians, Jesus is our soon coming King.

In Timothy, he is our intercessor.

Jesus is our blessed hope in Titus.

And in Hebrews he is the blood of the everlasting covenant.

In James, it is He that heals the sick.

In Peter, he is our shepherd.

In 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd John, Jesus is love.

He is coming with 10,000 saints in Jude

And in revelation, Lift up your eyes, Church, for your redemption draws near. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 

Jesus…

The whisper of His names changes things… it heals, it binds up the broken-hearted, it gives peace that passes all understanding, and when you have no words…Jesus.

Sway and Rock

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Ephesians 3:17-18

She walked in at just the right time. I was covered in baby poop and really needed to wash my hands to give my baby the paci that would in turn squelch the screaming that was ensuing on the changing table. My friend saw what was happening and reached down and picked up my baby and began to sway and rock. “Thank you, thank you,” I breathlessly exclaimed.

It was probably a small thing for her, but it was a huge thing for me at that moment. Part of my village was there.

I had no idea up until about a year and a half ago how much I needed a village of people that would step in at any moment.  I needed “The Lord’s Holy People.”

Over the past year and a half, my life has felt a bit chaotic at times… Starting in December 2014, I had the first surgery of my life. Even though it wasn’t a big deal surgery, it still was to me. After that I thought life would resume as normal…

Dun Dun Dunnnnnn

February 1^st 2015, I had an accident in Pensacola, Fl and broke my leg so severely that I had to have emergency surgery and a very long recovery. And then just a few months later, I found out that I was having a 3^rd baby!! (Now, I count both as a surprise, but one is major blessing!!) On top of all of that, my husband and I have experienced some financial stress, to say the least. I can say, that it felt like life was a locomotive speeding down the tracks and we were hanging on for dear life on the caboose.  And for someone like me, that likes to minister, its hard accepting the fact that I need to be ministered to.

But God…(there’s that but God again.)

But God saw me and my family. He saw and knew the things that were happening,  and he called upon a “great cloud of witnesses” to surround us in love, food, child care, and encouragement.  Michael and I cannot even begin to express the gratitude we have for those that scooped us up and swayed and rocked to help us find rest.

We have been so overwhelmed by the generosity and care this community, and our “people” have shown us. My amazing mother stayed with us for weeks while I was recovering from surgery and then again after I had the baby. My dad sacrificed seeing her and home cooked meals so that she could come and be with for a extended period of time! She cleaned, cooked, and all out ran the house. We had such and outpouring of love from church members that we had a freezer full of food for almost 6 months. We had friends that pick up our kiddos and took them to the movies, the park, and let them spend the night at their houses.  Most importantly, we had and still have emotional and spiritual encouragement from people that love the Lord and take the commandment “Love thy neighbor,” very literally. I have been given forgiveness from so many that have counted on me to call back, e-mail, or be on time and I just couldn’t get it together. But God gives them grace to extend to me.

What I have seen here in this community is exactly what a community of believers should be…

I have seen the Lord’s Holy People so rooted and established that they don’t hesitate to sway and rock those that need peace. They don’t hesitate to drop everything and lend a hand, or a meal. And they don’t hesitate to help others grasp how high, how deep, how long, and how wide is the love of Christ.

Thank you, sweet friends.

 

Brittany Leazer

 

Truth and Little Orphan Annie

“I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6: 17-18

As many of you know, the Mt. Bethel School of the Arts Beginning Acting troupe is performing Annie Jr. tomorrow, Friday. (Come and see us!) As I began thinking about this play and what God is saying to us through this text, it became quite obvious what God wanted our kids and audience to hone in on.

I know many of you maybe thinking, “Annie, she pulls God’s truth out of Annie?” The fact is, it is my philosophy that God can use any show, text, or character for His glory even if the writer never intended it to be so. So let’s back up a little and I will explain.

During my years pursuing a BA in acting and an MA in playwriting, I have developed criteria for theatre in all aspects: acting, directing, playwriting, and technical. Through studying different theories from great critics, I have found that the bottom line for my view, not just of theatre, but also of the world is authenticity. I began this critical theory by asking the question, “Is the acting and text truthful?” I believe one can be taught, and truth can be realized in any genre, whether purposeful or not. Theories of Plato, Horace, Artaud, Miller, and Shaw (great theatre teachers and plays all have elements that work toward truth and authenticity). As a Christian, truth is especially important to me and my personal view of theatre and the world around me.

I define truth as what is real, factual, and authentic. As an actor, truth is the only thing you have to offer an audience. If an actor cannot provide authenticity of action and believability of words, then the audience will not “buy” into the text or the action. An actor has to play that role with integrity or he does not bring credibility to the character. I have learned in acting classes that the only way to be authentic on stage is to be authentic in life. Until an actor “gets real” with himself, the world around them, and most importantly God, he does not have a chance on stage.

The same is true with the text. I believe, as Horace does, (Ancient Greek Theatre dude!) that theatre is for entertainment and teaching. There is information to be taught in every play because action and circumstances do not exist without factual parts of life. Therefore, truth is taught in every genre, whether that was the writer’s intention or not.  There are elements of the nitty -gritty, everyday, painful, mundane, and joyful parts of life in every play.

Which brings me back to Annie… Annie is a young orphan with nowhere to belong and no father to call her own. In the very first scene, we are given a heartbreaking glimpse into the world that these orphans live, most with no hope of the “sun coming out tomorrow.” It is easy for me to see that this is a reality for so many. So many people feel alone, abandoned, and hopeless with no place to belong. I am not just talking about kids in an orphanage; I am talking about people who have been crushed, mislead, and abandoned by the sinful ways of the world. Have you been there? They/we are Annie, July, Duffy, and Pepper. Orphans with nowhere to turn, settling for The Hard Knock Life.

But… (Don’t you love that there is always a “but” when it comes to Jesus?!)

We have the ultimate Redeemer and Father. We have been adopted by The KING. We are sons and daughters of an unmatched royal family. We have been brought into a family that surpasses anything Oliver Warbucks could give to Annie. We are no longer bound to a lost and lonely life. We have our kinship with the greatest Father we could ever know. He has taken us in under the cleft of His rock and the shelter of His wing. He is our hope, portion, protector, and provider. Hallelujah!

As an actor, playwright, and most importantly, a Christian, I believe truth is evident in every aspect of life because God created life and He is glorified by His creations. Theatre is only a catalyst used to present truth to an audience in an entertaining, authentic, and compelling fashion. This is the “truth” of the text. Yes, Annie is a fictional character, but what we can learn from her story is anything but fictional. He is the Truth. We are no longer orphans, our sun has come.

~Brittany Leazer

Stones Under Rushing Water

Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. Mark 6:31

But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:16

“Full speed ahead,” I tell myself. “Just do it, and everything and everyone else will catch up with your big ideas.” I can’t help but want to move as fast and as far as I can pushing, striving, and moving to the next thing. “What’s the next big thing God is going to do in my life? How can I get there faster? I can’t just sit here and wait; I have to move, make moves, and go full throttle all the time.” Maybe it’s my personality, or maybe it’s ADD. I don’t know, but I feel a deep desire to GO! And though this feeling can be good and productive, sometimes it is in direct contradiction to what God is calling me to do…

“Slow Down; go deeper with me before you move on to the next.”

In my haste to complete or start the next thing in my life, I am gently and quietly reminded of a stone in the riverbed with rough and jagged edges that will eventually be steadied and smoothed by the rushing waters of the teeming river.

My heart has those rough and jagged edges too – those rough places, those callused places, and those cracks and crevices that I let sin, guilt, and shame burrow in my heart. My life must be smoothed before the next part of His plan can be fulfilled. But just like a stone under the streaming river, I must be stationary for awhile. I must find that quiet place and rest in Him, let Him show me what He has for me that day and not rush off into the next before He has had the chance to whisper in my ear. I must let Him teach me in the parts of my life that seem mundane. The times when the day-by-day stuff seems hard and I don’t want to make the bed, get in the traffic, or make dinner. When all I want to do is grab my family up and go on an adventure. I must let Him teach me about serving, about loving, about doing the hard stuff, even when it’s not fun or glamorous by any means. He has big things planned, but I won’t get there charging full speed ahead and missing all the lessons and love along the way. It’s not about my timeline; it’s about His.

 I must let the refreshing water of His love quiet my soul. I must sit with Him; I must give Him my full attention and all that is before me. He wants to have a relationship with me, with you, with us. The Almighty God of the Universe wants to sit with us and smooth us. There is no need to get ahead of Him.

Blessings,

Brittany Leazer