Blog
Take a Break
i just watched a samsung commercial on texting FASTER than ever ! i thought YES i would like to text faster than ever. i find myself skipping letters, words, punctuation - just to TEXT faster. i look for ways to say MORE with less words and speed in texting seems to be my friend.
of course it’s that way with just about everything. how to make meals quicker - clean my house better with less time and so my wish list goes on and on. over the last several years i have paid special attention to doing more with less and all with special attention to “saving time”.
i use phrases like working smarter, increased efficiency etc. frequently. this is all probably good in some way or another. i mean who wants an 8 hour job to take 10 hours? and why reinvent the wheel when the wheel is already out there in retail, wholesale and on clearance somewhere?
but for today, i am content to rest and relax. these are not my usual words - or frequent plans. but oh my goodness it feels wonderful. okay, so i’ve done some laundry, i wiped off the kitchen counter, and took out the garbage. other than that i have been sitting pretty still and drinking hot tea.
i took some time to pray - to worship and to meditate on the Word. for today, i am content to focus and revel in the goodness of God. i am thinking to myself how He promised when we are weary and overburdened that He will give us rest. today, i am resting in Him. i am being STILL and recognizing that He is God.
this rest of course won’t win me any awards or honorable mentions. i probably won’t (at least not today) come up with any new invention, reorganize my kitchen cupboards, plan the family vacation, or even come up with plans to streamline ministry operations at the studio.
yes, i am concerned with the state of our world, the state of our nation - my family - people in general - the lost the hurting and getting the good news out. but today, i am resting, praying, meditating.
the needs in me and around me are HUGE and pressing so i am resting, waiting, and enjoying the goodness of God. by resting today - i am investing in my life and showing my faith in Him. my total confidence that even though I don’t understand some of my personal and professional situations and how in the world they will ever work out - that i am trusting in Him and believing that He will work all things out for my good.
He promises us rest. we need to take Him up on His offer. rest is good for us and shows Him that we believe Him. after all, we’ve all been trying to do more with less, improve, save time, save money, work smarter, and the list goes on for YEARS…..and it’s done some good. sure there is more to do (and we will do it) right after we follow His plan by taking a necessary REST. it’s good for us and it honors Him. so send a really QUICK text to all your friends…let them know you are resting today and suggest to them that they take a much needed rest too.
shalom,
monica
Grief and Loss-sometimes saying NOTHING is best
grief and loss can be uncomfortable subjects for christians. i am not sure why but for some reason we have a hard time talking about these particular subjects. the truth is “none of us are getting out of here alive !”
that being said most of us aren’t comfortable talking about death. and most of us aren’t comfortable with grief. some feel we shouldn’t cry at funerals - others feel it’s good to “let it all out”. some funerals are filled with sadness - others are looked at as “homegoing celebrations”. whatever our take - we can’t avoid the fact that death is a part of living in a fallen world.
Jesus has taken the “sting” out of death by conquering it….yet on this side of eternity we still experience sadness, grief, and loss. these human emotions don’t mean that we are not “spiritual” or sincere in our faith. these human emotions simply point to the fact that we have loved and also lost. we also if we are honest do not have the answers to all questions pertaining to the death (or anything for that matter).
sometimes, it’s best when talking to someone in grief or at a funeral to simply offer our condolences and/or a hug. it isn’t necessary to say “this is for the best” or this “is what God wanted”. it’s best to refrain from those “christian cliches” and simply express our respect and love. it’s okay not to “explain it away” or offer “seeming answers” to others pain.
i talked to a lady some months ago who had lost her 5 year old daughter in a tragic accident. over 37 years ago. at the funeral home she heard everything from “this is God’s will”…to “God will bring good from this”. she said the thing that stood out the most was her good friend who showed up and simply hugged her and sobbed with her. no words were exchanged. no plausible explanations were offered… no cliches….just two human hearts entrenched in grief. they both felt the weight of the pain - tear stained faces and a love that goes beyond words. the lady said that after 37 years she still remembers the comfort her friend brought her and she spoke not a single word.
when people are grieving and/or have suffered a loss we can’t always fix things. we can’t even necessarily make things better. what we can do is be there. what we can do is show up. we can show our respect, human understanding and love. sometimes when it’s hard to know what to say it’s best to say nothing. in those cases we show up - we extend our hands and hearts - we show our love and support. knowing that of all things Love is the greatest and Love never fails.
shalom,
monica
Grieving - In Memory of Savannah
over the years i’ve interviewed hundreds of people. quite honestly, i’ve enjoyed and learned something from just about every single interview.
today i interviewed jennifer scharfenstein. we talked about the difficult subject of grieving. jennifer and her husband jody children are not strangers to tragedy and grieving. they lost their beautiful daughter, savannah in 2006 in what would be described as a tragic and freak accident. after church the scharfenstein’s and their children participated in a local community parade to promote upward basketball. as their 9 year old daughter savannah tried to get on the float (which was traveling very slow about 2 miles per hour) her foot got caught. she ended up being run over and died at the hospital later that day.
jennifer shared with me her story. the grief that engulfed her - her husband their other children. she talked openly about their process of finding solace in God while having more questions than answers. christians are of course not exempt from tragedy or grief. sometimes our well intended friends and family members make it seem like if we just “pray” everything will be okay. but the truth is that grieving is a process. it doesn’t take one prayer - one reading of scripture and then EVERYTHING STOPS hurting. God does help and He does comfort us but grieving takes time. our faith is tested in grief. jennifer even shared that everything she believed was tested at one point or another….yet her faith remained and God was faithful.
the scharfenstein family is sharing their experience with the prayer that their journey will help others. that while others are in the thick of grieving and feeling like “i just don’t want to live anymore” that they can hear the scharfenstein’s story and see that we can grieve with HOPE and that even though it’s really hard we can experience joy in life after losing someone we love so very much. they even put a CD together to share their story. i believe the CD grieving with hope is a God directed project. it’s like healing balm that reaches out with music to people that are hurting so much they couldn’t even sit still to read a book.
there are no easy answer when you lose a child - or anyone for that matter. there is not a QUICK FIX of faith. but there is healing in your grieving and hope for tomorrow. the stories and music and grieving will HOPE will help you have just enough faith and courage to believe again.
again, there are no easy answers. there is NO theological explanation that is going to make losing a loved one OKAY. it is not enough to say “everything happens for a reason”. there is no truth or hope in those kind of comments.
but we do serve a God big enough and compassionate enough to walk us through the TOUGH stuff. we can grieve….and God will be with us. He’s big enough to help us HOPE again even when we are not sure we even want to try.
the scharfenstein’s will always miss savannah. but God helps them on a daily basis. they share their grief with you and the comfort that God has given them. if you’d like to learn more about this project - i know it will help you. it is like balm for the grieving and the broken hearted. check out the site below.
www.savannah-smiles.org/project.php
shalom,
monica
Too Busy?
i’m back in the studio today. last week i was in sunny florida for the CTN 30 year anniversary telethon.
it was a wonderful celebration. MANY souls came into the kingdom and many people gave to CTN. the entire telethon was a celebration of God’s faithfulness. He has kept CTN strong and on the air for 30 years. He has made a way time again for WHTN and the other station to remain vibrant and strong. millions of people have heard the gospel via CTN - and we’ll never know till heaven how many lives have been changed as a result of Christian Television Network..
i had a full weekend of ministry as well. my husband and i headed to the TN Prison for weekend this past weekend. we had a wonderful time there ministering at freedom chapel. during the sunday AM service several women gave their hearts to the Lord. certainly, i was tired from traveling but just seeing a life changed meant so much. even the bible says the angels Rejoice when a life comes to Christ. so there was much rejoicing in heaven on Sunday AM over the women at TPW.
after the telethon and that service i can honestly say i felt way too tired. as i thought about the missed sleep, the flight, the packing and unpacking i felt more and more worn out. then, i chose to renew my mind in the goodness of God’s Word. certainly, i was still tired. i had worked hard and traveled a lot of miles. but as i read God’s Word my mind took on a new perspective.
it’s that way for all of us. the hectic schedule of daily life takes its toll. our careers - school studies, home life, children and family members all require attention. we can become like martha “concerned with MANY things. but in the midst of many things only one thing is really needful. that one thing is just “time at Jesus feet”.
we can all round around all day long. too much to do and not enough time. even where ministry is concerned. the needs are always there and they are always PRESSING. we must make the choice to be like mary and choose what is most important.
as we make the most important choice somehow God miraculously renews our minds and hearts. He multiplies our effectiveness. the next time you’ve got a grocery list a mile long and errands to run and screaming kids make the choice to take just a moment to sit at Jesus feet. it sounds crazy i know but His way is best.
when we honor Him - He makes us effective and fruitful. i enjoyed my travel - i enjoyed the ministry at TPW. i am thrilled to have seen so many people come to Christ. i am also thrilled to sit at the feet of Jesus. i am thrilled to prove His Word and show that His way is best. i am thrilled to give Him the opportunity to bless my life.
instead of thinking i need to pray more - read my bible more and sit at HIs feet more……start thinking about how thrilled you are to show that you trust Him. how thrilled you are to give Him an opportunity to confirm His Word.
just sit at His feet. your duties will still be there (i promise) but you’ll approach those duties with a new sense of purpose once you’ve spent some time at His feet.
i know you’ve got too much to do….so do i….but since we have so much to do it’s wise to sit at His feet and ask for the strength and direction to do what needs to be done.
He promises to help and the one thing He can’t do - is break His promise.
He’s good.
shalom,
monica
CTN 30 Years of Miracles
all week long, i’ve had the honor of being at Christian Television Network for the 30 year Anniversary Celebration.
truly, for the ctn network it’s been 30 years of miracles. each night at the telethon we’ve celebrated God’s faithfulness. Christian Television Network broadcasts hope, love and truth in the midst of a dark world. clearly, God’s hand has been on CTN since the very beginning.
it’s been one story after another of God’s miraculous provision - and one story after another of salvation for countless numbers. last night after the salvation plea - the phone lines were very BUSY. when it came time the pray the generational blessing - once again the phone lines jammed. when it came to people giving we ran out of time to read the pledges.
yes, i know how dark the world is today. i’m aware of the economic downtown - the job losses and hardships of people all over our country. at the same time i am overwhelmed at the faithfulness and generosity of God’s people.
last night on the telethon we recounted the stories of people in need and how God stepped in to minister GRACE and provision. one very pregnant lady and her family for example were out of work and living in their car. while the woman was asking for money to buy diapers for her young child she met a CTN employee. through that meeting her need was presented to our community Love Basket. due to our faithful viewers the CTN love basket was able to step in and help meet their need for food and supplies.
today as i look around i’ve taken special notice of God’s goodness. His goodness is all around us. just as He’s seen CTN through 30 years of Christian broadcasting He is with us - our families - and our situations.
whether we are crying out in the middle of “crisis pregnancy”, loss of employment, or a relational issue. God is Here with us. He promises as we Seek Him we will Find Him.
i pray that today you’ll see the hand of God in your life. join us the CTN telethon this evening. you’ll be blessed in ways you cannot imagine. you can watch online at www.ctntv.org or watch via DirecTV #372 or on WHTN. you can also visit the www.ctnonline.com website for most broadcast information.
just as God has seen CTN through - He will see you through. He is good and faithful. HIs plans for you are good. so take a break from the hustle and bustle and take a deep breath. God’s got you covered and it’s better than you might have imagined.
shalom,
monica
