Pack Light

I love to travel. We have been to some glorious places. We’ve seen the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial in Hawaii, Mt. McKinley in Alaska, the London Bridge in Arizona and the Sequoia’s in California. We don’t go for the touristy places, we want to explore nature, old landmarks or museums.  I love meeting people and hearing their stories. But basically, I just love to “go”.

I get my love for traveling honest. My grandmother loved to “go” too.  I remember so clearly, my mother would ask Mama ( that’s what we called our grandmother) “Wanna go home with me?” Almost, every time, she would say "let me change my apron". She’d find a fresh apron, lay some clean underwear inside her apron, roll it into a tight roll and tuck it under her arm. She’d return to the living room with it tucked under her arm and a smile on her face and say "I’m ready”. That woman should have won a medal for “lightest luggage” or something. That has to have been some kinda record.

I’m not recommending you travel that light, but with the fees airlines are charging these days for luggage we are all packing lighter. I have three suggestions to help you pack lighter.

Pack for where you’re going. Not where you are.

                How does a Florida girl pack for Alaska? She doesn’t pack shorts and sleeveless shirts, that’s for sure. I wanted to have clothes that would be warm enough and appropriate for where I was going. It didn’t matter that I was from Florida; I needed clothing that was appropriate for Alaska. So I called a friend that had just returned from Alaska. He knew exactly what I should and should not pack.

     1. You gotta know where you’re going. What do you want to accomplish with your life or ministry? What is your goal? What is God’s goal for your life? What is your passion?

     2. Unpack your past. Unpack fear, pain, offenses and prejudices. Unpack jealousy, the dirty clothes, the scraps of paper and junk that litter the bottom of your suitcase from your last trip.

     3. Know what you need. What skill sets will you need for where you’re going? If you want to write, take a course in writing. Start sharpening your skill sets and your knowledge base for where you are going.

It's My Birthday

Today's my birthday. I never mention it, but today I will. I mention it only because I want to share some things with you that I  have learned in life and ministry. I would like to make it a "Top Ten List", but you know how long winded I am. However, since it's my birthday I'll just be who I am-long winded! And you don't want to miss the last one either because it's my personal favorite, but if you're squeamish don't read it. 

1. I’ve learned to be flexible. Steel flexes, iron snaps. The best laid plans are subject to change. In the middle of an Easter program when the pastor says cut it short, you gotta be flexible or you'll snap. Then there are those times when you have an eight foot stage and seven foot ceiling. Or when you've been told to use one room for your class, but when you get there they give you a different room. My personal favorite is when you meticulously plan an hour and a half program and the evangelist rambles, oops preaches, for three hours. (I can say it, because I am one of those evangelist now.)
2. Think the best of people. Find good in everyone. They’ll love you when you value them. Love people, because love never fails. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood. I’ve learned not to look down on others because they don’t know what I know; everyone knows things I don’t.
3. Get behind your leader, but don’t kick him/her as tempting as it may be.
4. Forget about the wrong, remember the good. I’d like to give you examples of the wrongs, but I’ve forgotten them.
5. Be careful what you say and who you say it to. Ministry is not the place for motor mouths without an off switch.
6. Never put an Aaron in charge until he has your heart.
7. You have to play by the rules of the park you’re playing in; never your rules.
8. I am responsible for only what I’m responsible for - nothing more, nothing less.
9. There is a God and His name is not Pat Holland.
10. People can’t follow you if you’re not going somewhere.
11. I want to develop participators, not spectators.
12. Don’t become road kill on the road to success. The road to success is strewn with dead quitters (critters). Forgive, guard your attitude and keep moving upward.

Pentecost

Did you know that Pentecost was celebrated for hundreds of years before the outpouring recorded in Acts? Let’s jog your memory for a moment. Can you answer some basic questions about Old Testament Pentecost? What? Who? Where? When? If you have trouble, refresh your memory by reading Exodus 19. This account records the nation of Israel receiving the law on Mt. Sinai 50 days after the Passover.This event was to be memorialized yearly with The Feast of Pentecost. The New Testament Pentecost outpouring of the Holy Spirit is recorded in Acts 2. There are amazing similarities between the Old Testament Pentecost and the New Testament Pentecost when you compare them side by side.

Old Testament Pentecost                            New Testament Pentecost

Expect a visitation                                           Expect a visitation

Prepare yourself                                              Prepare yourself

Gather at the foot of the mountain         Gather in Jerusalem

Fire                                                                        Fire

Sound of a trumpet (wind instrument)  Sound of wind

Voice of God                                                      Holy Spirit spoke through people

Received the Law                                            Received the power to obey the living Word                      

The supernatural and spectacular giving of the law and God’s presence atop the mountain was an event and a clue of what He was going to do after Jesus paid the penalty for sin. The Old Testament Pentecost sets the tone for the outpouring of Holy Spirit in the New Testament; An event that is not frozen in time like a glacier. God's promised present came to do more than visit believers; He came to fill them.

Pentecost is a noun. It is both an event that occurred and a person that was introduced to the world. If you only know the historical Pentecost as an event, you are missing the real meaning of Pentecost. It’s more than a place we visit historically or a shrine in our tenants of faith. Pentecost must be a living reality if we are going to reap its benefits.

You can celebrate an event without understanding its meaning or enjoying its benefits. This fact is exemplified by the way some individuals celebrate Easter with only eggs and bunnies. But you can’t have the person of Pentecost, precious Holy Spirit without the verbs of Pentecost- go, do and be. When Holy Spirit comes He is like the wind, moving, energizing and transforming. He is the catalyst that energizes and inspires. He is the wind that catapults and brings life. The primary focus of His voice and His presence is to show us Jesus. The more we know Jesus, the more we love Him and are transformed by that love.

Plug In

I couldn’t figure out why the Internet wasn’t working. I checked the router/modem. I could see several green lights blinking, so it had power. Again, I tried to connect to the Internet with the same ominous message and no connection. I clicked on the diagnostic tool and waited for the results.

The first question asked was “Are all cables connected to the modem?" I knew the computer I was using did not have an internal wireless modem. The Router/modem was sitting on top of the computer so I was sure it was connected.

At the bottom of the page I was given two options, one of which was “I verified that the cables are connected.” I didn’t really want to bother, but it was foolish to continue with the diagnostic if I wasn’t willing to check the cable. You guessed it, the cable was unplugged. I plugged in the cable and connected to my know-it-all friend, the fabulous Internet!

We must be careful as believers to stay connected to God. We understand we need His power, His wisdom and His help, but we fail to value His friendship and lordship. We juggle schedules and priorities, but way too often spending time with Him gets left off the list. His name is scratched off and replaced with religious activities and quick screeches for “help”. Nothing can replace connecting with God. Nothing can compare with the splendor of spending time with the King of Kings, but we must consciously plug-in through praise and worship to enter His presence. Take a look…are all cables connected to His majesty?

His Power, Not Ours

His Power, Not Ours

It was the close of the service at a District Girl’s Retreat and the girls were praying at the altar,  I noticed a leader with several girls as she moved among them praying and encouraging them to enter into the presence of God. I moved along slowly, praying for girls to experience the presence of God. But when I came to this leader, I felt an urgency to linger.

Prior to the service I had urged the leaders to move to the altars with the girls, praying over them, expecting God to flow through them to minister to their girls. This leader was doing exactly what I asked. It was inspiring to see her relate and minister to the girls.

But I sensed the need to minister to her for a moment and tell her something like this, “You ask yourself, can I minister to these girls? I have nothing to give these girls”. I shared the infamous verse from Zechariah 4:6 … “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” KJV

It is important that we never lose sight of that reality, it’s all about Him. We cannot change lives. We cannot give them what they need, even when they come forward for prayer at the altar. But, and this is a very important conjunction, be confident, that as a conduit His Spirit flows through you - like oil flows through the Alaska Pipeline - to touch the people you minister to. Your faith connects you with heaven and all God’s resources. God flowing through human conduits is what ministry is all about.

Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy

This video powerfully illustrates and communicates leadership principles. I added the script as well. Read the script after you watch the video to really cement the principles in your mind. Thank you Sandy van der Meulen for putting it on your blog. I really given these principles are a lot thought. They are great principles regardless of what gender and age you influence includes.






Uploaded by dereksivers on Feb 11, 2010


Official transcript at http://sivers.org/ff

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If you've learned a lot about leadership and making a movement, then let's watch a movement happen, start to finish, in under 3 minutes, and dissect some lessons:

A leader needs the guts to stand alone and look ridiculous. But what he's doing is so simple, it's almost instructional. This is key. You must be easy to follow!

Now comes the first follower with a crucial role: he publicly shows everyone how to follow. Notice the leader embraces him as an equal, so it's not about the leader anymore - it's about them, plural. Notice he's calling to his friends to join in. It takes guts to be a first follower! You stand out and brave ridicule, yourself. Being a first follower is an under-appreciated form of leadership. The first follower transforms a lone nut into a leader. If the leader is the flint, the first follower is the spark that makes the fire.

The 2nd follower is a turning point: it's proof the first has done well. Now it's not a lone nut, and it's not two nuts. Three is a crowd and a crowd is news.

A movement must be public. Make sure outsiders see more than just the leader. Everyone needs to see the followers, because new followers emulate followers - not the leader.

Now here come 2 more, then 3 more. Now we've got momentum. This is the tipping point! Now we've got a movement!

As more people jump in, it's no longer risky. If they were on the fence before, there's no reason not to join now. They won't be ridiculed, they won't stand out, and they will be part of the in-crowd, if they hurry. Over the next minute you'll see the rest who prefer to be part of the crowd, because eventually they'd be ridiculed for not joining.

And ladies and gentlemen that is how a movement is made! Let's recap what we learned:

If you are a version of the shirtless dancing guy, all alone, remember the importance of nurturing your first few followers as equals, making everything clearly about the movement, not you.

Be public. Be easy to follow!

But the biggest lesson here - did you catch it?

Leadership is over-glorified.

Yes it started with the shirtless guy, and he'll get all the credit, but you saw what really happened:

It was the first follower that transformed a lone nut into a leader.

There is no movement without the first follower.

We're told we all need to be leaders, but that would be really ineffective.

The best way to make a movement, if you really care, is to courageously follow and show others how to follow.

When you find a lone nut doing something great, have the guts to be the first person to stand up and join in.

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Original video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA8z7f7a2Pk

Hungry Girl...Hungry People

Here I go again, talking about the Cooking Channel; maybe that’s why I struggle to stay on my diet. My new favorite show is the Hungry Girl. She helps people, like me, make better choices without starving! She has a recipe for a Growing Bowl of Oatmeal, that turns ½ cup of oatmeal into a Pat sized serving that lets you leave the table feeling satisfied. Another one is her chocolate satisfying Mississippi Mud Pie recipe.

I love to eat…and I love to cook for hungry people or people that enjoy food as much as I do. We have a friend in the mountains that we have over frequently to eat with us. He built his cabin during the same time we did, so about twice a week, we just added a plate and fed him whatever we were eating. He arrived with an appetite, ready to eat and share stories. It was great, but people that aren't hungry drive me bananas. No matter what you cook, they just nibble or move their food around on their plate. Agghh!

There are pockets of powerful revival with people hungry for more of God, but have you noticed there seems to be a lack of spiritual appetite in your family or ministry circles? You know God has awesome things for them, and yet they response to church attendance or ministry opportunties seems to be lackluster. It looks like the passion for the things of God is missing. Recognizing their need should never come from a critical attitude, only a heart that wants them to experience the overcoming life of God that comes out of relationship. That hunger like the Psalmist so graphically described in Psalm 42:1 NLT “... As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.” If indeed hunger is the real problem, what can we do to create a hunger in their hearts?

1.Pray ‘em hungry. Ask God to give them a desire for more of Him. It’s a prayer He wants to answer. Ask God to go the root of the problem and make them an overcomer if there is sin, rebellion or laziness there.

2. Never be critical. Critcism causes people to retreat and deny, hope causes them to move forward. Ask God to give you a faith vision of them.

3. Share what God is doing in your life. Rehearse your victories by bragging about God. There's a huge difference in giving God credit and "look what I did". It's a heart issue. Whet their appetite with descriptive pictures. Ask God for opporutnites and ideas that will impact them.

4. If you are a ministry leader make room in your service times to lead them into God's presence. Amazing things happen in God's presence. Use anointed, worship that takes people into God's presence. Model worship. Give them opportunity to respond to what God is saying to them. Response is always critical to taking the next step with God.

You just can't BEET 'em!

I love beets and it’s my daddy’s fault. While I was raised in the city, my parents were country folks. Daddy always had a large garden, and one vegetable he raised from time to time was beets. Mother always pickled them in jars with sugar and vinegar.

At supper time (that’s what we call the evening meal in the South), daddy would search through the refrigerator until he found the chilled jar of pickled ruby-red beet slices. He’d jab a fork in the jar and bring it to the table. We’d pass the bowls of food around the table to dip our plates, but the jar of beets sat beside daddy’s plate. He would lean over to me and say, “Patsy (nobody called me Patsy but daddy), want some beets.”

I’d shake my head side-ways. He’d pierce several of the sweet ruby slices and pile them on his place. He always bragged about how good they tasted. “If you would try them you would like them,” he would always say. I tried them and I didn’t like them. But daddy ate them with such enjoyment, and he never stopped encouraging me to try them; so because I loved my daddy, I would try the beets again.

If you’ve ever tried beets, you know they have a very earthy taste. I liked the sweet and sour taste that pickling produced, but I couldn’t get past that earthiness. But, daddy kept encouraging, and I continued to taste until I finally developed a taste for them. Now, I keep some in my pantry all the time; partly because they remind me of daddy, and partly because I love them.

That’s what we do as ministry leaders, we expose our class or people to different things, new things, new places, new ideas, and new books...and most importantly to God experiences, God ideas and deeper places in God. Actually, we would expect people to already know, personally, the value of experiencing God, but sometimes they don't seem to get it,so our job as ministry leaders is to use our influence to take them into the presence of God. Recognize the power of your influence in your circle to help them experience and live in God’s presence. Your circle is your children if you are a parent. Grandchildren if you are a grandparent. Your people if you are a ministry leader. Use your influence to cause people to want to experience God at a new level.

How did my dad influence my personal desire to eat beets?
1. He made room on his plate for the beets.
2. He modeled enjoying them personally.
3. He encouraged me to taste.
4. From sincere love that comes out of relationship, he continued to encourage me.

Those same principles must be employed for ministry leaders that want to take people into the presence of God. Amazing things happen in the presence of God. I have seen people of all ages have the time of their lives, praying and seeking God. But, too often people fail to realize how good His presence really is until we help them experience it themselves.

The four points as adapted for ministry leaders are:
1. Love God’s presence personally.
2. Model your love for worship and His presence.
3. Encourage them to take little steps toward God.
4. Continue to encourage them to experience His presence, in a variety of ways. If you are a ministry leader, engage them using short praise breaks, music and illustrations.

The Recipe

While I confess my “almost addiction” to the cooking channel, I almost never watch Giada. My motto is “Never trust a skinny cook.” Although, my very favorite show is Sandra Lee and she takes skinny to a new level. But I like her because she takes good recipes and helps you make them easier and quicker. I’m all for saving time and I love, love her tablescapes. I was into tablescapes before I knew what they were.

But I watched Giada recently, her robust aunt was cooking with her, so I figured it was a good day to watch her show, while I recovered for a few minutes from running with the grandkids. Her aunt told a really sad story, behind the dish she was cooking. Here’s the story as I heard it.
Giada’s grandmother was Italian. Wednesday night became rice night and she tried to create unique dishes that her family would enjoy. In that effort she sautéed rice in butter, (I’m already liking this dish!) until almost brown, added chicken broth, then made a creamy sauce with succulent shrimp and combined the rice and sauce. HEAVEN! It was a hit, everyone loved it, so it became a regular item on the family “must have list.”

The girls grew up and started families of their own, but their mother refused to share the recipe. Even as she grew older and older, she kept the recipe a secret. One day the family received a call that their mother was dying, so everyone gathered in her house. This daughter that was cooking on Giada’s show wanted to do something, so she pulled rice out of the cupboard, butter out of the refrigerator and began to try to replicate her mother’s specialty without the recipe. It was trial and error, but over the years, she has come close to matching her mom’s special touch.
For days I’ve been thinking, why wouldn’t she share the recipe? Why wouldn’t she want to pass the power to reproduce that wonderful dish so future generations could enjoy it? Why? I can guess, but only she knows why she clutched it until she took it to the grave with her.

Maybe you think, it’s no big deal, maybe its not, but it was to that daughter. It was a way for her to keep the memory alive. But will you consider with me for just a moment the impact on your children and future generations when we fail to share our faith, when we fail to share the recipe for peace, joy and abundant provision. Yes, those recipes connect them with the past, with you and your faith, but they also, connect them with an eternal God that will not fail them. Sharing your faith impacts and encourages their faith. Sharing your victories, catapults them to persist to summit their own victories.

Don’t die with the recipe clutched inside your heart and mind. Don’t die without impacting your realm of influence. It’s no big deal if they cook it better or they get the credit for the dish or the accomplishment. They’ll have bigger victories and they’ll do greater things for God than you, but they’ll do it using your tried and true recipe.

Pentecost Celebration

I am so thankful for Pentecost. I am so thankful that we are not alone, but that Holy Spirit came to fill us and enable us to do ministry. Still His ability is only available as we partner with Him and access His ability.

I am also thankful that I was able to celebrate Pentecost with dear friends this weekend. Sue Combs whipped up one of her amazing meals for us. She made fresh mashed potatoes (did you know mashed potatoes can be cooked without a box…go figure), fresh green beans (honestly now, fresh green beans…AMAZING!), real southern fried chicken like only a true southern belle can make, sweet tea that is only found south of the Mason Dixie line and a forget you need to lose 20 lbs carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. If for one minute I could have frozen the scene, so no one was looking, I would have licked my plate. SOOO GOOD! Not only does she cook good, she prays good too!

But Wayne and I did more than eat; I could talk about that at length, but I will refrain because my stomach is growling and complaining. Father set an amazing table for us too. His presence was so real at Peggy and Randy Williams church on Friday night and then again at every service the entire weekend. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can tell you, I preached myself hungry!

I want more of God. I want more of His ability, not so I can be a reservoir to contain it, but so I can be a conduit for it to flow through. His love and power, like water in the desert, changes things, and our neighborhoods and cities need the change that only Jesus can bring!

Two Olive Trees

In my book Pentecost Lost, I use 7 pictures to help believers know Holy Spirt better. One of the 7 pictures is oil. Oil is almost always a picture of Holy Spirit. Our need for Holy Spirit anointing far exceeds our need for crude oil products such as gas to fuel our cars. I am so thankful there is no Holy Spirit oil shortage. The supply is adequate to the demand, but often our demand is not adequate for the job. We must access the supply.

We see this principle of uninterrupted connection illustrated as Zechariah and Zerubbabel tried to complete their difficult assignment. Zechariah had the daunting task of mobilizing the emancipated Jews to rebuild the altar and the temple of the Lord. The rubble and ruin that remained from the city’s destruction was demoralizing. It seemed that the Jews were being distracted and hindered on every front, until finally all construction came to a total stop. They had a vision to rebuild, but they could only sit, with rubble all around them, and wait. They must have felt powerless and terribly discouraged. In Zechariah 4, God gave Zechariah a vision of a golden candlestick flanked on both sides by an olive tree.

The angel asked him, “Do you know what I’m showing you?”

“No.” Zechariah answered.

Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty. 7 Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel's way; it will flatten out before him! Then Zerubbabel will set the final stone of the Temple in place, and the people will shout: 'May God bless it! May God bless it!' (Zechariah 4:6-7)

He wanted to assure Zerubbabel that he would do more than simply lay a foundation; he would complete construction. God wanted Zerubbabel to recognize the job required more strength or power than he could muster. Zerubbabel saw the task, but what he needed to see was his source--God’s Spirit, who would enable him to finish the task.


Zechariah asked the angel, “What are the two olive trees?” A major responsibility for a priest was to fuel the lamp in the Holy place with pure, fresh oil, so it would burn continuously. But the lamp Zechariah saw was not tended by a priest. The oil was funneled directly from two living olive trees into the golden lamp. Zechariah saw an illustration of miraculous supply to help him visualize God as his source.

The vision, while both inspiring and encouraging to Zerubbabel and Zechariah, was also a prophetic picture for the modern church. Let’s look at the picture again. The prophetic picture represented by the golden candlestick is the Church. The lamp stand was gold because it is God’s Church, not a building, but a holy habitation for His Spirit. The church was symbolized as a candlestick because it should be a light in a dark world. John Wesley said, “All which is an emblem of the church, made of pure gold; to be a light in the world; to shine as lamps that continually burn, maintained with pure oil, distilled from the olive - trees, not pressed out by man, but continually, abundantly, and freely flowing from God.”

But, why did the vision include two olive trees? What was God saying with this clue? Even the prophet, to whom the vision was given, asked for clarification. John Wesley’s commentary for Zechariah 4:14 states “The two anointed ones - Christ and Holy Spirit. The Son was to be sent by the Father, and so was the Holy Ghost.” This is really, really important. The Church needs two trees to burn brightly in the end time. We desperately need Jesus, the living Word, and the living Holy Spirit.

But, the mystery in this picture continues to unfold. When olive oil is produced, the olives are removed from the trees. Did you notice that the oil in this picture did not come from lifeless fruit, but a living tree? What is the significance of oil from an olive tree, instead of oil from an olive? The significance is life. Our faith is not rooted in a dead hero, but a living, risen Savior. Our relationship is not built on a distant memory, but a personal indwelling. He is alive with a viable voice-speaking and a watchful eye-guiding. As a tender shepherd, He is both nourishing and protecting. It is comparable to the difference between viewing a photograph of a garden and taking a stroll through that fragrant garden, listening to the birds and exploring exotic waterfalls with the love of your life. Far too many believers have never experienced anything beyond the photograph they glimpse in Scripture. " (Copied from Pentecost Lost Copyright 2011 Patricia Holland.)

Spring Walk

What an invigorating walk! It was a little cooler today than Wednesday. Hallelujah! I enjoyed the bunnies, the white daisies and the purple thistle, but my favorite plant this time of year is the yucca. Maybe you’ve eaten them at an authentic Mexican restaurant-yum! Or maybe you love seeing them as much as I do.

They grow all over the US, so you’ve probably passed them along the roadside or in the woods. The yucca plant is an evergreen which grows in poor, sandy soil. You probably haven’t really noticed them, except this time of the year. The plant grows close to the ground; a plain, ordinary looking plant. Its rigid sword-like leaves grow like tall rosettes from the center of the plant. Un-noticed and squatted close to the ground, the plant drinks nourishment, produces food and patiently grows until June arrives. The warm sunshine announces the time to bloom. Then a tall stalk will shoot up from the center of the plant. At the top of the stalk, a cluster of beautiful white bell shaped flowers bloom. That’s when this unassuming plant is impossible to miss. They are in bloom right now and they are glorious!

Every time I see a yucca plant, I am reminded of 1 Peter 5:6 “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you.”(NLT) Humble yourself. That’s what a yucca plant does, but when it’s time comes, it is so beautiful. Thank you, God. You have given me a powerful visual, a reminder that I must stay in a humble place.

The picture in 1 Peter 5:6 is even more glorious than the yucca blooms. Look where our assigned place of humility is located. It’s not off in some bleak desert, forgotten and forsaken. That assigned place of humility is not a place of fear and destitution; it is under the mighty power of God. That assigned place of humility is not under a black cloud, but under the cloud of provision like that the children of Israel lived under as they traveled to their promised land.
The spirit of our culture is pride. The center of pride is always I, whether it wears the mask of false pride or the blatant banner of self-exaltation. Humility is a place that God goes to pass out grace, encouragement and promotion. (1 Peter 5:5)

Now that I've climbed down off my soapbox, I’m sipping my iced coffee (like I could actually sip any kind of coffee) on the back porch enjoying my honey and the mountains. Wayne doesn’t indulge, so I have the entire container to myself. I use 1 cup of leftover coffee, (which doesn’t happen often at my house) 1 cup of water, 1/3 cup of powder milk, 2 cap fulls of sugar free Raspberry syrup, 2 packets of Nevella and enough ice to fill the blender container to about ¾ full. Blend to completely smooth. It is SO good and it doesn’t wipe out all the calories I just burned walking. The froth on this drink is amazing! I love icy froth! Yum yum!

Satisfied

The sense of satisfaction after a delicious meal is wonderful. The satisfaction of accomplishment, when you know you’ve done your very best on a task, is both gratifying and fulfilling. “Satisfied” is a word that means contented, fulfilled and gratified. In most instances, it is desirable to be “satisfied”. However, this same word is tragic when referring to a person being satisfied spiritually. Pride will breed in the stagnant waters of satisfaction. There is no plateau in a believer’s life to recline, satisfied. There is no pinnacle that we reach and retire. There is no place to cease our desperation for more of God. We are to be conduits for His Spirit to flow through.

Our desire, our desperation is the valve that opens the flood gates of life-giving water into our lives that flows out to others. We cannot afford to become stagnant in our relationship with God. We cannot afford the lulling to sleep that satisfaction sings over our minds and emotions. We must stir ourselves to reach for more in God, to know Him better, to experience His presence at new levels.

Christian Grandparenting Network

The Springhouse

It was hot, even in the shade. I still had a long distance to walk, when I noticed the sign, “Springhouse Well.” I hadn’t seen an artesian well for years; maybe since my childhood. The sign reminded me of a visit to my aunt’s house in rural Alabama. My dad had taken me to an artesian well on her property, where the water bubbled up into a small pool. I remember cupping my hands and drinking the coldest, most refreshing water I had ever tasted.

That memory made me even thirstier, so I quickened my steps. I had to find the well. I could see the springhouse, small and quaint, across the parking lot. Water, refreshing and cold, was just what I needed on a scorching hot day like this one. The door squeaked on its hinges as I opened it. I peered inside. The well was capped. I looked around for a hand-pump or faucet, but none was in sight. No water…only a sign to mark the place where people had once drank. Disappointed, I stepped back outside. The springhouse was beautiful, but beauty wasn’t going to refresh me or satisfy my thirst. I left the springhouse, as thirsty as I had come.

Our modern culture craves fresh, living water. God has lavishly supplied a crystal clear riverhead in the heart of the Church. Still, our culture desperately attempts to quench their thirst from religious mud puddles. Could part of the problem be that the riverhead is dammed up and diverted so it does not flow out of the Church? You cannot answer for the Church at large, but you can answer for yourself. Is living water flowing out of you?
Taken from my new book "Pentecost Lost". copyright 2011 Patricia Holland

Bonsai

While I understand bonsai trees are both beautiful and treasured, I find them profoundly sad. Trees are designed to be big! You climb in them; swing in their branches or rest in the shade of its bushy canopy. But not the bonsai, it is too small. Trees with mature heights of 50 to 150 feet, will only reach 12-14 inches as a mature bonsai. They are not dwarfed by genetics. Instead, they are miniature by deliberate design. The blueprint locked inside the DNA of the young seedling promises a mighty giant. But to create a bonsai that destiny is altered. To grow a bonsai the tap root is clipped and the branches are pruned. Then the developing seedling is planted in a low container. The bonsai reaches maturity, but it never reaches its potential. The miniature lives a low dish while its giant relative grows outside. Locked inside the bonsai is the potential to kiss the sky, which it will never do as a bonsai.

But the reality of bonsai Christians go beyond sad to heartbreaking. A bonsai Christian is the result of unrealized and unleashed potential, God implanted potential. God’s incorruptible seed was destined to produce believers that would be called, “… trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Verse 3 of Isaiah 61:1-3) You are called to be like a tall, magnificent tree, visually displaying the nature and glory of God. You are called to be like a giant sequoia, a tree of righteousness, so God can receive glory from your life. He doesn’t get glory when you live your life chained and defeated by sin or stunted with tiny faith and miniature results. Too many believers live satisfied and content as bonsai Christians instead of being the giant God intended believers to become.

Sequoias are spectacular giants which grow to heights of over 250 feet. When I stood at the foot of the General Sherman, named for its exceptional stature, I commented to my husband, “Look how small the branches are.” My husband was reading the sign. One branch was over six feet in diameter, more than the average height of most men. The height of the branches caused them to appear much smaller than they actually were. You feel like a tiny bug in comparison to their towering majesty.

Although God put the seed of potential in every believer to live super-sized Christian lives, too often we live like a bonsai with bonsai results. Something is missing. That something is actually someone; we are missing precious Holy Spirit. Our unbelief has frozen Pentecost into a myth or a relic of the past like a dinosaur. By deliberate neglect, fear of the unknown and/or skepticism we have pushed Holy Spirit into a dark corner in the basement of our lives. Our inability to produce desired results leaves us questioning Him, instead of questioning our beliefs and values. Oh yes, we have an abundance of activities, programs and ideas, but no power. We have plenty of knowledge, but little wisdom. We know how to compromise, organize, and economize, but we refuse to evangelize. Every believer has the DNA to be a spiritual king, but we have dropped the scepter and shirk from the responsibly. We live as if Christianity were another self-help program, picking and choosing scriptures as though they were suggestions. We employ self-discipline to produce righteousness and holiness like we try to stay on a diet. We live as orphans, deserted and hopeless. Our theology insists Holy Spirit exists, but divorced from His living presence we live like a deserted orphan.

The early church was born in the fire and power of Holy Spirit. If the early church needed power, why don’t we still need it? Did God intend for the church to be born in a dynamic fire only to fizzle out? Or, has the lid of wrong teaching kept us from expecting and experiencing the infilling of Holy Spirit? Has unbelief cut our tap root so we fail to reach for and receive the deep things of God?

William Robinson Clark saidin his book "The Paraclete", “I believe that the cause of the general ignorance on this subject is that God will not reveal His fullness to a partially consecrated soul. Until our whole being is yielded to Him we cannot understand these things. God only reveals His fullness to those who are willing to go all lengths with Him.”


Let’s dedicate our hearts to discover God’s truth. What is the truth concerning Holy Spirit? We all have questions; some that don’t seem to have clear answers; others that are simple to understand when you know where to look. Who is Holy Spirit? Do you receive Holy Spirit when you are saved? Is there a second work of grace? Have tongues stopped? The truth is hidden in the seed of a mystery. Unlocking the mystery will enrich your life beyond your wildest dream. In these seven lessons we will take you on a journey through scripture to unlock the mystery of Pentecost!

His Touch through Her Touch

I was moving to go pray for someone when a small, young girl stepped up behind me. She touched my back. I felt the power of God when she touched me. It was such a precious, sweet touch. Still I felt a really strong presence of God flow through me, when that small hand touched my back. I moved on to pray for the girl I felt I was supposed to pray for, then moved to pray for someone else. When I did, the little girl smiled up at me and said, “I prayed for you.”

I looked down into her smiling eyes and radiant face, and stroked her brown hair, “I know you did, Sweetheart. I felt it.” And I really did. For me personally, it was the most powerful moment of the entire conference, as I felt the power of God flow through a hand of a young child. I am so thankful that I realize God can and does use children to bless others. I am so thankful that God is not limited to age, or gender or social status. I’m thankful because it encourages me that God can use me. I’m thankful because it reminds me God is not limited by our limitations, only our faith.

If you haven’t had a child pray for you lately, please, do yourself a favor, find one and ask them to pray for you. Believe me you’re in for a treat.

Gethsemane Olive Press

“Jesus modeled a life of prayer for us to follow. Facing death and desertion by those He loved, Jesus desperately turned to prayer. Along with His disciples, He made His way to a peaceful grove of olive trees called Gethsemane, away from the distracting noise of the crowd. Even the location of His prayer was deliberate, Gethsemane means olive press. As the huge stone crushed and bruised the olives, the olive oil flowed from the press. It was in the garden that Jesus humbled himself and submitted to the plan of God. His human will was submitted to the oil press. They slept. He prayed. At one point Jesus came to His intimate circle and encourage them to pray. Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Your flesh is weak. You live in this world, and as long as you are here there will be temptation. Yes, develop self-control as a fruit, but never go it alone. Release God’s power into your life to develop your spiritual muscles. Prayer, all kinds of prayer, releases God’s power into your life: The prayer of faith; the prayer of agreement; the prayer of petition; the prayer of repentance; and praying with tongues.”

In Luke 22:44 the Bible gives us a glimpse of the anguish of Christ. “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” The power word anguish only scratches the surface to describe the agony, torment, the suffering and the distress that Jesus suffered in that quiet, cool garden that night. It is obvious He knew He was on the way to the cross. I am so thankful for this brief insight that Luke gives us in this verse. Jesus being in anguish…prayed. He responded with prayer and not just more prayer, more intense prayer. He was in anguish, so He prayed until He sweats blood. This is a graphic picture of intensity and anguish.

Honestly, I cannot imagine what that must have felt like. Yet, Fox’s Book of Martyrs has numerous triumphant stories of people that surrendered their lives because of their faith. There is something even more painful than death at the heart of Christ’s tremendous agony at this moment. He would be betrayed by a man He had mentored and loved. While tragic and painful, it could not have produced this kind of torment. I believe there is an additional factor, not so obvious, that made this crushing of His will so painful.

Sin would separate Him from God. That reality brought Him tremendous anguish! He loved His Father and He understood, beyond our ability to understand, how horrible that separation from God would be. His separation would be brief. He understood that, yet, separation from God brought tremendous agony. Sin, the sin of the entire world, was about to be put on Him, even though He had never sinned; not a single sin, in thought or deed. Yet, He would pay that penalty of sin. That is the anguish of this moment was taking sin.
We don’t seem to understand that sin is death. Death is not the transition from this life to the next if you know Christ as Savior and Lord. Sin is death that goes beyond the grave, to separate us from the giver of abundant life for all eternity. Sin is a deadly disease with only one cure-Jesus.

In the garden of Gethsemane, which means oil press, Jesus’ will was pressed to conform to God’s perfect will. He submitted to God’s plan, and love flowed out of the press. God sent angels to strengthen Him, so He could bench press the sins of the entire world. He didn’t come to depress the world with condemnation. He didn’t come to impress the world with nice words and gestures. He came to express God’s love on the cross so that through Him all men could be saved.

The Passion

“I love ice cream. I love to travel. I love ______(and we name our favorite football team). ” We lump love into one emotional category, which leaves it limp, fragile and anemic. None of these adjectives describe the kind of love that energized Christ. I chose the word energized, because God is love and His love sent Jesus to Earth. But the word love is too weak, in our culture, to describe the power that propelled Jesus to die for mankind’s sin. Passion would only begin to describe the depth of God’s love. Paul caught a glimpse of the importance of understanding the scope of that love in Ephesians 3:17; “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;”

Passion is a powerful and compelling emotion. It is also used as a noun to describe “the sufferings of Christ on the cross or His suffering subsequent to the Last Supper.” Without minimizing His suffering, I believe Christ’s passion far exceeds His suffering. His love for us was and continues to be passionate. His love is active, full of compassion and forgiveness. His love is not generic, but focused to kiss the heart of the individual. His love is visionary and insightful, seeing past your actions and inconsistencies to your need. His passion purchased and presented what no one else could ever propose--redemption; full and free. His passion painted redemption on the canvas of time with bold strokes of forgiveness, grace and acceptance. His passion transcends time without losing its potency. Its latent power is released in the heart of anyone that will receive Him.

His love is the potting soil that we must plant our lives in to flourish. It transforms the recipient, releasing our talents and kindness. It causes us to bloom. It causes His fragrance and beauty of love to be released to bless others. As we receive His passionate love, we can love others. We can forgive. We can sacrifice, because we understand that every time a rose is plucked off, more roses grow in its place. We understand that His overflow of love to us and through us is abundant and lavish, like His grace. We can love because we are loved, not with a generic, conditional love, but with a passionate, self-sacrificing love. Planted in His love, nourished by His love we can give His love.

Sweet Orange Blossoms

Like a bee, he followed his nose to the source of the sweet fragrance. The bushy-like orange tree was almost as glorious as the fragrance from the blooms. Vibrant orange balls hung like ornaments on the branches covered with emerald green leaves and beautiful white flowers.



Wayne brought a fresh orange inside and handed it to me with a question, “Have you smelled the orange blossoms?”



That was the only invitation I needed. We both headed back outside to enjoy the sweet fragrance and the amazing sight of the tree covered in both ripe fruit and blooms at the same time. Enjoying my orange tree is one of those simple things in life that brings me great joy. The sweet fragrance of orange blossoms is one of my favorite. You can smell them all over the yard.



Beyond the fragrance of the orange blossoms, I love the citrusy orange rind smell as well. When given the option to purchase orange fragrance in a cleaner I will almost always choose orange. It smells clean and refreshing to me.



Eating an orange kindles fond childhood memories. My mom could peel an orange in a single continuous ribbon almost every time. Then, she would strip the white pith, from the top to the bottom, dropping each piece onto a kitchen towel in her lap, carefully spread so any juice from the orange didn’t stain her dress. Every time she dropped a piece of that wonderful pith I gobbled it up. She couldn’t believe I liked it, I couldn’t believe she didn’t. But I was glad she didn’t like it. It remains my favorite part of the orange. As an adult I understand that the pith along with the peel has more nutrients than the juice of the orange.



Some people want to complicate eating an orange, but I like it simple. Cut it in half and then into wedges that fit inside my mouth so I can pull the fruit off with my teeth. Of course I haven’t finished the wedge until I eat the pith all the way down to the rind.



My grownup way to eat an orange is as a drink. I cut the orange in quarters, remove the seeds. Throw the wedges, peel and all, into the blender container. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar substitute or one of the individual packets of pre sweetened drink mix, ice, water. I whirl everything until the ice is crushed and the orange is pureed. Oh, it is heavenly.



It is amazing to think this juicy, luscious fruit begins with a fragrant white bloom and a bee with pollen buckets on its legs. God’s fascinating design is captivating. The luscious, sweet fragrance attracts bees; bees pollinate the flowers which produces the oranges that I love to eat. That little, fragrant flower has a purpose beyond beauty.



Standing at my tree enjoying a fragrance so luscious that I just want to linger at length to enjoy, I am reminded that is how God feels about our praise. He inhabits our praise. He lingers and enjoys our praise. Not only because it opens the door for fellowship with Him. But more so because of what it does for us. Our praise opens the door for fruitfulness in our lives. Because His love is so amazing He seizes every opportunity to bless our lives. When we swing the door open with worship, His presence kisses our lives with His love causing us to be more like Him and more fruitful. And that sweet relationship is beyond description.

Lose Weight and Lose Weight

Lose Weight … is almost always my number one New Year’s goal. The fact that it shows up on my list every year gives you an idea of how successful my follow through really is! But this year I want to lose weight and lose weight.

Let me explain. In my last blog I shared that forgiveness severs the hold that dead things have on a person’s life. But in my time of fasting and prayer that kicked off my new year, the Holy Spirit has been dealing with my heart about weights that need to be removed.

Let me explain. After the kids and grandkids left from celebrating Christmas with us, Wayne and I began to clean out years of clutter from the garage and storage shed; the kid’s stuff, the grandkid’s stuff, hobby stuff, remodeling stuff- junk piled and stuffed into every corner. If you are seeing visions from the repulsive hoarder episodes on television, well, let’s not go there. We had put off cleaning it out for years because it looked and felt like a monumental task. So we allowed the clutter to accumulate and we just shut the door on the mess. But it was time to deal with it! No more clutter. No more searching for where we put stuff. It was time to take dominion. So we did it! It has taken some time and hard work, but it hasn’t been a bad job. Actually, we have enjoyed working together on the project. Why didn’t we do it sooner? Because the weight of the task seemed enormous, too hard. Too much work. Too overwhelming! It wasn’t the work I wanted to avoid, it was just the weight, the mental weight I felt every time I tried to plan the job on my schedule. So I procrastinated wasting both time and money when I couldn’t find things I needed and suffered from guilt because I knew it needed to be done. Now it almost is!

Precious Holy Spirit has been dealing with my heart that it is time to de-clutter, clean out, organize and strategize spiritually. That’s where the second weight and my second New Year’s resolution comes in. This year I want to lose physical weight, but secondly and most importantly, I want to lose the mental and spiritual weights that keep me from God’s best. I didn’t even realize I was carrying these weights until Holy Spirit began to open the garage door of my heart and open some boxes that I had stuffed in the corners.

Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

If you are struggling decluttering offenses in your life. Listen to my teaching Ministry Isn't For Armadillos.

Stinkin' Chicken Skins

The garbage only runs once a week. If I cook chicken early in the week, I can’t throw the chicken skins in the trash because they will be stinking within 24 hours. So I wrap the chicken skins in a bag and put them in the freezer until garbage day. I don’t tie them to my arm and carry them around with me. Everyone understands that chicken skins quickly begin to stink and salmonella breeds quickly in room temperature chicken. They belong in the trash.


Yet while we cringe at the thought of carrying around rotten chicken skins, we carry a different stench and poison without giving it a second thought. The poison’s name…un-forgiveness.

We are approaching a new year-don’t carry the poison of the past into your new year. No one can make that choice for you. Forgive! Turn loose of the wrong that was done to you. God will help you! God’s grace is sufficient. Take your pain to the cross. Ask God to forgive you for insisting on your right to hold onto the wrong that was done to you. Ask God to help you forgive. Allow God to pour in His healing.

It can be difficult to forgive. Listen to my teaching Minstry Isn't for Armadillos. I believe it will help you through the forgiving process. It shares my personal struggles with overcoming offenses.