 There is a 7th grade boy who rides the same bus as my 5th grade son. At the beginning of the school year, the 7th grade boy asked my son if he was a Christian. My son answered, “Yes,” to which the boy replied, “Cool.” Both my son and I were intrigued by the question. After all, the boys attend a public school.
Then, a few weeks ago, my son came home from school with another story about the 7th grade boy on the bus. That day, the boy was talking to another student on the bus and asked him the same question he had asked my son earlier in the year. Are you a Christian? When the boy answered the question with uncertainly, he proceeded to share the Gospel with him and prayed with him to invite Jesus into his heart. On the bus. Of a public school. My son was amazed. “I can’t wait until the teachers see the videotape from the bus today,” he said. “I hope that someday I can be brave enough to talk to people like that.” Me, too, buddy. Me, too. I am in awe when I hear stories about people being bold for Jesus. Especially 7th grade boys. Because being bold is something I struggle with daily, particularly when it comes to my faith. In my heart, I know that I am called to be bold. That God has equipped me with such a trait. 2 Timothy 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. But it doesn't come easy for me. And it’s not comfortable. And in my head I have a thousand and one reasons why I can’t. It’s not the right time. It’s not the right place. (Really, God? On a public school bus?) I don’t have the right words. I don’t have the right audience. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. But what would happen if for just one week, I (perhaps we?) threw all these reservations aside so that we could just BE BOLD, with the abandon of that 7th grader on my son's bus. What if we were bold in our marriages, bold in our parenting, bold in our relationships, and, most importantly, bold in our faith? How would that change our relationship with our spouse, our kids, our friends, God? I’m venturing to bet it would be for the better … on all counts. So this week, I’m praying for boldness. I’m praying that God will silence the lies that suppress courage. I’m praying that opportunities surface to step out and BE BOLD. And I’m praying these things for me … and for each of you!
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 "And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” - Mark 12:41-44
While attending Focus on the Family Institute during my college days, I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to a Guatemalan orphanage. While we were there, I heard the testimony of the man who started it, and the power of it never left me. He had been a pastor for eleven years, had six beautiful adopted children, and life was comfortable. But God wasn't done with him yet. He went on a short mission trip to Guatemala City and while there, God brought him to his knees. Every morning, he would take walks and see thousands of children living on the streets. He was moved to tears, and when he came home and shared his broken heart with his wife, she had one question: "When are we moving to Guatemala?" They sold everything they had and piled their five children in a pickup truck with 2000 dollars to their name and drove to Guatemala. It was there that they started Casa Para Niños Aleluya and began an orphanage that would rescue children from the streets. That, my friends, is sacrifice. He was willing to give up everything to follow the call of God. You and I might look at that story and think that something like that could never happen in our own lives. However, today I ask if you would be WILLING to do that if God called you to do so. If your answer is NO, what is holding you back? I know for me, I love where we live. It is a great school district with an excellent special needs program for my girls. We have a church that we have attended for over a decade and the people there are family to us. We have a lifestyle that mostly allows us to buy what we need when we need it. I would be lying to say that I would be whole-heartedly willing to give all of that up if God called us to do so. Frankly, even the thought of that terrifies me. Then I read about the poor woman who gave everything she had. She probably had no idea where her next meal would come from, but she had these two coins and wanted to give out of faith. She could have used those two coins to do many things, but she felt called to give them that day, and she did. This week, I pray that you read this story of the woman who gave two coins and let it speak to you. So many lessons can be learned from this story. Let God speak to you as you do some soul-searching about what you would be willing to do if God called you. Are you willing to give it all? 
Hebrews 6:19-20
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. I, Annice, love this verse and it has sparked HOPE being my word of 2015. The word HOPE is used 146 times in the New American Standard Bible version of the Bible, which is the one I use most. So, what is hope? The modern idea is "to wish for, to expect, but without certainty of the fulfillment; to desire very much, but with no real assurance of getting your desire." In Scripture, according to the Hebrew and Greek words translated buy the word "hope" and according to the biblical usage, hope is an induction of certainty. "Hope" in Scripture means a strong and confident expectation". Romans 8:24-25 states: For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Hope is the confident expectation, the sure certainty that what God has promised in the Word is true, has occurred, and or will in accordance with God's sure Word. Hope changes who we see ourselves; Hope changes what we value; Hope affects what we do with our lives - our talents, time, treasures; Hope gives us joy and peace; Hope gives us protection; Hope gives us strength, courage, boldness; Hope gives us endurance, comfort, confidence in the face of death; Hope gives us confidence in ministry; Hope depends on knowing the Word of God; Hope depends on knowing and resting in God's Grace and Hope depends on the Spirit Filled life. Romans 15:13 states: Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Psalm 31:24 states: Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord. Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. If you are without Christ, you are without God and without hope. Start this new year off right and talk to someone or contact us about how to receive the amazing gift of Salvation. Heavenly Father, Thank you for this great privilege to share Your Word with these lovely ladies and to be in this amazing ministry of Deliberate Women.  Some of you may have seen the Deliberate Women Challenge, and some of you may have accepted officially or unofficially. Either way, God calls us to pray. If you struggle to pray, to actually go away, sit, be still and even find the words, Let me encourage and direct you to Matthew 6 where Jesus gives perfect instructions. “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him. In this manner therefore pray ye: "Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen." For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6: 5-15 King James Version 21st Century Do these instructions from Jesus mean that we can't pray while we are driving our car, taking a walk, cleaning the toilets and chasing the kids? Absolutely not! But God's Word is clear and Jesus lived an example of the importance of finding solitude (as Melissa shared with us a few weeks ago) and talking one on one with the Lord. Talking, just talking.... focused on Him without distractions. It's the same way I like my husband to talk to me instead of having a half conversation while the football game is on. I like his full attention just as he appreciates mine. So wherever your "closet" is, take the time to be deliberate about prayer, the way Jesus taught us. And if you don't know what to say, say it like this: "Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen." |
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She Heard/Mandy Pagano makes no representations or warranties in relation to this website or the information and materials provided therein, and will not be liable to you in relation to the contents of or use of this website for any indirect, special or consequential loss. Nothing on this website constitutes or is meant to constitute advice of any kind. If you require advice in relation to any legal, financial, medical or psychological matter, you should consult an appropriate professional.
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