Your Journey Through the Holy Spirit

As a pastor’s family, we go through the struggles of having to pay for our own medical insurance, taxes, and social security. In a small church that can be a very difficult thing to do. Our health care coverage plan had been extremely frustrating throughout the years, but we were finally able to get dental insurance. We desperately needed it, especially for my youngest son who had been struggling with a toothache for some time. When we finally recieved coverage we all headed to the dentist for our workups. It was quite comical - all of us sitting next to each other getting our teeth looked at. Unfortunately, our family dentist informed my youngest son that he was in need of a pediatric dentist. I immediately called to find one only to learn that all the pediatric dentists on our insurance plan were pulling out for some reason. We were left without coverage for a pediatric dentist in our area. After many conversations with the insurance company, we realized that we were not going to recieve any help from them. Now broken and tearful we needed to move forward and pay full price for a special dentist. I looked in the phone book and randomly chose a name. The appointment was set for the next morning.

The next morning I jumped out of bed ready to take my son to his appointment, but as the morning progressed something began to stir within me. A strange feeling covered me and I found myself unsure of whether it was the right thing to do. I did not have the peace I needed to move forward. "What is it?" I questioned myself. I tried to evaluate my fears. Was it because I knew we didn't have the money to go? Was it because I didn't want to make the trip into a near by town? I wasn't sure. I sent my son to school and immediately called to cancel the appointment. While canceling the appointment I had the phonebook draped across my lap. At that moment my eyes fell upon an advertisement for another pediatric dentist. I felt a strong tugging to call that dentist. Okay sometimes I do feel as if I am losing my mind. Who in there right mind would cancel one appointment and immediately turn around and call to schedule another one? It all seemed odd to me.

The new dentist office I called could see us right away. I prayed the entire way there that the office would allow us to make payments and that we would not be required to put a large sum of money down. After meeting the dentist and hearing his assessment of my son’s teeth I knew the total would be costly. The dentist asked questions about our family and my husband. I shared with him about my husband being the senior pastor of a church. I also told him where we were from and our move to Colorado. I then asked him about payments and spoke with him about the frustration we had been experiencing with our insurance company. He just smiled and told me that they would take care of us up front.

I sat out in the foyer and continued to fill out my paper work when suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the dentist. He gave a quick nod to follow him. I assumed that he needed to share more about my son’s teeth. He took me into a conference room and asked me to have a seat while he sat across from me. He began with, “Tina, I’m going to fix all of Zachery’s teeth. I wanted you to know that I will take care of doing that, but I am not going to charge you.” I sat stunned, shocked, and speechless. "Did I hear right?" I thought.

He continued, “You see, you did not know that I have a ministry to minister’s families.” My lips quivered and large tear drops formed. Gently pushing the tissue box my way he said, "That's why I brought you in here. I felt you might get a little emotional." At that moment I released all of my emotions and like a water fall the tears fell. I expressed to him how close I came to seeing another dentist. The thought of God redirecting me urged me to want to cry even more!

God is so good! Every six months the dentist closes his doors to the public so that he can clean the teeth of minister’s children. I love going on those days. As I look across the room filled with pastor's families I feel such a bond. My heart bubbles, everything overflows, and I become misty-eyed all over again. The dentist comes out, claps his hands together, and shouts, “Oh yeah! Pastor’s Day!”

While on our journey it is difficult to sort through and discern those promptings from the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we second guess ourselves and have fears of our own that might keep us from moving forward with what God might want su to do. Over time you will learn to trust those feelings and the Holy Spirit's promptings will become clearer. Trust that God will give you the settling that you need to move forward in His prompting. Pray that God will make it very clear to you what He wants you to do. Rest in the quiet and listen for His voice. In the end by living tuned into the Holy Spirit your journey will become so much more and you will find God in the details of it all.

The Journey of Hearing From God

One of the questions I get asked more than any other is "How can we know that God is speaking to us?" "How do I follow God's direction?" "I don't feel God around me."



Tough questions - sometimes the Lord reveals Himself so clearly that it is almost impossible to miss while other times are more subtle. Of course we can't always base our feelings on what might truly be happening when we say, "I don't feel God around me." Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God says that God speaks by the "Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church." But I have found that God uses other things to speak to us as well.



I know that to hear Him more clearly on a daily basis it must begin with a relationship. Building the relationship and becoming familiar with God's teachings and scriptures gives us a better opportunity to hear and recognize those moments when he is speaking. Can God speak to you if you do not have a relationship with Him? Of course He can. God uses many ways to get our attention. From there - the relationship begins and we learn to tune into God's voice.



Mothers are particularly good at keeping track of their small children. When a mother wakes her child for the day and leaves them to get ready while she works in the kitchen to prepare lunches or breakfast does she stop tuning into what her child is doing? Most would say no. One ear is usually tuned to the rattling of the dresser drawers, the squeaking closet doors, and running water in the bathroom. Even though a mother is busy about her work, she is still tuned into what her child is doing. In the same sense when a child is playing gleefully next to its mother while she sits and visits with a friend, what do think would happen if the mother rose up and started to walk away? You guessed it - a panic stricken toddler following after. Even though the child was playing, it was still tuned into its mother.



I believe that God does that with His children. Even though He is busy about His work - he is tuned into what we are doing, how we are feeling, what is going on in our heart . . . and at just the right moment - He speaks. Although it may not always be in the way we expect.







Bathroom Mirror



After returning home from a long day my husband snapped at me. I knew he was under a great deal of stress as senior pastor of our church and had practically been up all night working on a paper for seminary. “What gave him the right to snap at me?” I asked myself. Boy was I being selfish and childish. Not realizing that this was a day that my mate needed 90 percent from me, I only gave ten. I was upset and decided that I would show him! Amidst my childish behavior, I found my Bible and marched loudly to the bathroom. I dug deep into my makeup case and pulled out the brightest tube of lipstick I could find. I started at the top left-hand corner of the bathroom mirror and wrote in big bold letters, “LOVE IS PATIENT, LOVE IS KIND, LOVE IS NOT EASILY ANGERED!” I stepped back to take a thoughtful look at my masterpiece and decided it would do the trick - get his attention.

I left my graffiti, walked out, and then began to wait. I waited for the pleasant apology. I waited for the deserved hug and warm embrace. I waited . . . and waited . . . and waited. “Any minute now,” I thought. Time passed as I watched my husband enter in and exit out of the bathroom door all the while never saying a word about the scripture on the mirror. As usual, his attitude softened and his apology came but still with no mention of what I had done. I wanted to ask him if he had noticed the mirror. In my stubbornness, I chose not to be the first to bring it up. I decided to make sure it sank in so I left the scripture on the mirror for about a month or so. Well, God does have a sense of humor.

Back then, my children were younger and demanded more attention from me and in my attempt to escape to get a few minutes to myself, I would retreat to the bathroom to count to ten or catch my breath. As I stood at the sink, I would look up at that mirror and read what I had written. What was intended for someone else became my rescue. It relaxed me on mornings when little hands were pounding on the door while I was getting ready for work. “Love is patient.” It was a soothing balm when I became tired and felt like snapping. “Love is kind.” It became a reminder for me when my temper was short and I felt the tension rising in my soul. “Love is not easily angered.” It was a teaching tool for me and to this day I am still learning to follow that scripture. I had no idea when I scribbled it on the mirror that day that I was actually writing it for myself - but God knew and at just the right moment . . . He spoke.





As you venture out on your journey with God strive to build that relationship. That is one of the first steps you can take in learning to hear God's voice as well as moving forward and having the journey you so desire. Look for Him to speak to you through His word - however He may choose to do so. . . Look for those Journey Moments.

Life is a Journey

"Life is a Journey" - We have all heard it said and some are probably sick of hearing those words - probably due to the fact that many of us walk journeys we never thought we would walk. Some of us stride familiar streets and become sickened by our routines. How many of us hate what we do? What has happened to us? How is that life has passed us by? Why do we travel the same paths day after day feeling as if we have accomplished nothing?

Life doesn't have to be that way. Every step that we take has meaning. That step takes us down a journey that will impact our lives for the better - or not. We do have a choice to walk a worthy path - or not. We have been given opportunity to view our journeys in a very unique way - or not.

For the past twelve years I have been journaling my journey and walk with the Lord. I must admit that my own personal journey has not always been what I have dreamt it to be. Even though I have not been pleased with every step taken, God has never given up on me and has been extremely persistent in teaching me His lessons - life lessons - love lessons - child lessons - humbling lessons - yielding lessons - lessons of brokenness - and lessons of victory. I call those lessons Journey Moments.

If on my journey and walk with the Lord I can grab hold of a teaching moment then the journey itself has become something more than routine. The journey itself has become something more than reckless. The journey has become something. Isn't that what we all desire from our journeys - that it would become something?

As my journey with God continues and I now move forward in this new journey of blogging I will attempt to share some of those journey moments with you. My prayer is that you too will become more aware of those teaching moments that will change your walk and cause you to rise up viewing your journey for more than what it is right now - more than just a journey but an incredible moment with the Most High King.