Sack That Quarterback

A couple of weeks ago, the blazing hot sun and I went to see my second oldest nephew, Clayton, play football. The stands were teaming with family and friends cheering with gusto as these pint-sized pigskin players gutted it out on the field. However, even the loudest of bleacher coaches were given a run for their volume as the cheerleaders spread down the sideline with the enthusiasm of a competitive squad and a pitch that is unique to peewee cheerleaders. As my sister and I stumbled down memory lane at our misguided attempts at cheerleading, I noticed an extra bouncy ponytail headed to her cheer coach with zeal in her eyes, "Let's do 'Sack That Quarterback'!" she requested eagerly. Even from several rows up I could hear that this was obviously a favorite cheer of hers and it seemed as if she would burst if one more second passed by without this cheer. The problem?? Her team was on offense.

All too often in our families, our churches, our governments, our communities, even in our own hearts we are so busy focused on the roles and tasks that we enjoy most or perform the best that unbeknownst to us we are actually working against the goals of our team. We are so focused on our sideline work that we have no idea what is going on in the field.

I Corinthians 12 tells us that God has put His church together as a body; one unit functioning with many members. Each member has a specific task, but there is only one head, who is Christ Jesus our Lord. If in our physical body the brain is directing the hands to feed the stomach, but the hands are too busy juggling because it is flashier and more fun, then the whole body starves. Certainly, the hands do not maliciously juggle, but life and Scripture will most definitely affirm that ignorance is most assuredly not bliss. We will be held responsible not only for what we know and do, but also what we would have known and done had we been paying attention.

"But now there are many members, but one body." I Corinthians 12:20

Reverence For You

Making my way through Psalm 119 I was brought to a halt at verse 38, "Establish Your Word to your servant, As that which produces reverence for You."

Produces ...
                Blessings for me?
                              Answers for me?
                                          Comfort for me?    No.

Establish Your Word which produces REVERENCE FOR YOU..

Certainly our great, multitasking God does provide blessings, instruction, comfort, correction, and much more through His inerrant and living Word; but if we come to it with these as our primary goals we have missed the joy of getting such precious revelation. God's goal in establishing His Word in our lives is first reverence and glory for Himself. Our awareness of His glory produces obedience, and it is our faithful obedience that makes the Word of God a deep well of blessing and guidance.

How can we retrain our brains to approach The Scripture as a conduit for a heart of honor and worship? Back up with me to Psalm 119:37, Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways. Did you see it? We must turn our eyes from looking at vanity and be revived to the ways of our Father God. We learn from the book of Ecclesiastes that this world is full of vain and fleeting things masquerading as matters of dire importance (or, at the very least, seasonal importance). For me even teaching or writing about God's Word can be a source of vanity. I am sometimes guilty of reading or hearing God's Word only as a means to my next teaching; how productive do you think that is? :-) Our families, homes, jobs, friends, churches, and things become opportunities for vanity rather than tools for worship and service, because we neglect the glory of the Giver of these gifts.

Often we feel as if God is unwilling to share with us the truth we need to hear as if He is playing a game with us. However, if we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that our ears are only open to the "truth" that we want to hear - the one that seems easy - rather than the Truth of God.  Our eyes are focused in the wrong direction. Instead, may our hearts be like that of Job, an answer-less man who declared, I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Job 42:5

God in Heaven, give us more of You.

"Answer the Call"

Hello G.I.M.S. Readers! This is Kelli Reeves making my maiden voyage into the blogosphere to give you all some big news!

Allison's new CD Answer the Call is now available online at www.allisonwilks.com. Answer the Call is a three session recording of a women's retreat held at Joe Wheeler State Park. Best of all, the three session are available on one disc for only $10.

Our prayer is that this single disc retreat will give Christian women a better understanding of God's call on the life of every believer and this knowledge of the truth will result in obediecnce to the glory of God. Below is a little teaser info about each session.

Answer the Call
Session 1: "I Cannot Come Down"
God has given us an important work to do and the freedom to live confidently in that purpose for His great glory! - (and other guilt-free reasons to say "no")

Session 2: "Biblical Womanhood Remix"
Biblical womanhood has gotten a bad rap. Let us throw off these imaginary chains and delight in the truth of God's Word.

Session 3: "Taking it to Heart"
Holiness does not happen by accident. Intentionality and preparation are cornerstones of a beautiful offering. Let us take it to heart and write a legacy of honor in our "book of remembrance".



Click HERE to listen to a sample from Answer the Call and/or to make a purchase.

A Miyagi Mom

I peeled potatoes, sliced strawberries, stirred pots, washed dishes, and every other mind numbing, finger cramping task a mother can impose on a daughter. I folded clothes, collected hangers, and learned 17,000 uses for "plain, white hand soap"; all the while we talked. And talked and talked and talked. My mother earned the right to know every important detail of my life simply by listening patiently to every insignificant detail. Meanwhile, she Miyagi'd me.

For any readers who may have been unfortunate enough to have missed out on the Karate Kid dynasty, Mr. Miyagi was a wise teacher who taught young Daniel expert Karate moves with the use of routine chores. Unbeknownst to Daniel Mr. Miyagi also slipped in respect, discipline, and compassion. Sneaky, right?

My mom was a Myagi. From the kitchen counter I learned more life lessons than I can recount about patience, respect, creativity, ingenuity, hospitality, and godliness. Domestic tasks have gotten a bad rap in recent decades but the truth is, in the functions of the fairer sex I learned the strength and peace of not just being lady-like but Christ-like.

Today is Mothers Day, and while the pain of missing my own mother and of not yet being one myself is enough to make me want to hide and spend the day in my own sorrow, I did not. I got up, went to worship, taught Sunday School, congratulated the mother's along my path, even accepting the well-meaning but misguided Mother's Day wishes sent my way with a smile. Why? Because the joy of The Lord is my strength and my Mom taught me so.

I am grateful to be able to celebrate today the women in my life who wonderfully made me an aunt. As well as celebrate my mom who parents me even today.

Thank you, Mom, for everything I learned while you taught me something else.

Not So Random Kindness

"With what shall I come to the LORD and bow myself before the God on high? ......... "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

Several months ago I saw a post on Facebook by a lottery winner claiming that he would randomly give away one million dollars to one of the people who "Liked" or "Shared" his post; and he was doing this in the name of random kindness. While I appreciate that this gentleman was willing to part with a portion of his winnings, I could not help but think to myself, "that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard!" While it is certainly more dramatic to make his gift random; it would have been more kind to have been generous with intention. What if his randomly selected recipient is already a millionaire? Would a children's hospital or homeless shelter not make a more suitable choice? Or what about a few families in his neighborhood who have fallen on hard times despite their hard work?

"Random Kindness" is currently getting her fifteen minutes of fame. Celebrities, charities, news media, and the like are all emphasizing random kindness - and while I will happily take random kindness over UNkindness any day - kindness that is random is still a pale shadow of kindness that is bathed in thoughtfulness and cloaked with purpose. This fruit of the Spirit is an inseparable part of the Oneness that is our God and according to the prophet Micah, "what is good".  I understand that the intent behind the random kindness campaign is to remind us to be thoughtful and to share the good with which we have been blessed; to remind us to take the small opportunities to demonstrate love to others. Nevertheless, as a believer in Jesus Christ every moment of my life is to be one of worship and devotion to God and therefore is deeply kind. Kindness is not a token; its a testimony. Kindness is not an offering that we give to others, but one we give to God by way of our fellow man as we take steps to walk humbly with Him.

Random kindness is but for a moment and pays homage to a momentary glimpse of the goodness that is within each human being as part of the image of God in which we were created. However, intentional, thoughtful, prayerful kindness is the character of the Heavenly Father and a mandatory way of life for any who are in Christ Jesus so that He alone may receive the glory.

"Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man." Proverbs 3:3

Still Thankful

We made it! We do the best we can to keep up the levy and hold off Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but that barrier cracks and leaks until it finally bursts forth with glitter and lights before the turkey platter even gets washed. As a kid I had my suspicions that Thanksgiving was a pre-Christmas conspiracy to give parents plenty of time to lecture their children about being gracious and polite. Even to this day when I get ready to go to a Christmas party I hear my Mom and Dad’s voices in my head saying, “Even if you open something you don’t like you need to smile and say thank you; remember that they didn’t have to get you anything.” (This is a skill I continue to use year after year.) 

Honestly, I love the Thanksgiving holiday. We get the great food and family time; and people are generally in a jolly holiday spirit because the stress and expense of Christmas packages has not quite set in. Thanksgiving is sort of the holiday honeymoon. However, a quote from John MacArthur’s book Worship: The Ultimate Priority has continued to resonate with me. 

He says, 

“We cannot verbally thank and praise God while living lives of selfishness and carnality. That kind of effort at worship is a perversion. Real acts of worship must be the overflow of a perpetually worshipping life.”

Rather than being the middle child of holidays (poor Jan); Thanksgiving should be the anniversary celebration of a perpetually worshipping life. A life lived in gratitude to our Creator God who loved us and has saved us so that we can enjoy the pleasure of praising Him.

As we fold up our paper turkeys and unload the Christmas decoration Uhaul may it all be done in perpetually worship of the one whom we celebrate, not just this season, but all the days of our lives.

No Stripes

Earlier this morning I finally gave in and finished my laundry. I have been waiting on the laundry fairy to come do it for me, but apparently she is no longer taking my calls. For better or for worse, I sort the clothes in my closet by color (I have no reason). Typically, this is a simple system, but today, I walked to the closet with a conundrum. In my hand was a striped, short sleeved sweater that is equal parts white and purple. "Is it white or purple?" As this thought passed silently through my mind it was chased quickly by the thought, "I'm so grateful that God does not have this debate when He looks at me." With Him there are no stripes.

I Peter 2:24: "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

Isaiah 1:18-19: "Come now, and let us reason together, 'Says the LORD, Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. If you consent and obey you will eat the best of the land."

If we will obey, we enjoy the full privileges of being completely healed and washed as white as snow. Today, already, I have enjoyed the pleasure of waking up happy, the daughter of Creator God, taking in a deep breath of good health, and just a hint of fall. Why? Because I did anything? No. Heaven forbid we ever think such even for a second. "By His wounds", by His wounds alone.We are clean for a purpose.
His healing is thorough.  Don't waste it. Live. Live to righteousness.

Praise God! There are no stripes with King Jesus.