Tuesday, April 26, 2016

E is for Excellence!





As I sat in church this Sunday, I was struck by something my pastor, Jason Brown, said. He was calling us as a church to pray for another local pastor and his congregation (something we do regularly each Sunday). But this certain pastor had touched Jason in such a way as to bring him to tears. Jason explained that years ago, when he stepped out in faith to start his own church, this local pastor had sent him flowers with a card that read, "Welcome to the neighborhood." Jason went on to share how easy it is, as a church leader, to get wrapped up in building one's own agenda, reputation, and circle of influence. Yet this humble pastor, by welcoming Jason in such a kind, non-competitive, and open-hearted way, kept the focus on what really mattered -- building GOD's Kingdom here on Earth.

I share this story because Excellence is the theme of my blog this week. And excellence in building God's kingdom is something I see my church strive for in everything they do!



Jason and Angie Brown are anything but perfect - something they'll both admit freely! Yet it's their authentic faith, love, and their heartfelt desire to see the lost found that shines true. In fact,
nineteen:ten church was named and is based upon Luke 19:10: “For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.” And from this one verse, the purpose, the vision, and the heartbeat of our church is perfectly explained.

However, what I believe sets my church apart (and I'm admittedly partial!) is the push for excellence. From the moment you enter the doors of our building you're greeted with excellence! From the kind greeters, wonderful guest services, coffee and treats, and a joy that can't help but fill the atmosphere, it's clear that even the decorations were carefully selected and placed to exhibit excellence.

The immaculate sanctuary, the incredibly talented worship team that thrusts us into God's throne room, and Jason's sermons that make us laugh, cry, and realize our desperate need for the only One who can satisfy. All of these combine to create and display excellence! Moreover, the fact that prayer is constantly available (during, after, in between services and throughout the week!) shows the excellence my church has in caring for each and every visitor. The numerous Bible Studies offered throughout the week (and the simple things that are done to make the participants feel loved and welcome) speak of our church's excellence in teaching and training up disciples of Christ. The t-shirts, the hand-outs, the staff, the building itself, the outreach events like JUMP IN and Church in the City, declares its excellence in loving God and loving others!

I love Nineteen:ten churchand I love that it strives to be as excellent as Christ was in His caring, loving, outreach, prayer, discipleship, and worship. And why do they strive? Because it is the LORD they are serving!





Colossians 3:17:
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


Colossians 3:23-24:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Dream Big!


This week "D" is for Dreams fulfilled...

I had the privilege of fulfilling one of my life-ling dreams -- to author a book! Finally after 8+ years, I have finished and published my first women's inspirational fiction novel. Finding Home is now available world-wide in over 30,000 book distribution sites including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This dream was planted in my heart at the tender age of 8-years-old. I remember my 3rd grade teacher pulling me close and asking me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I thought about it and answered, “An author.” What was ironic about my response was the fact that I wasn’t much of a reader. In fact, if you were to look at our classroom reading wall there would have been little to no gold stars next my name!  

It wasn’t until I was on the Highland Park Presbyterian Church Youth Staff that I really took to reading. And that was because I was forced to do so! You see, one of my Junior High youth (Kelly Nall) kept bringing me books and insisting I read them. I tried to explain that I had survived high school and college because of Cliff and his notes, but she persisted in pestering me to read!!  

The first book she gave me was Brother Andrew. It about a missionary who snuck Bibles into communist countries. The next book she gave me was The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. These two books became a spring board into my love for reading! The Lord used that one tenacious teen to open my eyes to my undiscovered passion. 

Note that I was already an avid journaler – an exercise that kept me sane in college. I had also spent a season writing for the University of Oklahoma's campus newspaper. But I had never considered the idea of writing, per se. Through Kelly’s stack of books, my eyes and heart began to open to the power of words and stories. And that 8-year-old’s dream began to faintly grow within my heart.  

Although writing was something I thought about often, those tiny sprouts remained hidden until the one night I had a dream...  Fast forward to 2008. 

I woke up and couldn’t stop thinking about what I had just dreamed. The mental picture I had was so vivid that I could still feel the emotion! And something in me wanted the story to continue. In fact, that movie-like memory became one of the first scenes in my book. Then, around this one scene, I began to prayerfully weave a story. 

Whenever I could, I would sit and write (which was hard with a toddler and a young child). Then in 2009 I felt the Lord call me to truly focus. So, I cut all TV, extra reading, and even my iPhone video games. Furthermore, I would ask the Lord to sit with me, to lead me, and to help me write. Every single time He faithfully showed up. There were even days when I’d sit down at my laptop having no idea where the scene/chapter was going. I’d pray for the Lord to join me, and I’d just start to type. By the end of the hour it would not only be finished, it would be (in my opinion) fantastic!  It was a true adventure and one of the dearest times I’ve ever had with the Lord.

Finding Forever is the story of one woman’s journey to find release from her past, hope for her future, and a love that will last forever. Woven throughout the story are little threads of God’s faithfulness, mercy, and love. And of course there's a love triangle to provide the necessary drama to make the story fun! Nevertheless, my ultimate hope and prayer is that readers will be reminded that the Lord will often use people, the church, and the ups and downs of life to bring us back to Himself.

Click here to order a copy of Finding Forever.



This is me at my first official Book Signing Party in Dallas, TX.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Cats Are Awsome! (Spelling error intended) :-)


This week, "C" is for Cats and Clash of Clans! For those that may not know, Clash of Clans is video game that my 9-year-old son and I play together on our iPhone/iPad. Although I am awful at this game, we have fun destroying enemy kingdoms and leaving with their plunder. I gave Connor the honor of naming our Clan, and thus the name "Cats Are Awsome" was created. Despite the misspelling of awesome, cats make both me and Connor go, "Awwwww." So, the name is actually quite fitting! Now, our family friend, Thom Dunaway might prefer the word AWFUL when describing cats, but for me and Connor, well we're gonna stick with our version of "awwwwwwsome."

And speaking of AWESOME, check out our new family cat, Charlotte! She is a chubby, snuggly girl who loves her mommy (a prerequisite to becoming a Macafee!).

She's still getting used to our boys, the noise, and the array of Legos and flying Nerf bullets, but every new day she becomes braver and braver. However, she's got some big paws to fill.

My favorite cat (who lived up to almost 21 years) Alley Cat, was my first baby. Alley was feisty, fun, loving, and an all-around great cat. I loved her so much that I would pray for her all the time - especially toward the end of her life. One time while I was praying the Lord showed me a funny vision -- I was approaching Jesus as He was welcoming me home. His arms were outstretched, ready to gather me into a hug. But as I walked toward Him, rather than run into His arms, I began to peer around Him as if looking for something, namely a cat! This picture made me burst out into laughter! The Lord knows me sooo well!!

When I shared this mental movie with my friends, Kelly & Ben Stahl,  Ben jokingly challenged, "We don't even know if there will be animals in heaven." I quickly answered, "Oh yes we do, and yes there are! The Bible says that (in heaven) the lamb will lay down with the lion. And Jesus is said to be riding on a horse!! AND if the Lord would go to so much trouble as to save the animal kingdom along with Noah and his family, then He loves animals and He will want them in heaven!" And then I very maturely concluded with a, "Burn!"

Here's an article that I found to be quite interesting...

Pets in Heaven?
By: Hank Hanegraaff
          
Scripture does not exclusively tell us whether our pets will make it to heaven. However, the Bible does provide us with some significant clues that animals will inhabit the new heaven and the new earth.
First, the Garden of Eden was populated by animals, thus there is a precedent for believing that Eden restored will also be populated by animals.

Furthermore, the Scriptures — from first to last — suggest that animals have souls. Both Moses in Genesis and John in Revelation communicate that the Creator endowed animals with souls (see Gen. 1:20,24; Rev. 8:9). Throughout the history of the church, the classic understanding of living things has included the doctrine that animals, as well as humans, have souls.

Finally, while we cannot say for certain that the pets we enjoy today will be resurrected in eternity, I am not willing to preclude the possibility. Some of the keenest thinkers — from C.S. Lewis to Peter Kreeft — are not only convinced that animals in general, but that pets in particular, will be restored in the resurrection.
Dr. Kreeft, for example, is convinced that animals will exist throughout eternity.

"Are there animals in Heaven? The simplest answer is: Why not? How irrational is the prejudice that would allow plants (green fields and flowers), but not animals into Heaven." Regarding pets, he writes: "Would the same animals be in Heaven as on earth? 'Is my dead cat in Heaven?' Again, why not? God can raise up the very grass; why not cats? Though the blessed have better things to do than play with pets, the better does not exclude the lesser."

One thing is certain: Scripture provides us with a sufficient precedent for suggesting that animals will continue to exist after the return of our Lord. Isaiah 11:6-9 provides a particularly stirring image.


I'm gonna agree with Hank! And one day I will see my beloved Alley Cat once again! 
And you will see your furry baby, too!


Alley Cat Macafee
 
Feel free to share with me pics of your beloved and very missed furry babies! I'd love to see them!


Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Let's Play Ball!

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks,
I don't care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win, it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game...."


"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song written by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song. The song (chorus only) is traditionally sung during the middle of the seventh inning of a baseball game. Fans are encouraged to sing along, and at some ballparks, the words "home team" are replaced with the team name." Taken from: Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia... 



If you haven't figured it out, BASEBALL is the my "B" word of the week! "Why?" you may ask. Because right now it's what my family is living and breathing! With my oldest son on a select baseball team (Go Prospects!), our weeknights are spent at practice and our weekends at the fields.

You may also be wondering, "What could possibly be spiritual about baseball?" Actually, there's a lot we can learn from sports, teamwork, and teams! In fact, the Holy Trinity itself is the perfect model of a "team" (Father, Son, Holy Spirit - One God in three persons; distinct in personality, yet the same in purpose, essence, and nature).

We've all heard the old adage, "There's no 'I' in team," and isn't it the truth?! If a team is going to succeed, each individual must choose to think of their teammates rather than their own glory and success. What ultimately matters is the group -- what's best for everyone and not just for me? What will help our squad and lead us into victory? 

Jesus was and is the perfect example of a team player. Let's look at Philippians 2: 3-11 and see what you think:

"Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
 Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God                                          HE WAS GOD!!!
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;                      Angels could have delivered Him 
    he took the humble position of a slave                                   at any and every turn!
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
    he humbled himself in obedience to God                    He thought of YOU and ME as 
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.                               He suffered and died!
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
    that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,            He defeated death, rose again,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,                 and now reigns as Lord in heaven...
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,                        Until He returns!
    to the glory of God the Father.

Just as there are "no tears in baseball" (A League of Their Own), pride should be a no-no for our teams! Rather, we should strive to wave humility as a banner overhead! Because when we humble ourselves before the Lord, He will lift us up in honor (James 4:10).

Ephesians 4:2-4 --  Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.  Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

1 Peter 3:8 -- Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters.Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 

Friday, April 1, 2016

A-Z Blog Challenge - Accept!

My friend and fellow writer, Jolene Navarro jolenenavarrowriter put out an "A-Z Blog Challenge." And I've decided to accept!  She's discussing food and healthier choices, but keeping with my "journey to grasp God's love" theme, I'm going to Scripture to find the answers for the first thing that comes to my mind.

For the letter "A," the first word that came to my mind was ANXIETY. Should I be concerned?? Should you?? LOL! However, I do know right offhand that anxiety is something the Lord calls us to resist. Now, some of us (including myself) need a little chemical help, and that's absolutely fine, but ultimately what I've come to believe with anxiousness is that it can often boil down to a heart issue. Are we going to trust the Lord and release the burden (as often as needed), or are we going to add it to our backpack of worries?

One of my favorite verses, and a verse that I believe shows the true heart of God is found in Matthew 11: 28- 30:  "Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'

God wants us to "Cast our cares on Him because He cares for (and about) us!" (1 Peter 5:7)
He wants us to let Him lead and thus live in REST!

Because I'm a word-nerd, I decided to look up the definition of Anxiety (thank you, Oxford Dictionaries), and this is what I found:  Anxiety is ...a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome... Synonyms: worry, concern, apprehension, uneasiness, fearfulness,  disquiet, agitation, angst, misgiving, nervousness, tension, butterflies (in one's stomach), jitteriness, twitchiness

Can't we all relate? I know I can. Heck, anytime I start to feel overwhelmed I can feel the pull to give in to my depression/anxiety. For me, anxiety is a "clear and present danger" to my Peace! And living IN anxiety is not God's will for any of us! 

Here were the listed Antonyms: calmness, calm, peace, serenity

I think we'd all agree that these qualities are much more appealing! And my research shows that it IS attainable. The Lord gives us a few hints as to how to achieve this peace...

Isaiah 26:3:  You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Philippians 4:6-7:  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Thoughts and thankfulness go hand in hand to bring us calm. Prayer and praise go hand in hand to bring us peace. It's not always easy and can, in fact, be a discipline, but it is achievable. So, today let's make the choice to turn our anxious thoughts into actionable prayers! Let's submit to His yoke and let Him lead us, teach us, and use these difficulties to make us more like Him. To the praise of His glorious Name!