Who You Say I Am

Hi Friends,

I wanted to share these two videos that I came upon while preparing the worship set for the LFA Celebration on Sunday. The first is an interview of Brooke Ligertwood of Hillsong by Rich Wilkerson Jr. She talks about some powerful truths of worship, songs, life, manure, people and Jesus.  One thing she says in the beginning is, “Songs are like poo. What songs you feed yourself will come out!” She’s spot on. Listen to her words, how she approaches the church as a body, how she looks at song writing and worship leading. You definitely do not have to be up front of a church to be a worship leader. I have always taught, as a worship leader myself, you are your own worship leader. 

The second video is one of the songs she leads called, “Who You Say I Am.” As we are now entering the holiday season, please hear the words of the song. Remember who He says YOU are. You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone. Many people quickly start a random dating relationship during this season due to the pressures of having “that someone” during the holidays. Then, I watch January roll around and a lot of those relationships break up. Remember who He says you are. Family get togethers can be very hard. Remember who He says you are.

Side note: I do a Love Language test in my office, and for 22 years, receiving gifts has come up LAST as people’s love language, so don’t run those credit cards or drain those bank accounts trying to prove yourself either! 

Listen to the song link and be blessed Friends!!

Interview link

Song link

—Lois Robinson

Worship and Healing

Hey there Friends! 

I am very excited to share a video clip with you this week. In preparing for the worship set for our Sunday morning Celebration Service, I came upon this interview of a couple from Bethel Music. They both are  worship leaders of Bethel and shared several powerful things that I really connected with. Some of those things were how they both continue to worship in their home, what healing that brings to them, and how they have made powerful choices regarding their schedule and intentionally created sustainable rhythms in their household. In addition, she copes with chronic pain and disease but still does everything she needs to do. The video clip is not long, so I would encourage you all to check it out right here! 

You can also listen to one of their songs, “No Longer Slaves,” right here.

Be Blessed! 

Lois Robinson

Sound Your Trumpet!

Playing an instrument in a band can be wonderful, exhilarating, intimidating and stretching.  Every musician has their own part in order to support their instrumental section. The woodwind section consisting of the flutes and reed instruments plays a large part in a  band. The percussion section, of course, are usually the loudest instruments heard, due to the fact that they are largely responsible to keep the beat or the tempo of the song. And finally, there is the brass section, in which I played the baritone horn in high school. It was quite the adventure getting into that band! I had played the piano since the age of four, but I had never seen them actually wheel a piano around on a flatbed during the high school football halftime show! So therefore I needed to learn another instrument that I could play in the high school band. I consulted my very talented cousin Carol. She played everything! She taught me to play the baritone horn, which in fact has the same fingering as the trumpet, so I learned two instruments while only learning one!! I loved it! Due to Carol’s gift for teaching, I was able to go ahead and make first chair baritone! Whoo Hoo!! 

I was recently thinking about the trumpet, and it reminded me of the incredible book in the Bible called Nehemiah. It’s about a Jewish man named Nehemiah who was called by God to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah gathered workers together in order to accomplish the task at hand. Whoever felt that God Himself was leading them to help in the massive project joined him. In groups, they all focused on specific areas of the wall, so they were very spread out. The wall was huge, so the distance between the workers created a vulnerability. The officials of the territory were not in favor of God’s people accomplishing the project, so they would frequently interfere with any type of distraction possible. Other times there would be other trouble that would ensue. Here is what the passage from Nehemiah says:

13-14 So I stationed armed guards at the most vulnerable places of the wall and assigned people by families with their swords, lances, and bows. After looking things over I stood up and spoke to the nobles, officials, and everyone else: “Don’t be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

15-18 Our enemies learned that we knew all about their plan and that God had frustrated it. And we went back to the wall and went to work. From then on half of my young men worked while the other half stood guard with lances, shields, bows, and mail armor. Military officers served as backup for everyone in Judah who was at work rebuilding the wall. The common laborers held a tool in one hand and a spear in the other. Each of the builders had a sword strapped to his side as he worked. I kept the trumpeter at my side to sound the alert.

19-20 Then I spoke to the nobles and officials and everyone else: “There’s a lot of work going on and we are spread out all along the wall, separated from each other. When you hear the trumpet call, join us there; our God will fight for us.”

This passage points  to something that I highly value: we need each other in order to accomplish the purposes to which God has called us. What has become a normal part of my life is this. I have put together, what I call, a Prayer Team. I find when I go through everyday life, I frequently come upon situations that cause me to feel very vulnerable. Whether it be a medical situation surrounding labs, a procedure or new condition.  Or, it may be a family crisis where I am desperate for God’s deliverance. I BLOW MY TRUMPET!!!!!! Just like they did on the wall of Jerusalem. My “trumpet” is an email, informing my team of the details of what is going on, what I need them to pray for and thanking them for supporting me. I know that God hears the prayers of the saints. The Bible says :

James 5:16 

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

My challenge for you is this. Do you have a Prayer Team of people that you KNOW will be consistently praying for you? Are you willing to SOUND YOUR TRUMPET and ask for help, or are you trying to live in a form of isolation and not bother anyone with your problems? I would encourage you to look at the book of Nehemiah and decide for yourself. Maybe it’s time for you to form a prayer team and learn to play the “trumpet” too! 

Blessings Friends,

Lois Robinson

Song Singing vs Worship Leading

Years ago, I attended a Methodist Church for many years. I had gotten connected there in an interesting way back in my twenties. My friend’s mom was getting married. She asked if I would play the organ for her wedding at the church, a small country church with a big organ. I didn’t know how to play an organ at the time. Piano yes, keyboard yes, but not a pipe organ. It was the kind with all of the foot pedals, stops, etc.

I said, “Sure, I will!!” What was I thinking? All I knew was I better start practicing. So I called to see if someone would let me into the church so I could “practice,” meaning, LEARN HOW TO PLAY AN ORGAN! Someone kindly let me in on a Saturday morning. As I was sitting on the big organ bench, finally getting up the nerve to touch the keys, the pedals, fiddle with the stops that made all different sounds with the tones, I began to play the Bridal March. Soon, the church secretary looked in the backdoor near me and said “Oh, we need an organist! Do you want the job?” Well, she was talking to a struggling twenty-five year old that needed money and could play one song on the organ, so I said “SURE!” The rest was history. I learned how to play the organ and became the praise team leader. But, I am convinced I was just a song singing leader. I didn’t know the first thing about worship leading. There is a big difference.

Our Pastor then retired and a new guy was hired. He was so different. He looked like a surfer dude. Long hair, younger. And he slowly challenged the norm at our church. I noticed that he put his hands up in the air when he sang. This made no sense to me. I was the paid music director and youth director, so he and I worked closely together. I remember he would question what music I was listening to. It definitely wasn’t worship music. He would ask, “Lo, when you listen to your music, does it lead your mind closer to Jesus or farther away?” What a great question. Usually my answer was, “Jamie, my music if fine!” But, eventually I was willing to admit that it wasn’t fine. The music I filled my head with didn’t move me closer to Jesus. It would put my brain and heart in a place it didn’t belong, sometimes leading me into temptation. Slowly but surely, I eliminated that kind of music from my life. I also remember a retreat he took the leaders on up at Harvey Cedars. He passed out a survey, and one of the questions was about how we follow Jesus. One answer was I AM A RADICAL follower of Jesus. I thought that was crazy, so I didn’t check it. I didn’t understand what that really meant. I had no clue what I was missing either. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. That was also true of the “hands raised up thing during songs at church” as well. I didn’t think it took all of that. I thought it was kind of weird. I just didn’t know what I needed to know. So I finally asked him, and this is what he taught me. He said the reason he raised his hands was because he was communicating with Jesus. People raise their hands for many different reasons in church.

I am now someone who rarely keeps my hands down and here is why. I learned that when I used to go to a church service, I did not really expect anything from God. I was going because I grew up being trained in that is what we do on Sunday morning.

I expected the doors to be open; I expected to sing some songs; I expected the song leader to lead us.

I expected the Pastor to talk and talk.

I expected to sing one last song; I expected to have to put some money is some basket; I expected to then leave. Church was done and now we get on with our day and have fun. It was like a weekly appointment. I was good for doing it. That was my experience of church. There was no Jesus in that, only me religiously doing something.

My understanding has totally changed, Thank God! I also have to thank Pastor Jamie Bagley for allowing God to use him to speak into my life. It was huge! He was my first mentor in worship training.

Now, I don’t consider it church anymore, but a worship service.

I expect God to meet me there in corporate worship. When the worship leader tells me to stand, I MOVE from the back of the seat to the front. I cannot stand well so I sit, but no matter. I MOVE. I follow their leadership.

I expect music to play, and I will worship Jesus. It is a conscious choice to direct all of my attention to Jesus, not even the screens up front with the words. They are only there for those who don’t know the words. If you know the words, you shouldn’t have to look at the screen. Direct all of your attention onto Him. Close your eyes if you want. I raise my hands to communicate with Jesus. When my hands are straight up in the air, it’s my way of declaring victory with my Jesus. If my hands are out with palms up, it’s usually because I’m surrendering or I am once again in a desperate place and need Him to fill me up again and again. My body language communicates with my God throughout the worship service and throughout the week. I focus on how beyond grateful I am for ALL HE HAS DONE for me. The words of the songs resonate with me because they remind me again and again WHO HE IS, HOW GREAT HE IS, HOW MIGHTY HE IS, HOW HOLY HE IS.

AND I WANT TO GIVE HIM THE PRAISE AND WORSHIP HE DESERVES!!

As I see it, the only other options would be for us to not engage with singing or just sing the song because we like it. Singing a song doesn’t involve much. The focus is usually on us. We like it so we tend to really get into it, and we shout out our enthusiasm for the band or the people singing it with us. We sing the words and then we are done, without much engagement.

I expect the Pastor to preach a message that God has anointed. I ask the Holy Spirit to speak to me and to help me understand what He, God, is saying to me through the Pastor.

I expect to give God 10% of my weekly paycheck. This is not because I am just supposed to give MY money to the church but because God owns it all, including the money HE has allowed me to earn. God commands me to be a good manager of everything He has given me to manage, including finances. Me tithing is me communicating to God that I love Him, I will obey Him and I will give freely and joyfully to advance His Kingdom.

I expect to sing one last song some weeks. I move forward if God directs me to, and I always pray that the Holy Spirit will move the people forward that He is calling forward.

Song Singing vs. Worship Leading…you, my friend, are your own worship leader. If you choose, command your soul to worship...even when you don’t feel like it!

Amen

—Lois Robinson

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say...

I have literally have started to write this blog four different times, thinking I knew how it should begin, but each time right clicked and hovered over the “cut” prompt and tapped my touchpad on the computer…with no words typed out except …

‘I heard the voice of Jesus say…’

In all reality, all that is all really important to me right now is what Jesus says to me. That is how I live my life. It is a choice every day. Even today, I have made that choice. But it is not easy sometimes. My current reality looks like this…

I’m looking at a cheeseburger with a lettuce bun wrapped around it because I have decided, with the help of my best friend Jessica, to start the journey of being gluten free. Looking for gluten free items in a grocery store can be daunting at times when you are an avid bread lover like I am. Some stores, I’m told, have a gluten free section in order to make shopping a bit easier. But others have the items spread thinly throughout the store. It becomes like a scavenger hunt, looking for that little tiny dark brown tag under the grocery item of choice. Then, when you and your friends decide to order pizza, (yay, let’s get some pizza!), well, this is another lesson I have come to be aware of. A small, gluten free cauliflower crusted pizza that is only made in a personal pan size is the same price as a large regular pie for 8 people. $13.99 to be exact, and that does not include toppings.

It becomes overwhelming and frustrating.

Some of you have followed my physical journey for the last eight years. It has been very difficult. I shared with my band last night, in tears, that I am so confused and frustrated that no matter how many times I have been prayed for, anointed with oil and cried out to God, He has not healed me yet. I know He can just say the Word and it will be done. He has done that very thing, healed me miraculously on the spot twice before. I stood, and still stand, amazed. He is God, the Great I Am. The Good Father, Faithful, Just, Merciful and Forgiving. Loving, Kind, Compassionate, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. My Savior and King, forever. Those are the facts. They never have nor will change. No matter what emotions or thoughts you or I have. But,

It becomes overwhelming and frustrating.

The most recent findings from my Rheumatologist up at Cooper is that I have fibromyalgia, which got diagnosed 25 years ago, and the autoimmune disease Rheumatoid Arthritis. Basically, my cells are attacking my joints all over my body. So, I started the new RA drug this very morning. It comes with its concerns. I had to get the retinas of my eyes examined before I could go on it since it can damage your retinas, which is irreversible. So, it is a big deal to me.

It becomes overwhelming and frustrating.

So, what do I do with all of this overwhelming and frustrating stuff? I cry. I talk to Jesus all day, in and out of conversations with Him, knowing that it is only going to be through Him that I will have any clarity to this confusing journey I am on. Last night at band practice, the drummer stopped drumming and said, “Lois is real quiet over there on that keyboard.” Then, our leader stopped and said she wasn't going to play another note but just look at me. As she did, I began to cry. God worked through my band last night to minister to my heart. They prayed over me, again.

Then, as I left my home today, I talked with my best friend Jessica. I cried and cried, telling her how overwhelmed I am, how frustrated and confused I am in all of this. As I collected myself and proceeded to drive out of the driveway, I said to Jesus, “I feel like I am having a breakdown…” and just as clear as can be, I heard immediately, “You are having a BREAKTHROUGH”. I was so full of joy that it wasn't a breakdown that I was experiencing but a breakthrough, allowing my heart to feel the sorrow over brokenness. I long for all things to be made right, to have broken things put back into order, working the way they were originally made to. Before sin, pain and death entered the world. FOR  ALL THINGS TO BE RECONCILED BACK TO THE FATHER.

When I heard the voice of Jesus say that, the confusion that was present began to clear. The frustration turned to joy.

2 Corinthians 1:5 says this , “5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.  

I came to realize that the overwhelmed and frustrated feelings I have been having due to limitations my earthly body experiences, are a form of the above verse. It made sense to me because He allowed it to. My Good Father showed up and was faithful to show His daughter what was going on. My tears of confusion and sadness turned into tears of relief. He knows. He sees. He understands. He gets it. And I am ever so grateful that my God, my King, my Savior is Jesus Christ that knows me like that.

This week, I celebrate Jesus, just as every other week of the year. But, this week has some very special aspects that we celebrate. This is what happened 2000 years ago on my behalf and your behalf. Everyone's behalf for that matter. Jesus Christ, God’s son, willingly went to the cross on behalf of each one of us. To die a gruesome death in order to pay for all of the things that are broken, diseased, sick and sinful that ultimately led to death. Things that are not like God, the things we have done wrong called sin, and the wrongs done to us - He died for them ALL. He then came back to life, having victory over death and offering life in heaven with Him forever. You can have a personal relationship with Him as well. You can learn to hear His voice. During those times when you're overwhelmed and frustrated in the midst of your suffering, you too can have what I have. He loves you just as much as me or anyone else. He made you and loves you. That is the fact, no matter what you feel or think. You too can have the same HOPE I have…

If you say, “Yes, Jesus,

I want to live my life learning how to

hear your voice and follow you.

Amen and Amen.”

—Lois Robinson

I Hear Those Chains Falling Down!

Have you ever taken one of those assessments, tests or inventories that you may find in a magazine, WebMD or online? One where they are trying to diagnosis why you are the way you are. They ask all kinds of questions regarding what you think about yourself, others and your worldview. There are psychology assessments, great tools like the Myers Briggs or the SDI Training our church uses, that enable people to understand things about others, especially in conflict. Learning about ourselves and others is a never ending study. Let’s face it; there is a lot to learn!

Well, I have put together some questions myself, things I hear in my office each day from people who are searching for ways to break out of their dysfunctional patterns of thinking that inevitably lead to dysfunctional patterns of behaving.

Have you ever thought:

1. I don’t  know how long I can  go on like this.

2. Am I the only weird, messed up one that thinks and feels like I do?

3. No one would like me if they really got to know me.

4. People don’t really mean the nice things they say to me.

5. I don’t know who I am.

6. Why am I here on earth?

7. I cannot go on one more day.

8. I’m done.

9. I am afraid of myself and what I may do.

10. I need something to medicate this pain I am in.

11. No one really can understand my pain.

12. They would be better off without me around.

13. What’s the use in trying because I will just mess it up again.

Do you find yourself feeling:

1. Confused about your life

2. Angry and sad a lot

3. Lonely

4. Misunderstood

5. Useless

6. Unworthy and guilty

7. Unfulfilled

8. Carrying Shame

9. Embarrassed

10. Hopeless

11. Scared

Do you find yourself:

1. Isolating

2. Medicating with drugs, alcohol, pornography, sex, gambling, eating, self harm

3. Eating disorders

4. Cutting

5. Suicide attempts

6. Practicing dangerous behaviors

7. Prostitution

8. Dabbling in the demonic

I want YOU to know, if you say yes to any of the above behaviors or others not mentioned here, there is a someone named JESUS who loves YOU and made YOU for a reason. HE CAN and WANTS TO BREAK THE CHAINS THAT ARE KEEPING YOU IN BONDAGE.  

I believe this blog is for someone. I didn’t know I was going to write on this today, but God said, “Do it!” so I am doing it. If you are reading this and read through to the end, thank you. If you need help, you can call the church at 856-696-3444 or me at 856-305-9086.

There is HOPE and His Name is Jesus.

The Bible says this:                                       

25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!    Acts 16:25-26  (NLT)

—Lois Robinson

Resets and Breakthroughs

January 1 brings many different things for many different people. Maybe it marks a new beginning for some of you, exciting new ventures or projected goals with great intentions. And for some, it may bring just a continuation of the same, nothing much changes but the date.

For me, it started with viral bronchitis, double pink eye and my first visit to Urgent Care! I left there with four medications and my first inhaler ever. Way to start the new year, huh?!? I wish I could say that was the worst of it. No, it continues from there. But before we unpack it all, let's do a short review.

Eight Years Ago

As some of you may know, I have had a chronic health condition for the last eight years that began due to a failed knee replacement at that time. The surgeon did a phenomenal job, but my  body developed a collagen disorder in response to the traumatic surgery. This has caused some significant issues in my life. I walk on two forearm crutches, and my body creates an abnormal amount of scar tissue in various parts of my body which results in a lot of inflammation, high levels of pain, fluctuating body temperatures and edema among many other things.  In order to control all these symptoms, I have to take a whole regimen of medications every six hours to control my symptoms. It has been an eight year process of trying to find the right medications, in the right combination to work well with my body chemistry. Definitely not an easy task.

For all of these  years I have seen many doctors who find my case absolutely fascinating but are not able to offer any helpful advice or suggestions. They simply see an unusual presenting problem and the “med student” inside of them comes out. They get excited about the mystery of it all, but that is not what I am looking for. I am looking for answers. So each time my heart rises thinking, “Maybe this doctor will know, or at least offer another piece to the puzzle,” but no, unfortunately it is a dead end many times. Just another inquisitive doctor.

Two Weeks Ago

I did have an exciting thing happen in this long difficult journey about two weeks ago. As a matter of fact, it was the last two weeks of December. My wonderful Pain Management doctor, Maryann Macci, reported that she was excited to try a new medicine with me. I was willing to try it, with a guarded heart I might add.  The last three years have been a trial of at least 15-20 new medications with high hopes that it would be the answer but after three days it would not be effective. So back to square one of what to try next. That process alone was very difficult. Getting myself geared up to have a medicine finally be the one that could get my body under control, only to find it either caused migraines, a rash or had no effect at all was very hard. So, just like the doctor process, I have had to walk very guarded with new medications as to not have my heart fall so many times.  

With that said, she told me what the new medication was and how to take it. I then called the pharmacy and since it was a specialty drug, they had to order it in. I got excited when the email came through that my Rite Aid script was filled and ready to be picked up. I went to get it and it was free! I had spent so much money on medications throughout the year, I actually had a credit so all my meds were free for November and December. Praise God!! I read the instructions and took the medication. By the second day I noticed a huge difference in a good way. My body had stopped hurting so bad, TKR leg wasn’t constantly swollen and my body temperature didn’t vacillate so much! It was amazing! I actually felt like I got my life back. I was so very thankful to God! This was such a breakthrough for me after so many people praying for me for so long. Finally a medicine that was controlling this disorder. The search for answers was over and finally, finally, finally I found the right combination.

January 3

I was due for my Pain Management visit, and I could not wait to see her. I exclaimed, “We found it, Maryann!! I danced, the best I can with one leg, around her office as she laughed and was so happy for me. It was a Praise God party!! She went ahead and refilled all of my meds and I left, so thankful that the search was over. I no sooner get to my car and called my pharmacist to see when I could pick everything up and he said, “The copay is $450.00”. I was stunned. My insurance did a reset on January 1st, so my $2000.00 deductible was back into the mix now.  I asked for him to repeat it to make sure I had heard correctly. And then I replied, “I can’t take it.” I was utterly devastated.  I left the doctor’s office in tears, got to my office and wept. And wept….. I made phone calls to my doctor and the insurance company throughout the day to get answers. All day, and subsequent days to follow, I had many conversations and tears with God, always remembering He is a good Father, a loving Father and a merciful Father. But, I also was very angry, confused and scared. I told Him I couldn’t understand why He would allow such a thing to happen- allowed me to experience a new way of life for two weeks and then allow it to be taken away. I didn’t understand. What was it all about?

So, as I was doing a few chores around the house this past weekend, I felt led to send out an email to my prayer warrior team. Whenever major things are happening in my life, there are times the Holy Spirit will lead me to gather my thoughts and notify my prayer team to have them pray for a specific thing. This was one of those times. I needed a breakthrough. I needed a quick breakthrough at that as I only had one day of medication left. I typed it out, explaining the situation and hit send.  The very next morning, I received a text from a beautiful couple who knew of my situation and it stated that they WANTED TO PAY FOR A ONE-TIME REFILL FOR MY MEDICATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD BROUGHT THE BREAKTHROUGH! Yes, it’s one month’s worth, but it gives me the month to see how else God wants to move more mountains and perform more miracles.

I am so incredibly humbled by this act of kindness. I am so incredibly thankful to God. He is a good Father, a loving, merciful Father. He is a compassionate Father. He sees me, He sees YOU! He knows YOU!

So that’s how my first week of 2019 unfolded. My hope for you would be that you’d find this true story interesting, encouraging and even  challenging. But most of all, my hope would be that you would hear an invitation. An invitation to talk to God yourself about those areas of your life that need a breakthrough, a miraculous change. The Bible says this about Jesus in the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 61:1-3 1The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Once again, He is a good Father, a loving Father, merciful Father. He is a compassionate Father. He sees YOU! He knows YOU! He hears YOU! He LOVES YOU!!

Be blessed friends and thanks for reading,

Lois Robinson

Diagnosis 911: Buszerkitis

Description- A tendency to stay very BUSY that can lead to a disorder called
GOING BERSERK.

I was driving to work one morning this week, stopped at a red light and thought, ”Hmmm, busy and berserk sound similar. That’s interesting!” That is how my brain tends to work. Think I will write a blog about that.

So, I get to the office. I then reflect on statements that I hear from the majority of the many people I chat with....

“It’s been such a BUSY week”
“Our kids are so BUSY”
“We are too BUSY to go to TFL classes”
“We were too BUSY to get to worship this week”
“We are too BUSY to pray together”
“I am too BUSY to spend time with God”
“I’m too BUSY to come to counseling”
“We are too BUSY to invest in our marriage”
“I am so BUSY at work”
“I have to stay BUSY because I can’t stand down time”
“BUSY is my middle name!”
“There is not enough time in the day because I am soooo BUSY”
“I am too BUSY to eat right”

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!!!

My friends:) These are the statements that people truly believe but the truth is:

B- BEING

U- UNDER

S-  SATAN’S

Y-  YOKE

Often BUSYNESS is a tool of the enemy that pulls us away from our Savior and feeds the false gospel of saving ourselves.

There is no way any of us can hear God’s still small voice in BUSYNESS.

I used to buy into the American cultural belief system that staying BUSY meant that you were an active, contributing member of society that would be a successful, prestigious person who would have a great big house and blinged out car, get married and have a bunch of kids. That was success!  That was fulfilling the American Dream, right? I went BERSERK!! I really did. I began to feel empty, working many jobs at one point in my life to pay bills, and seek relationships as medication. The next chapter: I entered COUNSELING!!! I began to seriously seek God’s plan for my life. At this point, I live in a wonderful little house, drive a car that works, I am not married and have no children. I love my life!!! Because it is the life God has called me to. I would have been miserable if I continued to strive and pursue what my then friends, family and work said I was supposed to be and look like.

This is a lie my friends. It leads to a lifestyle that felt like I was going BERSERK! Have you ever felt that way, or was it just me??

I would encourage you to not let the “calendar monster,” as I call it, fill up with BUSYNESS. Set those boundaries. Say ‘Yes’ to life-giving things that lead you to Jesus and ‘No’ to those things He is NOT calling you to- even taking roles in the church ministries!

He has made you special, unique and one-of-a-kind. You have a unique design on your life and a purpose to live out. It is your responsibility to protect those gifts and talents that He has given you :)

Learning to say Yes and learning to say No prevents BUSZERKITIS. It is a painful disorder and I encourage you to take steps to avoid it!

Power of the Tongue

I have chosen to write a very different kind of blog, and I believe God has laid this on my heart to do. We are living in a very ugly time period in our world and our country. When I read an article about a Virginia man who is an admitted pedophile and rapist and is running for office, and got nauseous after reading it, I needed to respond with my ability to use my tongue through a blog and point us toward the very Word of God about speaking out.

Proverbs 18:21 says, "death and life are in the power of the tongue." The tongue is a small member of the body, but it is powerful. What we say to others can either cut them to pieces or it can be a healing.

I grew up never understanding the implications of the above verse. As I began to study it and apply it to my everyday life, it has transformed my mind. For example, when you get up in the morning and utter, “Ugh, this is going to be a horrible day,”  when you finally lay your head down to go to sleep, has it been a rough day? Usually the answer is Yes. If we chose to set our eyes on all of the mess we will face in a day versus choosing and desiring to see God’s hand in those same messy circumstances, it makes a huge difference. It doesn’t take away the messiness, nor is it a place of denying what is in front of you; it changes your perspective on things.

Either your posture can be, “This IS the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it.” or “This day is horrible already.”

It’s your choice.

John 8:32 “and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

I have learned that the only way to really know the Truth about anything is through the very Word of God. When we submit ourselves to His Truth, we will then experience the blessing of Freedom. Freedom from the bondage and shackles that bind us up in life.

Psalm 5:9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their heart is destruction, their throat is an open sepulchre, they flatter with their tongue.

Psalm 12:3  May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,

Psalm 37:30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

Psalm 39:1 I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will bridle my mouth, so long as the wicked are in my presence.”

Psalm 45:1 My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.

Psalm 39:3 My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:

Friends, I recommend you ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what the very heart of God is trying to communicate to you through these scripture verses found in this blog. Look them up in the Bible. Pray over them. Ask God how He wants you to use your mouth, your tongue. Do you build people up, or do you tear them down? Are you an advocate of justice or stand silent when you see injustice?

We live in the Kingdom of God, and we are to be His Ambassadors. We are to be His eyes, His ears, His mouthpiece. His hands and His feet. We are to surrender our entire lives over to Him and His Kingship. Have you?

I pray this blog blesses you friends,

--Lois Robinson

How Stuff Works: The Gift of Emotions

Have you ever googled something in order to learn about it? I have frequently, and this site comes up the says “HowStuffWorks.” I click on it, and it has some practical advice on the things I am curious about. So…it seems like the word on the street is that these emotions that we all have has some serious misunderstandings happening, which in turn, causes some issues, sometimes serious issues. Therefore, I thought I would reiterate a blog I wrote four years ago, with some added flare!

I strongly dislike generalized statements like, “All women love to shop” or “All guys love sports,” “everyone” wants this or “everyone” wants that. A recent one I’ve heard is “All teenage boys cuss when they are together with other teenage boys. That’s what teenagers do!” Or these little gems: “That’s a man thing because they’re stupid” or “That’s a woman thing because they’re so hormonal.” I just love when people boil down the complexities of individuals to such a small definition in order to understand how “everyone” functions. Wrong conclusions being made every time is usually the case!

Therefore, I will intentionally avoid a generalized statement here and simply say, “If you are anything like me, I have frequent times of feeling some kinda way! Sometimes it’s feeling frustration out of the blue, sometimes it’s feeling hunger for the Chinese Buffet, sometimes it’s feeling anger over violations or other times it’s just feeling UGH! At times my feelings are all over the place, hard to really understand what is going on. Sometimes the anger is an appropriate response to external circumstances that are wrong, and my internal response toward the violation or sin is anger, while other times my anger is strictly my own sinful heart not getting its own way. As Pastor Nate has taught, anger is a barometer of our heart that says something needs to be dealt with. That’s a blog for a whole different day!! Remember, feelings are a gift from God, but we must learn how to recognize them, process them appropriately and not avoid them. God has given them to us for a reason.  Feelings, oh they can be so powerful. I am very thankful God gave the human heart, mind and body the ability to feel. How dangerous would it be if we couldn’t feel? When we feel extreme heat, the normal bodily response is danger and we step away. When we feel sub zero temperatures, we normally respond by putting on more clothing to prevent frostbite. Hopefully I have made the point regarding the importance of our body feeling sensations and responding appropriately. Otherwise it could be very detrimental to us. For some who have lost the ability to feel, due to some diseases or traumatic accidents, they have to be very cautious and take proper measures to ensure they won’t be subject to danger. God created the human body with an awesome alert system to protect us from danger.

This brings to the next point, the beautiful gift of emotions that God has given us. They are designed to work in our favor, to be a part of our celebrations, our healing process, our warning signals from danger, our own brokenness and need for a Savior. We are so broken in this area, friends, and unfortunately many of us base our reality on “how we feel” and then label it as God’s leading or lack thereof because they can’t feel God. I have sat with young girls who “feel” like they love the new boyfriend three weeks into a relationship and has sex to show him, only to end up feeling shame and guilt. Others have felt like fitting in with the peer group and made some bad decisions that get them arrested. Others compromise their values very quickly and perform sexual acts to get needs met. In the church, people operate in their feelings to the extreme of disengaging in worship because they don’t feel like it, don’t like the worship song or don’t actively engage in the celebration time because they aren’t feeling anything.        

NEWS FLASH

WORSHIP ISN’T ABOUT YOU!!!

IT IS ALL ABOUT THE GOD WHO DESERVES YOUR PRAISE

AND CAN SAVE YOU FROM YOUR SELF FOCUS
 

This is a little ditty I had as a piano lesson back in the day as a child. I thought I was all that being able to play it...OVER AND OVER!! Check out the crazy lyrics!
 

Feelings

Feeling, Nothing more than feelings, Trying to forget my feelings of love

Teardrops, Rolling down on my face, Trying to forget my feelings of love

Feelings, For all my life I'll feel it, I’ll wish I've never met you, girl, You'll never come again

Feelings, Wo-o-o feelings, Wo-o-o feelings, Again in my heart,

Feelings, Feelings like I've lost you, and feelings like I've never have you, Again in my heart

Feelings, For all my life I'll feel it, I wish I've never met you, girl, You'll never come again

Feelings, Feelings like I've lost you , And feelings like I've never have you

The tried and true breakup song of the centuries! Obviously, this song is talking about someone “feelin’ some kinda way!” plus, they are full of contradictions. It’s clear they loved the person, or at least they thought they did. But in light of that, concerned that someone like them will never come along again, but on the flip side, they wish they never met them. Hmmm. Curious.

Wished they never met them, feelings like they lost them and never have them. But, they wish they never met them. “Why?” I ask. All because they do not want to feel hurt. All to avoid the grieving process and what it has to teach us. No one likes to hurt, and if they did, there’s an actual diagnosis for that in the DSM4. But hurting is a necessary part of life. The bible talks about ‘sharing in the sufferings of Christ’. A necessary component of our journey here on planet earth to walk through and experience the attributes of the Father in ways we may not when all is good. Pain pushes us into to arms of the healer or propels us to seeking life outside of Him. It’s our choice.

So who is this God with healing arms?  God is above, and I repeat, ABOVE, our circumstances. We must battle to remember that. I have watched my loved ones who walk closely with Jesus do just that. When there is a very serious crisis going on where the outcome is fragile, I watch them in silence and verbally battle. Every minute of the day, battle for truth of who God is amidst tragic circumstances.

• He is the God who created the entire universe in six days and rested on the seventh.
• He is the God who parted the Red Sea and killed the Egyptians who were chasing His children, the Israelites.
• He is the God who parted the Jordan River in order for His children to walk into the Promised Land.
• He is the God who sacrificed His only Son and raised Him from the dead in three days in order to save us.
• He is the God who HEALS.
• He is the God who PROVIDES.
• He is the God who REDEEMS.
• He is the God who COMFORTS.
• He is the God who is JUST.
• He is the God who CARES.
• He is the God who FORGIVES.
• He is God, He is my God, He is my Savior, He is my Abba.

    In spite of your feelings, I ask you friend, a question that Jesus asked His disciples...

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Feelings are a gift but must come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Through His Spirit, we can understand what we are feeling, why we are feeling that way and how to process appropriately so the feelings we experience lead us into a closer relationship to Him.

Blessings Friends

-- Lois Robinson

And Jesus Asked Him, "Do You Want to be Made Well?"

And Jesus asked him,

 “Do you want to be made well?”

John 5:6 (NKJV)

Years ago, I had a friend make a wall hanging for my office that had the above words on it. They are powerful words that Jesus spoke to one man, only one, at a Pool called Bethesda in the story found in John 5:6. They are words that I never understood very well before I became a counselor.

It always confused me why Jesus only interacted with one man at this pool, a pool that the Bible says many people laid around who were lame, paralyzed, blind or suffering from some sort of brokenness. They were all waiting for the key to their healing that took place at this pool. You see, the Bible says that during a certain season an angel would come down and stir the waters. The first person that entered the pool would be made well of their diseases. On this particular day, Jesus goes over to this certain man and asks him the above question, “Do you want to be made well?”. The man goes into an explanation of why he can’t get into the water, but Jesus doesn’t get caught up in the “why he can’t” reasons. He goes to the heart of the matter. Jesus asks the guy if he wants to be made well, tells him get up and the man does! He just does what he is told to do! Let me say that again: The man does what Jesus tells him to do! He was healed. Later, as the story unfolds, we find something interesting in verse 14. The man encounters Jesus in the temple. The identity of Jesus is made known to the man, and this is what happens:

"A little later Jesus found him in the Temple and said, “You look wonderful! You’re well! Don’t return to a sinning life or something worse might happen.” (The Message)

Whoa! That’s pretty heavy! Interesting, huh? Here are some of my thoughts and questions this passage has evoked over the years, as well as other questions I get from quite a few people. Maybe they echo some of yours:  

1. Why did Jesus only talk to the one man?

2. The story also says later on that the man didn’t even know it was Jesus!

3. Practically speaking, this man had been an invalid for 38 years. 38 years would cause his legs to be atrophied, bones fragile, etc, and he didn’t question this guy who says, “Get up!”?

4. Does verse 14 mean that our sin issues can contribute to our diseases?

5. Does God make us sick as punishment for our sins?

6. The invalid must have believed the man who told him to get up off his mat.

I always say I get 3 kinds of people in the counseling room: 

1. The Yes People- When asked the same question Jesus asked the man, they answer a wholehearted YES! I want healing and believe Jesus can do it.

2. The I Don’t Know People- They are usually silent for a minute or so, having to weigh their answer according to what the cost will be, what the responsibility will be, how hard it is going to be and the exhaustive list goes on and on.

3. The I Don’t Deserve It People- They step into the role of God and judge themselves, using their veto power to reject the work that Jesus already did on the cross for them. The Bible says we are healed by His stripes. Amen. This group of people doesn’t understand that verse yet.

In working with folks, including myself, I think I have part of the answer for my number one question: Why did Jesus go to the one man? I think it’s because he desperately wanted to be healed, had no excuses and was willing to GET UP! He believed he could be healed, and he wanted to be healed. Plus, he was willing to do the hard work of walking out that healing without excuse. What is Jesus telling you to do regarding your brokenness??

As far as the other questions go, a big resounding Yes to the question #4. Our sin issues can perpetuate our diseases. We can be lazy about doing exercise, eating right and establishing good sleep patterns in order to help in our healing process. On the other hand, a big resounding NO to question #5. God does not punish us with sickness. All of the punishment we deserved for our sins was put onto Jesus Christ when He died on the cross and came back from the dead on the third day, so we too can have eternal life with Him when we say YES to Jesus! That is the good news, folks!

The big point I want to end with is this. It is absolutely, absolutely imperative that you believe Jesus can and desires to heal you. Jesus heals in many ways, three of which I have listed:

1. Instantaneously

2. In a process

3. When we see Him face to face.

I pray for the grace to accept His answer to my healing. I am always wanting an instantaneous healing and will do my part in the process of healing, but will still praise Him if it won’t be until Glory. In Scripture, I find Jesus asking people all the time, “Do you believe?” They respond ‘Yes, I believe,” and then He says, “Your faith has made you well.” Folks, there is something very important about believing Jesus can do it! He can BREAK EVERY CHAIN! Check out this video: Tasha Cobbs ; Break Every Chain. Worship with it; watch the expressions of worship in the video. Ask yourself, “Do I believe that Jesus can really break every chain off my life?”. I would encourage you to check out John 5 for yourselves. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what He wants you to understand in the passage.

Be blessed friends.

--Lois Robinson

Do You Want to be Made Well?

And Jesus asked him,

 “Do you want to be made well?”

John 5:6 (NKJV)

Years ago, I had a friend make a wall hanging for my office that had the above words on it. They are powerful words that Jesus spoke to one man, only one, at a Pool called Bethesda in the story found in John 5:6.  Words that I never understood very well before I became a counselor. Here’s why… 

It always confused me why Jesus only interacted with one man at this pool, a pool that the bible says that many people who were lame, paralyzed, blind or suffering from some sort of brokenness, laid around. They all were waiting for the key to their healing that took place at this pool. You see, the bible says that during a certain season an angel would come down and stir the waters. The first person that entered the pool would be made well of their diseases. On this particular day, Jesus goes over to this certain man and asks him the question, “Do you want to be made well?” The man goes into an explanation of why he can’t get into the water first but Jesus doesn’t get caught up in the reasons about why he can’t. Jesus goes to the heart of the matter and asks the guy if he wants to be made well, tells him get up and the man does! He just does what he is told to do! Let me say that again. The man does what Jesus tells him to do!            He was healed. Later, as the story unfolds, we find something interesting in verse 14. The man encounters Jesus in the temple. The identity of Jesus is made known to the man and this is what happens:

14 A little later Jesus found him in the Temple and said, “You look wonderful! You’re well! Don’t return to a sinning life or something worse might happen.” (The Message)

Whoa! That’s pretty heavy! Interesting, huh? Here are some of my questions this passage has evoked over the years, as well as other questions I get from quite a few people. Maybe they echo some of yours.

1. Why did Jesus only talk to the one man?
2. The story also says later on that the man didn’t even know it was Jesus!
3. Practically speaking, this man had been an invalid for 38 years...38 years would cause his legs to be atrophied, bones fragile, etc. And he didn’t question this guy who says “Get up”?
4. Does verse 14 mean that our sin issues can contribute to our diseases?
5. Does God make us sick as punishment for our sins?
6. The invalid must have BELIEVED the man who told him to get up off his mat.

I always say I get 3 kinds of people in the counseling room:

1. The ‘Yes’ People- when asked the same question Jesus asked the man, they answer a wholehearted YES! I want healing and BELIEVE Jesus can do it.
2. The ‘I Don’t Know’ People- they are usually silent for a minute or so. Having to weigh their answer of what the cost will be, what the responsibility will be, how hard is it going to be and the exhaustive list goes on and on.
3. The ‘I Don’t Deserve It’ People- they step into the role of God and judge themselves, using their veto power to reject the work that Jesus already did on the cross for them. The bible says we are healed by His stripes. Amen. This group of people doesn’t understand that verse yet.

In working with folks, including myself, I think I have part of the answer for my number one question: Why did Jesus go to the one man? I think it’s because he desperately wanted to be healed, had no excuses and was willing to GET UP! He BELIEVED he could be healed, and he wanted to be healed. Plus, he was willing to do the hard work of walking out that healing without excuse. What is Jesus telling you to do regarding your brokenness??

As far as the other questions go, a big resounding ‘Yes’ to question #4. Our sin issues can perpetuate our diseases. We can be lazy about doing exercise, eating right and establishing good sleep patterns in order to help in our healing process. On the other hand, a big resounding ‘NO’ to question #5. God does not punish us with sickness. All of the punishment we deserved for our sins was put onto Jesus Christ when He died on the cross and came back from the dead on the third day so we too can have eternal life with Him when we say ‘YES’ to Jesus!  That is the good news, folks!

The big point I want to end with is this: It is absolutely, absolutely imperative that you BELIEVE Jesus can and desires to heal you. Jesus heals in many ways, three of which I have listed.

1. Instantaneously
2. In a process
3. When we see Him face to face.

I pray for the grace to accept His answer to my healing. I always want an instantaneous healing and am willing to do my part in the process of healing, but will still praise Him if it won’t be until Glory. In Scripture I find Jesus asking people all the time, “Do you Believe?” They respond ‘Yes, I believe” He then says, “Your faith has made you well”. Folks, there is something very important about BELIEVING Jesus can do it!! He can BREAK EVERY CHAIN!!! Check out this video Tasha Cobbs, Break Every Chain. Worship with it, watch the expressions of Worship in the video. Ask yourself, “Do I Believe Jesus can really BREAK EVERY CHAIN off my life?” I would encourage you to check out John 5 for yourselves. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what He wants you to understand in the passage.

Be blessed, friends

--Lois Robinson

The Holidays: Not the Cover of Better Homes and Gardens?

What are we supposed to feel and think about the holidays?

Ahhh, THE HOLIDAYS! For some it is an, “AHHH, I can’t wait until the holidays are over!” And yet others say, “AHHH, Yeah!!! I can’t wait for the holidays to be here!” Whereas others say, “I’m numb, and it really doesn’t feel like the holidays because of very significant losses that have happened.”

I admit I have experienced all of the above to some degree. But usually I find myself getting very self-focused and wanting to experience a form of utopia.  Sometimes I am literally expecting that picture on the front of the magazine where all the family is gathered in the beautifully decorated BIG home, fireplace aglow, and all smiles with little appetizers in their hands, laughing. The table would be set with more silverware than I would know what to do with, the huge delectable turkey in the middle of the table and everyone holding hands, thanking God for His blessings. Dinner would be wonderful! No uncomfortable silences, everyone engaged with each other, not a cross word would be exchanged. We would all connect in meaningful ways. Then the coffee and MANY pies would be served. More laughing would occur as we moved into the huge living room with the fireplace (can’t leave that out!) as we began to play games as a family. Fully knowing each other, connecting and engaging. AHHH, the holidays!! Oh, and we can’t leave out the six inches of snow that spontaneously began to fall as well!!!

FUN WOULD BE HAD BY ALL!                          

Well, I can honestly say, I have never really experienced that scenario with my family. What I have experienced is some of the above...the fireplace all aglow, some laughing, many awkward silences, forced conversation with some, ministering to some, holding my tongue with others, and at times tactfully rebuking inappropriate behaviors demonstrated by the Christians in our family. I believe my family represents a microcosm of the world.

VERY, VERY MESSY AND UNCOMFORTABLE

Why is this?? Aren’t the holidays supposed to be celebratory? Hmmm...yes! But we must remember what we are celebrating!

Is Thanksgiving a time when we engorge ourselves, say thank you out loud for everything we have but make sure you keep it short so the food doesn’t get cold? Laughing and getting a buzz...  kick back because “darn it...we deserve a break from all the stress!” Christmas has it’s own scene going on, and unfortunately it doesn’t involve the manger scene...that gets squeezed in where it can fit. It has become a HUGE event that the advertisers enjoy showing more and more commercials of what we need, what to buy so we can be cool of course, and where to get it. Pipe in the Christmas scents through the store ventilation, play the music and put up the Santa so people will help us make more money for the stores revenue! YEAH!

Friends, is that what the holidays are really about?  NO!

Thanksgiving is a time that we celebrate what we are thankful for. In the Christian faith, we are primarily thanking God for who He is, what He has done through Jesus and how He has provided for us. It’s not about us.

Christmas is about us celebrating Jesus. Yes...Jesus. He came to save us from our brokenness, our broken families and our broken lives. Even our broken hearts when our idealistic holiday picture didn’t happen the way we imagined. He came for the picture I described my family to be.

I wonder what your experiences are with the holidays, where you are in your life. What you are looking forward to, what you are dreading, or the fact that you may just want to wake up when it’s all over. I don’t know where you are, but I know where I want to be. I want to keep focused on the One the holidays exist for. I want to be a part of the holiday where I can be used by the Savior Himself to bring about change in a broken world, a broken family, my own broken life. I know the Bible says in John 12:32 Jesus said,”And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

I would encourage all of us to be focused on this verse during the holiday season. I do believe that when we live that verse out, we will actually get closer to the picture I dream about. Hmm, new thought...maybe that desire I have is actually from God...when we get to the Great Banquet in Heaven:) A promise for all those that have placed faith in the One we celebrate, Jesus Christ.

Blessings My Friends,

--Lois Robinson

Boundaries

Growing up, I was never taught what healthy boundaries were, therefore I experienced a lot of pain, hurt and abuse. In order to learn what healthy boundaries were and how to set them, I sought out a Christian counselor and attended weekly sessions for several years.

Now, being a Biblical Counselor myself, I see many people in my office each week who grew up like me in regard to boundaries. They never learned what they are nor did they learn how to set them, so their lives tend to be full of frustration. They're either overworked or underworked, depending upon if they are a doer or a taker.

In this video, Dr. Henry Cloud does an excellent job explaining what a boundary actually is and why they are so incredibly important in our lives. Grab a pen, pencil or crayon and a piece of paper. His explanation and drawing makes it very clear. Enjoy!

--Lois Robinson

Charmin Toilet Paper, Children and Youth

I was considering what to write about this time around, and my blog happens to fall right smack dab on the week many children will be returning to school. Whether it’s public, private, charter or home school, kids are heading back for another year of learning. It has been interesting; this week there have been a whole host of cancellations due to back to school things, appointments having to change to accommodate new bus schedules. I called to make a doctor’s appointment, and the receptionist said that they have had many cancellations and no shows this week as well. Sometimes the franticness of back to school can be overwhelming. For some, it is an utter relief to get back into a schedule again. I leaned toward writing on what I call “The Schedule Monster”, but that can wait for another time.

I chose this: challenging parents to dive into the culture of our children and youth in order to be a soft place to land from the world. I actually Googled Charmin, and this is the advertisement for it:

Charmin Ultra Soft Mega Roll is the same great softness you love, but just more of it! ... Charmin Ultra Soft is our softest toilet paper ever, so it is harder than ever to resist! ... See for yourself why Charmin Ultra Soft Mega Roll is a great long-lasting choice for you and your family.

The softness you love and harder than ever to resist! The great long-lasting choice for you and your family!! Wow, if only we would be willing to dive into the current culture of our children and youth and get educated and learn about what they face, at very young ages, on a daily or weekly basis- not only in the public schools, but everywhere. Unless the child never leaves the home, has no friends, or any way of communicating with the outside world, he or she will be influenced by the world in some way. Please note, the goal would definitely not be moving toward the above protection methods to insulate your child from the world either. Thought I had better add that!

I meet many parents on a weekly basis in my office who are not aware of what their children or youth are involved in. Electronics are not monitored, protected with parental controls nor boundaries set up for their usage. Another example: years ago, I had a six year old little boy who came into my office looking very sad and a bit nervous. He told me he needed to talk to me about something but was afraid to. I told him he could tell me anything and I would do my best to help him in the ways I was able. He proceeded to tell me that the kids in his Kindergarten class wanted him to have sex with a girl in his class. That’s right, he said have sex with a little girl in his class. He then said he didn’t know what that meant, and his parents told him he wasn’t allowed to talk about it. He was crying by now. I calmly explained in age appropriate ways, what sex meant and that he was not going to do that with the little girl in his class. He was relieved. Our meeting time ended, and I informed his parents what our talk was about. Due to their own issues, they weren’t willing to walk him through it and withdrew him from our sessions. I have always wondered whatever happened to him.

Our children and youth need us. They need us to be that soft place to land. They need us to communicate daily with them. They need us to teach them and model for them, how to make good choices in life. They need us to love them by actually showing them we want to be educated and learn about their culture.

WE need to be their soft place to land at home. WE need to be the ones that ask them to teach US about THEIR worlds. WE need to become students of their culture. If we don’t learn about it, we will walk in ignorance and discipline through ignorance. We must seek to understand first before making harsh judgments and hiding behind Christian-ese talk. Our religiosity can begin to stink and push desperate kids away from Jesus, all because we insist it must look and act a certain way- your way.

Please parents, caregivers, anyone who pours into children and youth: it is our job to teach our kids what is Truth so when they do hear lies, they can tell the difference. We must be the ones who mold and shape them so when they have the blunt offered to them they will reject it. When they are invited to perform sexual favors in the school bathroom, they will say no. When they are sent a porn pic, they will tell you. Communication is HUGE. Humility is huge. Treat your kids with respect. Know them. Really know them. Please don’t write them off and wait for them to become 25, when it’s easier. Jesus doesn’t write anybody off and neither should we. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope it encouraged you if you already have become the educated, soft place to land or challenged you to become that soft place.

There are plenty of resources available. Here are just a few to get you started:

• Talking to Your Kids About Sex- Dr. Mark Laaser
• Unglued and Tattooed - Sara Trollinger
• Five Love Languages of Teenagers- Gary Chapman
• Five Love Languages of Children- Gary Chapman
• Group magazine Youth Ministry- Rick Lawrence youthministry.com
• Duffy Robbins CPYU.org
• Josh McDowell josh.org

--Lois Robinson

Chinese Buffet Foodie

I love buffets! The way I see it is this: why should I pay the same price for one dinner when I could get a whole bunch of different kinds of food for the same amount? People who know me well are very aware of my love for Chinese food! Man, I love some Chinese food!! Double exclamation marks, did you notice that? If so, you are very observant.  Now, less I digress.  I am always getting Chinese food buffet recommendations from folks. My best friend Jessica and I would load up in the car, head over to Glassboro, NJ and eat at Peking Buffet. They have some good food in that place. Great sushi bar, a chef that cooks whatever food creation you give him on the grill. My usual would be some lo mien noodles, broccoli, water chestnuts, chives, chicken, beef and some shrimp, pineapple wedges, a few green peppers, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, soy sauce, ginger sauce, teriyaki sauce, a dab of fresh garlic and a few hots. I would hand the little white plate with the mound of delicacies on top and say thank you. Then it would be time to toddle around the buffet while I waited. Just thinking about it made, and IS, making my mouth water, even as I am writing this blog! LOL. Soon, I would see him using both of his cleavers to lift the sizzling hot food onto my little white plate and place it on the counter. Time for me to grab that plate and eat!

Two days ago, I was sitting in my recliner chair on my day off.  It was lunchtime, so the thoughts of what I was going to eat was going through my brain. Now, I must tell you, my best friend Jessica is an amazing cook. She loves to experiment with food, introduce me to new foods and make things without any recipe at all, and they usually come out wonderful. I think in the 25 years I’ve known her, maybe a couple things were inedible. Me, on the other hand, not so much! I am not creative with food. I don’t enjoy cooking or going to the grocery store with meals for the week in mind. It seems that my giftings are not in that department! I tend to lean towards making something and eating it for several days until it is gone. That may sound weird, but it is the truth! I love to be creative in the counseling room, on the keyboard and in the yard building things. I get very excited in those areas. My brain fires away!

The point of this blog is not about my love for Chinese food, nor Jessica’s cooking creativity versus my lack thereof. What happened in that recliner chair was this: as I thought about lunch, literally, the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart that I tend to do the same thing with the Word of God, which is the Bible. It may sound odd, but there are many references in the Bible about “eating” the Word of God. Just as we need to “eat” physical food and “drink” water to remain healthy, we also need to “eat” by reading the Word of God each day and “drink” the life that comes from it through Jesus Christ. Here are some actual verses I found that talk about “eating the Word of God”:

• “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).
• Our souls are designed to be nourished by God’s “precious and very great promises” (2 Peter 1:4). This is why Jesus called himself the bread of life (John 6:35).
• The past grace of his death and resurrection guarantee a never-ending stream of hope-giving future grace for us extending into eternity. To eat these promises is to eat this living bread and live forever (John 6:51).
• And Jesus has made the Bible the storehouse of nourishing, living soul food for his saints. It is stocked full of promises, and he invites us to come eat our fill for free (Isaiah 55:1)!

In much the same way that I make something then eat it for days, I have followed some commands of God, such as this one:

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

I have done that with a bunch of Scriptures by reading them in the Bible and memorizing them. After memorizing them, I have to command my soul to BELIEVE them. Scriptures that pertain to fear, power, love, trusting God, strength. So when I am faced with a circumstance, a battle, whatever the case may be, when I desperately need God to show up, the Scripture flies right up into my brain automatically so I can lean into God, my good Father, to help me. I am not then facing the issue myself, His Word comes to defend me so I also don’t take matters into my own hands and sin against Him by doing or saying a wrong thing.

But, I have a tenancy to be “living off of the same food” for days, weeks and years! In other words, I have been lazy in memorizing more Scripture to add new food to my diet! I am going to take God’s correction from the Holy Spirit and begin to expand my Spiritual diet, new foods in the form of Scripture to be hidden in my heart that I might not sin against Him.

I would like to encourage any of you reading this blog, if you are interested, check out those verses I have included above. Examine your own patterns of hiding His Word in your own heart. What’s the last verse you memorized? 

Blessings Friends!

--Lois Robinson

Diagnosis Code 911: BUSZERKITI

Description- A tendency to stay very BUSY that can lead to a disorder called
GOING BERSERK.

I was driving to work one morning this week, stopped at a red light and thought, ”Hmmm, busy and berserk sound similar. That’s interesting!” That is how my brain tends to work. Think I will write a blog about that.

So, I get to the office. I then reflect on statements that I hear from the majority of the many people I chat with....

“It’s been such a BUSY week”
“Our kids are so BUSY”
“We are too BUSY to go to TFL classes”
“We were too BUSY to get to worship this week”
“We are too BUSY to pray together”
“I am too BUSY to spend time with God”
“I’m too BUSY to come to counseling”
“We are too BUSY to invest in our marriage”
“I am so BUSY at work”
“I have to stay BUSY because I can’t stand down time”
“BUSY is my middle name!”
“There is not enough time in the day because I am soooo BUSY”
“I am too BUSY to eat right”

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!!!

My friends:) These are the statements that people truly believe but the truth is:

B- BEING

U- UNDER

S-  SATAN’S

Y-  YOKE

Often BUSYNESS is a tool of the enemy that pulls us away from our Savior and feeds the false gospel of saving ourselves.

There is no way any of us can hear God’s still small voice in BUSYNESS.

I used to buy into the American cultural belief system that staying BUSY meant that you were an active, contributing member of society that would be a successful, prestigious person who would have a great big house and blinged out car, get married and have a bunch of kids. That was success!  That was fulfilling the American Dream, right? I went BERSERK!! I really did. I began to feel empty, working many jobs at one point in my life to pay bills, and seek relationships as medication. The next chapter: I entered COUNSELING!!! I began to seriously seek God’s plan for my life. At this point, I live in a wonderful little house, drive a car that works, I am not married and have no children. I love my life!!! Because it is the life God has called me to. I would have been miserable if I continued to strive and pursue what my then friends, family and work said I was supposed to be and look like.

This is a lie my friends. It leads to a lifestyle that felt like I was going BERSERK! Have you ever felt that way, or was it just me??

I would encourage you to not let the “calendar monster,” as I call it, fill up with BUSYNESS. Set those boundaries. Say ‘Yes’ to life-giving things that lead you to Jesus and ‘No’ to those things He is NOT calling you to- even taking roles in the church ministries!

He has made you special, unique and one-of-a-kind. You have a unique design on your life and a purpose to live out. It is your responsibility to protect those gifts and talents that He has given you :)

Learning to say Yes and learning to say No prevents BUSZERKITIS. It is a painful disorder and I encourage you to take steps to avoid it!

“NO” Is Not A Four Letter Word!

Back in the day when I was growing up, I was taught that I shouldn’t say curse words, or “4 letter words” as we called them. I won’t elaborate or be more specific with those! Interestingly though, I was also taught I couldn’t say ‘no’ to things that hurt me either. The word ‘yes’ was very acceptable, the good Christian thing to say, but the word ‘no’ was out of bounds! That set me up very nicely for major boundary problems that in turn brought lots and lots of problems for me in relationships for many years.

I consider my own counseling journey to be one that cost thousands of dollars to learn how to say ‘no’ - a difficult yet rewarding journey. The rewards far out-weighed the difficulties.

But, you may be asking, “Are boundaries biblical?” “Aren’t we supposed to lay down our lives in order for Christ to rise up in us and say ‘yes’ to everyone in need?” “Lois, where is the true Gospel message in boundaries?”

Well, great questions, and I am so glad you asked! Here we go!

God is a good, loving, perfect, holy parent that loves His children so much that He wrote a whole book of boundaries! It’s called the Bible!

The very first set of boundaries that I read about in the Bible is in Genesis, where God tells Adam and Eve ‘yes’ to all of the trees but ‘no’ to a certain one. He spelled out a set of limitations, or boundaries, out of love for them. Just like when we tell children, “You can play in the backyard, but don’t go into the street,” out of love for them. Good parenting involves setting up healthy boundaries for children to learn to live and in order to protect them. Parents, can you imagine allowing your children to do WHATEVER they wanted to do, WHENEVER and WHEREVER! SMH (shaking my head in Facebook world:) )

God tells us all about the boundary lines He has set up for us out of love so we do not play in the street and have horrible consequences. Unfortunately, most of us really don’t think He means it, so we do the things He tells us not to do. We suffer consequences when we violate His boundaries, then we have the audacity to blame Him, just like Adam and Eve did. We then expect Him to say, maybe like our parents or others have, “It’s OK, I know you didn’t mean it.” Did God say that to Adam and Eve? No, He didn’t, and I am thankful for that! He said “Get out of the garden.” God cannot contradict His word which says “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’”.

I am not sure how many of you reading this blog struggle with saying ‘NO’ or even realized that God was the author of boundaries, not Henry Cloud and John Townsend. They are wonderfully gifted men, and I love their books!! They are a must for your bookshelf, by the way. But God is the original author. Henry and John got their insights for the material from the Spirit of God!

My hope would be that this little bite would drive you into the scriptures to see what God does say about this topic, Boundaries and your life! How He sent His Son Jesus to redeem all of the sin that results in pain of living so long without boundaries. Because of Jesus, God allowed my eyes to be opened to the principle of “let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’”. Before that I said yes to everything and allowed the bad to come in and nearly kill me.

Check it out!!

The Art of Hearing

Here is how it unfolded today:

•       I am kindly reminded I have a blog due for LFA tomorrow.
•      A great recommendation from my best friend comes my way: How about you do it on “The Art of Hearing,” and I respond, “YES! That’s great!”
•       I then begin to think about that word HEARING, as I usually do when it’s blog time. Trying to see a neat acronym or some such thing that will draw the reader in!
•       Well, the coolest thing hit me: HEARING, in the verbal form, is accomplished through the EAR! The word is embedded into the middle of the word HEARING! Isn’t that interesting? Somebody do a word study and let me know if there’s any significance to that.

Anyhow, onto the blog for the week:) “The Art of Hearing”

I am going to do my best to practice the art of communicating well. And boy did it take practice.  The other piece is the Art of Hearing, the one that this blog will be focused on today.

I find that one of the biggest mistakes we make when it comes to hearing someone else, is the practice of conjuring up a whole litany of defense statements/excuses to come back at the person talking to us in order to get the victory in the “courtroom,” especially in conflict situations. Most of us do not like to be criticized due to the fact that we think we rarely do anything wrong! Therefore, it would not be our fault, which would avoid having to say, “I’m sorry for these things”, plus it requires the offender to take responsibility for their actions. It doesn’t stop there for people who follow Jesus. Also included in the Confession (I’m sorry for...) is repentance, which means turning away from that very thing that hurt the other person. It is a beautiful process of reconciliation that God has created for us to walk through when hurts arise. But, none of this can occur without learning how to really, I mean REALLY, listen to the other person.

A way to gauge how well you listen to someone else is to try this exercise. It’s called “Parrot Talk”. Here is how the exercise goes:

1. There will be the speaker (the one who has been offended)
2. There also is the listener (or the hearer for the sake of this blog)!
3. The speaker will follow this pattern: I feel ________________________ because you did not listen to what I was really saying about the issue I’m having with my boss (a feeling word is one word, ie- happy, sad, angry, etc).
4. The listener will then follow this pattern: I hear you saying that you feel __________________because I did not listen to what you were really saying about the issue you are having with your boss. Is that right?
5. The speaker can then say, “Yes. That is what I am saying.”
6. Sometimes, most times for that matter, I have worked with couples that it doesn’t go this smoothly. Most people, unless they have intentionally worked on the art of hearing, do not hear others well. Listen for people’s feeling. Listen to what they are saying to you, instead of creating immature arguments so you do not look so bad. All of us want to be heard. And when you know the other person has really heard you, is mature enough to take the responsibility that belongs to them, and work on the issue together, that is one of the basic building blocks of developing relationship.

There are times when I know I am not going to be a good listener when someone asks me to talk. It is my responsibility to set a boundary by letting them know that I am very interested in what they want to talk about, but now is not a good time due to my limitations (time, tired, etc.). At the same time, it is also my responsibility to give them some options of when I would be available to discuss things. In that, I have sent the message that I care. So in this case, it would be very important that the person, other than myself, be a good listener. That way they do not leave our interaction feeling blown off, since I did communicate how important they were, as well as the content they wanted to discuss.

I would encourage you all to check out these verses that have impacted my walk with Jesus is learning the Art of Hearing.

James 1:19 ESV “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;”

 Proverbs 12:15 ESV “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”

 Proverbs 18:13 ESV “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.”

Proverbs 19:27 ESV “Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.”

 Proverbs 5:1-23 ESV “My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; ...”

Proverbs 18:2 ESV “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.”

Be blessed friends and thanks for reading! 

God Loves Joan

Today I had a life-changing experience. I was sitting in the waiting room, waiting for my 9:15am pain management doctor appointment. Sitting all around me were people that have developed painful disorders such as myself. Others have experienced traumatic accidents that have changed their lives, possibly forever. And others unfortunately are not there for health reasons but to get their next drug fix. That is the reality of Pain Management offices.

As I sat there waiting, a woman came in. She was very disfigured, hunched over at about 4 1/2 feet tall, with eyes pointing outward and not straight as to see well. Her hands were very gnarled. Her frame was emaciated, with legs the size of my arms. Her nails were longer and filled with dirt underneath. She was dressed in a nice pink and gray hoodie with a matching pink hair tie. She writhed in pain as she sat down across from me about 10 feet away. You could see the shame she carried with her. People were staring. You could almost here them thinking, “Who is that?” or even, “What is that?”

Watching her from across the room, I began to pray for her. She was carrying a heavy load, several bags and her purse. It was obvious the weight of the bags were increasing her pain levels, but I did not feel led by the Holy Spirit to move toward her. I thought I needed to instruct her about the bags she was carrying in order to decrease her pain. But what gave me the right to invade her world and immediately think I have to teach her something because I know and she doesn’t? Who am I to jump to that conclusion? As I prayed from a distance, God began to let me know ‘who I was called to be’ in this unique situation. The words from the Bible kept going through my mind ‘the least of these,’ ‘the least of these.’ 

Yesterday, Pastor Erik Howard preached a message at Christ Community Church about God’s command for all Christians, those who have placed faith in Jesus, to Go. His points were:

1. Lost people matter to God.

2. We are called to go.

3. We experience Beauty disguised as brokenness, as we go, through demonstration and proclamation.

It’s not just a command for those who are in Christian leadership roles, pastors, teachers, etc. It’s for everyone who follows Jesus. The message resounded in my ears as I sat there: Go, Go, Go to the least of these.

Matthew 25:40 (ESV)

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

I asked God, “Am I to approach her? Be Jesus to her, in the best way I know how?” The answer came after praying silently for about 10 minutes. Right here in front of everyone? The Holy Spirit said a resounding YES. GO TO HER. And I went. I sat down and touched her. I then introduced myself as Lois and asked what her name was. She attempted to look over with a painful glance as her neck was in a rigid horizontal position from her body. She smiled and was able to get the word “Joan” out of her mouth. She proceeded to writhe in pain as her neck would arch backward and her back would throw the rest of her body forward. She would slump way down in her chair to get it under control when the spasms would stop.

It was painful for me to watch. I couldn’t help her with that area, but I followed the Holy Spirit’s lead on how He had called me to help her, Joan. She had a name. She was created by God and has a purpose, even in her pain and disfigurement. As I sat there, she then said, “People won’t talk to me. People don’t like me because of what I look like.” Everything came to a halt inside of me. She shared a part of her everyday life experience and what she deals with. What a place of such hurt and rejection. That hit me deeply when she said that. She continued to try and get words out. She was desperate for someone, SOMEONE TO SEE HER, SOMEONE TO SHOW HER LOVE, even if it was only going to be for a matter of minutes on November 28, 2016.

I began to talk with her and ask her about herself. She then asked me, in her broken speech pattern, if I was ready for Christmas. I said I am always ready because it is all about Jesus, and I love celebrating Him. She agreed. She shared with me the diseases she has. She asked what I had, so I shared it with her. As she talked, I was hoping to learn about her situation to see if there was any way our church body, Living Faith Alliance, could support her. I was also hoping her talking with me would be a respite from her pain, even for only a few minutes.

I commented on her nice sweatshirt and matching hair tie. She got a huge smile on her face. She then said her grandmother was a designer and her mother owned a dress shop. I also learned of her own daughter’s drinking problems and that she is now in a halfway house. She has six grandchildren, four boys and two girls, ages 4-13. At that moment, it was like a blanket of shame came over her. She said, “You’re so nice. I’m sorry to dump all this on you.” I was taken back. I assured her that she was actually a blessing to Me, that I really wanted to hear her story and appreciated her telling me. She then continued the difficult action of talking.

She told me she is an agoraphobic, which is: an anxiety disorder characterized by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives the environment to be unsafe with no easy way to get away. These situations can include open spaces, public transit, shopping malls, or simply being outside the home.

So, the drive from Rio Grande is “murder for her” she said. But she is challenging herself to go to the doctor and Walmart. She also sees a counselor in Rio Grande but lives with an abusive ex-husband and is convinced they need each other. She assured me he doesn’t lay hands on her, but she has lived in the homeless shelter and they are there for her whenever she wants to leave the abuse that occurs where she lives.

I spoke into her life that God loves her and has purposes for her as well. I then asked her if I could pray for her. She held my hand tightly. I held hers tightly as well. I prayed and then she was able to get her eyes to come my way and said, “I want to pray for you.” As she tried to start, she couldn’t get the words out, so we met eyes and said Amen. A minute later, the doctor called her name. It was a powerful experience. I can honestly say that all I was dealing with physically became second. I wanted to make sure Joan got the help she needed. Praise God for her.

Joan may not know it, but God did something in me because of her.

It is vital to learn to hear the Holy Spirit’s prompting. If I moved on my own whim or desire to “help” out somebody with an obvious need, that could have been a traumatic experience for her. As she said, she’s an agoraphobic, terrified to leave her home, which is a result of trauma. So to have a person she doesn’t know come and sit by her and start talking could have driven her back to her trauma. The Spirit prompted and I went. Walk according to the Spirit. The result was beautiful. As Pastor Erik said, “We experience Beauty disguised as brokenness, as we GO.” 

Blessings, Friends!