A dear friend of mine sent me an article she wrote. As I read it I realized this is exactly my prayer for "the church". She shared with me that there were many times that she sat through prayer meetings listening to others share prayer needs, but felt that if she shared hers it would make her family the brunt of gossip. It is time that we stop "playing church" and start "being the church". She shared with me that prayer preceded every victory during their struggle and that prayer is what will preced the continued victories in their family. As we continue throughout this Christmas season let's be "the church" that Christ was born and died for.

With the permission of my sweet friend I am sharing her article with you. As you read it think if there is someone you can reach out to.

…Reflections…
Reflecting on my life over the past two years, I have seen God's grace carry me through the most difficult days of my entire life. It comforts me to know that I never lost a sense of God's presence and steady hand holding on to me. The spiritual battles in my family during the building of our church were deeply troubling, but God was also faithful. Many times my only goal was not to cry at church. Stepping into the sanctuary for our first worship service was emotional for me, as if a high price had been paid for something precious. But isn’t that how Jesus feels when He looks at us? Didn’t He pay the highest price because of His love for us?
I can say that the sorrows in my life have made the victories sweeter. When I see my sons praising God with their instruments, I am speechless with thanks to Him. The song inspired by Job 1:21 speaks my heart: "Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise, and when the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say, 'Blessed be the Name of the Lord.’ “
“Reflecting The Light”....this year’s theme for Women’s Ministry... makes me ask myself this question: If I am a mirror reflecting God's light onto others, how do they see themselves when they encounter the God in me? Do they walk away seeing themselves as a person that God values? Even broken mirrors can still reflect light if they’re clean, so I’m asking God to forgive the smudges and restore the shine I have lost in the struggle. I trust Him for even the strength to turn to Him, for He has proven Himself to be my trustworthy friend and Savior.

I was thinking about things that make me feel “safe” when talking to someone and I thought about a psychologist. When one confides in such a doctor they share intimate details about their life knowing that it will go no further than that little room. So, maybe we should keep this type on confidentiality in mind when someone comes to us with a prayer need or a hurt or temptation they are dealing with. We should just listen and then let it stay at that place. Even, if the future at some point, if that person does something to upset us or make us angry; what they told us still stays right where we left it. We do not bring it back up again to get back at them or tell someone else to make ourselves look better.

So, we ask ourselves, “Am I someone that will keep what I know in the little room?”

This is just something to consider. Let me know your thoughts on the use of our tongue and how it could affect the “safety of others”.

Blah, blah, blah....

Words… they can heal or hurt. When we talk about ways to make others feel safe, we need to consider our words. Are they positive or are they negative? Do our words lift others up or do they tear down? The best available numbers show that we use about 16,000 words per day.

Wow! 16,000 words per day? What are those words used for? Praise, adoration, gossip, self-glorification, slander, instruction, discipline, encouragement, prayer? I have always heard that God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason. What would we do if we didn’t get all our 16,000 words said in a day? Sometimes, the best thing is to hold our words.