The New Leg of Our Journey: Crystal Laine

For anyone that has read my blogs throughout the years, you may not know that my writing extends beyond this website.  I have been writing music and lyrics for over ten years now, and praying for every line to be used in some way.  For an artist, to reveal artwork is a huge risk, because we make ourselves vulnerable to the world's interpretation of it in addition to our intention behind it.   At the same time, this risk is what makes artwork so beautiful and vibrant:  every perspective brings a new light to the artwork.

Without "too much, too soon," I'll share with you that I've ventured into this new journey with you of singing and songwriting.  I specifically titled this post as "Our" instead of "My" because - without a doubt - no artist does it alone.  This is so much more than "all about me".  There are countless people that fall into the category of musician, producer, encourager, promoter, listener, and prayer partner (to name a few).  All play a pivotal role in ensuring a message reaches the ears, eyes, and hearts of people worldwide and throughout the generations to come.

In the next few months, I'll be working with some local musicians (including Phillip Gonzales) and distant musicians (including my cousin, Zack Leffew) to polish and record songs.  I need your help in these ways:

• Pray - For me, every administrative aspect of this dream's goal, people to be blessed by it, and for the people who *get* to deal with me ;)
• Write - Send me a note to encourage me, ask specific questions about the music, or to let me know of the best calorie-free chocolate recipe you can find
• Share - With your friends, family, online community, the doorman, the taxicab driver, and the neighbor's pets (to name a few)

Below I have just a couple links to my new social media sites where people can "follow" or "like".  Please pass them on, have no shame in sharing, and help me stay accountable on this journey.  I'm excited.  I'm challenged to new levels.  I think you will like taking this trip with me.  ;)

Facebook | CrystalLaineSings

Twitter | @CrystalLaine28

One final note: don't give up on dreams God has placed in your heart.  Trust Him and His timing, walk closely with Him even when you don't see fruition, and enjoy His presence every step of the way.

Soli Deo Gloria

Scripture Notes: Mark 12 (Equal Sacrifice)

“Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

Looking south on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
These gates are the gates which people would have come and left through
when they visited the iconic city of Jerusalem to bring their
offering to the Temple.
Photo taken May 2012

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.’” -Mark 12:41-44 (NLT)


Many people get frustrated with the topic of “giving” in the church.  Understandably, to a degree, as it has been manipulated at times.  Even so, something that has been manipulated is not necessarily a wrong thing.

As human beings, we delight in a sense of security — having something to do, something to hold, something to call our own.  But is this Biblical?  I know of no Scripture telling us that it is wrong to have security.  However, if our security lies in anything but the sacrifice of Jesus, we have no real security at all!  Think about it — land and homes can be destroyed, friends and family have a free will that allows them to disrespect and disown us, currency burns and melts, and retirement funds can vaporize with a computer crashing or data erasing.  In a breath, everything we “own,” everything we “have,” can disappear.

Except for the gift of salvation.

• Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross provided the home for us that will never be destroyed.
• Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross provided a family for us that will never fall apart, that stretches throughout the earth and intertwines with generations past and to come.
• Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross provided us with access to the hand of God, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and so much more.
• Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross provided an investment for us that out-spans retirement funds, trust funds, inheritance, estate, and income taxes.

Jesus provided it all for us.  Does it not make sense that we would take what little we have and invest in this plan?  The plan of salvation?  The way of the cross?

Yet, even with this justification, there is so much more to giving than just discussing material wealth.  As the widow understood, true wealth is seeded in the heart of sacrifice.  She gave what she had, though she had very little.  Jesus’ words about material wealth have so much less to do with letting go of material wealth than they have to do with having a heart of contented sacrifice.

A pastor I know coordinates hundreds of volunteers for a program that would be much less effective without their time serving.  His leadership plan includes this challenge: it’s not that you give equal time, but that you give equal sacrifice to the program.  One person may be able to give up more time a week than another, but there’s no comparison on our end.  Your sacrifice and your gift is a heart issue that is between you and God.

If you’re feeling pressured by the topic of giving, go to God.  Honestly ask Him for clarity in your own heart and mind regarding your perspective on sacrifice, and be willing to make changes in your attitude if necessary.

He has so much more to offer us, but we have to be continually willing to let go of things we hold onto so tightly so that He can replace them with even greater blessings.

Don’t be afraid of giving; instead, discover what you can give away so that you can keep receiving the abundance of what He has for you, starting with Jesus.

Judging a Book by its Cover (A Reflective Entry on Nehemiah 02)

I grew up doing musicals.  

Without sharing my life story with you, let it suffice to say that memories involving music, drama, or arts, always seem to stick with me.  One of the musicals I was in at some point in my childhood was called “O Me, O My, O Nehemiah!”.  The first thing I thought of when I heard about this Bible study was one of the predominant memories that remains of this fun little children’s musical: Nehemiah rebuilt the wall (see what I mean here if you are unfamiliar with what wall I'm talking about).

I say all of this to tell you one thing: the book of Nehemiah is so much less about the rebuilding of a wall... 

In fact, in all the peripheral research I did in personal preparation for his week’s group study, almost every resource I came to primarily talked of Nehemiah’s focus on prayer.   Prayer.  He was no engineer, after all.  He was a trusted, faithful leader that relied heavily on prayer.  For this reason, when we study Nehemiah, we may have to throw away some of our cozy childhood memories of our Biblical expertise and look at what the book really says.  We’re only in week two of this study, and still on the brief chapter one, but already we see a foundation Nehemiah builds in his life that has little to do with cutting or moving stone and a lot to do with relying on his communication with our Creator.

There are some very distinct truths that we can pull out of these 11 verses about Nehemiah, about our lives, and about prayer. 

We can pray with confidence!

As a God-follower (specifically now, a Christ-follower), we can have confidence in prayer.  Nehemiah demonstrated this confidence in that he knew the God he was praying to when he made his requests.  Nehemiah had a respect for God’s wonderfulness, he had a trust in God’s faithfulness, and he had a righteousness that taught him God was approachable.  Our attitude about prayer is often shaped by our attitude about God.  Nehemiah would have grown up learning about the attitudes toward prayer of Kings in his heritage, and one of them was Hezekiah.

Hezekiah prayed confidently to God in the same manner that we see Nehemiah doing so.  (See 2 Kings 19:14-19).  Hezekiah’s confidence was not just a boldness with the intent to flatter or manipulate God, but was to demonstrate his reliance on God’s faithfulness to keep His promises. We were reminded that prayer is not an opportunity for us to align God’s plan with our wishes, but as we seek God, our wishes are aligned to God’s plan.

Prayer brings success!

Do you see?  This is the answer to success in every area of life!  Prayer changes our heart’s desires to God’s desires.  God’s desires always match His great plan and purpose, and His purposes never fail.  Therefore, prayer always leads to success when we are seeking to have the heart of God, rather than seeking to have our own way.

God’s answers are immediate!

When we are praying for the plans and purposes of God to pan out, we can be confident that He has already answered those prayers.  Here are some examples: In 2 Kings 20, the prophet Isaiah came to tell King Hezekiah that he was going to die.  The King prayed as soon as the prophet left, and before Isaiah had passed through the courtyard of the temple (which was not very far at all-perhaps from your house to two doors down), God gave him the answer to Hezekiah’s prayer: “I’m giving you 15 more years to live.”  

Wow!  That's pretty immediate!

Consider also, Daniel and his prayer (see Daniel 10:1-14).  Daniel started praying and immediately God sent out the answer.  The angel sent to deliver the answer was held up for three weeks, though, and so Daniel kept praying.  Come to find out, Daniel’s prayers weren't just for an answer from God – they were for the delivery of that answer.  Do you get it?  When we pray, God answers immediately!  If we don’t see or know the answer immediately, we keep praying for the delivery of the answer!  God’s ready to dish out answers to prayer.  They are not as few and far between as they may seem, but we have a responsibility: act.  Pray.  Ask for what we need and then pray for a clear delivery of your answer while you praise God for what you can confidently trust that He has already done.

Prayer is valuable!

In verse 11 of Nehemiah chapter 1, we read that Nehemiah was praying with other people.   His request of God was not just to hear his prayers, but to hear the prayers of all the faithful people who have been in prayer.  Nehemiah was the spokesperson for his people at this time, but he was not the only person interceding through prayer for the Israelites and for the city of Jerusalem.  Sometimes we are in a place in life where we are a “spokesperson” – we are in the position and have the ability to speak up for that which we and others are praying.  But sometimes, we are the silent warrior, praying with other believers, expecting from our faithful God, but not necessarily writing a book about it or leading a movement for it.  Each prayer is vital.  Each prayer is valuable.  And no prayer goes unheard.

That “circumstance” in your life is your divine opportunity!

In fact, Nehemiah’s mentioning that he was a cup-bearer to the king wasn't necessarily as out-of-placed as it seems, initially.  The assignment of cup-bearer was a high honor bestowed on people that were loyal leaders and whose character had been tested.  This testing of character would have taken years, perhaps Nehemiah’s entire lifetime up to this point, but certainly before Nehemiah knew how God was going to use him.  Instead, while this verse states a fact, it also states a history: God had been putting this plan into place for a very long time!  His statement (in 444 B.C.) resembles the heart of what Mordecai spoke to Queen Esther approximately 40 years earlier (in 473 B.C.) – God has placed Nehemiah (like Esther) in the position and with the express ability to carry out a divine plan “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). 

You can take heart from this, because it is a truth that runs like a thread through the entire Bible, through the ages, and into the timeline of your life today: God has placed you in a position, and has placed in you the ability, to carry out His plan “for such a time as this”.  Your job is not a coincidence, your neighbors are not a coincidence, and your car troubles are not a coincidence.  All these things that shape our lives – the “dailies” that we have to deal with – are all part of the plan that God has in mind – and they have been that way forever!  Trusting, honoring, and following God during whatever you’re dealing with is your opportunity to jump into a divine plan and see restoration happen in your life and in the lives of those with whom you come in contact. 

Logic can be our biggest ally or our biggest enemy!

Often, we fall into “logic traps”, leading us to believe that an answer from God was really not from God at all, but was because “that’s just the way things naturally happen”.  While this latter statement is true much of the time, the reasoning behind it is not true.

When you cut your finger and ask for healing, God may use a salve to heal your finger, but the salve was not the healer.  The salve may have been the resource, and your application of the salve was perhaps the obedience required, but God is the one who did the healing, not the salve.  This is what we mean by logic traps.

Nehemiah didn't succumb to these traps, though he was certainly a wise man.  He chose to bring the details to God and let God work those details out.  His prayer was desperate and brokenhearted for the heritage of which he had only heard stories.  Even with these disjointed burdens, Nehemiah knew that God was big enough to ease his burden, in whichever way was suitable to His plan.  Like the heart of Nehemiah, let’s be mindful to thank God for each and every answer to prayer – even those we don’t physically see.  And let’s remember that while logic has its value, nothing surpasses the power or value that is held in the very being of God.

Despite a busy week and a late, exciting night of preparation the night before our group meeting, I was stoked to share these truths with the ladies!  In choosing to dive in and figure out more about exactly what we are reading, we found that while historical records intrigue and stories themselves can delight, seeking out deeper truths helps us to re-cover our perspective on this book of Nehemiah and to recapture the essence of what Nehemiah was really about: drawing closer to the heart of God. 

Questions for Reflection:

• Have you ever had an event in your life that has caused you such great sorrow that you have wept for days or weeks?  What was it?  Did you take time to seriously pray about it?
• How would you evaluate your current prayer life?  Is there something you would want to change?
• Do you view prayer as a privilege, a job, or both?
• Knowing what we know about Nehemiah’s divine placement in history (like Esther, like Jesus, like Moses), can you see how God may be taking you through places and seasons that could bring Him glory and bring you long-term goodness?  We cannot know which way the hand of God will move, but working to see our “hard times” through the eyes of eternity can give us hope in the short-term.

Oh to be a Sam Stone

Max Lucado tells this amazing story in his book God's Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours, about a man named Sam Stone. 

Sam Stone was a man who lived in Canton, Ohio, in the 1930s. He simply wanted to bless others but didn't want to get the attention that even a blog as little as mine would give him. So until AFTER he died, his generous gift records were hidden away in an attic. 

"In 2008, long after his death, a grandson opened a tattered black suitcase that had collected dust in his parents' attic. That's where he found all the letters, all dated December 1933..."

Lucado goes on to describe how little Mr. Stone had yet how much he chose to give.  

O to be a Sam Stone: to make a difference without a title or a recognition, but to simply give out of the abundance we've been blessed with by God! To be satisfied with the extraordinary concept of the ordinary.

"Ordinary man. Ordinary place. But a conduit of extraordinary grace. And in God's story, ordinary matters." 

Once again, I'm challenged by the magnitude of the ordinary, and it's great place in God's plan for revealing Himself to the world.  Let's not lose sight of this: most of life is ordinary, yes.  But, ordinary has a huge part to play in showing who God to a very desperate world.

I would highly recommend this book. It's full of amazing, inspiring truths of God choosing to be a part of our lives. I don't believe you can be disappointed by this read. You can get it at many places. Click here for one of them.

From Vision to Reality: GCWS

Five months ago I sat in a hotel breakfast lounge on the west side of the Sea of Galilee.  We were getting ready to head out to a day of exploring the beautiful land of Israel near Tiberias.  My roommate and I were just enjoying our delicious breakfast when none other but our pastor, Pastor Dan Betzer, joined us at our table.  Wow!  What an honor!  To have someone you respect so much take the time to eat breakfast with you is something not soon forgotten.

We were glad to have him join us.  Not people to be shy, we included him in our conversation and enjoyed the humor he infused into it.  Then he hinted at a project he was working on, a vision, really.  Something that had been on his heart for a while but that God was just putting the finishing pieces together for it - and they were coming together quickly.  That was all.  He didn't share anything except that God was working out something big.

Now, if you know anything about Pastor Betzer, you know that God doesn't put small dreams in his heart. You also know that when God puts dreams in his heart, he doesn't see them as dreams, he sees them as goals.  The great lesson I've learned under Pastor Betzer's leadership throughout the years has been faith.  Faith, faith, faith.  Not that you can't have doubts, but that faith does not have to be swayed by doubts.

That being said, we didn't think much more of the conversation, and we enjoyed a magnificent day of touring on our dream trip.

Fast forward to now.  Much has happened, you understand, between then and now, to make now a reality.  But this was the work God was doing in Israel: The Great Commission World Summit.  It's like a huge fundraiser, yes: the goal is to raise $50 million in one night, November 2, 2012.

But that is just the tactical end of things.  $50 million represents millions of lives impacted by the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  It is not about the money.  It's about what will happen with the money.  It's about getting Jesus into the hands of people who have not yet heard of him.  A project like this has a ripple effect that will last for generations to come.

Consider Paul's challenge regarding sharing the good news about Jesus:

"But how can they call on him [Jesus] to save them unless they believe in him?  And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?  That is why the scriptures say, 'How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!'" (Romans 10:14-15)

 You can be a part of lots of things that help spread the good news about Jesus, and I don't discount one over this one.  This is just another opportunity, and I encourage you to be a part of it, whether by coming to the event on Friday night, or by streaming it live, or by sharing it with people you know.

For information on the project, you can visit their website here.

The Great Commission World Summit from First Assembly of God on Vimeo.

Let's show the world the incredible gift of Jesus!

The Weak, the Fatherless, the Poor, and the Oppressed.... and My Response

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. (Psalm 82:3)

The Team and I in Moldova, October 2010, working with Phillip and Chrissie Cameron at Stella's Voice

Tonight, some of my friends and I discussed the account of Israel in Judges 19.  It's a tough story.  It's the sin of the movie "Taken" in Bible times.  It's vulgar, painful, brutal, and ugly.  It's a modern day horror story.  

I have read it before, but life's twists and turns have given me a totally different perspective.  A big supporter and promoter of anti-trafficking movements and causes, I read the account last night and asked God: "What did this woman do to deserve that treatment?"

The answer? Nothing.  She didn't deserve the treatment at all.  

Then why?  I want to ask God this question.  OK, I did ask God that question.  "Why did You allow her to be used and abused like that?"  

My friend Phillip Cameron feels the same way about the ugliness of trafficking.  When telling his account of a girl named Stella (read the full account here), he says "I just can’t come to terms with the callousness and systemic wickedness that permitted such an awful thing to happen to anyone..."

I don't have the answer to this "why" question whether it is regarding this unnamed concubine, a girl in Moldova named Stella, or any other people that are currently being used and abused in hell holes all around the world.  All I have is anger for the act.  All I can do is pray for protection for those who are not protected, mourn for the hurting,  and beg God, in His mercy, to shut down the evil hand that compels those acts.  

My meeting was difficult tonight, because I came away with another perspective, but my heart still hurts.  My throat was still swollen with choked-back tears as I read the story with my friends again and thought of the people I've heard first-hand stories of in Moldova, in Florida, and in Ecuador, all on the brink of death after similar encounters with this evil.  

I can be positive every day and search for good in everything, but there is no denying the fact that evil exists in this world in very real ways to people I see every day.  Don't mistake my search for joy in life with my realization that this pain is a very, very, real thing to many, and it is not fair.  

So I have a choice.  Where do I go from here?  What do I do with this burden?  Well, I tell you about it.  I make you aware of this hidden, yet common, brutality, and that there is no excuse for the behavior.  I continue supporting and promoting movements, causes, and organizations that fight trafficking (see some links below).  And I look for every opportunity I have to stand up for the weak and wounded, while trusting in the power of God to apply justice where justice is due.

And until heaven, I do what I can to see others find freedom that, truly, cannot be found except by a miracle of an All-Powerful God.  

Please, PLEASE, help fight the cause of the weak, the fatherless, the poor, and the oppressed of our generation.  

Useful Sites:

Humantrafficking.org

Kaleo Kids and Dunamis

New Hope Trust

One Way Out Ministries

Southwest Florida Human Trafficking Coalition

Stella's Voice

US Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP)

(Thanks to Pastor Phillip Gonzales for his insight on the story in Judges...)

Wisdom in the Trenches-Worry

I would say that "trenches" are places where you are on your knees and getting dirty.  Places where you've hidden yourself in a hole with the hopes of finding something or hiding from something.... or both.

So when I say "trenches", my mind's eye goes to a place where people go to get down and dirty with their requests to God; where they go to hide from the enemy's fire and find peace and resolution in the Victor's hands.

I'm huge on prayer.  I'm the person who doesn't take it lightly and will offer up whisper heart prayers if nothing else is available.  So, when someone offers to pray for me, I want to give them a specific thing to pray for.  I did this recently - I asked a couple who was praying for me to pray for a specific concern I have about my time away on a mission trip.  Their response just made me smile, knowing that it was God alone who gave them the words to say to me...

"We will definitely pray... God hasn't give you this opportunity to blindside you while you're gone, you know, so relax and enjoy your ministry experience."

This isn't to say that God doesn't have surprises up His sleeve for my good, but it is to remind me to NOT WORRY.

How much do I know worry is bad for me?  MUCH.  It's bad for you too.  I need people who are in the trenches with me to remind me to keep my head down when those thoughts come my way.  I am granted victory over them time and again, but I am certainly not immune to them.  Let's encourage each other to continually cast our cares on God, not trust in our own line of sight, keep praying in the trenches, and sing a few campfire songs while we're down there.  We want freedom, after all, and singing the good old praises invites God's Spirit to be a part of us.  And where the Spirit of the LORD is - there is freedom.

Things That Make My Heart Very Happy

Knowing God

World Missions 

That genuine laugh you get when something is so unexpectedly funny, and your laughter is not judged as appropriate or not - it is just enjoyed

Little surprise kisses

Holding a baby

A cool breeze on a warm day, and looking up to see sun bursting through a cloud or a group of trees

Sunsets and sunrises

Music

Playing with a child who - for some reason - just loves playing with you

Good, old-fashioned, quality time with a best friend

Fun outdoorsy stuff on a perfectly weathered day 

Picnics

Birthday parties

Finishing a good book

Gerber Daisies

Spontaneous phone calls from my very-far-away, very-important, very-busy brother

Travel

:)

(Not necessarily in that order...)

Missions Spotlight: The Spence's in Mongolia

I love keeping up with friends that are missionaries.  It makes my world and my heart explode. (In a good way!)

Some of my missionary friends are Jeff and Shauna Spence and their two girls, Mikayla and Ava. 

I met Jeff and Shauna in North Fort Myers about 6 years ago in an old Sunday School class.  We were studying what it meant to be an Armour Bearer for God, and they were both working at E.C.H.O. for training on how to help people learn to grow crops for food. 

They went to Mongolia several years ago to work with farmers and help them learn sustainable growth in a low-agricultural location.  Now, they are able to work with local Mongolians and share the love of Jesus with them through not just words, but through activities that can help save nations from poverty. 

Here is a picture of the Spence's.  They've had Mikayla and Ava since they've moved to Mongolia (though I believe the girls were born in the USA).

And here is a picture of their backyard- full of evidence that they know what they're talking about!

If you want to keep up with the Spence's, subscribe to their blog here.....
 

mongoliamessage.blogspot.com 

S U P P O R T    M I S S I O N S ! ! !  :)