Community in the Time of COVID-19

Morgan Farr is a strong voice for biblical truth and practical Christian living. In this Spiritual Life and Ministry UPGRADE, she reminds us of the strength found in Christian community, especially during tough times like the coronavirus pandemic.

"Social distancing and isolation can be incredibly lonely." Morgan says.

"Many people all over the country are feeling the strain of Covid-19 on their lives and relationships. But it doesn’t have to be that way!"

I (Dawn) have watched lonely neighbors struggle during the coronavirus pandemic. This isn't the time for Christians to hunker down, but rather to reach out to them. There are ways to safely minister to others—especially to the "household of faith" (Galatians 6:10).

Morgan continues . . .

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said,

“Every Christian community must realize that not only do the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak.

"The elimination of the weak is the death of fellowship.”

The good news is that we live in an age of incredible technology, allowing us to still communicate despite the separation! 

As Christians, we should still have the best community out there.

Here is how to maintain community during the Covid-19 social distancing without needing fancy online technology or computer access.   

1. Make a List.

The very first thing I did to prepare for social distancing was to make a list of all the people that I wanted to stay in contact with. This list included people from my Bible studies, moms from our homeschool co-op and distant family members.

I have:

• a list of people that I text every single morning,
• a list of people I text on Sundays, and
• a list of people that I am sending snail mail to multiple times per month.   

Who can you reach out to today?

2. Set an Alarm.

A list is great, but how do you remember to look at your list?

• I set an alarm on my iPhone labeled “Text the Love” for my daily check in,
• I set an alarm for “Love on the Lord’s Day” for the Sunday texts.
• I set an alarm that just has an emoji of a snail for naptime on Saturdays to write my letters and cards.

When the alarm goes off, I do the activity.

No pauses; no snoozing the alarms.  

3. Reach Out.

If you are feeling lonely or having a hard time, do not hesitate to reach out to people in the body of Christ.

I know the diaconate at our local church is working tirelessly to be available to the church via phone, Zoom, FaceTime and more.

Titus 2:2-8 says, 

"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

"Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

"Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.

"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

If you are in need of someone to talk to, contact your local church, and ask to be put in contact with an elder or deacon.

Let the elder men and women of the church love and instruct you. It is what God has called them to do!

Finally, in this time of social distancing, don’t distance yourself from God.

• Maintain your quiet time,
• be in the Word of God every single day,
• memorize scripture, and
• pray as much as you can.

This is a scary time for many people, but for the followers of Jesus Christ we know that this is just a part of the story, and that it is all in God’s hands!  

Who can you reach out to today? 

Morgan Farr is a Texas-loving, succulent-cultivating, book nerd. Stationed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this Army wife is working to better love her husband, develop her three (soon to be four!) small children, and learn more about homeschool. Morgan is a homemaker dedicating her time to ministering to other Army wives through Bible studies, one-on-one mentoring, and physical training. She writes about her transition out of feminism and into biblical womanhood at The Forgiven Former Feminist.

We Are Blessed to 'Decrease' and 'Increase'

As I (Dawn) thought back over the incredible blessings of 2019—blessings and gifts that God has showered into my life in spite of my Multiple Myeloma diagnosis last January—one word keeps coming to mind: "Increase."

In this Spiritual Growth UPGRADE, I want to focus on God's great gift to us, and how we might respond to that gift in the year to come. Then I want us to consider how the concept of "decrease / increase" might be a life changer for us.

I. God Gave an Incredible Blessing

Ephesians 1:3 says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."

Everything changed with the pronouncement of that blessing—"in Christ."

The scripture that repeatedly came to mind this past Christmas was 1 John 4:14—"The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world."

What amazing love. What tender mercies. What a blessing!

• We were "dead" and completely alienated from Him. (Ephesians 2:1-2).
• We deserved only wrath and eternal judgment. (Ephesians 2:3).
  
• Yet we found ourselves the recipients of astounding love. (Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:4-10)
  

How blessed we are! Jesus came from Heaven (Philippians 2:7-8a) and made a way—the only way (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Philippians 2:8b)—for us to live with Him, our exalted King, in heaven (Philippians 9-10).

God intends to bless us forever in Jesus.

God always intended to bless His creation. He told Abraham, "... blessing I will bless you" (Genesis 22:17a). From Adam and down through the Patriarchs, God explained how much He wanted to bless His people, to multipy their numbers on the earth.

But they were still sinners. They still needed a Savior. They looked forward to the day God would send the promised One (Genesis 3:15). Today, we look back to that day. The day the Father sent the Son.

II. God's Blessing Invites a Response

We ignore this great blessing to our peril.

The blessing of God at Christmas invites a heart response. That's why pastors give invitations.

Some of the saddest verses in scripture are John 1:10-11. "He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him."

Jesus came to be the Savior, but He was not received. In fact, He was rejected (Luke 4:14-30; Acts 4:11).

But one of the happiest verses in scripture is John 1:12: "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

This is the response to the blessing that God desires. The Father sent the Son to be the Savior ... and He wants us to receive and believe.

III. My Unexpected "Blessing"

Sometimes our blessings aren't immediately recognized as blessings. This was the case with my Multiple Myeloma diagnosis.

God intends to use it for great blessing. That is why I have often called my diagnosis a "gift."

The Lord has already used my disease to open my eyes to many things:

• My laziness and short-sightedness regarding Kingdom priorities.
• Materialism that distracted me from true riches in Christ.
• Selfishness with my time and talents.
• Pride regarding my accomplishments.
• An earthly focus rather than living with eternity in view.

And so much more!

So as I have thought about the great blessings in my life in 2019—even those who come in "ugly wrappings"—I am more determined than ever to seek the Lord and His will in 2020.

Here are some things the Lord is saying to me . . .

IV. He—Jesus—Must "Increase"

We focus on Baby Jesus at Christmas—but must remember that in time, Baby Jesus grew up. The Bible says He "increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52).

Incidentally, that is how the Father wants us to increase. And we will, if we become Christ-like.

When Jesus was ready to begin His public ministry, the disciples of John the Baptist saw that many of John's followers were splitting off to follow after Jesus. They questioned this sudden change. John reminded them that he was not the Christ, but had only been "sent before Him" to prepare the way.

It was natural that the public ministry of Jesus would take off as John's preparatory ministry would begin to shut down.

John told his disciples, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Then John began to point them and others to the Lord's expanding ministry.

During 2019, the Lord urged me many times to consider my future, for as long as He allows me to live. It's not to be about platform building or making my name known (not that there's anything wrong with that if God calls you to it).

The Lord clearly said to me, "You don't know how many years I'll give you, but I want you to give those years to Me.

"I want you to magnify Me and make My name known."

He has already blessed me mightily. He has redeemed me. He has shown Himself merciful and faithful, powerful and good.

And my response?  

He must increase—I must decrease.

This is a matter of attitude and position.

In a culture that pushes pride and self-promotion, "decreasing" in order to highlight Jesus' magnificence to others is no simple assignment. But that is the path of humility. That is the path Jesus walked.

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus...." (Philippians 2:5).

It's taking on the form of a servant. Just as Jesus came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45), that is the lifestyle He calls His followers to as well.

V. Yet ... I'm Blessed to "Increase" Too!

Even as I am called to DECREASE so Jesus can increase, there are some areas of my life that should INCREASE as I follow my Savior.

1. My Surrender Should Increase

"... present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1).

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20).

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it" (Mark 8:35).

2. My Love Should Increase

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30).

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11).

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves" (Romans 12:10).

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more...." (Philippians 1:9a).

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).

3. My Praise Should Increase

"Let us praise God for His glorious grace, for the free gift He gave us in His dear Son" (Ephesians 1:6).

"Praise Him—He is your God, and you have seen with your own eyes the great and astounding things that He has done for you" (Deuteronomy 10:21).

"We proclaim how great you are and tell of the wonderful things you have done" (Psalm 75:1).

4. My Ministry Should Increase

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed" (2 Corinthians 9:8).

"For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God" (2 Corinthians 9:12).

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

5. My Giving Should Increase

"You will be enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion, and your giving through us will produce thanksgiving to God" (2 Corinthians 9:11).

"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act" (Proverbs 3:27).

You can perhaps think of other areas that should INCREASE AS YOU DECREASE (in humility), and follow hard after the Lord.

Do you know how much you've been blessed? What is your response to that blessing? Could there be some fresh area of "increase" that would honor the Lord this Christmas and in 2020?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, at Revive Our Hearts, a blogger at TrueWoman.com, writes wiki-type posts at  Christianity.com, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Analogicus at Pixabay.

3 Ways to Uplift a Military Family at Christmas

Along with her love for the Lord, I've come to love Morgan Farr's practical wisdom. In this special Christmas UPLIFT, she shares three ways we can all reach out to lift up a military family near us during the holiday season.

"One of my absolute favorite Christmas songs," Morgan says, "is Bing Crosby’s 'I’ll Be Home for Christmas.' I could listen to it a thousand times and not grow tired of it."

The one line in that song that always gets me (Dawn) is "I'll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams." I remember my own daddy when he was shipped overseas with the Navy. How he dreamed of being home with us around the tree.

Morgan continues . . .

The lyrics of this song are incredibly simple and yet it strikes a chord with me every holiday season, for a special reason.

We are a military family.

Each year at the holidays, service members and their families wait to find out if they will be home for Christmas.

Between deployments, TDYs, staff duty and being in the field, it is a toss up each year as to whether or not the service member will be able to be with their family around the tree on Christmas day.

Even if the service member is at home with their family for the holidays, this home usually means being far away from their extended family like grandparents, aunts and cousins.

This can make the holiday season extremely difficult for the servicemember, the spouse and the children.

Thankfully, brothers and sisters in Christ have the incredible gift of church family and community to help bridge the gap when service members are unable to be with family during the holidays.

I want to share with you—How To Bless a Military Family during the Holiday Season.  

1. Dish the Dirt

Tell the military family where all the best holiday activities are held locally.

We had a family tell us about a neat place called Christmas Circle while we were stationed in San Diego, and it was such a blessing to us!

Oftentimes, the military family is not familiar with the area they are stationed in. Play tour guide and help them have a memorable holiday experience.

• Where should they go to get a real Christmas tree?
• Is there a local holiday festival or parade?
• Does one of the churches nearby put on an awesome Christmas pageant?
• Where are the best Christmas light displays? 

2. Wrapping Party

I had a local friend invite me to come to her house and we wrapped Christmas gifts together.

We had eggnog, listened to Christmas music and wrapped gifts for our families. It was a blast!

If you can’t get together with your military friend, offer them the use of your extra wrapping paper, especially if they just moved in.

Finding all of your essentials when you unpack is hard enough, let alone trying to find wrapping paper!

3. Family Time

Invite them to your home for a holiday meal.

It doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact, last year my friend invited my family over for pizza and Christmas cookies right after Christmas and it was wonderful!

Play board games. Play in the snow. Read through the story of Christ’s birth. Let the military family participate in normal family activities. 

Matthew 25:35 says, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

Military life is hard on the regular, boring days. It is incredibly difficult at the holidays.

Military families are often treated like strangers, and it can be incredibly lonely.

Reach out to the military families in your town. Love on them in the name of Christ.

What can YOU do to help UPLIFT a military family this holiday season?

Morgan Farr is a Texas-loving, succulent-cultivating, book nerd. Stationed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this Army wife is working to better love her husband, develop her three small children, and learn more about homeschooling. Morgan is a homemaker dedicating her time to ministering to other Army wives through Bible studies, one-on-one mentoring and physical training. She writes about her transition out of feminism and into biblical womanhood at The Forgiven Former Feminist.

Graphic adapted, Public Domain Pictures, courtesy of Pixabay.

Christmas on the Corner

In this Christmas UPGRADE, Life Coach and retreat guide, Letitia Suk, writes about a time when God had a plan for her when she visited her local CVS.

Letitia says, “Most of my God shows-up moments do not happen in church!

I (Dawn) know what Letitia means! Sometimes, I almost missed ministry opportunities because they didn't exactly look like "ministry."

Letitia continues . . .

The season of Christmas is filled with the FAMILIAR. Takes so much decision fatigue out of a usually overbooked season to know what’s coming next.

Take Christmas Carols for example. Whether we hear the tunes as the soundtrack of the mall or blasting on our car radios, we can usually sing right along—familiar.

Hard to like a new Christmas Carol, right?

This story doesn’t change either.

Everyone knows the parts, the characters, the set, what happens next, who says what, the beginning and the end. Go to a Nativity play in any part of the world and you’ll recognize the plot.

Want a fresh perspective? Get inside the story.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night (Luke 2:8).

These guys weren’t going angel hunting or trying out for a part in the Greatest Story Ever Told. They were just going to work that night. 

They kissed their wives goodbye, grabbed their midnight snack and walked to work. Probably a lot like you did today, different line of work,

• Zechariah was doing “his priestly duty.”  Why? Because he was a priest! Just like you do duties associated with your jobs.
• Joseph was sleeping.  Doesn’t get much more mundane than that!
• Mary was likely doing chores of some sort.
• The Magi were doing their astronomy because that’s what Magi did.

What are YOU doing each day? Count on it that God will bust in on your world at any time and place.

God intersects with our world exactly where we are.

Like the time I stopped into the pharmacy after work. Don’t you do that too?

On my way into the store, my eye caught a $20 bill on the ground. At first. I thought it was fake, but it was a very real $20 bill.

Right away I heard something like, “Don’t get too attached to this—it is not for you.” My interest was piqued!

The sound of crying was more obvious that the carols. A very distraught international college student who was informed the clinic closed a little early. Too late for her to be seen despite her desperate pleas. She broke down. I headed towards her and heard the story.

She was a vocalist with a performance the next day and a very sore throat. She was hoping to get to the clinic, get treatment and sing the next day. (Aren’t we all hoping for something?)

She had borrowed $20 from her roommate for the cab to get there and now, the clinic had turned her away.

She had no treatment, no $20, no ride home, and no apparent options.

I thought she had a valid point and pounded on the clinic door to plead for her. They wouldn’t reopen for me either.

I got the manager involved and he was kind and offered me 20% off any purchases. I wasn’t the one who needed help.

With no other plan, I invited her into my car and drove her home. On the way, I told her about the $20 and gave it to her.

She seemed a bit incredulous. Me too.

Feeling bold, I offered to pray for her. Maybe because she was trapped in my car, she agreed and mentioned no one had ever prayed for her before.

I have no idea what happened after that as I never saw her again, but somehow, I think she got her treatment after all.

God knows where you are at all times. Expect that He will use you in mostly familiar settings.

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places that they should live (Acts 17:26).

In those places, he will tap you on the shoulder and invite you into something bigger.

Especially this time of year, look around and listen.

You are about to step into the story.

How has God used you in a familiar place?

Letitia (Tish) Suk invites women to create an intentional life centered in Jesus. She is a blogger and author of 100 Need to Know Tips for Moms of Tweens and Teens, Getaway with God: The Everywoman’s Guide to Personal Retreat, and Rhythms of Renewal. She is a speaker, personal retreat guide and life coach in the Chicago area. Visit Letitia at her website.

Graphic adapted,

Love Your (Actual) Neighbor

Letitia Suk writes about renewal and restoration for every season of life. In this Ministry UPGRADE, she encourages women to reach out to neighbors—actual neighbors—with genuine, practical love.

"We might not know our neighbor’s political leanings, religious beliefs or child-rearing philosophies," Letitia says, "but we share a sidewalk, shop at the local markets, and send our kids to the same school around the corner. It is a good start!"

The Lord recently spoke to me (Dawn) last Christmas about reaching out to my neighbors with more than the annual Christmas treats. He drove home the true meaning of "love your neighbor" (Mark 12:30-31). I know what Letitia says is true!

Letitia continues . . .  

While it may have seemed that the market was right or the schools good or you just stumbled upon the place you’re living, each one of us has been hand-picked for this time and place. The Bible says in Acts 17:26, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places that they should live.”

That means our neighborhoods.

Six single-family homes, five two-flats and one multi-unit building comprise my corner of the world—and that’s just our side of the street. 

For sale and for rent signs go up and down, as do the moving vans on the street, especially in the spring and fall. A transient culture we have become, but yet, like relatives, we all have neighbors.

Whether your address belongs to one building, part of a larger complex, a college dorm, a rural lane, or a military unit, God has chosen others to share the turf with you.

Though you might end up only knowing a few of them well, they all are a part of your world.

• Busyness hounds all of us.
• The neighborhood community of previous generations seems part of nostalgia. 
• Most of us are scrambling just to find more time to talk to our kids, let alone our neighbors. 

A wave on the way into the car, a summer chat over a fence, or casual conversation at a condo association meeting seems all we can manage most days.

“Love your neighbor” was God's idea.

It's part of “The Great Commandment” even non-churchgoers are usually familiar with.

Do you ever wonder what He had in mind for your block?

Here are some ways to reach out that have worked in the forty years we have been on our corner:

1. Bedtime Prayers. 

I read about someone who would mentally go up and down the street—when she couldn’t sleep at night—and pray for the neighbors, even the ones she hadn’t met.  That is easy to do not just in sleepless nights but on walks around the block as well. 

Prayers for blessing, health, strong families and spiritual renewal are a very effective way to be a good neighbor.

2. Feed the hungry.

A meal for a family with a new baby, a loaf of banana bread for a new neighbor, a glass of iced tea for a mutual dog walker have all been easily offered, gratefully received. 

Having something already prepared and frozen or stored can help you be ready when a need arises, and it will.

3. Lend a hand. 

Or a shovel, couple of eggs or good recommendation for a plumber! 

Often, I start the exchange by being the borrower. Asking for gardening advice or a certain spice I forgot to buy for a recipe has opened not only many doors to me, but hearts as well.

4. Share the celebration. 

Fun can abound in a neighborhood!

• An invitation to a watermelon party to meet some new neighbors came our way last summer. 
• Another friend shows movies on the side of their garage for the locals. 
• When a lady on the block finished her graduate degree, we were all invited to celebrate with her.
• Neighbors know they are welcome in our back yard on the 4^th of July.

Most of these events did not involve elaborate food, expense, or housecleaning and were great opportunities to connect.

5. Spread the word. 

When I wanted to learn how to be a better mom, I invited other moms from the neighborhood to join me over coffee and book discussion. 

The next book we discussed was the Bible as a Biblical view of parenting emerged from the first group! A couples group came out of that one and more groups followed. 

Our kids are grown and gone now, so my hanging out on the sidewalk days are few. The mom down the street who used to push her own children around the block in an old buggy now strolls her grandchildren around. The little boy on the block now has his PhD.

Additions get built, fences added, newer cars replace older ones in front of the homes. 

In spite of the changes in the neighborhood, the command to love those in it still stands.

Much good neighboring still happens one on one. 

Often an available listening ear is the best way to love your neighbor. True stories of parents in pain, job distresses, and bad health reports have come my way. These outpourings, sometimes spontaneously offered, often lead to prayer and resulting changed lives. 

Don’t be surprised if you become the neighborhood chaplain!

How do you think God is calling you to connect with YOUR neighbors?

Letitia Suk invites women to chase the intentional life. She writes and speaks of renewal and restoration, offering platters of hope to women in each season of life. Her blend of humor, stories and grace propels audiences towards a fresh experience of God. A retreat guide and life coach in the Chicago area, she loves to walk by Lake Michigan, browse resale shops and create new family traditions. She authored 100 Need-to-Know Tips for Moms of Tweens and Teens; Getaway with God: The Everywoman’s Guide to Personal Retreat; and Rhythms of Renewal. She and her husband, Tom, are parents of four grown children. Check out her website.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Pixabay.