Wrapped Up in Buried Treasure

Kolleen Lucariello is funny and witty, but also uncommonly wise, in this Christian Life UPGRADE, she encourages us to be aware of the need to store up "treasures" to help us in the tough times.

"I was wrapped up in many ways," Kolleen says, "as I sat on the porch that morning: a warm bathrobe, a heavy blanket, and my worries that had become the focus of my conversation with Jesus.

"That is, until I found myself wrapped up in distraction from the activity of a squirrel."

I (Dawn) laughed hard as I pictured Kolleen's squirrel story. I hope you will enjoy—and learn from it—too!

Kolleen continues . . .

I sat perfectly still as I watched my little squirrel friend.

When he arrived on the scene, his cheeks were bulging and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d from one side to the other as he maneuvered over the grass.  

What is he looking for? I wondered.

Suddenly, little squirrel stopped and put front paws in action; dig, dig and dig some more until all I could see was its middle section down to the tail. Once satisfied, the squirrel sat upright and spit the nut from its cheeks into its front paws, gave it one last glance and plopped the nut into the hole.

Then, with great precision, the squirrel pulled the dirt over the nut and commenced leveling and arranging the grass. A little pat here and a little pat there until satisfied and then, little squirrel scampered away.

Amazed by what I’d witnessed, I wondered if I’d be able to find the location of the nut. I was stunned to discover I could not see—with or without my glasses—any evidence of where the squirrel had just been!

Two days later, I watched the same course of action take place in another area of the yard. The squirrel was preparing for winter.

But, how does a squirrel remember where it buried its treasure?

I thought to myself. If I can’t see it, how will the squirrel find it under feet of snow?

I did my own digging on the topic and discovered that, not only do they have great memories, squirrels also hide a food supply in several locations in the event they might forget or they are consumed by another.

My daughter-in-law shared a Snapple cap of “RealFacts” with me that said, “Squirrels lose more than half the nuts they hide.”

Mesmerized, I experienced an upgrade in my life as I watched the little critter bury its treasure in the yard that day.

1. The Importance of Reinforcing PREPARATION.

Just as that squirrel was preparing for winter, I was reminded of how we can prepare for the seasons of life that feel most like winter by burying the treasure of the Word of God within us.

“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11, NLT).

When the Word is within us, it provides the warmth of hope when we feel frozen by fear or tossed by the storms of this life.

2. The Reality of EVIDENCE When Our Memory Fades.

My failure to find the exact location of where the squirrel’s treasure was buried did not erase its existence. It simply meant that I couldn’t see it; but, the squirrel knew.

It can be tempting to assume God is nowhere to be found when we feel buried beneath the heavy weight of circumstances. Life certainly has the ability to resemble winter’s harsh and bitter season.

However, I am reminded—often—that my inability to see God does not erase His existence. When I’ve buried the Word deep within, the Holy Spirit is able to bring to my memory and remind me of who He is—so it becomes easier to find where He is.

“But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you” (John 14:26 AMP).

We must never be fooled when our memory fails us or our treasure becomes consumed by another, such as with time and circumstance. the treasure is still there. He’s always there. 

3. The Need for MULTIPLE TREASURE RESOURCES.

In the same way the squirrel had buried multiple sources of supplies, we can do the same.

We can set up a system of support for the moments when we simply can’t draw from our memory bank the Word treasures we’ve hidden; or for—as the enemy likes to do—times when what has been planted is stolen (Mark 4:1-8).

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed” (Ecclesiastes 4:9, NLT).

During the storms of winter, when it can be tempting to isolate, there is treasure to be found in community.

God is your main Source, but where, or who, are the other sources in your life to offer life-sustaining spiritual nourishment when you most need it?

So on those dark days, ask yourself: what’s my treasure and where have I buried it?

Kolleen Lucariello, #TheABCGirl, is the author of #beYOU: Change Your Identity One Letter at a Time and is the Co-Director of Activ8Her, Inc. She is passionate to every woman realize her identity in Christ and live accordingly. Kolleen and her hubby, Pat, make their home in Central New York. She’s the mom of three grown children and Mimi to six incredible grands. For more information about Kolleen, visit www.speakkolleen.com

Graphic adapted courtesy of Alexa at Pixabay.

The Last Hour

Kolleen Lucariello is one of my friends who always sees a spiritual application in the simplest of life's situations. In this Spiritual Life UPGRADE, she reminds us of a Bible story about "watchfulness," and how it might encourage us to be more alert to opportunities to help others.

“How’d you like the ending, hun?”—my husband teased as I awoke from my slumber.

"I’d done it again," Kolleen says. "I'd waited weeks to see who would win the finale of our favorite voice competition, only to sleep through the final hour."

HA! I (Dawn) have done that too! So frustrating! But Kolleen couldn't just leave it there, and I'm glad she didn't.

Kolleen continues . . .

Sleep—necessary for the wellness of our bodies, and yet, it seems it can also carry quite a cost when missed opportunities are its aftermath.

Some a bit more significant than others. I mean, seriously, missing the finale of a television show due to a snooze on the couch won’t destroy a life. However, falling asleep on the job, might.

Sometimes, we can be robbed of sleep and then there are also occasions, unfortunately, when sleep can rob us.

My heart was hit with this thought as I read through the account of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. I saw with fresh eyes how Peter, James, and John may have felt after they realized the last hour they’d spent with Jesus—before His arrest—had been spent sleeping.

Can you imagine?

When I find myself in disbelief, my mind ruminates, so: perhaps they mulled over and over again, “My last hour with Jesus and I fell asleep.” He asked me to “Stay here and keep watch with me” and I fell asleep (Mark 14:34b). Not once or twice, but three times.

I could have watched with Him.

I could have done what He asked of me.

Instead, I fell asleep and missed the last hour I had to spend with Him.

What did Jesus ask Peter when He found him sleeping? “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?”

A question that feels like it holds the disappointment of unmet expectations.

When His heart was “overwhelmed with anguish and crushed with grief” and “It felt as though He was dying” (TPT), Jesus needed His friends to keep watch and wait with Him—the same friends that had boasted of their willingness to suffer and die alongside Him.

• Wait with Him as He wept in the Garden.
• Watch with Him in His distress and anxiety.
• Pray for the battle He was about to endure.

Now, I don’t presume to believe I would have done anything different; my flesh isn’t any stronger than Peter's, James', or John’s.

In fact, as I contemplate the events of that night in the garden, I question my own ability to remain steadfast and alert when someone needs me like Jesus needed them.

Perhaps I, like Peter, James and John, have good intentions to remain alert and watch, but instead gave into the temptation to drift off in sleep—sidetracked by my own schedule or crisis while allowing my own comfort to dictate my level of commitment.

Quite possibly, if I were to lean in and listen closely, I might hear Jesus whisper, “Could you not watch and pray for them even one hour?”

OUCH!

Quite possibly, because Jesus knew His need in the garden that night, God is asking us to be watchful of others in their own hour of need.

Watch now before the hour passes.

Remain AWAKE for:

Someone whose soul is crushed by the weight of grief?  

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:4, NLT).

Someone whose anxious thoughts are trying to overtake them?

“For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance” (Philippians 1:19 NLT).

Someone paralyzed by fear and begging God for the strength to endure the battle?

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18 NLT).

Friends, it’s time to review the last hour. Did sleep rob you of an opportunity to be present with someone in their time of need?

Remain watchful that your own exhaustion isn’t used against you as a temptation to lull you to sleep.

Remember, it’s your flesh that is weak, not your spirit.

Let your spirit lead the way!

“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16 NLT).  

Let’s produce some wonderful results.

Kolleen Lucariello, #TheABCGirl, is the author of #beYOU: Change Your Identity One Letter at a Time and is the Co-Director of Activ8Her, Inc. She is passionate to every woman realize her identity in Christ and live accordingly. Kolleen and her hubby, Pat, make their home in Central New York. She’s the mom of three grown children and Mimi to six incredible grands. For more information about Kolleen, visit www.speakkolleen.com

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Victoria Borodinova at Pixabay.

How to Champion Your Missionaries

Sally Ferguson helps people see the wonder in the simple moments of life when they are yielded to God and based in the truth of God's Word. In this Ministry UPGRADE, she gives us insight into missionaries' needs, and how we can help in practical ways.

"The young widow burst into happy shouts," Sally said.  

"Our team stared speechless as she showed us her empty jar. There was no food for her table tonight, but our bag of provisions became her sustenance."

As a missionary wife, I (Dawn) so appreciate Sally's heart for missions. I agree with her about the many ways Christians can bolster missionaries and their work for the Kingdom of God.

Sally continues . . .

I had the privilege of seeing an Elijah moment (1 Kings 17:7-16) in person. Not only did God answer her prayer for food, but He answered ours, "to be the hands and feet of Jesus."

This wasn’t my first trip to Uganda, but it was the first to see something like this—and we were in awe of what God had done.

Missionaries are often put into tough spots as they seek to balance the needs they see before them, and their own need for healthy boundaries.

How do they juggle a desire to help everyone they see, with the limited resources they manage?

Tim Stevenson* says,

"You can’t fix everything, but you can help someone. Focus on that which you can do and leave the rest."

Tim and Colleen* have certainly helped many in over thirty years of serving in Uganda, through construction, establishing schools, developing sponsorship programs, and training pastors. Their leadership is known and respected throughout the country.

Maybe you’re thinking you can’t be a missionary like Tim and Colleen? Did you know missionaries depend on folks back home to be their emotional support as well as for prayer backing?

Here are three ways we can partner with our missionaries from afar.

1. Go

Many missionaries welcome work teams to join in the work. The partnership enables a bigger return for the time investment, and, in linking arms together, lightens their load.

Visiting teams benefit from the experience of seeing the endeavor firsthand and leave more blessed because of the opportunity to serve.

Over the last twelve years, our church has sent work teams to Uganda and Alaska, and eye clinics, pastoral training, and grief counseling to Uganda. Each person returns home with a keen appreciation for the amenities we take for granted and for people who serve long-term in other cultures.

The trip enables people to take ownership in the calling of missions and puts a personal bent on what mission assignments look like.

The Holy Spriit equips us to go as God’s ambassadors (Acts 1:8).

2. Greet

When missionaries take a furlough, it is not a vacation.

The furlough usually involves extensive traveling to home base churches to stay in contact with financial and emotional support. Many times, these stops include speaking and recruiting new supporters.

It is an exhausting life and a place where you can step in to provide a reprieve.

Do you have . . .

• an extra car in the driveway?
• a spare bedroom where they can relax away from itineration?
• extra seats at your dining room table?

Missionaries need time away with their family, as well as time with your family.

Could you take them to see . . .

• a baseball game?
• a state park in your neck of the woods?
• a local wonder?

Hospitality is more than opening your home. It is opening your heart to welcome another in. Even a picnic can be the best medicine when the conversation is sweet.

Practice hospitality (Romans 12:13).

3. Give

All missionaries feel the sting of financial restrictions. They yearn to meet the needs they encounter every day and yet not have the resources to match their desire to help.

That’s where we come in.

We can give out of our excess, or we can give sacrificially, depending on our ability.

2 Corinthians 9:7 says God loves a cheerful giver, but what it doesn’t say is giving makes you cheerful.

The act of generosity is contagious and heart lifting.

Yes, a need is met, but your needs get met, too, because we’re all wired to serve. It’s like a release of endorphins that creates a party in your heart!

Ask your missionaries about their projects.

Ours have ministries to families of AIDS victims, sewing programs, shoe apprenticeships, hair dressing, and catering training, school construction, well drilling, health facilities, child sponsorships and widow visitation. Yours may have that or a myriad of other outlets.

Let your dollars and cents add up to treasures for the Kingdom.

Paul said, Your gifts are pleasing to God. (Philippians 4:18).

Most of all, missionaries, like all people, need to be reminded they are cherished for who they are, and not for how much they can burn out. 

Encourage them in sickness and health, in poverty and wealth, and in their full pursuit of God. You will be blessed by their gift of friendship and have a front row seat to many more Elijah moments!

How will you bolster your missionaries?

Sally Ferguson loves to dive into God’s Word and splash His refreshing water onto others. She speaks and writes with a look at snapshots of life in the sunshine and in the storms. Sally plans women’s retreats and she’s working on a Bible study for caregivers. She lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, New York, with her husband and her dad. Visit Sally at her website.

* Learn more about the ministry of missionaries Tim & Colleen Stevenson — https://heartofourafrica.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Antoni Shkraba at Pexels.

Practice for Our Prince

To say Morgan Farr is strong is an understatement, but add two words to that, and it just about sums up this young mom's character. She is "strong in Christ." In this Parenting UPGRADE, she applies the word "practice" to parenting, and explains how we are to "practice" to the glory of God in our families."With children," Morgan says, "being present is more important than being perfect."

As a former homeschooling mom, I (Dawn) saw that truth in action almost daily. I am grateful I had the opportunity to spend those early days of childhood development alongside my children. I can attest that what Morgan says is true.

Morgan continues . . .

I had a basketball coach tell me once, "Practice makes perfect." At the time, I believed him.

But now as an adult, I realize that the truth is what was said by football coach Vince Lombardi:

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect”.

Parenting is a lot like coaching. We are given these people, and we are responsible for helping them learn and practice the fundamentals that will make them great in their lane.

All coaches deal with struggles and setbacks with their athletes. The way that a good coach battles this is by being present with their athlete—teaching, instructing, modeling, and retraining when they get off their groove.

Parenting is no different.

The most common complaints that I hear among fellow parents is as they deal with screen time, outside play, and teaching children to be selfless.

This raises the question:

As parents, what are we helping our kids to practice?

As I share with you how my family "Practices for our Prince," I want to remind you that I am not a psychologist, pediatrician, or counselor. I am a theologically-minded mother focused on raising my children to live for Christ.

Help Your Children "Practice for Our Prince."

1. Practice with Your Tools.

The first tool anyone ever owns is their own body.

Learning to eat, walk, talk, and control yourself is an early part of doing God’s work, even if it doesn’t seem like it! Teaching children to be masters of their body is so important. They have to be taught to eat well, rest, exercise, play, sleep, and care for their bodies well.

As a young child, the focus should be purely on play, as God created them to be that way for their own development.

However, as a child ages and the call God has placed on them becomes clear, learning to discipline their body so that they can perform optimally is crucial.

For example:

• If your child wants to be a missionary in a remote village where they'll have to haul water from a well, they will have to be able to haul water!
• If your child feels God is calling them to be a first grade teacher, they'd better have the mobility to get up and down off the ground over and over again in a given day!

Helping a child to be fit and active is easier if they understand the why, and it helps if they see YOU doing it too.

In our family, we eat well, walk, jump, run, skip, hop, dance, and even lift weights, so that we can be used exactly as God wants to use us!

2. Practice Being a Good Steward.

The next topic is by far the most commonly discussed. Kids go to school, do homework, and maybe they play a sport. The rest of the time, they are on their phone or computer, or playing video games.

The dreaded "screen time debate" is fairly simple in my mind.

If you are the parent, and you have decided what the screen time limit is, when the time is up, you simply turn off the screen!

There are a LOT of apps and devices that can help you manage screen time well. (Contact me if you need some recommendations.)

The best way I have found to talk to my kids about screen time is to draw a PIE CHART of their day.

• Fill in how much time they spend, and show that time is a gift from God.
• Teach them that we want to be a good steward of the time God has given us.
• This means no more than—fill in your designated amount of screen time here—per day.

And parents, hold to this as well. Keep YOUR screen time in check so that you are helping your child practice appropriate boundaries and maintain focus.  

Here's a Hint:

Practice Being "HANDS and FEET."

In order to encourge children to limit screen time, help them cultivate their bodies, and be present in the world.

Mark 12:31 tells us to “love our neighbor”—so get out and do it! Be the hands and feet of Christ.

• Volunteer with the church nursery.
• Go paint your elderly neighbors fence.
• Arrange to help the expecting mother on your street every week when she brings in her groceries.
• Is your church hosting a VBS? Volunteer to set up and break down.

Open your eyes—and your children's eyes—to the needs around your neighborhood, church, and local community. Lead your children by example.

Show your children what it means to work hard as the hands and feet of Christ.

3. Practice What You Preach.

This is perhaps where we can have the greatest impact of all, by praying for our children without ceasing.

• Tell them you are covering them in prayer,
• Pray for them out loud and by name, and
  
• Pray for them silently as you work.

Keep a prayer journal so you can look back and see all the ways God answered prayers with both "yes" and "no" answers. Teach your children that God’s answer of “no” is just as important as His answer of “yes”.

Finally, even with excellent practice, no one can be truly perfect. Only Jesus did that.

While we may train a child in the way he or she should go, children still have free will and sometimes they choose differently than we hoped that they would.

Pray fervently for your children, help them practice as they grow, and release them well to the plan that God has for them.

Which practice will you take up this week?

Morgan Farr is a Texas-loving, succulent-cultivating, book nerd and aspiring author. Stationed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this Army wife is learning to train dogs, developing her four young children, and tackling homeschool life… while moving all over the country. Morgan believes in integrity, authenticity, and grit. Although she writes for many different publications, you can almost always find Morgan’s most recent ramblings on her blog.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Filip Urban at Unsplash.

Where's My Reward?

Susan K. Stewart is a seriously practical woman who writes books that help writers, teachers and others. I'm guessing she probably doesn't get a lot of praise; but she is a woman of excellence. In this Service and Ministry  UPGRADE, she encourages us to think about service in a fresh way.

“We know we’re called to serve,” Susan says. “but we don’t think about service as a reward. And that’s something we can cultivate.”

Hmmm.... I (Dawn) don't think I've ever truly thought about service that way.

Susan continues . . .

Anne Steele’s hymn, “Self-Consecration,” was published in 1848*. More than 150 years later, the words of the second verse are a prayer I want to not just say, but also mean.

I will resolve, with all my heart,

With all my powers, to serve the Lord;

Nor from His precepts e’er depart,

Whose service is a rich reward.

The striking part of this verse is not the resolve to serve the Lord and keep his precepts. What my heart clings to is “service is a rich REWARD.”

We know we’re called to serve. Haven’t we heard hundreds of sermons? Read dozens of books on a servant’s heart, servant leadership or service as worship?

Many espouse the idea we serve to receive a reward, whether here or in heaven.

Very few say anything about the act of serving BEING the reward.

Often we think of reward as a tangible item, like a trophy or medal.

I get a humorous picture in my mind of us standing on platforms as God directs the angels to pass out the trophies and medals.

Will there be a pizza party when the ceremony is over?

Among the many definitions of service found in Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary are such things as:

• “the serving of a master,”
• “conduct or performance that assists or benefits someone or something,” and
• “the habit or practice of serving God or the acts done with that intention.”

How do these definitions apply to receiving the reward of service?

“The serving of a master.”

I don’t think any of us would question our service is to our Master, Jesus Christ. The New Testament is full of references to serving God and others. Even Jesus said He came to serve (Mark 10:45).

So we can conclude we are called to serve. God has even given us gifts to use in service to others (I Peter 4:10).

“Conduct or performance that assists or benefits someone or something.”

Service is to assist or benefit someone else.

Again, we look to Jesus for our example. Think about His first miracle, turning water into wine (John 2:1-12). Who benefited? The bridegroom who was lauded for saving the best wine for last. It’s important to note Jesus was not credited with the good wine.

“The habit or practice of serving God or the acts done with that intention.”

Should I say this goes without saying? Our service is to God.

Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount to give in secret, to pray in secret, and fast in secret (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18). He tells us those who do so in public receive a reward from those who see them.

Is it too much of a stretch to think Jesus also wants us to serve in secret?

Paul tells servants to serve heartily as to the Lord, “knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward” (Colossians 3:23-24). Paul considered his reward to be the ability to share the gospel (I Corinthians 9:12-18).

Neither of these are what we modern believers have come to think of as rewards.

How then do we develop the reward of serving?

1. Consider our gifts.

If God gave us gifts to serve, we need to consider what those gifts are and how to use them to the benefit of others.

Some gifts, such as teaching, are more visible. Certainly a Sunday School teacher is using a gift that all can see to teach others. If that teacher has the edification of the students foremost that is the reward. Other gifts, like intercession, are quiet, unseen. The pray-er uses the gift for the benefit of others.

2. Go where there is a need.

Serving God and others doesn’t mean volunteering at church.

Caring for children or a loved one, going to work daily to earn a family income, or even picking up trash along a roadside are all silent service. This service certainly isn’t glamourous.

It is, however, a reward.

When a call for volunteers is made, don’t rush to heed the call. Sometimes home-grown activities are our call.

3. Pray.

Well, yes, we should pray before entering into service.

Pray that the reward will be the service itself.

Pray to serve as a God-pleaser, not a man-pleaser (Ephesians 6:5-6).

Pray with me to resolve to earn the rich reward of service.

What will you do receive your reward of service?

Susan K. Stewart—when she’s not tending chickens and donkeys—teaches, writes, and edits non-fiction. Susan’s passion is to inspire readers with practical, real-world solutions. Her books include Science in the Kitchen and Preschool: At What Cost? plus the award-winning Formatting e-Books for Writers. You can learn more at her website www.practicalinspirations.com.

* Steele, Anne. “Self-Consecration.” A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion. (1848).

Graphic adapted, Trophies Photo by Ariel Besagar on Unsplash.