​Have you ever faced a mountain so big you felt as if you were trying to move it with a plastic spoon? I have described challenging times that way. Sometimes life is full of difficulties and in our own strength, it is much like the description of trying to move a huge amount of earth with a flimsy little plastic utensil.
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If you feel that way today, I want to encourage you to take a step back and realize that no amount of striving in your own strength will get it done, even if you have a bulldozer! There are times when only our faith can move the mountain standing in front of us. Jesus said it this way:

When you feel as if the mountain is crushing you, it can be difficult to pray and believe that it will be lifted up and thrown into the sea. This is the moment we choose faith over doubt or faith over fear. I am not suggesting to ignore or deny the circumstance exists, but rather that we use our faith to stand on the promises provided for us in the Bible. Faith recognizes the mountain truly exists, and presents it to God. When we do this, we trust Him and turn our striving into believing His promises are true.

Abraham is a great example of this behavior in Genesis 17:1-8. He didn’t pretend Sarah wasn’t facing a mountain of barrenness. Instead, he chose to believe the promise of God. He was ninety-nine years old when the Lord appeared to him and told him that He would be the father to countless descendants. If you are still childless at ninety-nine years old, it takes great faith to believe this promise.
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What an amazing example for us to follow. The Bible tells us Abraham never wavered in his belief that this promise would be fulfilled; in fact, we read that his faith became stronger as time passed. 

One of the keys to staying in faith instead of fear is referenced in the emphasized portion of the Scripture above: “God calls things which do not exist as though they did.” Abraham began to call himself a father long before he became a father.

This is what faith looks like. We call things the way the promises of God describes them even before we see them that way in the natural. We hope for the promises of God even before we see them with our eyes (Hebrews 11:1).
This principle also works the opposite way. When we start calling things from a negative perspective that are not as though they are, we create worry and fear. When we use our voice to declare doom and gloom or continue rehearsing the problem we are facing, the result is not faith; it is fear and worry.
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Stop and consider what you are declaring! If you feel as if a mountain is crushing you today, don’t lose hope; instead, tell your mountain about your God! 

Rhonda Barnes is an author, speaker, Christian blogger, and gifted teacher of God’s Word. Rhonda was credentialed as an Assemblies of God minister in 2002, and currently serves in a variety of ministries at Grace Community Church in Salem, Missouri. Rhonda’s first book, Road to Transformation, Journey to God’s Glory, was released in 2014. Since then, she launched the Christian teaching blog Secret Place Revelation, inspired by Psalm 91:1. In 2017, she released two additional books, Keys to the Kingdom, and It is Written. Rhonda is passionate about sharing the truths of God’s Word and enjoys writing, speaking in many settings, and teaching small groups.

​To contact Rhonda, please visit www.secretplacerevelation.com or email rhondabarnes@embarqmail.com

​How is my attitude affecting those around me?
 
This question has been rolling around in my mind the past few days. The thought process started earlier this week while watching my boys play basketball. We were in another state playing a travel team that we see only a few times a year, have a fierce rivalry with, but truly enjoy being around. They are one of those teams that you work all year to beat, but you wouldn’t mind going to Steak-n-Shake with after the game, even if you lose.
 
This time was different. The atmosphere wasn’t friendly. Fans were edgy. There was yelling and booing. The opposing players were pushing the limits of what is acceptable. Now don’t get me wrong. My boys have played competitive sports for a very long time and I fully appreciate all that comes with it. Games are loud, intense, and very physical, but this went beyond. There were no post game conversations between players or parents. 

The entire demeanor of this competition was different than the last. What had changed? Same team. Same players. Same parents. New coach. The leadership had changed. The new coach encouraged this behavior. He congratulated his players when our team was injured. He gave a thumbs up to the booing fan section. He also demeaned his own players when they didn’t perform to his expectations.
 
The previous coach had been a very intense, but godly man. He had demanded his players give 100% at all times but he valued character above all else. It trickled down throughout the entire program just as this new attitude has.
 
Do they not see the change? Do they even care how they are being perceived? How are the parents okay with the behavior of their boys and the attitude change on and off of the court? It is as if they are completely oblivious to the change.
 
The complete 180 of this team stirred something within me. It made me think! It made me examine! Have there been changes in me, my family, and my church that I am oblivious to? Has my leadership, in any way, cheered on or encouraged bad behavior? When others fall, do I give a thumb up to those under me? Does my leadership make those around me strive for greatness or does it glorify the destruction of others?
 
Our attitudes and actions are magnified in those we have influence over. We cannot control how people behave, but we can control how we influence them. If a church is arrogant, cliquey, and more concerned with whom they have rather than whom they can reach, the leadership is usually of the same mindset. On the other hand, humble leadership usually leads the giving, inviting church to reach out and bless their community.
 
I did not choose to be a pastor’s wife. None the less, it is the path laid before me, and I wouldn’t want to walk any other. I am in leadership; therefore, I must be mindful of my attitude, my words, my facial expressions (if you know me you will agree that the latter is the one, I struggle with the most!). 

​A trickling faucet left alone can cause your water bill to skyrocket. A bad attitude trickling down from ministry leadership can destroy an entire church.
 
What am I allowing to trickle from my heart into my family and my church? As a children’s pastor, I want the kids under me to be accepting. As a women’s leader, I want my ladies to be inviting and loving. As the lead pastor’s wife, I want my church to be burdened for the lost and more concerned with our community around us than with our own agendas. But most importantly, as a mom and wife, I want my family to be examples of how to truly love each other. 

​After a long day of sightseeing while driving from Jackson Hole, WY, and through Yellowstone Park, we sat in a long line of cars waiting, patiently waiting, for a large herd of bison to decide which side of the road—not the middle—they wanted to occupy! We were only about ten miles from our motel at the northeast entrance. At first it was interesting to see the bison up close and personal as they moseyed between the cars until several cows, then bulls, decided to take up residence in the middle of the road. We waited and watched.
 
It was scary to watch people get out of their vehicles and move in close to take a selfie with a bison. Bison are dangerous! They weigh 2000 to 3000 pounds and can quickly turn on you. This is an extremely dangerous time of year because they are mating—bulls do not want you interfering with their ladies! And the mammas do not want you interfering with their babies! Just a few days before in that area, a man on a motorcycle was killed when a bull gored and trampled him.

But, we sat and watched. You could distinguish the difference between old and young bulls. On the side of the road, old bulls pawed the ground kicking the dust threateningly at the young bulls and us. The females meandered onto the road and some bulls followed. The females flirted. The bulls bellowed and postured. A couple year-old calves cavorted back and forth across the road and in the fields on both sides. 

​​We sat for thirty minutes inching no more than a car-length or two on the two-lane highway. Two or three cars made three-point u-turns to try other exits. Since our reserved motel was only four miles outside the Northeast Exit, we had to wait. It was getting dusky with the sun setting behind us. We became concerned the motel might give our room away because this was a busy time of year and we were late! And we waited. Another five, then ten minutes more.
 
As anxiety rose in my heart, I cried out to God, “Lord, you control all things. You know our time schedule. You know the bison and what is happening. Father, I ask that you move the bison off the road so we can all go to where we need to be.”
 
The bison immediately began to move. The ones on the roadway walked off. The ones next to the roadway on either side turned around and proceeded back into the fields or up into the hills. Within three minutes, the roadway was clear. Within five minutes, the long lines of cars on both sides of the road moved at regular speed on to their destinations.
 
A portion of scripture came to mind. Although it is out of context, the words fit so well. James 4:2c ESV says, “You do not have, because you do not ask.” We had sat there for forty-five minutes to an hour—just sitting!—while we could have been resting in our room and getting some good dinner just because we did not ask. It was late when we checked into our room in this small Montana town. There was nothing still open to obtain dinner, so we ate ramen noodles! Why? Because we had not asked! We waited and did not ask! As soon as we asked, God moved the bison!
 
How many times do we simply wait and stew in our juices, without considering asking God to help us, to assist us. Just waiting! God sees and desires to help us, but He waits for us to ask.
 
(Side note: Our experience happened on August 5, 2019. On August 22, Lester Holt on NBC Nightly News showed a news clip of a bison stampede happening at the exact location where the above occurred. Several vehicles were damaged. My daughter said she recognized a couple of the bulls that had been right outside our vehicle. God’s mighty hand gave us protection!)

by Terry Magness

I received a strong message growing up that I could do nothing right. As an adult, this belief led me to become a major people pleasing procrastinator. For an example, as a young married, I took art classes...for twelve years, and probably produced as many paintings. My work never reached the unattainable standard I set for myself. I continued painting on my pieces even after they were framed. A couple of decades ago I wrote two books. The first book took five years to construct, and the second, seven years. Why? Because I continually rewrote them! In my eyes, the books were never good enough for anyone to appreciate. Blogging is something I have had on the radar for years. However, the voices in my head as to why not to write have had the final say.

It was confusing. While involved in ministry in other countries, I experienced a confidence and boldness; but when I return to my own turf, I found fear waiting for me.
 
Something was wrong.
 
I did not realize how paralyzing fear could be even to a servant of the Lord. As a pastoral counselor, I was unprepared for the kinds of manipulation I encountered. I found it hard to say "no." I need to prove myself, right? Besides, I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings or to have anyone angry with me. I thought if I demonstrate God's love by being there for people, it would help them find and know the love of Jesus.
 
That was good intent, but because setting boundaries was difficult for me, I allowed myself to be swallowed up by the needs of others to my own detriment. The inevitable eventually happened. I experienced major burnout. I functioned superficially. My faith and trust in God was intact, but I was unable to relate to people more than skin deep. I was empty. I stepped down from my church staff position as pastoral counselor.

by Nora Ross

​Since the early church, people have had disagreements, which caused them to separate. Paul and Barnabas worked together to bring the message of the Gospel to many. They decided to return to areas that had been very successful. Barnabas wanted Mark to accompany them and Paul disagreed. There was such disagreement Paul and Barnabas separated. Paul took Silas and Barnabas took John Mark. As a result of this separation, the Gospel was spread to a greater area and number of people.

This passage may sound familiar to you.  You may know it from the personal experience of people leaving your church or ministry. People you have worked with for years have left. Maybe, they were there to move you into your home or parsonage when you arrived. Your families have grown together. You are there for them during their triumphs and losses. They are there for you in the good and the bad. You consider them your best friends. You wonder if Barnabas and Paul had this type of relationship. When your friends and partners in ministry leave, it hurts. There have been some who have left without even saying goodbye. There are others you wish would have only said, “Goodbye.” It seems Paul and Barnabas parted on terms that helped them both to succeed in ministry. Paul even seems to have forgiven Mark and speaks favorably of both in his later writings.

There was a time when a family member did something that made the local news. As my husband tried to read the prepared statement, the church wept with us. They followed the request not to discuss the situation. Many of them asked how they could help. When they asked to bring meals and we refused, they delivered them anyway. The newspaper printed our address and people attacked our home. It was only pellet guns; but it was frightening. People from our church offered to come and sit on our porch and protect us. No one left the church as a result of that situation. However, we have had people leave over misunderstood statements and gossip. It seems gossip leads to feelings of entitlement. Everything we know as a Christian is thrown out with the hurt feelings and the need to confide in others. We spiral into a frenzy that becomes difficult to overcome. As pastors and leaders, we need to be careful not to partake in the “prayer request” mentality that says I can talk about this to this person and this person and that person whether they are a part of the problem, or a part of the solution. We are the leaders and should lead by example. We need to question our motives as we share information and listen to information. As we receive and give information, we need to think about whether we would want a member of our congregation hearing or saying this. If it is not appropriate for them, it is not appropriate for us.
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A lead pastor once told us that people are as loyal as the last thing you did for them. If we had lived by that choice nugget of pastoral wisdom, we would no longer be in ministry. We would have burned out trying to keep everyone loyal; or, we would have become bitter because we felt we had to give to keep people loyal to us. We minister as God leads us, not with the thoughts of who will leave next, or wondering how long someone will stay. As we live righteously with servants’ hearts, God will provide for us and for those who leave, just as He did for Paul and Barnabas.

by Anna Maschmeyer

A ministry family seems to either exist in the assurance of their mission and longevity of their position or in a state of uncertainty and desire for transition. My ministry family recently took a leap and moved to a new church and city across the state. Transition means many things in the ministry, but for me it meant an opportunity to move in faith into untried territory.
 
For years I served the church as pastor and volunteer and taught full-time in a public high school. It was the most rewarding and exhausting life. The students are apathetic, curriculum is challenging to implement, assessments are labor intensive, actual learning is complex to assess, and federal and administrative regulation is exhausting. I loved teaching, but the all-encompassing nature of my pastor life and my teacher life took everything out of me. 

A year ago, we began thinking about transition to a new position. One of the things I wrote in my journal as we began to pray over the transition was, “Lord, I want to be free of the classroom.” I was not trying to be a stay-at-home-mom. As a driven, independent woman, I champion college and career ambition for my female students. So I looked for a position in a school, but out of the classroom. I thought just being out of the classroom would be enough.
 
When we relocated, the timing of the move meant teaching jobs were not available. As I’ve sought the Lord and explored options, more and more I was called to walk away from my career to be more like Jesus. Since August, I have started teaching our oldest to cook and do laundry. We finally have a regular chore schedule (something I never had time to put together before) for all three girls. My husband and I have been on a date every week since we’ve moved. I've written a 5-week Sunday School curriculum and taught it. The girls and I have had deep conversations about real things like politics, Jesus, and how to make friends. A couple of times my husband has asked, “Who are you?” because I am not falling asleep on the couch at 7 PM or cranky for no reason.
 
Don’t get me wrong, many of those things I listed above happened in small doses while I was teaching. My girls had chores; we did homework together; we read at night sometimes. My husband and I did date. Our family was not falling apart, but there wasn’t the structure or purpose in our home that I wanted. It was good, but not great. I had two masters constantly pulling me in different directions. The message is that there are good things we can do in our lives and there are God things. Our family was doing good things, but the God things were being squeezed out by exhaustion, stress, time, and mess. Although the budget is tight, I have not been this happy, nor this at peace, in a long time. 

​The lesson I am learning is that discerning His will is seldom about finding a place or a career, but it is always about becoming more like Him. Peace is there for us when we finally submit every area of ourselves, including our careers, to His Lordship. Our obedience even in the anxiety of transition makes us more like Jesus. 

QUESTIONS: What have you learned in a ministry transition? About your faith? About yourself?

​A fellow children’s minister approached me in the foyer of our church to ask if I had a baby puppet he could borrow for a ministry engagement. I told him I didn’t, but as the discussion continued, I learned a doll would be appropriate. I informed him I had a life-sized baby doll I use as Baby Jesus at Christmas because it is newborn infant-like. He assured me that he would only need to use the doll during the month of July and it would be returned well before Christmas.
 
“I don’t need Jesus during July,” I informed him as I walked away. When I saw the aghast looks on bystander’s faces, I immediately realized the faux pas. I turned back blubbering and stumbling over words as I tried to backtrack and rephrase, “I mean, I don’t need the Jesus doll during July.” The damage was already done! The words already said! Others in the vicinity were either staring open-mouthed or laughing aloud.
 
I’m ashamed to say that sometimes my attitude says, “Jesus, I don’t need you today…or this month. I can handle this by myself.” I plan my day so full of all the things I want to do for Jesus that I fail to ask Him what He would like to do with/through me. Sometimes I go so intensely through my day without realizing that the expression on my face or the acerbity of my speech is telling others that I don’t think I need Jesus to go with me that day. The negative side is that it usually multiplies into more than just one day. It becomes an unintended vacation from Jesus.
 
It is easy to get so busy working for Him that our relationship with Jesus is put aside; or we take for granted that He will just come along. To start the day, we may have even taken time for a quick devotion to tell Jesus how He can meet our need for the day, instead of asking how we can worship and be with Him throughout the day.
 
Each day I need to intentionally invite Jesus not to just follow me around, but to walk beside me and before me, allowing me to follow in His steps. Throughout each day, I talk with Him as a friend. I cannot ever go a day, let alone a month, without Jesus. I need Jesus every day in July and every other month! Not just at Christmas.

My recent Mexican tianguis adventure (More Than I Bargained For Part 1) was one I will not easily forget. Spending a morning with friends looking for bargains is sure to include great moments and lasting memories. However, this later portion of the excursion didn’t include my friends. You see, as I was paying for my clothing items, I was also typing the amount into my phone app for budgeting. (This is me, trying to keep good track of our spending.) I typed in 380 pesos while the vendor counted my change into my other hand. Only halfway paying attention to the actual transaction, I stuck the bills and coins into the side pocket of my purse. Unfortunately, I later realized I had received 60 pesos too much! Did she forget to charge me for an item? Count incorrectly? Sigh. You know that moment when you vacillate between the easy thing and the right thing? Yup. This was one of those moments. I decided I needed to return; but I couldn’t that day since everything had ended earlier that afternoon. 

  So, the following Friday I returned. Maneuvering my way to that particular booth, I was glad I had given directions to my friends to find it the previous week. Looking around, I noticed the lady vendor was not there, but her partner was. I asked for a moment of his time with a hand gesture, and he came aside to talk with me. I briefly explained the situation, handed him the amount owed him and shook his hand. His face expressed shock regarding this rare interaction as I imagine mine did when he said, “Kelly, ¿verdad?” (Kelly, right?) He had remembered my name from the previous week! I confirmed his great memory and said, “Dios lo bendiga” (God bless you) as I left his booth, knowing in my heart that I had done the right thing. Now he has a face, a name, and an unusual act to put together. I pray it is a positive connection that communicates his value to me, not simply as a salesperson, but as a human made in God’s image and worthy of a correct business transaction. I also hope it opens the door to further conversations about Christ living in and through me. These impressions left by small actions like that of my friend (see Part 1) or this one with the vendor can have such a lasting impact, in me or in others!
 
How do we affect our communities? We certainly influence the people around us – by what we say and what we don’t say, what we do and what we fail to do. People see us, evaluate us, and make judgments. What kind of impression do we leave? With the store clerk? With our neighbor? With our boss or co-worker? On the phone with customer service? We make a difference in our world, whether we’re immediately aware of it or not. As people extend grace to us, may it remind us of God’s ultimate grace as we, in turn, extend grace to others. Let’s take courage by choosing to do the right thing, expressing value to those we encounter (especially when it’s not the easy thing), knowing that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness so that we may be made perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:3-4)
 
I certainly got more than I bargained for at this tianguis, but the meaningful interactions, the lasting impressions, and reminders of grace and acceptance I experienced are clearly better than any ‘good deal’ I could have found there!

Every woman loves finding a good deal, right? Me, too. That’s why I got excited when some of my Mexican friends got to talking about visiting one of the larger ‘tianguis’ (tea-on'-geese) in our city of Mérida. Sounds interesting, right? Picture an enormous flea market with about a hundred different booths covered partially by tarps to keep the sun off the numerous shoppers meandering the narrow makeshift aisles. You can find everything here—from clothing to beauty products, from tropical fish to “fast food,” i.e., homemade quesadillas prepared before your eyes.
 
Despite my many years in Mexico, I had never gone to this particular tianguis opened on Fridays from about 8 AM to 1 PM, which my friends said was similar to the type you’d find in Mexico City. To my surprise, a few of them hadn’t even gone! So, on Friday morning we met at my house and set out together on our adventure. Glad to have found a parking spot about a block away, we entered near the front-middle of the covered park. We shopped together splitting into mini-groups at times, each looking for a bargain on something we needed. I didn’t have anything particular in mind, but near the end of our time, two of us found a booth where a new bundle of clothing had been dumped on a low table for us to rummage through. Jackpot!

​This mass pile of new American items included shirts, pants, and skirts of various sizes from reputable manufacturers–Talbots, American Eagle, etc. All were priced between 60 and 120 pesos, about $3-$6 USD a piece. With our cell phones, we gave directions to the others to let them know where we were in order to get in on the deals. We were there for at least thirty minutes. While I looked, one friend wandered to the booth across the way and returned with a little trinket. She took a hold of the collar of my shirt and place a pin there. Smiling, she clasped the back to the two linked flags of the US and Mexico. When I saw it, I barely managed to hold back the tears. You see, that small action communicated her acceptance of me despite our different upbringings; it told me that our friendship went beyond borders and was valuable to her. I love that this simple shopping excursion provided the backdrop for her meaningful display of affection!

Have you experienced small displays of affection that have had a huge impact on you? This experience makes me aware of how in seemingly small ways I can communicate love through my actions in the day-to-day that may actually speak volumes to another.
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“Father, make me mindful of ways I can touch others with Your love.”
 
As we finished our shopping, we paid and headed out, happy to have shared this experience, wondering, perhaps, when our next outing together would be. Little did I know as we said our good-byes that my personal tianguis story had yet another chapter. (Check back soon for Part 2.) 

​Kelly and her husband, Dave, have served as Southern Missouri District missionaries to Mexico since 2006. While one of her ministry roles includes a position as Mexico field treasurer, she also has been active online in the Refresh Connect groups and leadership team.  They have 3 teenage children and a mini schnauzer. ​

I do cherish my privacy. When dusk comes, I start closing shades and curtains on every window, all of them designed for privacy. My need may come from a number of “window peeper” incidents in my life. I remember an incident from when I was about five or six years old. I was in bed for the night. It was summer and we had no air conditioning, so after lights-out, Mom would open the Venetian blinds to let in whatever breeze there might be. I saw a man’s head outside going back and forth across my window. I kept going to my Mom’s bedroom crying in fear. She assured me there was no one there. She even took a quick peek out the window. Finally, she closed the shades, and put on a nightlight. The next day, our neighbor told us her sister’s boyfriend had been stalking her the night before, and looked in their windows from between our houses! 

As a teen, there was a voyeur in our neighborhood. My parents observed him looking in a neighbor’s window (which was NOT covered for privacy), and we heard him outside our home twice. I have since wondered why my parents did not call the police.  ​

And again in adulthood there was a window peeper in our neighborhood. Neighborhood Watch chased him a number of times. We heard him run between our house and our neighbor’s, with the Watch in hot pursuit. We took extra precautions to be sure there were no cracks where he might see in. Physical privacy is important to me.  

​Delores, and her husband, David, have been married for 54 years, and have one son and one daughter as well as two grandsons and one granddaughter that they cherish. They have a long and rich history of ministry. From youth pastor to senior pastor, from church planter to teaching in AG Bible colleges, they have covered this nation from coast to coast. Delores has been director and teacher in pre-school programs, filled the pulpit from time-to-time, and has been a speaker to women's groups. She loves music and writing, and hopes to one day write a book about her family history in the Ozarks.