No Vacancy ~ by robin moroney

“She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7

Ok, I have to fess up . . . Being joyful at Christmas is a challenge for me. I’m annoyed because it’s too darn cold to go outside. I’m annoyed because I haven’t seen the sun since, like Nixon was president. I want to scream at the 5000 people who are all crammed into Target at the same time I am and who can’t seem to understand that parking their shopping carts in the middle of the aisle impedes my progress. And what really annoys me is when I get stuck behind every Pokey Pete on the road who thinks it’s their civic duty to get in front of me and go 10 miles per hour UNDER the speed limit. I’m ashamed to admit it but I’m Little Miss Cranky Pants this time of year.

I bet the innkeepers in Bethlehem were Mr. & Mrs. Cranky Pants on that very special day of Jesus’ birth. I can only imagine what it was like on that night with all those extra people in town all at one time. I can imagine how frazzled and frustrated the innkeepers were when people kept coming to the door and all their rooms were already filled. “No room! No room! No room!” then the door was slammed shut. I wonder if the innkeepers who turned Mary and Joseph away ever found out that they had shut the door on Jesus? I wonder if they realized that they had said “No room at this inn” to the Savior?

The Bible tells us that through the Holy Spirit, Jesus lives within each of us. Inside us. In our hearts and in our souls. So, in essence, when we don’t have time for Jesus, we are telling Him that we have no room in our inn for Him. When we are frustrated and frazzled with all the things we think we have to do at Christmas, we leave little room for Jesus. And when we allow Satan to tell us that Christmas isn’t about Christ at all, we are telling Jesus that we have no room at the inn for Him.

Satan is hard at work in a very big way this time of year. Have you noticed that the “season” is getting longer and longer? This year the stores put out Christmas decorations right after Halloween. And the radio stations have been playing Christmas songs since Thanksgiving. Seriously!? How many ways can you sing “O Holy Night” or “Jingle Bells?” In my opinion, the longer we extend the Christmas season, the more it becomes just that ~ a season. It is no longer a celebration of a day ~ which happens to be the most important day ever. Satan wants to make all of us believe that this time of year has nothing to do with Christ.

Not only has the season gotten longer, and therefore, making it just a season. But we no longer have Christmas trees. They are holiday trees. And companies no longer have Christmas parties. They have holiday parties. And don’t you dare put a nativity out in public because that would violate that whole separation of church and state thing. People are even afraid to say “Merry Christmas” because we might offend someone. Certain people (I have no idea who these people are) want us to say “Happy Holidays” and “Season’s Greetings.” That’s not what December 25th is all about, though. It’s all about Christ and His birthday. It’s not about a season. It’s about our Savior’s very, very special day.

Satan has convinced our society that Christmas isn’t Christmas at all and that it has nothing to do with Jesus. In the spirit of complete acceptance of everyone and every belief, Satan is being allowed to push Jesus right out of our hearts and our minds during the most important time of the year. And when we allow Satan to do this, we are telling Jesus, “Sorry, there’s no room at the inn for You.”

I realized this week that all the things about the Christmas season that annoy me the most have one thing in common. They are all about ME. I am so focused on what I need to get; what I need to accomplish; how quickly I can get it done; how am I going to find the time to do all these things; get out of MY way; stop slowing ME down. There seems to be plenty of room at my inn for ME. Which means there is no room for Jesus. When I allow Satan to manipulate me into thinking that I have to get all these things done or Christmas will be ruined, then the sign at the entrance to my heart says “No Vacancy Jesus.”

My challenge, is to stop letting Satan convince me that this is a holiday season meant for running around like a crazy person to get it all done. And my deepest desire is to stop letting Satan convince me that Christmas is all about me and not about Christ. So when the Pokey Pete’s get in my way on the highway and when I get annoyed at the people standing in the middle of the aisle at Target, I will stop and ask Jesus to step into my heart so there is no room for anything else but Him.

How about you? During this magical and miraculous time of year, will the sign at the entrance to your inn say “No Vacancy?” Or will you open the door wide and invite Jesus into your celebration?

Remember: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

Precious Jesus, please forgive me for not making room for You in my inn. Thank You so much for coming to earth to save each of us and for dwelling within us through the Holy Spirit. Help me to always remember that this is not about a “season.” But that it’s all about You and Your love for us. Thank You for desiring to be a part of our lives. And happy birthday to YOU!!!  ~robin

When the Rain Doesn't Fall ~ by robin moroney

“Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” Genesis 6:22

Last month, we had what the news called “The Flood of 2009.” It rained in Atlanta non-stop for seven days. No kidding ~ non-stop. And on the seventh day, we had an absolute downpour. Not for a few minutes. Not for even just an hour. But for 24 hours straight, we had what I would call a deluge.

As I watched the water in the pond outside my office window get higher and higher, I thought it was a pretty cool and exciting little adventure. But as I watched the news reports of all the washed out roads and flooded houses, I have to admit that I was a little nervous.

It made me think about Noah and how he must have felt as the rain kept falling and falling. Not for just 24 hours, but for 40 days! At first I wondered if Noah got nervous when the rain kept coming down. Then I wondered if he was really pretty relieved. I mean, he had been waiting for that day for a very long time. The Bible doesn’t tell us how long it took Noah to build the Ark. But some theologians say it could have taken up to 100 years. So let’s just say for the sake of discussion that it even took half that time to build. Fifty or 100 years of building and no substantial rain!! Can you imagine how crazy it must have seemed to Noah’s friends and family when he told them what he was going to do? I’m thinking there was some serious smack talk going on at the local Elk’s club:

“Did you hear what Noah’s doing? He’s building an Ark. No, not just a boat ~ an ARK!!! It’s going to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Oh wait, it gets better . . . he’s going to fill it with two of every kind of animal. Oh wait, wait, there’s more . . . and he says it’s going to rain for 40 days and 40 nights. Bah-Haaa! Are you serious! We live in a desert!!!!”

And I’m wondering if there was more than one conversation from Mrs. Noah that went something like this:

“Ummm. Noah. Dear. So, ummm, you’re sure about this Ark thing right? I mean, I think it’s really great that you heard from God. But are you sure you got the message right? I’m just asking because Shem got in a fight on the playground today because the other kids were calling you a weirdo. And the ladies in my pottery club have stopped whispering behind my back and are now blatantly laughing at us. Ok, as long as you’re sure. . . .”

Day after day, month after month, year after year Noah kept going. And still the rains didn’t come. Genesis 7:5 says “Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.”  In other words, Noah never gave up.

About a year ago, I was prompted to read the book of Nehemiah. I love Nehemiah because he didn’t let what other people said deter him from his God given mission. God laid it on Nehemiah’s heart to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall around the city that had been destroyed during the Babylonian invasion. The wall was a charred, ruined pile of rubble. It was an impossible task. But Nehemiah did as God had asked him. And once the surrounding enemies heard of Nehemiah’s plan, they jeered at him and made fun of him. Chapter 4, verse 1 says: “When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews . . .” Verse 3 says: “Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, ‘What they are building – if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!’”

Nehemiah and his fellow Jews were repeatedly ridiculed. And the enemy tried every trick in the book to get Nehemiah to stop doing God’s work. Not only did he and his workers complete the wall, but they did it in only 52 days! Nehemiah never gave up.

At least Noah and Nehemiah were able to see the fruits of their labor. Poor Moses did all that work and didn’t even get into the Promised Land. Talk about never giving up. Before Moses’ journey even began, he was met with one closed door after another. God had Moses go to Pharaoh 12 times to ask for His people’s freedom. Twelve times!!! And each time God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and Pharaoh said no. It had to have been so frustrating and heart breaking for Moses to keep going back to Pharaoh only to have his request rejected again and again. It wasn’t until the 13th time that God changed Pharaoh’s heart and he said yes.

But Moses’ trials didn’t end there. After the Israelites were finally freed, they wandered in the desert for 40 years! And they weren’t 40 good years either. Moses was stuck with a huge group of whining, nagging, sinful people. And then to add insult to injury, after all that hard work and all that time, God told Moses that he wasn’t even going to get to live in the Promised Land. The closest Moses was going to get was to see it from the top of a distant mountain. But Moses didn’t give up. He never stopped doing what God told him to do. I’m sure there were many, many times that he wanted to throw up his hands in frustration and just say “Forget about it!” But he didn’t.

What about us? In these times of instant gratification, are we willing to do what God asks us to do even when we don’t see the fruits of our labor or when it takes a long, long time? Are we willing to trust that when God asks us to do something, He has a much bigger plan than we can even imagine? Are we willing to go the distance for God no matter what the opposition tries to put in our way, no matter how much ridicule we get from the people around us or how crazy God’s plan seems? Are we willing to keep going even when we have to wait day after day and year after year for the rain to fall? And are we willing to keep going when God’s plan seems incredibly impossible?

I hope so. Because the blessings we receive when we trust God, obey Him and walk with Him are immeasurable. Imagine the things we will miss out on if we don’t follow God’s will for us. What do we risk loosing? About a year ago, a friend gave me a sheet of paper that says “Don’t give up before the miracle.” I have it taped to my bedroom mirror so I can see it every day and remind myself to not give up. If we give up, what miracles are we going to miss?

Noah would have missed the miracle of seeing all those animals coming to him. That must have been an amazing and beautiful sight to see pairs of every kind of animal just showing up ready to go on the Ark. If Noah had given up, he would have missed the blessing of surviving a devastating flood.

Nehemiah would have missed the joy and sense of accomplishment of rebuilding the wall around God’s city. If Nehemiah had listened to all the jeering and ridicule and given up, he would have missed out on the blessing of seeing God’s people restored to their rightful place in God’s kingdom.

If Moses had listened to all the nagging and whining and given up, he would have missed the parting of the Red Sea, burning bushes, bread raining down from Heaven and being led by a cloud during the day and fire by night. WOW! What amazing things he was able to witness because he didn’t give up.

What blessings do we risk missing if we don’t trust God? What miracles do we risk not witnessing if we give up? When God tells us the rain is going to fall and it doesn’t, are we willing to believe Him and trust Him and keep going until it does?

Remember: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You so much for giving each of us a mission for You.  Thank you for the blessings and miracles you give us each and every day.  Teach us to trust You to give us what we need to complete Your mission.  Help us to never give up, no matter what obstacles we face, what other people say or how long it takes.  Amen   ~Robin

HIS Team ~ by robin moroney

"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession.” Deuteronomy 7:6

Do you remember when you were in school and teams were picked in PE? I remember it well. The coach would pick the two most athletic people in the class to be the captains ~ and, hence, the team pickers. Then those two guys (in my day, it was always two guys ~ not girls) would one by one pick who they wanted to be on their team. And it would always come down to the last two people left ~ me and the kid with the broken leg. And, after much deliberation and ribbing from the other teammates, the picker would finally make his pick . . . . the kid with the broken leg. And the team that got me would say “Aw Man!!!” and huff off to the playing field (you think I’m making this up?). I’m not athletic at all. So I was always the last one picked to be on the team. And the team that got stuck with me always felt, well, stuck with me. Those of you who aren’t athletic, know what I’m talking about and you know how it felt to be the last one picked.

But the good news is that we have all been hand picked for a team that is much more important than any other team. We have been chosen for the most important team ever. And we were chosen for this team before anyone else even knew if we’d be athletic or pretty or smart. We were picked for this team before we were even born. This team, the One that reigns superior over all other teams, is God’s team. And we are on it. Alleluia!

Jeremiah 1:5 says: “I formed you in the womb; I knew you before you were born. I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

A friend of mine recently said to me, “God knew I would screw up and He chose me anyway.” Wow!!! I’ve never thought about it that way. God knew I would argue and fight with Him and He picked me anyway. He knew there would be times when I wouldn’t believe Him or trust Him and He chose me anyway. God knew that there would be times when I’d break His heart by turning my back on Him and still He chose me.

God chose each and every one of us to be on His team because He loves us that much. He loves us with a passion that we can’t always comprehend. He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to this earth to bear the excruciating pain of our sins.

During a recent church service, we had a guest speaker who read from the book “The Devine Romance” by Gene Edwards. In the book, it talks about angels going to all the times past and all the times in the future to gather up all the sins ~ every single one of them ~ and putting them on Jesus as the nails are hammered into His hands and feet. This made me realize just how much emotional pain Jesus went through for us. I’ve tried to imagine His physical pain; but I’ve never thought about His emotional pain. I know how guilty and painful I feel when I know that I have sinned. It makes me feel awful. So I can’t even imagine the emotional pain Jesus must have felt as the sins of the past, present and future where laid on Him. With every strike of the hammer, Jesus felt the pain from the sins of each one of us. And He felt the pain from the sins of all the murderers and all the child molesters. He felt the pain from the sins of Hitler, Mussolini and Osama bin Laden. And He felt the pain of all the sins that we don’t even know about. It is a pain I can’t even imagine. And He felt all of that pain for you and for me. Because He loves us THAT much!

God loves us so much that He guides us and teaches us. He also loves us so much that He corrects us when we’re doing wrong. And He loves us so much that He surrounds us with the things that we love.

I love the sound of thunder. It’s one of my all time favorite sounds. In Atlanta, we rarely get a good thunderstorm. So when we do, I am so grateful to God. The thunder in Atlanta rumbles and rolls on and on forever. It is so soothing to me. So during a recent storm, I thanked God for the sound of the thunder. And then with the next rumble, it was like I heard God saying, “I love you! I love you! I love you!” with each rumble as it went on and on and on. And when the rain started coming down, I felt like God was shedding tears of joy just for me.

God loves me so much that He brings me rolling thunder to listen to. He loves me so much that He makes amazingly intricate and beautiful flowers for me to see and photograph. He loves me so much that He surrounds me with people I love and who love me. And when my heart was broken into a million little pieces, God loved me so much that He glued me back together again then taught me that I could love again even though I thought it would never happen.

And God loves each of us that much. He loves us enough to reach into our deepest, darkest moments and lift us up and restore us. He loves us so much that He will never let us go even when we turn our backs on Him. He loves us so much that He will be by our sides no matter how ugly and full of sin our past is. And when we think we will never be whole again, God loves us so much that He will hold us tight, comfort and strengthen us and put all our broken little pieces back together.

God loves us so much that before we were even born, He chose each and every one of us to be on His team even though He knew we would screw up. He knew we would be difficult, willful and stubborn and still He chose us. He knew there would be times when we wouldn’t trust Him and we would do things our own way and still He chose us. We are on God’s team not because of anything we have done. And we are on God’s team in spite of the things we can’t do and the things we do wrong. We are on God’s team because He loves us THAT much!!!

Remember: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Precious Jesus, I thank You for loving us so much that You bore the pain of all the sins past and all the sins present and future so that our sins would be forgiven. I cannot even begin to imagine how painful that was for You. I thank You for loving us so much that You will never let us go. I thank You for loving us so much that You chose each of us to be on Your Team. We are so blessed because of Your love for us. Amen ~Robin

The Invitation ~ by: robin moroney

“In Him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.” Ephesians 1:11
When I recently went into the hospital for surgery, I was absolutely at peace with what was going to happen to me. I had no fear or anxiety whatsoever. However, at one point when I was in the operating room, during the split second before I was knocked out, I remember seeing the doctor, a nurse and the anesthesiologist standing next to my operating table. And just at that split second when the drugs started taking effect and I felt that awful intensely loud humming in my head, I thought, “Uh-oh. I remember this feeling and I hate it. I don’t want to do this.” And in my mind, the doctor stood there looking at me and thinking, “You can try to fight this all you want but you can’t stop it from happening.”

I argue with God. . . . A lot. So I think God must stand at my side on a regular basis with his arms folded across His chest, a knowing smile on His face and maybe a little shake of the head saying, “Robin, you can fight Me all you want. But you cannot stop this from happening. You cannot stop Me from accomplishing My plans.”

God invites us to be a part of His plans for us and for His kingdom. He loves to bless us in wonderful ways when we decide to take part in His plans. But sometimes, we don’t want to join Him. Sometimes we don’t like what He’s asking us to do. Sometimes it seems too hard or too scary. And sometimes we choose to not participate because we just don’t understand.

When I was growing up, I remember mealtimes as being very stressful. My brothers remember our life a lot different than I do. But I remember that there was very little talking or laughing at the dinner table. And there certainly was no singing. To me, dinner needed to be eaten as quickly as possible so you could get up and go to your room before someone got in trouble.

So when I met my husband and went to his parent’s house for dinner the first time, I was shocked that not only did they all talk during dinner (sometimes all at the same time), but they laughed and even sang songs. I thought they were a bunch of crazy people. And then, after dinner, they did something even more insane. They cleared the table then ~ GASP!!!! ~ they all sat back down and played cards . . . . Together!!! And they actually talked to each other!! And as other members of the family would come over to the house, they would all move around the table, pull up another chair and the new person would join in! Craziness!

I was so unfamiliar with this type of behavior that for many, many years I did not participate in the family card games. Instead, I would sit in another room reading a book or watching TV. My decision to not participate did not stop them from continuing with their fun. They went right on having a good time without me. I was always welcome to join them. There was always room at the table for me. But instead, I chose to sit on the outside looking in and feeling just a little out of sorts about it. It did not make me happy that I was left out. And I refused to admit to myself that it was a self-imposed exile. I was always asked to join in the fun. But I chose to sit in the other room alone.

I didn’t admit it at the time, but when I chose to sit in the other room rather than join the fun, I felt left out, uncertain and, yes, even jealous. I also felt uncomfortable with people showing so much joy. The family wanted me to join them. But my uncertainty kept me from the blessing of being a part of the fun. And they were not going to stop having a good time just because I chose to sit in the other room.

I’m so glad they continued the fun without me. Because one day I decided to join them at the card table. And boy am I glad I did. It was a blast! And from those card games, I forged relationships with my in-laws that are still strong today. Even though my marriage did not survive, my friendships with the rest of the family have. And now I know that if I had continued to not participate in those card games, I would have missed out on so much laughter and just plain fun. If I had continued to not join the party, I would have missed out on so many incredible blessings.

Isn’t that how our life with God is? God continues to invite us to His party. Even when we’re uncertain and scared. Even when we don’t understand. He never stops reaching out to us and making a place for us at His table ~ there is always room. And if we choose not to join Him, the party will go on without us. God’s plans will not stop just because we decide not to participate.

In the book of Esther, Mordecai gets wind of a plot to totally destroy the Jewish population. So he goes to his cousin, Esther, who is the queen, and asks her to go to the king and plead for the lives of the Jewish people. Esther fearing for her life sends a message to Mordecai saying that she doesn’t think it’s such a good idea for her to approach the king. Then Mordecai sends this message back to Esther:

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place . . . And who knows but that you have come to the royal position for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14-16
Mordecai is saying that God’s plan to save the Jews will be carried out with or without Esther’s help. God’s will most definitely will be done. Mordecai also said that, quite possibly, the whole reason Esther was queen was for just this very purpose. But Esther had a choice. She could choose to participate or she could walk away from God’s calling. So Esther chose to do as Mordecai asked. She chose to participate in God’s plan.

Can you imagine the joy and relief the Jewish people must have felt when King Xerxes listened to Esther and then stopped the plot to destroy their entire population? Esther was Jewish so she must have felt just as much joy and relief as everyone else. Don’t you know there was just the teensiest bit of “Oh, yeah! I did good! I helped! I’m queen!!!” coming from Esther’s room? And imagine how horrible it would have been for Esther if she had missed out on being a part of such a great blessing.

If we fight God and refuse His invitation, we could be missing out on an incredible blessing. We could be missing out on the very reason God has us in a certain place. Whoa! Now that will make you pause. And if we choose to not join God, we might never know what blessings we missed. Like Esther, if I had continued to not participate, I would have missed out on so many incredible blessings. Now that’s just plain sad.

God wants us to join Him in His plans for His kingdom. He wants to bless us in so many ways when we join Him. But He has also given us those two pesky words ~ free will. We can either choose to join Him or we can choose to fight Him and walk away. God will accomplish His goals with or without us. The fun will go on even if we don’t join in. And if we choose to not join Him, we may be missing the very blessing that God has for us at that very moment. And we could be missing out on the very reason we are in a certain place in our lives. Yikes! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss this party.

God wants us to become enmeshed in His plans for His kingdom. Not just sit on the sidelines looking in. We can try to fight Him. We can say, “Oh, no. I don’t like that. I’m scared. I’m not going to help You.” But make no mistake, God’s plans for His kingdom will always come to pass. The question is, will you choose to participate? Will you choose to join God in His plans for your life and for His kingdom? Will you accept the chair He has pulled up to His table for you? Or will you choose to sit in the other room watching the fun and blessings go on without you?

Remember: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” Matthew 6:10
Precious Father, we thank You so much for choosing us to participate in Your plans. We thank You for inviting us to Your party. Please help us fight the enemy who whispers in our ears and tells us that it’s more fun in the other room. Help us to know Your good and perfect will for our lives. And give us the courage to join You at the table. Amen. ~Robin

The Battle ~ by: robin moroney

“I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, but you have kept My word and have not denied My name.” Revelation 3:8
When we were on vacation last week, we were at the tennis courts and heard quite a ruckus coming from one of the trees. When we looked up we saw a big, powerful hawk perched on a limb. The ruckus was coming from a bunch of smaller birds who were dive bombing the hawk. They were making quite a stink and were constantly trying to beat up on the larger hawk.

Under normal circumstances, those birds would probably pay very little attention to each other. They would just coexist peacefully. But there was a very precious treasure in that tree ~ a nest. And that hawk was very determined to get to that treasure. But the smaller, weaker birds were just as determined to keep the hawk away.

And under normal circumstances, the bigger, stronger hawk could have probably put a pretty good whoopin' on those smaller birds if he needed to. But because the treasure was so precious, the smaller birds had the courage to band together to fight off the enemy that wanted to destroy their nest.

Isn’t that how Satan is? Satan has no interest whatsoever in non-Christians. He knows that there is no precious treasure to be had in a non-Christian. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
Satan’s sole mission is to try to remove us from our rightful place beside our Lord. And he is relentless and insanely determined in his pursuit of that goal. The biggest threat to Satan is when we have a close relationship with God. So Satan will use whatever method he can to convince us that our Father is wrong or that He lies or that He wants to confuse us or harm us. Satan will try to convince us that what we want to do is always the right thing instead of us doing what we know is right and what we know God wants us to do.

When I moved to Atlanta, it took me three months to find a job. This was very frustrating for me. One day I had an appointment with an employment agency. The woman who interviewed me wasn’t very nice. She was condescending and rather rude to me. I took all the administrative tests they gave me and I pretty much aced them all. After that interview, I didn’t hear from the agent for a couple weeks. Then one day I got a call. She had a job she wanted me to interview for. I was very excited. Then she told me that the job was as an accounts payable clerk at a very small church. Ok, I don’t mean to brag or be prideful but I aced all the administrative tests. I have many, many years of office manager/executive assistant experience. I have just a little more experience than would be required for a clerk at a small church. And I didn’t take one single accounting test. I gave no indication whatsoever that I do accounting. Math is not my thing. So I politely told the lady that I wasn’t interested in that position. And she said, rather condescendingly, that she thought I would like the job because it was at a church. And for some reason, with those few words, I just got the sense that she didn’t like me because I wore a cross to my interview with her. I don’t know why I got that sense but I did.
A few days later, I got a call from someone completely unrelated. Several weeks prior, I had answered a teeny, tiny ad in the paper. And that company wanted me to come in for an interview. As I pulled into the parking lot of the office building, the words from the other lady came to mind. And I decided that if wearing my cross would hinder me from getting a job, then I better put it out of sight. So I tucked my cross into my sweater. But just before I got out of the car, the Holy Spirit pressed on me that this was not right. And I thought that if there was a company that didn’t want to hire me because I’m a Christian, then I just didn’t want to work for them. So I took my cross out of my sweater and laid it at its rightful place on my chest and I went into the interview.

Well, guess what happened? I got the job. This is one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. And without a doubt, I work with some of the best people I’ve ever worked with before. Many of whom are Christians ~ including my boss and the other owner of the company. I have never talked openly at work about my faith. But I certainly do here. I have had some great “God talks” with several people. God is a constant presence in my life at work and I don't try to hide it.

Satan wanted to take my past experience and convince me that it would be a good idea to deny my faith. But God sent the Holy Spirit to help me fight Satan and his lies. And when I chose to fight Satan and not listen to his lies, God blessed me with an awesome job that I love.

Satan can put thoughts in our heads that really seem to make a lot of sense. He twists God’s word and he plays mind games with us all the time. Satan is very powerful and he can be very alluring. But, like the little birds fighting off the hawk, we can not fight Satan alone. The good news is that we don’t have to. Because we have God and His angels on our side. Psalm 91:11-12 says, “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
I think that some of the angels that God sends to us are our Christian friends who will pray for us and with us when we are feeling tempted and low. That’s why I think it’s so important to surround ourselves with other Christians. A single small, little bird in that tree could not fight off the hawk. But when they banded together, they were a force to be reckoned with. And we can not fight Satan alone. We need God’s strength and the strength of the people He puts in our lives to help us.

The closer we get to God and the more we proclaim our love for God, the harder Satan will work to separate us from God. So if you feel that Satan is on your back; if there are people in your life who are trying to pull you away from God or who are ridiculing you because of your faith, congratulations!!!!! That means that Satan is very threatened by your relationship with God. And it means you are getting closer and closer to God and that you have inherited the kingdom of Heaven. Alleluia!!!!

This is the most important battle we’ll ever have to fight. Are you willing to fight this battle? Will you fight Satan to protect your most precious treasure? Will you band together with your fellow Christians to fight Satan? And when your fellow Christians are weary and so tired of the fight, will you stand strong with them and pray that God will give them His strength and endurance? I hope so, because I’m counting on your help.

Remember: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 5:10
Precious Father, we thank You for sending Your angels to help us fight Satan’s immense power. We are so grateful to know You and to know that You are more powerful than Satan. Help us have the strength to never deny Your name no matter how tired and weary we are. We are so thankful that You are our God. And we praise You and give You glory. Amen. ~Robin

Will You Go? ~ by: robin moroney

“I am making a way in the dessert and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19

Recently I was standing in waist deep water in the ocean. The water was calm and warm. But when I turned to walk back to shore, there were jellyfish blocking my way. Thousands and thousands of jellyfish. There were jellyfish as far as I could see. And I thought, “There is no way I can get to shore without being stung or even killed.” But I started to walk towards shore anyway. And as I did, the jellyfish seemed to part and get out of my way. And I wasn’t stung at all. When I got to shore, the tide went out in the blink of an eye leaving piles and piles of dead jellyfish behind.

And then I woke up.

God speaks to me in vivid, amazing dreams (I figure it’s because the only time my mind shuts up long enough to hear Him is when I’m sleeping). Sometimes the message of my dreams is revealed to me as soon as I wake up. And sometimes it’s not until weeks or months later. But for this particular dream, I thought I knew the meaning but it felt a little vague to me. Then, this Sunday when I was in church, our minister was telling us that when a shepherd moves his flock to new feeding grounds, he will go ahead of the sheep to make sure the new area is safe. Just like God does for us. Ah-ha! So that’s what God was trying to tell me. He wants me to move in a certain direction even though it appears I might get hurt. He wants me to know that He has already gone before me to make sure the path is safe and clear. He wants me to know that He has already cleared all the jellyfish out of my way. WOW!!!

Genesis Chapter 12 says that God told Abram to leave his country, his people and his father’s household to go to a land that God would show him. Verse 4 tells us that “Abram left, as the Lord had told him.” Hebrews 11:8 puts it this way: “By faith Abraham when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

How many of us are willing to take that huge leap of faith when we hear God calling us in a certain direction? For me the answer is “it depends.” I’m a details girl. So I need a little more information before I want to take that step. Like, how much time is this going to take because I’m pretty busy. Or, how hard is this going to be? Or, are You going to open doors wide for me or will You close them to test my resolve and my faith? What is the risk involved?

What do I think God is going to say? “Hmmm, Robin. Well, you know I haven’t thought that far in advance. But now that you mentioned it, why don’t we set a time to sit down and go over the details a little more so you’re more comfortable with this plan.”

NO!!! That’s not what God says. He says “Trust Me.” He wants us to say. “Ok, God. I’m there. I trust You completely. And I’m willing to go where You want me to go no matter what.”

Well, yeah, that’s easy to do when the risk is low or when God clearly illuminates the path and opens doors wide for us to go through. Like when I moved from Florida to Atlanta. From the time God put the thought into my head to the time I moved, I tried (very unsuccessfully ~ duh!), to play “Stump God.” I tried to throw every obstacle I could think of in His way. But He tore every one of them down. I even tried stupid things like, “But I’ll really miss grocery shopping at Publix. Publix is a Florida store so they must not have them in Atlanta.” Then the next week I got a package from my cousin who lives in Atlanta. She had sent me an apartment guidebook to give me an idea of what apartments I could afford. And guess what she had used as stuffing in the box? Plastic Publix bags!!!!! BAM!! Another wall smashed to bits. Every time I tried to stump God, He would tear down that wall and open that door so wide. It was like He was saying, “Come on Robin, give me a hard obstacle. Hit Me with another one because I’ve got it all figured out and you can’t beat me.” God tore down every single obstacle I tried to put in His way. He clearly opened every door that I tried to close. And I had family here to live with so there was really very little risk. So that was an easy choice for me. God said “Go to Atlanta.” And I said, “Sure why not. Let’s go.”

But what about the times when God asks us to move in a direction that seems dark and scary? Those times when it seems like there is no way we can ever get down that path? What if He asks us to move to another town where we have no job, no friends and no relatives? What if He asks us to stop dating the person we think is “the one” but He’s telling us He has better plans for us? Or what if He asks us to quit the secure, stable job that we absolutely love when we don’t have another job lined up? Are we willing to do as Abraham did and just go even though we don’t know where we’re going? Man, that’s a tough one.

But that’s exactly what God wants us to do. He wants us to trust Him and believe that He has it all worked out.

If you’ve ever walked in a maze, you know that there are many places that look like they lead to a dead end. But when you get to the “dead end” all of a sudden you see other paths that you can take. I think that God does this to us sometimes. I think that sometimes He leads us down paths that look like dead ends so that He can test our faith. He wants to know if we’re willing to walk by faith down that path until we get to the “end” trusting that He’ll open the way once we get there.

I’m trying so hard to walk on the path that I think God is directing me even though I see a dead end. And it’s a scary journey. But He’s told me in His Word and in my dream that He has already gone before me and cleared the way and made it safe. All He’s asking me to do is to trust Him even though I don’t know the details and I have no idea when or how I’m going to get to where He’s asking me to go.

What about you? Are you willing to go by faith where God has directed you even though you might not know where it will lead? Are you willing to go even when the path looks scary or impossible? Are you willing to believe that God has gone before you and has cleared all the jellyfish out of your way?

Remember: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5
Gracious and loving Father, I pray that each of us will have the faith of Abraham. I pray that we will be willing to obey You and go where You lead even when we don’t have all the details and don’t know where You are taking us. Help us to always remember that if you ask us to take a certain path, then You have already gone before us and cleared the jellyfish out of our way. Amen. ~Robin

The Obstacle Course ~ by: robin moroney

Special Note: When I started writing today's message, my intent was for it to be a big, fat question "Why?" because I didn't understand why God would take something from us when we stand so firm in our belief in what He is telling us. And, to be perfectly honest, I was a little ticked off at God for putting a message of standing firm in my heart a couple weeks ago then snatching that hope away. But as I began to type, the Holy Spirit took over and, as you will see, He revealed the answer to me. He is so good!!!!

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"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

When I got to work on Friday, I noticed our resident geese, Annabelle and Bigelow, standing at their nest just looking around and honking. Then they came up the hill and paced up and down by my office window like they were looking for something. They kept honking and looking in the windows. It broke my heart when I realized that their little eggs had not survived the wicked storm that swept through the area the night before. I looked out at the nest all day hoping and praying that I was mistaken and that somehow the babies would have miraculously survived the rising water. But, sadly, they did not. The nest is destroyed and Annabelle and Bigelow have not returned.

And this begs the question . . . Why is it that sometimes we can stand so firm in what we believe God is telling us and yet still loose that which we love so much and that which we nurtured and cared for? Why is it that we can be so certain that we are doing just what God has asked us to do so we head down a path we believe with all our hearts that God has asked us to go down only to have our hearts ripped apart when things start going in a direction that seems completely contrary to what we believe God is telling us?

The Bible tells us that God’s plan is always the best plan and He knows what is best for us. And I know this is true. But, to be honest, when I’m in the midst of turmoil or heartache, this does not always give me comfort. And it doesn’t make it any easier to understand the reasons why things don’t go the way I think they will. I’ve been in a situation where I believed with all my heart that God was telling me a certain thing was going to happen. And even in the midst of doubt and others telling me “No way” and circumstances that didn’t line up, I’ve tried really hard to stand firm. But not only have things not turned out the way I thought God was telling me they would, they have gone in such the opposite direction that I’m left wondering what I did wrong. Is it because I didn’t hear God correctly? Is it because I just don’t understand what God is really telling me? Or is it because I didn’t have enough faith or wasn’t firm enough in my resolve to follow God’s will?

In the Old Testament, God gave Joseph a dream. In that dream it was revealed to Joseph that he would one day rule over his family. For 13 years not only did God’s dream not come true, but the path that Joseph’s life took was so far removed from what God had told him would happen that it looked like there was no way it was ever going to happen. I wonder if Joseph ever doubted that he had actually heard from God? I wonder if he ever doubted that he got the message right? I wonder if he ever thought he was just a little crazy for listening to voices in his head? And when it took so darn long, I wonder if he ever doubted that it would actually happen at all?

For Joseph, God did exactly what He said He would do. But it took 13 long, difficult years for that dream to become reality. And along the way, God used all of Joseph’s set-backs to teach Joseph something more about Himself and to prepare Joseph for the vision that God had set before him.

Last year Annabelle built her nest in an open field. The babies didn’t survive. This year she made an adjustment and she built her nest right along the water’s edge. Sadly the babies did not survive yet again. With each set-back is Annabelle learning something new about where to build her nest so it will be as safe as possible the next time? And with each set-back, is she learning something new that will help get her closer to fulfilling God’s plan for her?

So the question might not always be: “What are we doing wrong that makes things not turn out the way we think God is telling us they will?” The answer might be that God has a much greater plan than we can even imagine. And along the path to bringing that plan to fruition God will put some obstacles in our way that will strengthen us and our faith and pull us closer to Him. God will use those obstacles to test our faith, our resolve and our trust in Him.

God’s timing is always perfect ~ even when we think He’s too late. God never lies ~ even when circumstances take us completely in the opposite direction of where we thought we were going. If God says He’s going to do something, He will do it. It just might not be when or how we think it will happen.

When we are heartbroken and hurting, it is so hard to see that any good could possibly come out of it. And knowing that God has a better plan isn’t always comforting when we are in the midst of turmoil and pain. But when things are not going the way we had hoped they would, we need to lean into God even more. And, as hard as it is, we need to try to learn the lessons that God wants us to learn. Because as stinky as it can sometimes be, God is using those seasons in our life to teach us something about Himself and to prepare us for the plan He has for us.

Remember: “He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4
Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that when we are faced with set-backs, we will be able see Your hand in those set-backs and learn the lessons You have for us. I also pray that we will have the courage to see how You are using that time to strengthen us and teach us more about You. And I pray that during those times, we will not allow the enemy or anyone else to convince us to give up. Thank You, Father, for your faithfulness. Amen. ~Robin

Out of the Slimy Pit ~ by: robin moroney

“I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Psalm 40:1-2

Before I knew God, every time I heard the saying "God only gives you what He thinks you can handle," I would say to God, “God, just so we’re clear and in case you didn’t get the memo, I can’t handle anything big. I’m a weakling and a chicken.”

And then the worst year of my life happened. It was 2004. My marriage of 21 years was very quickly heading towards divorce and my mother had just been diagnosed with an inoperable, incurable brain tumor. To say that I was at the end of my rope and exhausted would be an understatement. I was completely and totally drained ~ both emotionally and physically. I had no more to give. I was way down deep in the slimy pit. And I saw no way out.

So one day I drove into the garage, shut the door and kept the car running. I just wanted to sleep for ever and ever and never wake up. I begged God to take me Home with Him. Almost immediately God spoke to me. I know it was God’s voice because in my head God would have this huge, booming, deep voice that would have said something like: “ROBIN, GET OUT OF THE CAR!!!! IT’S NOT YOUR TIME!!!!” But the reality is that God’s voice was very quiet and very sweet and He said one word . . . . “Megan” (that’s my daughter).

And I said: “I don’t care. I can’t think about anything else any more. She’ll be fine. She has so many people around her who will love her. She’ll be fine.”

But God said again, “Megan.”

And again I argued with God. Then He placed a picture before me of my daughter standing at the edge of my grave grieving inconsolably. She was completely destroyed.

I couldn’t stand that. It broke my heart. God got to me. So I said to Him “Damn it, God! You do not play fair!!!!” And I shut off the car and went into the house.

I wish I could say that at that moment my life turned great. I’d like to say that my husband showed up at the door and told me that he was stupid for leaving and couldn’t live without me. I’d like to say that my mother got better. But none of those things happened. In fact, my year didn’t get a whole lot better. My mother passed away in March; my marriage ended in April; in June I had to move out of my lovely three bedroom house with a pool into a cramped two bedroom apartment; July, August and September all brought hurricanes to Central Florida; in October I packed everything up and left the only state I had ever known and moved to Atlanta; November & December I spent living with my aunt and uncle in Atlanta and looking for a job.

No, my life did not magically get all rosy and great. Little bunnies and deer did not come out of the forest to sing to me. And little birds did not come and sit on the windowsill or tie a ribbon in my hair. Nope. My life was still pretty much in the toilet.

But what did come to me in the instant that I got out of the car was God and His assurance that He would never, ever let me go. At that moment, I literally saw His hands reach down into my slimy pit and lift me out. I know it was God because I know without a shadow of a doubt that there is no way that I could have ever gotten out of that pit in my own strength. I am weak and I’m a scardy cat. And quite frankly, it was so much easier laying around in that pit. And it would have been so much easier to just sit in my car and go to sleep. But God wouldn’t let me. He was relentless in His love for me.

Did I have a choice in the matter? Yes I did. I could have chosen to ignore God’s hands and His voice and just sit there in my pit and let it close in around me. But God’s voice was so sweet. And His hands were so strong and gentle and loving. So I reached up so He could help me climb out.

And I have not regretted it for one second. I have felt God with me every minute of every day since. He was with me when He opened all the doors for me to move to Atlanta. He was with me when my dog got sick and I thought she was going to die (she didn't). He was with me a few years ago when I had another heartbreak and I stood at the edge of the pit tempted to slide back in. He was right there beside me, taking my hands and pulling me back from the darkness and into His strong and loving arms.

Does God promise us that our lives will be like a Disney cartoon full of happiness and bright sunshine? No, He doesn’t. In fact, Jesus compared following Him to picking up a cross. He said “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Is there something in your life that seems so insurmountable that you feel like giving up? Please don’t. Please make the choice to reach up and hold tightly to God’s hands. Please make the choice to allow God to wrap you in His strong, loving arms. He’s there waiting for you to make that choice. I promise you won’t regret it. And God promises that He will give you everything you need to overcome your insurmountable obstacles.

Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 Jesus will be there. And He will help you. And He will make you stronger. And He will lift you out of your slimy pit. And He will set your feet on firm ground again. And again. And again!!!

Remember: “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
I pray that when you feel overwhelmed with the heartache and pain in your life and when you feel like giving up, that you will turn just a little, see God’s hands, reach up and allow Him to lift you out of your slimy pit. ~Robin

Standing Firm ~ by: robin moroney

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 5:58

There is a family of geese outside my office window. We've named them Annabelle and Bigelow. Last week I saw Annabelle building a nest. I did some research and discovered that once the female lays her eggs, she will continually sit on the nest until the eggs hatch. That can be anywhere from 28 to 30 days. I watched Annabelle sit there all day as a huge storm came rolling in. The weather report said lots of rain, hail and possible tornadoes. And still she sat there on her nest. When I got to work this morning, the wind was absolutely howling. I truly feared that some trees were going to topple over. I looked out my window and there sat Annabelle on her nest. Her feathers were almost standing on end from the wind but she stayed right there attending her babies.

It reminded me of all the times God has asked me to do something. Something that I thought was just too impossible. Something that I really didn't want to do. I thought of all the times God has asked me to do something and I didn't because it just seemed like too much work or just plain crazy.

When God asks us to do something, He wants us to do it NO MATTER WHAT. No matter how difficult it is or how boring it is or how crazy it may seem. And He assures us in His Word that if He asks us to do something, He'll give us just what we need, right when we need it to carry out His will.

God told Gideon that He was going to deliver the Midianites into his hands. Gideon's response was that his clan was the weakest of them all. But God assured him that He would do what He said He would do. And then God made it seem worse ~ He narrowed down Gideon's men to only 300. How were 300 men supposed to fight an entire army?!?!? I wonder if Gideon ever thought, "Yeah, I don't think so. I can't do that." But in spite of the incredible odds against him, Gideon did what God asked him to do. He stood firm in his faith and trust in God. And God delivered the Midianites into his hands. What seemed completely impossible to mortal man, God made possible. Just like He said He would.
I wish I had that kind of faith. I'm always arguing with God and saying, "Yeah, I don't think so. I can't do that." And you know what, I can't do the things that God asks me to do. And neither could Gideon or David or Noah or Moses. But GOD can. God can do all things. And if God asks us to do something, He will absolutely give us everything we need to get it done. Including courage.

We have a choice. We can either walk away and tell God "no" when it gets too difficult or too scary or too boring. Or we can stand firm through all things in the spot God has us in.
It's your choice. Will you walk away when it seems too difficult or impossible? Will you walk away during the hail and the wind and the rain? Will you walk away during the ridicule and the snide comments and disbelief of others? Or will you stand firm in your faith and trust in God? You can't do it alone. But with God, you can.

Remember: "For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37
I pray that God will give you, and me, the strength and courage we need today to accomplish what He has laid on our heart to do. ~Robin