by Amy Pasinski

March 16, 2013, during worship Sunday morning.  Pastor Aimee began to sing,
   
"I am running after, running after, running after You.  I am running to You, running to You,
     running to You."

This is the picture of what God showed me by His Spirit. 

There appeared a great multitude of people.  They were all different ages and races.  Each person was carrying a huge pack on their backs.  These were some serious backpacks.  Imagine the kind of pack you would take into the woods camping, or something someone in the military would carry.  They were large and filled completely.  The packs were so big that the posture of each person was hunched over.  The weight of the packs would not allow them to stand up straight.  I saw Jesus far, far, off in the distance.  I saw the radiating light of His glory.  His eyes shown bright.  At that moment the people began to see Him.  They caught a glimpse of His eyes.  The people began to walk toward Him.  They tried to move faster and slowly tried to jog His way.  What they carried on their backs was limiting their ability to quickly get to Him.  All of a sudden their desire to get to Him outweighed the need to carry the pack.  They finally decided, and simultaneously realized, they didn't need to carry them anymore!  Together the people started to rip the packs off of their backs so they could sprint to Him.  They realized they just needed to get to Him.

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
    "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."

God wants to take off the pack you are carrying and give you rest.  When we fix our eyes on Him and allow Him to carry the burden for us, we will find rest.  The pack may remain full, full of worry, sickness, fear, hurt, brokenness, shame, hopelessness, etc.  If we can make a purposed decision to take off the pack and place it at His feet, He will give us rest!  When we fix our eyes on God and run to Him, we give Him permission to carry our burden.  We are not meant to carry it.  He paid the price so we wouldn't have to.  As we seek Him and find Him, we discover that He has lightened our packs.  God takes the burden and He fills us up with Peace.  Rest.  Joy.  Love.  Purpose.  Wisdom.  Hope.  New Vision.  New Dreams. 
Can we make a decision today to remove the pack that we carry, place it at His feet, and run to Jesus?  He wants to fill you with hope.

Psalm 55:22 NKJ
    "Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

What I saw this morning....

By Erin Paolercio

As I woke up, the first thought I had was, "More sleep please!!" The morning began, and I thought about what tasks were beckoning me: start the coffee, get the boys clothes ready, make their lunches, gets backpacks organized, etc, etc. Followed by other plans throughout the day, and upcoming week. Suddenly this phrase filled my heart, "You are forge a Spirit led path through the cycles of life." My heart quickened as I remembered the incredible moments of His presence I have been experiencing, especially over the past weeks and this weekend. I remembered the psalm Aimee declared over our church, and how what we have been praying for, crying out for....is in view. And I was able to then pause, and take in His truth and some thoughts I pray will bless your heart today.

Life & creation moves in cycles. The world turns, change, life grows & matures, we age, etc. Sometimes we especially feel this cycle within our own schedules as the hours flow into the next, the routines of daily life swing back around come morning. How about laundry?!? We know how that cycles...clothes get cleaned & folded and the next day they are smothered in chocolate pudding (if you have young kids lol). Women in general also have our lovely monthly cycle which,putting it nicely, is a challenge at times. ;). I could go on & on about cycles.... And yet, our amazing and beautiful God, who set life into motion, is not subject to the cycles of life. He does not bow down to the framework of time and routines. He rules over them, and sometimes invades them. I can't help but think of the scripture in Romans (8:20-21) that says,"The creation was subjected to frustration, not by it's own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.". By His truth I understand that though I am dealing with some of the frustrations that are a part of life, my God wants me to experience His "glorious freedom" within my heart. A glorious freedom declares, "I will forge a Spirit led path through the cycles of life."

In this path I see worship, praise, knowledge of Him, prioritized time in His presence, prayer, fellowship, edifying & encouraging those in my sphere and beyond....it goes on. Yes, the cycles of life may circle around us, but yet we are forging a path. I see this in the Wife of Noble Character, portrayed so beautifully in Proverbs 31. This whole description closes by acknowledging how. "A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.". How does a woman walk victoriously through the cycles, tasks, responsibilities...cycles of life? By fearing the Lord, honoring Him first, prioritizing His presence.....being able to joyfully "laugh at the days to come," as her children feel the overflow of that kind of joy (can I get an amen)?!?

In Psalm 34 David declares how he will "extol the Lord at ALL times," and how "His praise will ALWAYS be on my lips." Further he says in verse 5, "those who look to Him are radiant...". This past Friday night during our special night of worship, I kept hearing these words...."radiating glory.". I believe with all my heart that our church, the of Christ will experience His beautiful radiating glory in the days ahead.

Lord God, may I, we all, forge a Spirit-led path in the midst of all of life's cycles...lead us on by Your truth and presence. May our hearts be prepared and ready for all You desire to unfold to us personally and corporately. Thank You Lord for the awesome reminders You bring to our hearts everyday, and may our lives radiate Your beauty and glory!

By Erin Paolercio

 

Hebrews 12:28-29

 "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

Words cannot describe how awesome this past weekend was.  The sound of the Kingdom was truly released!!  I was so blessed to be a part of that time together, lifting up the name of the Lord in such an incredible way. I felt renewed, and was ready to soar higher than I ever have.

So Monday morning came, with incredible focus and passion within me.  I was able to be a part of a special prayer meeting where God continued speaking to my heart regarding our city and region.  Then Monday afternoon came, with a phone call.  My husband, shared some news with me about someone very close to our hearts.  The situation was desperate and nearly tragic, and quite honestly, shook me to the core.  My heart was broken, and the only thing I could do was cry out to God and let the tears flow.  My mind tried piecing together the cause, the reasons.  Then again, my heart said...."Seek His face."

Monday night came, with a very restless sleep.  The next day, more phone calls were made with conversations trying to give explanations and answers.  As the day went on, I felt this phrase rise up from within me, "unshakable Kingdom." Friday night Bishop Garlington shared his thoughts on sound, how it is "invasive, intrusive and irresistable."  He connected that same thought with the Kingdom of God.  As I was reminded of this, I added something to his three points...unshakable.

The Kingdom of God is unshakable.  The sound of the Kingdom is unshakable.  I was reminded that in this life, I will hear many "sounds."  I will hear the sound of this present world, which fights against everything God's truth stands for.  I will hear the sound of circumstance, which always carries unanswered questions.  And sometimes I will hear the sound of heartbreaking news, that touches someone I know and love.  These "sounds," are unstable, uncertain...shakable. 

And so, the unshakable truth remains and cries out through the darkness.  Within my being there is a Kingdom.  This Kingdom is ruled by the Spirit and presence of the Living God.  Within this Kingdom there is a sound, unshakable. It waivers not, it fails not.  It is the sound of truth, life, deliverance, healing and victory.  It is the sound of praise...it is the sound of worship unto the King of all Kings.  It is with this unshakable sound I can pray into shakable and uncertain situations.  It is by this Kingdom I can stand when everything is crumbling all around my feet.  It is with this unshakable faith I can walk through trials and know my God is with me...all the way.

By Amy Pasinski

We as women, are rarely without words.  I think it's pretty safe to say, we "always" have something to say!  If we don't say it out loud, we certainly don't hold back in our heads.  Words are the way in which we communicate to one another.  What happens then, when we have no words?  

I received a phone call from a friend, who's family was facing their darkest battle.  She poured her heart out to me, as I inwardly felt like I was going to vomit.  As she finished sharing her pain with me there was silence.  It was my turn to talk, but I couldn't produce any sound.  My mouth felt dry and empty.  I was at a complete loss for words.  My chest was pounding and my palms were sweaty.  All I could manage to utter was, "I'm so sorry.  I don't know what to say.  I'm praying."  She thanked me and hung up the phone.  I was in my bathroom, because it is the only place I can escape for a few minutes of silence.  As I stared at myself in the mirror, I felt angry.  "Why didn't you say something?  What is wrong with you?  You didn't offer her any encouragement or hope!"

"God!?" I cried out.  All I could say was, God?!  I was silent again.  My insides felt like they were forming knots.  My heart was still pounding and I began to cry.  I was at a complete loss for words.  I sat on the cold porcelain tile for a long time, silent.  God gently spoke a reminder to me. 

Romans 8:26-27 AMP    
    26 So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.  
    27And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is],    because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will. 

While I was without words, the Holy Spirit came to my rescue.  The infirmities of ourselves and those around us are many and great.  So great, that if left to ourselvees we would be overpowered by them.  Enter the Holy Spirit, as the enlightening Spirit, who teaches us how to pray, and what to pray for.  He is the wellspring of all desires toward God, which are often more than any words can utter.  The Spirit who searches our hearts, can perceive the mind and will of the Spirit and advocates our cause.  The Holy Spirit makes intercession on our behalf.  Our unspeakable yearnings and groanings are made known to God by His Spirit. 

If you feel you are without words, rest assured, He hears them.  The painful groaning that we can not articulate, God can.