Aliene

#66 Biblical Meditation

May 28, 2017 by Aliene

Biblical meditation is God’s prescription to help us “put on Christ” so we can live and give to others the way God intended.

In today’s podcast on iTunes Episode #66 learn more about biblical meditation and how this discipline can make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you. Just like you, I have distractions and disappointments that have the potential to derail me. In my busy world where my mind is prone to wander, Biblical meditation continues to be the tool that gives me the ability to take my thoughts captive so that I can stand firm in my faith.

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Renew Your Mind. Change Your Life.

May 22, 2017 by Aliene

This past summer our family went out to dinner at City Kitchen in Beaufort, North Carolina, to celebrate a special occasion.

Oh my, do I love that place!

We sat outside on a wrap-around porch with creaky, uneven floors on the second story of the home like a marina. Surrounded by water that held fishing boats and a sky emblazoned with a golden sunset, the amazing ambiance played heavy competition with our delicious dinner. Items gracing our plates included barbecued sweet potatoes, shrimp and grits, braised collards, and seared tuna straight from the waters of the Crystal Coast—one of my favorite places on earth.

Memories made around a restaurant table are just as special as those captured at home.

On the way home, my husband asked us to share what stood out to us the most from our experience at dinner. Each of us shared something different. As we paused to identify the special things at the heart of the evening and share our memories with one another, we relived our time together at City Kitchen.

Reflect, Remember, and Renew Your Mind

The Lord who created us tells us over and over again in his Word to reflect, remember and renew our minds to his Word. As he nourishes our heart with truth – our spiritual food, he encourages us to return to that truth over and over again.

Like a canvas covered with brushstrokes of various colors and shapes, our minds are filled with the fears, heartaches, joys, and victories of our life experiences. Each experience adds a new brushstroke, and over time these brushstrokes begin to form a landscape. Our landscape shapes the way we think and then determines how we act.

While some of our brushstrokes are beautiful, others swirl together to build confusion and deception in our minds.

Allow the Word to Transform Your Mind

God’s kingdom operates differently from this world. Rather than being molded by the world, we need to allow the Word to transform our minds.

Jesus knew we would face battles. He taught the truths and kingdom principles that would equip us to navigate through this world. And he commands us to renew and remember because in our daily lives, we are prone to forget and drift from truth.

Past events often shape our thought life—those things we see, hear, and experience in our everyday life.

While those are actual experiences, they may not line up with God’s truth.

He wants us to live Kingdom minded with his perspective, with our mind set and controlled by His Spirit to experience life and peace (Romans 8:5–8).

Remain Steady on His Truths

Think of renewing your mind this way: every new truth is like a new brushstroke to capture the landscape of his kingdom. By increasing the capacity of our landscape, we live in greater measure in accordance to the truths in his Word.

Just like a boat tied to its anchor, God wants our thoughts to remain steady on His truths for our lives.

God alone is our Anchor of Truth. As an anchor exists to secure a vessel so it ceases to wander, God’s Word secures our minds and hearts to Him no matter what currents or waves we may face during the day.

This is why the third step in the Nourish Bible Study Method called Renew is completely devoted to this discipline.

Want to find your purpose? Renew your mind.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:2

Nourish Scripture: Luke 8:1-15

Take the next step by downloading Nourishing Your Heart to discover the key to connecting with God’s Word in a way that transforms your life!

Finding Balance in a Busy World

May 20, 2017 by Aliene

You know how finding time to get everything done is a challenge? Some days I wish I could add more hours to my day.

Leaders living with intention and focus maximize their time.

Living in a Busy World

But in our world this is not easy. Our information age clutters our minds with information. Each day we are presented with many options to choose from of how to spend our time. Saying “no” vanishes from our vocabulary as if it’s a four letter word!

Women are busy. Some days just looking at my calendar makes me feel Claustrophobic.

How about you? Have you ever felt that way? Are you feeling that right now?

This week was one those weeks that was completely unproductive. I was not able to get back with people who called me. There was no personal satisfaction in completing my to-do list – IT GREW! Like walking on a treadmill with the highest incline, I felt like I was striving hard yet could not see myself really going anywhere. Frazzled, weary, and worn out with no traction to reach my goals, I was frustrated.

God Wants Us to Release Clutter

Our bodies are not designed to carry the weight of craziness that is going on in our world. God does not expect us to carry every load. Releasing loads helps us to carry what matters most to God’s heart and live with intention.

Releasing clutter creates room to receive God’s best so you can live directed instead of distracted and make a difference.

Understand this principle of releasing to receive and live with joy. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is sending out His disciples, and He gives them these important instructions:

“The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road.” Luke 10:1-4

Using this passage, the Holy Spirit highlighted four areas in my life to release to receive God’s best:

Release stuff. The disciples were being told to leave everything behind. Too much stuff clutters our lives. There is a joy in releasing things so that you can receive more time in your life. Pick a closet and get going!
Release good works that may not be God’s work. Stuff was not the only thing the disciples were asked to leave behind, they had to leave their prior obligations to pursue their God-given purpose. Release obligations in your life that may be good things, but might not be your God thing. So often we take up so much in the name of “good” we lose hold of the what God actually wants us to be holding and working on.
Release tasks through delegation. The disciples were sent out two by two. Give things to other people who will be able to do the job better and with their full heart. I have to keep learning this one – you know to take off my self-sufficient super woman cape and live in community like God has called us to do! Delegation is wisdom not weakness.
Release Social Media until you reach your first goals of the day. Jesus told the disciples “And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road.” That instruction caught my attention. Was Jesus saying that they were supposed to be anti-social? NO! Jesus was not advocating to be anti-social but He was telling His disciples to live with focus so they could reach their destination. Often my phone with tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram, texts that can derail me. Little yesses can lead to large distractions. The Lord used this passage to say to me: in the morning put your phone away, spend time in my presence, accomplish your first priority to do item and then get your phone!

Wise women live with intention by releasing to receive. Learn more by listening to today’s audio message below.

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Honesty before Jesus and Healing Walk Hand in Hand

May 15, 2017 by Aliene

She wondered if she would ever dance again. Closing her eyes, she remembered the days when she danced with a freedom that flowed from following close by her Savior. Her steps were ordered by the music he had written for her life before the beginning of time. Each note sang a tune of truth that guided her steps. It was the life she was created and redeemed to live.

But one day she failed and fell. And the music seemed to stop and her freedom before God faded away. Her failure entangled her feet (Hebrews 12:1-2). Another tune began to play in her mind. The enemy of her soul formed a new tune by twisting her sin to form notes of condemning lies. The more she paid attention to the deceptive music, the louder it grew. In shame, she began to hide from Jesus instead coming to him to get the help she needed.

What we hide cannot heal. Honesty before Jesus and healing walk hand in hand.

Can you relate to the woman in this story? I can. At times of great failure when I needed God the most, I hid instead of finding healing through the gift of confession.

It would take a season of brokenness to find this beautiful blessing: God does not desire my perfection or my righteous acts – he wants me just as I am.

Only Jesus Can Provide Healing

Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31–32)

Jesus came with the medicine of mercy and sought sinners because only he could make them well. His purpose was to bring not only forgiveness but also transformation through repentance. Only Jesus has the authority to forgive sins, and only he can heal us from our sins and transform our lives.

God wants intimacy with you, brave heart. Without authenticity, there is no intimacy. Come to him just as you are and bare your soul.
God wants to transform your heart. He’s not merely a rule maker – he’s a heart changer. Jesus died FOR your sins – AND to FREE you from them as you lay your failures at his feet.
God longs to help you find TRUE FREEDOM. Just as you would not hide an injury from a doctor – don’t hide from God what needs to heal. Only he can determine the root cause and heal you to FREE you.

Bring Your Sins to Jesus

Don’t condemn yourself for the sins you struggle with—bring them to Jesus, our Great Physician, through confession and ask him to transform you through the power of the Holy Spirit. He will heal you and set you free.

When we depend on Christ for our forgiveness and freedom from sin, we can walk away from the prison of guilt and experience his freedom and joy.

Confession also gives you the ability and understanding to forgive others more freely (Matthew 7:3). Confession ultimately yields authenticity and intimacy with God, freedom from perfectionism, and reliance on Christ to transform and restore you. (Hebrews 4:14–16).

“Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” Hebrews 4:14–16 MSG

As you bring your faults to him through confession and declare your dependence on him, he will lead you to repentance. Then trust and follow the voice of your Great Shepherd. As you abide in him, he will continually prune those branches that are not bearing fruit so that you can grow. This is a lifetime process.

Jesus knows your humanity; he recognizes your shortcomings. He is not shocked by your failures. He is not ashamed of you. He understands. When you fall and are hurting, Jesus is there to help you, not condemn you.

Recognizing your weaknesses can be one of your greatest strengths when you see it as a door to depending on Jesus.

ONWARD!

Nourish Scripture: Ruth 3:1-4:12

Take the next step by downloading Nourishing Your Heart to discover the key to connecting with God’s Word.

The Crown

May 8, 2017 by Aliene

The weight of the historic golden crown ordained with jewels settled on her head but seemed to reach into her soul. At age twenty-five, Elizabeth of Windsor would never be the same. The crown not only rested on her head but also embraced the core of her being. The princess became a queen. With this new identity, the crown would not only grace her head but would also guide her every step . . . and her destiny.

The Weight of the Crown

And as I watched the series The Crown on Netflix, I was fascinated with how the crown impacted Elizabeth’s life and decisions—it carried greater weight than even her family. One scene caught my attention in particular. After her father’s early death, as Elizabeth faced the magnitude of becoming queen at age twenty-five, her grandmother wrote these words of wisdom to her:

While you mourn your father, you must also mourn someone else. Elizabeth Mountbatten. For she has now been replaced by another person. Elizabeth Regina (Regina is Latin for queen). The two Elizabeth’s will frequently be in conflict with each other. The fact is the crown must win. Must always win. (Episode 2, Season 1, The Crown, Netflix)

Let that statement just settle in your heart a bit. The crown must win. Your new identity as queen must win. Embracing who you are over who you were must lead the way.

Elizabeth would need to intentionally embrace this new reality and let the crown reign through her choices. Reign over her desires. Reign over her feelings. Reign over her inadequacies. Reign over her past and future. Reign over her purpose. She no longer lived for herself. The crown—her new identity—reigned in her heart.

How the Crown Relates to Our Identity

This is the very essence involved in embracing our authentic core identity, a process that is at the heart of the Christian life.

You see, brave heart, the death of Jesus Christ allows him to reign in you. When you accepted his offer of salvation, you became a queen crowned with far greater treasure than Elizabeth’s earthly crown. You are crowned with Jesus’ righteousness for a purpose beyond yourself.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. (Romans 8:17 NLT)

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

For Christ to reign in our life, his crown must reign in the core of our being. This is not selfishness or pride. This is embracing the reality of who we are in Christ.

For years, I struggled with my identity, a struggle that gave way to some unhealthy choices. Things began to improve when I understood more about authentic core identity. You too can make this shift by allowing the crown to win in your thoughts and faith and in the core of who you are.

The Battle between Our Identities

Much as the two Elizabeths would wrestle, our old and new identities battle in our heart. But Jesus fights for our heart and the battle is won as we surrender to the crown that is rightfully ours by embracing the words he writes on our heart through faith.

This is why we incorporate authentic core identity into the Respond step of the Nourish Bible Study Method.

Embracing Our Authentic Core Identity

So, what do I mean by embracing authentic core identity?

Embracing authentic core identity is agreeing in your heart by faith with God’s blueprint for your life and how he sees you.

Only by seeking your Creator can you uncover your true identity. Finding your core identity is not about frantically striving to be someone, but surrendering to God by allowing his Word to define the purpose for which you were created.

This is a precious treasure to guard by faith against outside influences…

What others say
Your circumstances
Your actions
Your past
Your feelings
How others treat you
Worldly standards

…so you can truly give to others by embracing all God has created you to be.

Part of your authentic core identity is who you are as God’s child with your life hidden in Christ. It is also the specific purpose your heavenly Father designed for you before you were born to bring him glory (Ephesians 2:10). Embracing the unique way he has made you and the spiritual gifts he has given you to support your purpose is also a part of embracing your authentic God-given identity (Romans 12:1–8; Psalm 139:13–14).

Authentic core identity is a deep topic and one I will discuss in greater detail in our podcast and video teaching message this week. Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes to listen and our YouTube channel to watch.

And today, may you remember the treasure you are. Whatever happens, brave heart—hold your head high. Carry the crown in the core of your being as you embrace your identity in Christ.

ONWARD!

Nourish Scripture: Romans 8:1-17

Take the next step by downloading Nourishing Your Heart to discover the key to connecting with God’s Word in a way that transforms your life.

Holy Holdup

May 1, 2017 by Aliene

Have you ever thought of the holdups in your life as holy hedges of protection? Consider this—during holy holdups, the Holy Spirit is hovering and working on your behalf behind the scenes to build something beautiful.

This is an area where I have to continually renew my mind. But I have learned that in the resting and the waiting—those times in our lives when prayers don’t seem to be answered and we cannot see God working—the Holy Spirit hovers to bring forth a great work of God.

God Is a Master Planner

God created the world with the precision and order of a Master Planner.

Before there were plants, there had to be light to support the plants.
Before there was man, there had to be plants to nourish man.

Nothing was out of order—one step was completed before the next began. His timing was always perfect. And God hasn’t changed. Just as he was the Master Planner of creation, he is building our lives according to his divine purpose and detail.

Sometimes when the Holy Spirit is hovering, I want to hurry and take matters into my own hands—and I get out of step with the Holy Spirit. Worry and anxiety set in.

When there are holdups in my life and I don’t see God working just yet—how would my attitude change if I consider these holdups to be holy?

Each Holy Holdup Serves a Purpose

The Holy Spirit was hovering over a nothingness blob before it turned into something beautiful (Genesis 1:1). When all I see are blobs, may I remember that the Holy Spirit is hovering and has a plan to create something beautiful. When I want to run ahead of God and make things happen, may I remember that the holdup is often a hedge of protection—a gathering of carefully planned provisions from the Master Planner. Rest and trust give us salvation. Often quietness is our strength (Isaiah 30:15).

God is working his master plan and his timing is perfect. Thank God today for the provision, planning, protection, and divine purpose that come from a Holy Holdup!

Nourish Scripture: Genesis 1

Discover how to connect with God’s Word in a way that transforms your life. Download Nourishing Your Heart today!

Mountains Can Move

February 27, 2017 by Aliene

That overwhelming mountain before you…the one that is unsettling your soul. You don’t have to handle it on your own.

“Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘ May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.” Mark 11:22-25

The Problem with Complaining

Sometimes I get distracted and drag doubt like a dark cloud over my eyes of faith by complaining about the mountain instead of speaking to it.

Instead of addressing the mountain through prayer, I choose to just walk around it, grumbling all the way.

I may even throw a pity party and invite a friend or two along. But this never solves my problems. Instead, it adds fuel to them because it turns my focus and faith on the problem instead of Jesus.

Beware, brave heart, as you behold the mountain before you. Complaining brings doubt into the equation and never equals a good result.

Mountains Move at Prayer Parties

Reaching out for godly counsel is wise, but be careful that you don’t end up just sharing your complaints with a friend, and end up going around and around the mountain repeatedly. “But she understands me!” you may want to say. This may be true, but she can’t meet your needs. Only Jesus can do that.

Mountains move at prayer parties not pity parties. When girlfriends gather to pray, great things happen for God’s glory.

Gather your friends, pray together and watch mountains move! Who will you reach out to today?

Nourish Scripture: Mark 11:12-25

Download Nourishing Your Heart to learn how to connect with God’s Word in a way that transforms your life!

Holy Ground

February 13, 2017 by Aliene

It was holy ground—the place where God’s spoken words revealed Moses’ purpose to him. The burning bush grabbed Moses’ attention . . . but it was God’s word’s that captured his heart. Every syllable was sacred. His words were living and active. They became reality. They shaped Moses’ identity. They changed his life and would in turn change the lives of others.

Standing on Holy Ground

What is your God-given purpose?

When you seek God’s plan by approaching him through the Bible—as Moses approached God’s presence in the burning bush—you too are standing on holy ground. The Holy Spirit will reveal God’s words . . . his plan for you . . . to your heart.

Your purpose brings value to this world and glorifies God. God is the author of your story. He is the only one who can write those words on your heart.

You are a treasure. God created you to shine by reflecting his glory as you turn your heart to his.

God’s Words Are Holy

The words God whispers to your heart are holy, for they are his. Guard them. They are meant to write your story so the greatest story—the gospel of Jesus Christ—can be told by your life.

Don’t ever trample on the holy ground of your God-given purpose by giving more weight to the words of other people than to God’s.

Stay close to God by meditating on the Bible so his words are the loudest. So they drown out words from others—and even from yourself—that would contradict God’s Word or distract you from your God-given purpose. His words are a sacred trust. They are the framework for the holy ground in which seeds of the gospel may be planted for others to see Christ. Don’t argue with others or defend yourself.

The great I AM is calling you, dear friend, and that is enough.

Nourish Scripture: Exodus 3

Take the next step and download Nourishing Your Heart to discover the key to connecting with God’s Word.