This is Knot-the Problem

 “... that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 (AKJV)

 Bella is my Sheltie; her name is Italian for beautiful and she is aptly named because this is the first thing everyone notices about her. A major reason Shelties are attractive is their long, silky fur, but because it is thick, it gets knotted easily. The other day as I was grooming Bella, she kept wiggling so much that I couldn’t brush her and I knew she was getting frustrated with how long her “beauty treatment” was taking and honestly, so was I!

I was ready to give up but it was then that the Lord whispered to my heart: “Do you know that you do that too, Sandy? Your life gets tangled up and you get impatient and run away when I try to comb out the knots.”  I realized that He was right. You see Bella’s fur tends to get matted and getting out the knots is time consuming and anxiety-filled, but there is no other way to unravel the mat. It would be much easier to just cut out the mats, but if I cut out every mat that she gets, she’d be nearly hairless.

Occasionally the mats are so bad that I do cut them out, but usually she must stand still while I work them out. She is never happy when I get out the comb, however, for the most part she lies there patiently, but only for so long; then it becomes too much and she gets up and runs to another room. Of course, this only delays the inevitable, but being a dog, she doesn’t understand, but as her master I know the knots have to go or they’ll get worse.

How often do we do this with God? Our season is unpleasant and our lives get tangled, so we come to God and ask for His help. He starts to comb and detangle but we keep getting up and going to another “room”, far away from the Groomer! Occasionally He just takes the mats away, but more often than knot, (I couldn’t resist) removing the tangles in our lives is a process, one that we must willingly sit under.

 In this unprecedented season you may feel like you’ve “remained” as long as you can bear…you are no longer able to walk out your usual activities or enjoy most of your relationships…in a sense you and I have been called to stand still too, for a time. But we must continue to choose to remain in the place we find ourselves as the Father uses our “stillness” to unknot various areas of our life…like I do for Bella…only infinitely better!

Now admittedly some of Bella’s knots are just from her daily existence of being a dog, but other times she goes into the woods and gets jiggers in her fur, however either way, she needs help to get them out. I’ve learned that our life’s tangles are the same way; some are just par for the course of being human and other mats we bring on by poor choices. But God is merciful, He patiently helps us every time we get all knotted up, whether they were through no fault of our own or if they occurred while we were chasing things that led us to places we should never have been in the first place.

Not only does He help us, He also knows when we have had all the “beauty treatments” we can stand and He lays down the comb and lets us go. Yes, it lengthens the process, but He knows that we are merely humans, who are prone to tangle and likely to wiggle. So, He waits, calling our name, His hands stand ready to help and His heart longs to embrace us and the absolute best part is that all the while He is detangling the mess of our lives, His hands never leave us! He who calls us is faithful to finish the work He has begun in you and me! What a joyous promise that is ours in this season of anxiety and the great unknown! 

Well, I’ve gotta go, He’s calling my name again; it must be time for my next beauty treatment!

Father, Thank You for loving us despite the tangles in our life. Please come and help us trust You enough to stand still as You continue to work out the knotted messes we have made. Come work in us during this season of “stillness” and please remind us Lord that all the while You detangle our life; Your loving hands never leave us in this season or any that are to come. Amen

Master Surgeon

The huge yellow crane came crashing down onto the building, leaving devastation everywhere. This was a building demolition. I stood quietly and watched as the structures I had frequented were leveled. I remembered visiting these businesses over the past few years. Everyone knew that a change was needed; ceilings were stained, walls were rough looking and the floors were uneven. The stores were coming down so something new could be built; it was considered progress, but I couldn’t help but wonder if there had been a better way.

Again and again the crane’s steel claw plunged indiscriminately into the tottering buildings. The crane operator sank his bucket down deep and then hoisted it up, then he dropped building “slices” into heaps that were grouped by material; concrete, iron, drywall and the like. I silently watched the demolition and wondered if everything of value had already been removed and I pondered at the violence of the process.

Thankfully it wasn’t long until Papa God whispered to me “Do not fear little one, I never deal with you in such an uncaring way.” And He began to show me how the steel bucket seemed to plunge down without any regard for the damaged building….everything was coming down, nothing was to remain. But then He showed me a new “picture” of a highly skilled surgeon who carefully, painstakingly did micro surgery…where only what was damaged was touched. And instantly my heart soared at the precise care of our Master Surgeon as it saturated my heart that day; I sensed His great unconditional love as it flooded down, the weight of it bowing my head and shoulders and bringing unexpected tears. Oh how He loves you and me!

The Master Creator who knit you and I in our mother’s womb sees every aspect of our lives and He fully knows what needs removed and what merely needs strengthened. There is nothing hidden from our Father’s all seeing eye, He perceives the good, bad and the really ugly and yet He loves! I am so incredibly thankful that He deals with us as His beloved children and not like a broken structure that needs discarded so something better can come along.

Dear one, He values you TODAY, just the way you are! Are there places that need to be removed or strengthened? Absolutely and it is precisely because He values you that He will move heaven and earth to bring those changes. But child of God, please know that He doesn’t come like the indiscriminate crane or the devastating wrecking ball, but rather like the steady hand of the highly skilled surgeon whose ultimate goal is healing, wholeness and a more abundant life!

Today may we choose to stand still and trust that the Master Surgeon sees us in our entirety and will only precisely remove what needs to go and then lovingly strengthen what needs to grow! 

We present ourselves to You Holy Father with submissive, peaceful hearts for we can fully trust in Your all seeing eye to miss nothing, Your wholly capable hands to bring needed change and most of all Your loving heart that is intentionally, continually crafting us for our betterment and blessing! We are Yours and our hearts respond to the touch of Your workings in our lives!,


Richest Blessings,
Sandy

THE CHAIR

Today I sit in The Chair that I’ve dreaded for months. Thankfully the Father whispers to me and I eagerly lean into Him for His comforting presence, His wisdom and for a welcome distraction from all that lies ahead.

As we sit in The Chair gripping the arm rests, we usually ask ourselves;  “How did I end up here willingly?”  Our first step is trust. And in the beginning trust may be based on other’s opinions but eventually it rests on our own personal past experience. i.e. What have our previous interactions been like? Is this person towering over us trustworthy?

The second step is a willingness to submit to time in The Chair…to stay seated when everything in you wants to run away, but you trust this person to know what is needed, even if it hurts! And if you have confidence in him or her, then you must believe that they know what they’re doing. You must assume that they are for you and have only your best interests at heart. If you fully trust them…then you will stay and submit. This is especially true when you recognize that you simply cannot take care of your problem without them, so you remain…even when your heart yearns to run because your time in The Chair has been extended or painful.

Sometimes as you’re waiting, other people go by and from your vantage point in The Chair their life seems great and you long to run and join them…but the truth is almost everyone has their time in The Chair and for all you know, they too may be heading inside for their moment (or season) in The Chair and it could be more arduous than yours.

What is The Chair? It could be many things but this time in the natural it was the dentist chair for me and I have to admit my time in it was extended, nerve-wracking and somewhat painful. It’s not always that way, but this time it was. Honestly though, I wouldn’t trade it because it was in these moments where he had my undivided attention that Papa God whispered to my anxious heart. Come and join our conversation.

He whispered that similar to our dental experience, that there are broken or dying places in our lives and He longs for us to trust Him and to submit to His plans and paths to deal with those areas. This is true even when our paths seem blocked with obstacles or when the loss and disappointment over these damaged areas sap even our will to keep believing. But because we know Him, we must choose to believe that He is for us and that He fully knows what He’s doing in calling us to The Chair. We must have confidence that He has our very best interests in mind and He has a marvelous plan for our lives… the time in The Chair is to help us get ready for that wonderful plan and for all that His loving heart envisions for us! I know, maybe it isn’t marvelous quite yet…but He’s still working!

Dear one, do you find yourself in The Chair today? Maybe it’s a chair that He’s using to remove anger, selfishness or pride from your life. Perhaps He’s calling you to The Chair to strip away fear or unforgiveness.  Whatever the reason, I can’t say I’ve ever found my time in The Chair to be enjoyable, but if He’s made a divine appointment, then it’s always productive and eventually healing.

Now in the natural the dentist estimates how much you can bear and makes a way of escape (i.e. shots) then he waits until the shots have taken effect before moving to the actual task to be done. But infinitely better, our loving Creator knows exactly what we need to bear the removal of whatever is damaged or dying in our lives. God brings important things to lessen our pain…but we don’t always see it that way. We feel the prick of the needle and we start questioning Him…if only we understood that the prick was to avoid the far greater pain as He cuts away the decaying places within. It is His eternal kindness that brings the needle, the scalpel or even the dreaded drill. And He knows just how much we can bear…so He steps back and lets the prick do its best work and waits for us to be ready. Thankfully, He never leaves our side and He only removes what will actually bring harm to us.

There are many lessons we can learn from our time in The Chair. Here are seven.

1. You can say no. Our Father never forces anyone to The Chair. He knows that you need it and that if left untreated the issue will only grow and become more painful…but you must come willingly.

2. God can be wholeheartedly trusted with broken or fragile things! Since the beginning of time until this very moment, He has never, ever failed a single person and He’s not about to start with you!

3. He is incessantly for us and is continually working things out for our eventual good and wholeness (His actual reason for The Chair).

4. His love and care are NEVER interrupted by any time we spend in The Chair. Love and care are the DNA of what actually is taking place in The Chair even though we don‘t always recognize it at the moment.

5. Submitting to time in The Chair is an act of intimate love between us and our all-knowing Creator. He is NOT angry with you and His touch is as tender as is Godly possible while still removing what is broken.

6. In The Chair is a good time to ask “How did I end up here?” Listen carefully and then act accordingly. But you may ask; “IF He loves me, then why did I end up here?” Just like with a cavity, sometimes it’s something that we did or should’ve done but didn’t do (Read: floss, floss, floss lol) but other times we end up in The Chair because of something others have done or even when it’s no one else’s fault. Of course no matter who is to blame it still hurts to need broken places repaired or removed but sometimes we can avoid future (or follow-up) appointments in The Chair by following His plan (Read: Obedience).

7. He is never closer to us than when we are in The Chair. Just think how close the dentist gets to us to do his work…God is even closer, for His holy work is from within! So if He calls you to The Chair know that His heart is for you and His Hand brings healing and wholeness, even if it hurts some in the process. He works with His all-seeing eye on your past, present and future and “He who has begun a good work (in you) will complete until the very last day” before He calls you to Himself.

Sweet Blessings,

Sandy Anderson

FINISH WELL

Ever been watching a highly publicized race where there is a clear favored to win individual and that person falters just near the finish line and loses the race? I have, it’s sad.

Did you know that we’ve all been running a race ourselves?  It’s called 2016. Some of us have run well and others have struggled to stay on the designated course. But either way we are all nearing the end of that race. We each have about 11 days in which to finish well.

May we capitalize on every opportunity that 2016 (and the Lord) affords us to finish well.

May we:

Love deeply without regard if it will be returned.

Forgive completely even though it costs us profoundly.

Serve wholeheartedly where there is no hope of reciprocation.

Bless those who have wounded or disappointed us.

Lavish grace and mercy on those who (like us) don’t deserve it.

Give generously and sacrificially to all that cross our paths.

Warmly embrace those who don’t look, act or think like we do.

Choose once again to think the best of our fellow man.

Pray fervently that the greatest changes will begin in us instead of assuming that others need the modification more.

Reconnect fully with those who been distanced by virtue of miles, care or opportunity.

Dare to trust that the Father we love and the God we serve is GREATER than any and every thing that is behind and of all that lies ahead. Indeed, He is the capable keeper and powerful redeemer of every burden and disappointment of 2016 and He is the singularly trustworthy One who can protect and multiply every blessing that has been gifted to us this year.

Yes, our race in 2016 is drawing to a close; only eleven short days remain, but don’t be fooled for they will be brimming with chances and choices!  May we intentionally choose to fully utilize every chance to be His good children, to bring Him honor for we have born of the One who is worthy of every moment that has passed through our hands, those remaining in 2016 and of those that lie ahead into the unknown of 2017.

I’m intending to invest the remaining days of 2016 to honor the One who has gifted me with life. I’m purposing to finish well with His help and for His glory…I hope you are too! God speed dear runners!

Rich Blessings,

Sandy Anderson

A Warrior’s Love

A recent song by Jesus Culture; “Your Love Is Fierce” made me think about God’s extreme love this morning. Some of the lyrics include “Like a tidal wave crashing over me…Rushing in to meet me here…Your love is fierce!”

I love that! Think about how a tidal wave doesn’t wait for anything to come to it, it just sweeps in crashing over everything in its path. His love for us is like that, it overwhelms all that we are and lifts us and “up-ends” us by its depth and power and carries not only us, but every situation and circumstance facing us.

If you’ve only experienced the tender facet of God’s love that Matthew 11:29 talks about, where Jesus promises “… I am gentle and humble in heart…” then you are missing out on a bold and powerful side of who God really is. Don’t get me wrong He IS gentle and loves us with incredible tenderness, but there is also an aspect of God’s nature and love that comes in like a tidal wave crashing over us, rushing to meet us wherever we find ourselves today.

I think we get comfort from the tender quality of Jesus; along with our mistaken idea about the “predictable” side of Jesus, but don’t miss the fact that He is also a mighty warrior! I don’t know about you, but if I am facing a formidable enemy I‘m not hoping for tenderness, I’m scanning the horizon for a mighty warrior to come to my aid!  And when need be Jesus is fully that; He is a warrior that possesses no weakness, has no equal and never holds back any of the unimaginable passion He has for those He fiercely loves!

He is unpredictable and awe inspiring and honestly a little (a lot) scary. This is the Creator of the universe, the Holy One, the righteous King and the Almighty God. He has no equivalent, no rival and no peer. And if you don’t enter His holy presence with a little trepidation then you just don’t understand who you are dealing with.  He is breathtaking, splendid and fearsome all at the same time!

But remember, His warrior nature is fully for us and we are the passion of His heart and the apple of His eye. He can be loved, though not fully understood. He can be worshiped though not entirely comprehended. He can be trusted, though not fully grasped. If you feel weak today and unable to carry the burdens of life or if you are afraid of what lies ahead for you, then throw caution to the wind and step into the path of the Warrior’s love that can lift you up, carry every burden and quiet each fear. His mighty heart is for you…His all-seeing eye perceives you and His matchless love covers you, clothes you and completes you.

Close your eyes and picture standing at the shore as powerful waves crash over you…that’s like the inescapable love the Warrior God has for you.  His love is relentless, persistent and beyond human understanding…but He comes rushing to meet you where you are today!

Oh that we would lean in and let His fierce and passionate love envelop us today!

Sweet Blessings,

Sandy

Cornerstone Church Family,

Before Lee and I transitioned out of Cornerstone, I had hoped to catch each person, to look you in the eye and tell you exactly what it has meant to our lives to be a part of this family, but unfortunately we just couldn’t connect with everyone. If we missed you, please forgive us, it was not our intention!

 Although tears flowed freely that final Sunday, I was clearly reminded in your precious faces of the ultimate reason for being a shepherd: loving amazing people and hopefully equipping them to better love and become more like Jesus. I saw in your countenances the love of Christ week after week and I am so thankful that the Father planted Lee and I to walk out the first two years of my pastoral calling there…it has been our clear joy and outstanding privilege to do so!

Words fail me to fully express the depth of our gratitude for the opportunity to live life together with you - knowing and loving each of you have been some of the most precious treasures we have ever experienced! Thank you for letting us serve with you - it has been a delight and honor and we are so much better for having shared our lives with yours! While we will sorely miss seeing you on a regular basis, we know that you are in good hands with your pastoral team who watches diligently over you.

In the coming months I hope you will remember our time there affectionately, as we certainly will. Please pray for us…we are not sure what the Father has for us in this next season, but we do know that all that lies before us will be built upon the foundation of love and ministry we experienced there at Cornerstone. You will always hold an incredibly special place in our hearts and we will continue to pray for you and hopefully get to hear about some of the amazing things that God will do in and through this wonderful church family!

For any who want to stay in touch, we’d like that. You can reach me at sandy.lee.anderson@gmail.com and Lee at paul.lee.anderson@gmail.com .

I am truly thankful that although we are now separated by distance and ministry location, we all love and labor for the same Lord Jesus Christ - to Him be the glory now and forever! May the Father who passionately loves you, watch over you, guiding you into His perfect plan for each of your precious lives…ultimately bringing Him great glory and an expansion to His glorious kingdom!

This is the pastoral blessing I pray over each of you today.

Father, I come to You in the matchless name of Jesus and I lift up this precious church family to You. Lord, You fully know their every need, You see each place where they are strong and gifted and You also know every area where they need Your power and guidance the most. Bless them by always being their Good Shepherd who will release their gifts for Your glory and bind up their wounds for their restoration. 

 Father God I pray that You would confirm Your great love for them, help them to walk out each day of their life in the shadow of that unconditional love. Bless them Father not to miss a single facet of the amazing plan You have for them. Let every purpose of their lives be fully realized as they yield more and more of who they are into Your capable hands.

Finally Father, please bless them with a passionate desire to share You with those around them, for it is only as we share You with our watching world that we can fully understand our ultimate reason for being…the Great Commission.

Lord please continue to bless their pastors and leaders with wisdom and guidance to abundantly care for this flock who is both a passion for You and a priceless gift from You and remind the flock to faithfully intercede for the shepherds who lovingly watch over them. May all be done in Your time and for Your glory. Amen

Much Love and Prayers,

Pastor Sandy and Lee Anderson

Note: For my readers who are not from my Cornerstone church family, my husband and I recently transitioned out of this amazing church but were not able to catch everyone our last Sunday there, so I am using this space to speak to them and share a final blessing. Thank you for your understanding and for your prayers for this next season of ministry! ~Sandy

Some of you have requested a real time link to my upcoming sermon, so here it is: Go to www.cornerstone.ag  . You will see a link in the upper left corner called "Watch Live" you click there to listen to the entire church service which will begin at 11:05 on THIS Sunday, July 26th. The sermon usually begins by 11:30.
 
If you'd like, you can leave Cornerstone comments through the "First Time Viewer" tab or leave us a prayer request at our "Prayer Request" tab. Both are found in the "Watch Live" area.

May you experience the joy of God's ever abiding presence in your life this week as you explore the new life He has given you! 

“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14

New Life

 

Life and it's many experiences have a tendency to dry up our reserves and leave us empty. In John 4 Jesus met the woman at the well while the disciples were off getting take-out.

She had tried to quench the longings of her heart with a string of “gone wrong” relationships. She was parched and yearning for something lasting that she could depend on. Perhaps others had vowed to stay with her-but on that hot afternoon she was alone and empty.

Hope probably seemed far away…and then came Jesus! He offered to quench her thirst with something that would bring satisfaction in this life and for eternity. I imagine that it seemed too good to be true and yet hope springs eternal so she took the cup He offered-a cup overflowing with new eternal life and almost immediately it began to spring up touching those around her.

 That’s how it is for us too! We may be searching for something that is missing in life, we may find ourselves in a dry and lonely place…but Jesus is crossing our path TODAY so everything can change! And if you’ve already had that initial conversation then praise Jesus you’ve begun to experience that new life already!

Thankfully the life that He gives will never fall to the ravages of time…it will remain eternally fresh and new! We will spend all of eternity exploring the limitlessness of our new life and our new Love! Praise God! 

Today, ask Jesus to give you opportunities to let that new life overflow into the lives around you and then watch as Jesus changes everything in you and in them…now and for eternity!

Blessings,

Sandy