Third Day's Impact on a Life

"I've Always Loved You"

I don't know how to explain it

But I know that words will hardly do

Miracles with signs and wonders

Aren't enough for me to prove to you

Don't you know I've always loved you

Even before there was time

Though you turn away

I'll tell you still

Don't you know

I've always loved you

And I always will

Greater love has not a man

Than the one who gives his life to prove

That he would do anything

And that's what I'm going to do for you

I love this song from Third Day because it reminds me how much God loves me and the lengths He is and was willing to go to- to show me His love.

So, what's your favorite Third Day song? Leave a comment or email me Brittney@hisradiowrtp.com. And don't forget the Wednesday night concert in Fayetteville at 7:00. Tix are still available through our website. Head back to the hisradiowrtp.com homepage for more details!

When Anger Makes More Sense...

The last few days I have been inspired by people who could very easily be angry at God- sandbaggers on the Red River, a family member whose son was killed during the Pinelake nursing home tragedy... People who could have chosen to blame, but have instead chosen to seek the comfort only God can give.

Weary residents of Fargo took a break on Sunday. It was a well-deserved break from the sandbagging they've been doing for a week now. No one cared how they were dressed for the Sunday service- they were just thankful that they had something to wear. With their homes' security in question, what is truly "valuable" takes on new meaning. Sturdy shoes for work are what is most important- and now worship. People met and prayed in a circle at Fargo's First Assembly Church singing hymns and asking for God's divine intervention. Putting faith in the God of Creation who can controls the waters.

Jerry Avent is a resident at the Pinelake facility in Carthage. His son Jerry Jr. was the nurse who was killed. And his body showed that he used it to shield others from shots. When talking about his son's death Jerry Sr. looked directly at the camera and said, "The doctors called him a hero. The Bible tells us in John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

When we look at these situations from the outside, we see pain and tragedy. But from the inner circle there's another story. We see the horror, but these people closest to the pain are worshipping. What a strange and wonderful irony.

Get Closer to God- For Just $4.95!!

I've heard the saying "prayer changes us, so we can change things." If that is the case then there are some pretty "holy" computers out there. Information Age Prayer is a site that charges you a monthly fee to say prayers for you. A typical charge is $4.95 per month to say three prayers specified by you each day. So if you miss your devotional time, no harm, an automated voice can do it for you!

I can't help but be reminded of Deuteronomy 11, the passage about focusing on the law of the Lord: "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up...so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth." (Deut. 11:18-21) God desires our conscious attention which costs us our time, but not a $4.95 fee!

Check out the story at:
http://http//www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510788,00.html

"I Love My Sin"

Everyone has their favorite sin. As much as I hate to admit it, I like to worry. It keeps my mind occupied when I'm folding laundry or doing dishes. It's so second nature that most of the time I don't recognize that I'm worrying until I've finished wringing my hands about something. "Concerned" has a nice ring to it, so I prefer that term, but stressed and "freaked out" also work! Yeah, it runs in my family line. For some worry is so entrenched in their personalities I can't imagine who they'd be without their "worry." Really, who would I be without my "worry?" It's comfortable. It's also something so repulsive that it makes people wonder whether we really are Christians- or worse- yet not want to become one. There is nothing sadder than a joy-less Christian. I don't want to be one.

Sunday at our church was a day of prayer and repentence. We've always heard that repentence is not just being sorry for sin, but actually changing our ways. Pastor Dwayne gave an illustration of a murderer telling a judge, "I'm sorry I killed that guy. I know it was wrong, but I'll probably do it again." Murder, adultery, stealing.... These are physical sins that seem to me so much easier to decisively give up- and never turn back. But worry, how can I confess my joy-sucking sin and Never turn back? Is this even possible?

I memorized that popular verse as a girl, "Be anxious for nothing..." (Phillipians 4: 6 and 7.) The second half of that verse says that prayer is the remedy for anxiety and worry. No one is perfect, or can be perfect on this side of heaven, but I have to believe that worry is something serious to God and that He is able to give permanent victory. I just have so many other sins that one lifetime isn't long enough for me to recognize them all and work on each and every one.

Matthew chapter 6 has a lot to say about worry, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:27.) Science shows us that in fact worry can lead to premature death. The chapter also talks about not worrying about what we will eat, drink or wear... Ugh- that sounds an awful lot like worrying about the economy. How do I take something seriously, discuss it and not "worry" about it? How do I head off worry before it starts? Is it okay to "worry to God" in prayer.

I'm still working through this but I know the first step is changing "I love my sin" into "I hate my sin."

How has God helped you overcome worry? What comfort is God bringing you right now?

Finding God in Friendraiser

Like most people I'm not really a fan of asking for money. During an event like Friendraiser I don't want anyone to accuse me of "hyping it up" even though I know I am guilty of it at times. I want God to be visible and be the real reason that people give to His Radio.

Since I'm being really "real" here, I might as well admit that coming into Friendraiser this year I had faith smaller than a mustard seed (Let's call it "un-faith") that we would meet our goal. The negativity of the news about the economy has weighed me, and many of us, down. Although tough times often bring people to their knees, statistics show people are not going to church more (like they did following September 11th.) I was skeptical that Friendraiser would finish so well, let alone 1 and 1/2 days early! Praise God he is above and over our economy!

This past week has been a wonderful faith journey for me. At one point "Robin" called in and said that listening to His Radio is bringing her husband along spiritually- where he's never been before. She had her car radio set to His Radio. He didn't change it! Robin can see a difference in him just from that one decision.

After Robin called I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to add "Fireproof" to our prize stack. "Fireproof" is a great movie that has helped thousands of marriages and challenged many in their faith. But for me just randomly blurting out on the air that we "needed to" add this prize is not something I would normally do. In fact, even though the prize pack went to someone else, Jim (who was on the air) made sure a copy of the movie got out to Robin and her husband that day! I don't know why, but I'm sure God does!

There were other wonderful things that happened this week. Random prayer times. Phone volunteers stretching to hold hands across the table in prayer. Mark (Station Manager) quietly went back behind some equipment in the back and prayed.

So much of what happened behind the scenes this week during Friendraiser gave God glory and encouraged my faith.

Only "Good" Change

Over the past year we have heard so much about the need for "change" in our country. After spending a week in my small Iowa hometown, the "unchanged" never looked so good. Visiting my old elementary school (with hallways decorated in black and white photos of graduates going back to the 1920s.) Eating mom's home cooking. Attending the church where I was married and attended since I was five. Being lulled to sleep by the same trains I heard go by the home I lived in since I was two. These things just "fit", like the perfect pair of jeans.

At the same time there were some some significant changes to my childhood home. My old elementary school has been renovated to become handicap accessible. The church where I grew in my faith has added a gym (roughly doubling the size of the building) to reach out to children in the Awana program. In both of these cases the change has been to provide access to new groups of people who wouldn't otherwise be able to enjoy their ministry or service. In the same way His Radio is growing and expanding to reach out to listeners in Fort Bragg/Fayetteville/Cumberland County through the 90.1 FM signal... people who wouldn't otherwise receive the encouragment of Family Friendly His Radio. The change and expansion has required great financial sacrifice and many long meetings.

His Radio doesn't look the same as it did last year during Friendraiser and this change is a good thing. Thank you for taking the best of His Radio which has been around for over 20 years and supporting our growth as we take the love of Jesus to more people. To support His Radio during Friendraiser, just go back to our His Radio homepage and look for "Friendraiser: Click Here to Give." Thanks from all of us at His Radio for your support!

Negotiating the Non-negotiables

by Erik for Flickr

I am an avid reader of a blog on simple living called "Small Notebook"http://smallnotebook.org/. The author Texas mom Rachel Meeks often shares good tips on living frugally and making the most out of a small living space (they live in an apartment.)

Rachel recently intrigued me with a blog "Breaking the Frugal Rules" (http://smallnotebook.org/2009/03/03/breaking-the-frugal-rules/) about non-negotiables in her budget- which includes a $40 a month coffee allowance. It got me to thinking about my own non-negotiables- Wal-Mart's French Vanilla Instant Cappucino, Soda, and $5-$10 a month of personal fun money.

But with more job layoffs on the horizon, I see our "non-negotiables" becoming that little bit of wiggle room that can be cut in an emergency. My husband Andy and I sat down this week and carefully evaluated other "extras" that are important to us, but could be cut in a crisis- those include preschool, saving for vacations, and seminary costs.

"Non-negotiables" make an everyday budget liveable over a long period of time because they help us not feel deprived. What are your non-negotiables? I couldn't live without...

Fearless?!

www.faqs.org/health/images/uchr_05_img0494.jpg

If you could get rid of your most debilitating fear by simply taking a pill, would you do it?

"Researchers in Europe say that a pill could help millions of people who suffer from post-traumatic stress or from phobias. The pill is a beta-blocker designed to regulate blood pressure, but researchers found that it might also block out bad memories."

I can see how the pill could do wonders to help soldiers who are struggling with post-war flashbacks and extreme fears that keep people from leaving their homes. I also personally have serious questions about something that sounds so mind-altering. What about situations where God can use our fears as a spiritual testing ground to see if we will trust him "even then..." (in a small dark space, with what happened to me as a child, with my fear of crowds, etc.)

I firmly believe in Phillippians 4:13 "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength", yet I am afraid of heights. I remember going to the observation deck at the John Hancock building in Chicago while I was in college. There are wonderful floor-to-ceiling windows to take in the beautiful cityscape of buildings and lightening bug-like cars. At waist-height there is a railing in front of the windows that you can hold and benches to sit on. Instead of relaxing along the railing, I spent most of my time in the centrally-located gift shop. For some reason all those windows made me feel like I was going to fall out of the building and the railing didn't comfort me a bit. The room-like gift shop kiosk felt safer, even though it was just a few feet away.

How do I mesh the two, God's power and my fear? What about you, would you take a pill to get past a life-altering event or overcome a phobia? Where do you see God fitting into all of this? Share your comments!

Read more about this drug at: http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/story/4631522/