DuAnneSeeley.com

When I left Birmingham that November for Colorado Springs it was already dark. After a year on staff at Briarwood Church in Birmingham The Navigators had recruited me. I was eager and excited. Within a few hours I was on an isolated highway in Mississippi. The headlights on my car were the only light for miles. I was driving along singing one of my favorite hymns It is Well With My Soul when my car died. The timing of the chosen hymn was ironic and I did feel it was well with my soul. For about 10 minutes. It was 1 AM and not another person in sight.  I remember thinking if my mom could see me out here alone with a broken down car she would freak.  After praying for divine intervention I attempted to start my car several times. Nothing happened. I began to question God’s call. He had called me to full time ministry hadn’t He?  He was Jehovah Jireh wasn’t He? Well where was He now? It was so dark. Around 2 AM by now. This was before cell phones.

 Within minutes a car stopped on the opposite side of the road. People rolled down their windows and I could hear music and laughter. They invited me to join them. I felt uneasy and told them no because Help is on the way. I did want to believe the Lord would send help and speaking it out loud seemed to calm me. They informed me that a gas station was just a few miles down the road in my direction.  When they were out of sight I got out of my car to walk and was thankful for the flashlight.  After just half a mile I heard a tractor trailer truck coming. I prayed O Lord, please let him pass.  Please don’t let him stop. He slowed and then stopped. O Lord, please don’t let him get out of the truck. He got out of the truck. O Lord, please let me out run him even though I have on my cute shoes with the high heels that my mom told me not to wear but I did anyway. I couldn’t run because my legs were frozen. He slowly walked toward me and said do you need some help?  I said No thanks, I’m just walking to the gas station down the road. Thanks anyway. His reply:  Well, if you were my daughter I would hate to see her out walking on this dark highway all alone. Are you sure I can’t give you a lift? All of a sudden my fear was replaced with a peace and I said OK, that would be great. Just to the gas station though. I’m on a tight schedule. That sounded pretty dumb but that’s what I said! A schedule?  As soon as we got in the truck I noticed he had a stack of New Testament cassette tapes. I asked with surprise if he was a believer. He said yes and we shared testimonies. He told me how his 16 year old daughter had just come home this day and informed him she was pregnant. He had prayed for help. I tried to encourage him. He asked where I was going and I shared my story of being called to full time ministry. He responded by sharing he would love to do something for God but without a college education or seminary he felt there was nothing he could do.

The garage at the station was closed but the truck driver knew the mechanic and called him from the pay phone. The mechanic arrived and offered to take me to my car.  I had a peace about it so I got in. After looking at my car he thought it was too serious for him to fix. He only did minor repair on tractor trailers and I would need a regular auto garage. The bad news was this was the weekend after Thanksgiving. Did I mention I had cash for my travel to Colorado but nothing more? I didn’t believe in credit cards and I was not prepared for this emergency. I didn’t share this info to the man I had just met. He then said:  I know you don’t know me and I don’t know you. But I’m a Christian and believe I am supposed to invite you to come to my home and stay with my wife and I. You’re out in the middle of nowhere and there is not even a hotel around here. I know it sounds crazy but I had a peace about this so I thanked him for his hospitality and said Thank you. I would be most grateful for your hospitality and help. I got in the car and shared my testimony. Before he had a chance to share his we were pulling up in his driveway.  All of a sudden I was thinking that I sure hope he had a wife and also that she was home. I didn’t know that this man had called his wife from the garage to tell her he was bringing a houseguest home. We walked in to find that she had cooked a huge breakfast for me. Thought you might be hungry she said.  After we shared a meal together she told me she had put clean sheets on their bed (their only bed) and suggested I get some sleep while they looked for a mechanic that might be open. They invited me to stay the weekend but I told them I was committed to be in Colorado by December 1^st and had to keep to my schedule. While I was sleeping the mechanic found a garage open called “Christian Brothers Automotive.” I needed a new clutch. They repaired my car and gave me an invoice for $300 and told me I could pay them when I had it. I gave them $100 and after thanking everyone got on the road.

The remainder of the trip was uneventful until I was about 2 miles from my exit to Glen Eyrie.  My gas gauge had stopped working and I was out of gas. It was about 11:30 PM and I put my flashers on. Soon a small sports car pulled up behind me. A guy got out and asked if I needed help. I told him what I thought was wrong. He told me he was a police officer and offered to take me to get gas for my car.  We filled the car and I was able to keep my arrival commitment of December 1^st. 

A few days later I called a friend at a church on my support team to inform them I had arrived safely and casually shared a summary of what had happened. The pastor called me back and wanted to tell me a mission’s organization had been praying for a truck driver to recruit and wanted to know if I had the truckers contact info. I did.  He also told me that their church wanted to pay for my car repair.  Wow. This was a lesson for me on trusting God in the dark.

In my early 20’s this was adversity. Today I see it as such a small hiccup in the road of life. Yet at the time it was a defining moment for me. It was that experience that made Psalm 139 became a fire in my heart. Oh, He even sees me in the dark! At night I am immersed in the light! It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you. Whatever the darkness God wants me to trust him. The lessons God continues to teach me about darkness…

1.      God is in control

2.      God has a plan

3.      God wants to be my refuge

4.      God will provide everything I need

What about you? Are you going through a dark time right now?  Are you experiencing…

·        Unemployment

·        Burn out

·        Loneliness

·        Divorce

·        Depression

·        Fear or Anxiety

·        Cancer

·        Death of a loved one

Whatever darkness you may be facing God will meet you there.

I read a study once that said the majority of people that can change their health, marriage, relationships or finances are unwilling to do what it takes to do so.  Ouch!  This is also true in our spiritual lives. 

BC (before children) I was able to invest in my life in a way that reaped remarkable benefits. It was like choosing an incredible stock that continued to climb every day.  I was able to prioritize  spending a half day with God every single week.  Every Monday I would go to a small prayer chapel (always empty) or a remote place on the beach.  Sometimes our student ministry would try to organize spending a day alone with God. We would gather as a group on campus, the beach or a park and then disperse. After 4 hours or so we would meet with our brown bag lunch and share about our time with the Lord.  For many years I would spend 7-10 days with the Lord during the Christmas break and go up to Arrowhead Springs, CCC headquarters.  It was usually pretty empty at that time and I had a room and grounds pretty much to myself.  During summer break I would take 2 weeks and go somewhere.  Usually took about 10-12 books with me. The first week was spent unwinding from finishing out a busy school year of working 60+ hour weeks.  The second week I was more prepared to pray, read His Word and listen.  This investment in my relationship with the Lord…the daily devotion time, the half day every Monday, the monthly day with the Lord, the week at Christmas break and the two weeks in summer….was life changing. 

I can imagine what many of you are thinking. Who has that kind of job flexibility? You’re right. At that time in my life I made my own schedule and was very fortunate to have that kind of freedom.  Most of you probably can’t make that type of investment. No longer can I.  We have demanding jobs with certain hours, children that need to be taken care of  and a family to serve.  But I still believe it is possible to change our lives in one day.  Here is how…

Spend a daily time with God. God wants a relationship with us. For those of you married, can you imagine what your marriage would be like if you rarely if ever spent time with your spouse?  It would be cold and distant. A marriage without time is a disconnected marriage.  Start with just 10 minutes then work your way up to 30-45 minutes alone with God. 

Spend a half day with God.  This may seem impossible but with some creativity it can be done.  It is amazing what 3-4 hours with the Lord can do to you. Try to schedule this. What about when the kids go off to school?  If you work weekdays what about the weekend?  Get up early on a Saturday and leave.  If that doesn’t work what about a Sunday?  What about letting your family go to church and then out to lunch while you have a half day with the Lord somewhere.

Spend 24 hours with God.  This can be more of a challenge with a busy family but it can be done. Do you ever go on an overnight for a retreat or conference? Consider doing this somewhere by yourself. It can be a powerful time in your life and that of your family. 

I read a tweet recently that said something like When we close the Bible God closes his mouth. When we open the Bible God opens his mouth.  We can’t live out Jeremiah 29:11 without spending time alone with God.  No matter how good a church is, it is not the number one way for spiritual growth. Nor is listening to a pastor speak. Spiritual growth comes from personal time with God.

“Everyone has the power to impact the outcome of his life.  The way to do it is to focus on today.  Today is the only time you have. It’s too late for yesterday. And you can’t depend o tomorrow.”  ~ John C. Maxwell

My next post will discuss creative ways to spend your devotional time with God .

A changed life.  This is the greatest reward in ministry to youth. I was once in a youth group. The Lord also allowed me the privilege of working with youth. I’ve worked with non-Christian youth, church kids youth and even kids living in a juvenile delinquent home.  And now I am the  mother of youth.  My objective for ministry remains the same….change lives for eternity and impact the culture.

The challenges facing our youth continue to increase every year. There is not a quick fix or short term program that will provide the results that we need.  Is it possible to develop a youth ministry that will provide youth workers and parents with the biblical principles that will equip their kids for life beyond youth group?  Yes. A big shout out to our friend Kurt Johnston  (youth pastor at Saddleback Church under Rick Warren) who pointed Todd and I to some of the best resources out there.

Today I want to share a resource we began using last year…The Seven Checkpoints by Andy Stanley and Stuart Hall.  The material in this book and the devotional book for teens reveals what Andy calls the “irreducible minimum” - the essential principles upon which an entire youth ministry can be built.  With this strategy…

Imagine meeting with the parents of your students and showing them the seven principles that serve as  the foundation for all you will teach their kids.

Imagine having a content calendar that can be used to guide the development of your activity calendar throughout the year.

Imagine having a handful of carefully crafted principles to choose from in developing the theme of every camp or retreat.

The Seven Principles every teen needs to know are…

1.  Authentic Faith

2.  Spiritual Disciplines

3.  Moral Boundaries

4.  Healthy Friendships

5.  Wise Choices

6.  Ultimate Authority

7.  Others First

The keys to developing an effective youth ministry are:

1.  Innovative leaders.

2.  Belief that students can experience the deeper things of God.

3.  Leaders that have a genuine and living faith, empowering others by showing the way and not just telling the way.

4.  A clear strategy so that the goal is accomplished rather than just gathering a crowd.

My passion is to live these 7 principles first and teach them second.  What about you?  What’s going on in the youth group at your church?  What challenges are you facing?

The heart of Jesus was pure. He was adored by thousands yet did not seek celebrity status. He was content to live a simple life. He was cared for by women (Luke 8:1-3) yet did not have lustful thoughts. Attacked by man but willing to forgive before he was asked to show mercy.

Jesus’ heart was peaceful.  The disciples freaked out over the need to feed the thousands, but not Jesus.  He thanked God for the problem and saw it as an opportunity to glorify God. The disciples were fearful when the storm came, Jesus slept through it. Peter pulled out his sword to fight the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus.  Jesus lifted his hand to heal. When his disciples abandoned him, did he pout and go home? When Peter denied him, was he angry?When the soldiers spit in his face, did he breathe fire in theirs? He refused to be giuded by vengeance.

Sometimes my heart seems so far from his.  He is peaceful, I feel stressed. He lived on purpose; I feel distracted. He is pleasant; I am cranky. He forgives; I remember people who have hurt me. He trusts God with the future; I worry about my children. He is focused on heaven; I am focused on things of this earth.

At times the distance between his heart and my heart seem so immense. I asked him, will I ever have your heart? He replied…you already do. If you have prayed to accept Me as Savior and Lord of your life you have my heart.  I have made your heart my home. (Gal. 2:20) Yes, I believe this. But why do I sometimes feel so much like the old me? Why do I feel stress?  Why do I still get angry?  Why do I doubt his promises for us? 

Spiritual Transformation is a promise.  My heart can feel carnal when I have gone several nights without adequate sleep, not enough time with God, prayer or the Word, if I don’t keep short accounts with God and others or if I am not taking a Sabbath.

God rewards those who seek him.  Not those who seek doctrine, religion or systems. Many settle for this but the greatest reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus himself.  What is that reward? His heart for my heart. “And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.”  (2 Cor. 3:18 TLB)

This week I have been hurting and praying for  three families who are suffering through some tragedy in their lives.  On Monday morning my sister lost her brother-in-law in a fatal accident leaving behind a wife and three children, a family in church lost a daughter to swine flu on Tuesday after losing another daughter three weeks ago in a fatal accident, and 5 year old Kate McRae is battling brain cancer. As a parent, I grieve on a whole other level when I hear about these things. And I admire so much the faith it requires these families to press on…

These stories raised some big questions for me over the last few days: Am I prepared for tragedy in my own life? Have I under girded myself with the right spiritual foundation? Have I sufficiently drawn near to God before the trials come? Because they will. This is a journey that most of us will walk through many times in our lifetime.

I have a new desire to develop a Bible study on preparing for and living through pain, grief and loss.  If you have a desire to participate in a pilot Bible study regarding trusting God in the storm please email me at dseeley@winfluence.org.

This week my little boy was diagnosed with swine flu. For many the flu is just an inconvenience.  When Aaron gets a cold or any type of respiratory illness we go on high alert.  He has asthma and has been in ICU over what started out as a common cold. 

Today I asked myself, why is it sometimes easier to obey God rather than trust Him?  I think my faith has grown so much over the last 30 years until I find myself in circumstances that defy explanation. When unexpected circumstances happen that seem unjust, illogical, or tragic I sometimes feel frustrated, confused or angry.  In the last few months I have known of at least half a dozen deaths of children under 18.  I have seen marriages destroyed due to affairs. I have seen young mothers diagnosed with terminal cancer. I have seen people lose jobs and homes. I have seen people die without Christ.  These things can be hard to understand. Even when we have faith in God and know that He is sovereign, in adversity we can question why God would allow such.

What I do know for sure is that God is love and He is sovereign even when I don’t understand.  I cannot view circumstances through the eyes of what makes sense to me but through the eyes of faith.  When we seek the Lord and know Him we will enjoy intimacy with Him.  When we have intimacy with God we will find that we can trust Him. Even when we don’t understand God will carry us through.

Have you ever gone through a such a difficult time in your life that you felt forgotten by God?  Maybe during such a time you ask Where are you Lord?  or Why Me?  You may wonder why God does not deliver you. It’s human nature to desire relief from a trial. It could be an illness, job loss, financial difficulty, loss of a loved one, relationship conflict, divorce or a combination of things. Maybe you are in a job that you just want out of because you desire to do something else with your life. Our prayer for relief might even reflect the outcome for the situation we think is best for us.  Being a problem solver by nature I have this tendency to give possible solutions. 

There have been many times in life when I did not feel delivered from a situation as as I desired and prayed.  Not being healed from migraines and other medical issues in my family, at times living on a lower finanical support level, relationship conflict among family members, my step father dying from tylenol poisoning in his forties, losing so much financial support for our church plant in a 10 day period that we had to give up the church, etc.  Maybe you have experienced many more major issues than this.  My friend Carol Kent once said that you are either in a crisis, just out of a crisis or close to entering a new crisis.  Reminds me of James 1 that tells us to be prepared because we will face many trials in this life. 

What I have learned is that we cannot escape trials. Sometimes it may feel like such a darkness that you cannot sense God’s presence, power or annointing in your life.  Your experience is not unique.  God’s choicest saints have at times had days, weeks, months and even years of such darkness.  But God’s answer always comes again.  God has not forgotten you! Don’t try to get off the train while you are going through the tunnel.  If you jump off the train you must eventually get back on. And if you jump off you will have more scars than if you had stayed on the train. You are on route to God’s great victory.  Hold on, and God’s power will be revealed to you.

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.  So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.  Let it do its work so you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way.  James 1:2-4

This summer we did something that I have wanted to do my whole life.  We planted a garden. Not just a couple of tomato plants but a wide variety of organic vegetables.  It took more work than I anticipated.  We have red clay which is not conducive to growing anything.  Before planting we had to work with the soil and till it before bringing in soil that we purchased at a garden shop.  After what felt like a million trips with the wheel barrel we spent a lot of time working with the soil.  It was like performing lawn surgery.  I was so grateful when I thought we completed the garden. What I learned in the process is that a garden is never completed.  No one informed me about the weeds that we would have to continue to pull up.  We found that if you don’t get the weeds they will overtake the garden.  I also learned that if you don’t pull the weeds up by the root that they will multiply and come back more quickly.  Experienced farmers understand this principle.  A garden is never finished.  Growth will be hindered by weeds and threatens the life of the garden.

So it is with the spiritual life.  Just because someone is born again and begins to grow does not guarantee continued growth.  Thinking that spiritual maturity is a point in time or something you arrive at is false.  It’s like saying that I planted a garden and it will remain alive.  Without water, care and pulling up the weeds it will die. Just like a garden is something we must continue to work, my spiritual life is something that I must continue to pursue.  It’s not a point in time, but a continual pursuit of our relationship with God. 

What happens when I keep ignoring the weeds?  Weeds such as unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, pride, jealously, envy, impurity, gossip, slander, sexual immorality, worry, anxiety, fear, etc.  can overtake my life and become a stronghold. When I don’t keep short accounts with God and deal thoroughly with sin I can easily fall totally away from God and the blessing of an abundant life that he desires to give us. 

Are there any weeds in your life today that you need to pull up by the roots?

On Monday my 11 year old began reading a biography on Benjamin Franklin.  We have enjoyed hearing Aaron share interesting facts that he is learning.  I remember reading  “Mr. Franklin often went to hear a pastor speak by the name of George Whitfield because he enjoyed watching him burn before his very eyes.”  I believe that we as Christians should be on fire for God.  In Jeremiah 5:14 God said, “I will make my words in your mouth a fire.”  On that occasion God was referring to fire as a judgment.  But God similarly makes our words fiery in order that His people may become aflame with holy love, zeal and obedience. 

When our hearts are on fire for Jesus our words will be on fire.  When we are on fire people will be drawn to us.  Fire attracts.  Fire motivates.  Fire kindles fire.  It is the nature of fire to set ablaze.  Do others see this fire in you?  The constant tendency of fire is to go out.  The Holy Spirit does not waste divine energy.  If we don’t obey God and live out of fellowship with him, the grace he desires to pour out on us will cease.  God supplies the fire, but we must keep it burning.  We are spiritually most blessed, most victorious, most at peace, most usable when we are ablaze. 

Was there a time when you were more on fire for God than you are today?  Our tendency is to cool off spiritually and lose our zeal as we get side tracked by the every day affairs of life.  Personal revival will return as repent of sin and turn from it, renew our commitment, and live the spiritual disciplines.  It is our choice whether we neglect the Holy Spirit, quench the Spirit or fan the flame of the Spirit’s presence.

Over 20+ years ago I still remember a coffee and prayer time in La Jolla, CA with a co-worker (Fred Wevodau) that radically changed my thinking.  The Holy Spirit used a simple prayer to serve as a catalyst in better understanding strategic praying to advance the kingdom. Prayer has been a vital part of my life since becoming a Christian as a teen.  But on that day I was convicted that more of my prayer time needed to be aligned with what God was doing and desired to do.  Fred prayed we want to co-labor in what you are doing. Not just ask you to bless what we think we should be doing for you.  Some of you may be thinking is that it?  That changed your thinking?  Please hear me out and keep in mind the biblical principle that where two or three are gathered He is there. The Holy Spirit was working in my heart.

My view of full time ministry was that I worked for God.  I saw my role as that of sales rep and God was the CEO.  He had his office and I had my territory. My territory at the time was the campus of UCSD.  He was just a prayer away.  Sure the results were up to God but I had to do my part and work hard.  The more hours the better.  For years I averaged 60-80 hours a week.  The prayer with Fred was the beginning of a paradigm shift. Colabor with what God is doing?  Rather than work for God I began to work with God.  Rather than check in with him each day and then go at it I checked in with him and followed.  I begin to understood the truth of getting involved with what God is doing vs. asking Him to bless what I was doing. 

As I became more aggressive in my prayer time my passion for Jesus grew.  As a result I felt God more in each moment. I began to taste the thrill of fellowship with the Lord that was more amazing than anything I had experienced. Instead of prayer being something I did from obedience that I could check off my list it became a delight. In addition to my daily quiet time I began to spend every Monday with the Lord.  Every summer and winter I would take a week long prayer retreat.  The more time I spent with Jesus the more I began to experience John 15.  Communion with the Lord was not just something I did because  I knew I should but it bacame like a passionate fire burning in my heart.

A result of the paradigm shift is that I resigned as sales rep.  I don’t miss that role. The one of co-laborer is much easier.  The results are bigger and better. What difference does that decision make to my life today? As a wife and mom of children I can’t pick up and spend a week alone with the Lord as I did when I was single.  Nor can I take off one day a week by myself. But I am very grateful for the years I had to lay a foundation that I am still reaping from today.  Under extreme pressure and stress I am still tempted to take control but if I listen the Holy Spirit will remind me of the truth in 2 Corinthians 6:1-10.