Hope Changes Everything, by John Boring #BlogParty2011

Need HOPE in your present circumstances? I can think of no one better to speak into this reality you are experiencing than my good, kind, and wise friend, John Boring. If you scroll through this Blog Party, you'll find he has been a big part of this so far. That's just the kind of guy he is. 

Photo by Amelia Grace Photography

Hope for Suzi

While we were on vacation in San Diego in July, my lovely bride of 34 years complained about the weight she was gaining, which seemed to be piling on in her midsection.  She is a small petite woman who eats right and exercises regularly so the weight gain was put down to the indolent life we were enjoying in the beautiful Southern California climate.

When we returned to Phoenix she began to experience pain in her lower right abdomen and a visit to her doctor resulted in a CT Scan, which disclosed small tumors.  A needle biopsy confirmed that she had cancer, something called Peritoneal Carcinamatosis.  This is considered to be a metastasized cancer, meaning that the primary cancer lurked elsewhere in her body.  Tests were ordered quickly to find the host cancer and Suzi soon had a colonoscopy and then a PET-CT Scan.  Meanwhile, the oncologist sent the tissue samples back for reexamination and it was determined she had ovarian cancer.

My heart sank to the floor and all I could  think about was Suzi’s impending demise. I didn’t see how she could survive this onslaught, especially after reading up about her abdominal cancer.  This enemy explodes against the lining separating the stomach from the intestines, and literally hundreds of tumors appear in that area, much as the splatter of a paint brush flung against a wall.  The information I was picking up said surgery was not an option and only about fifty percent of those offered chemotherapy responded favorably to the drugs.  It had for years been considered to be a fatal affliction.

During the day I did my best to keep a positive appearance when around Suzi, but my heart was weeping at the thought that I would lose her one day soon.  I lay awake at night, unable to sleep, thinking about a life without her, reliving the wonderful life she had provided for us with her beautiful smile, her lovely-always-upbeat outlook on life, the way she cared for others and how tender her heart.  I made myself sick with worry and in my own heart, I had given up on any hope that she could survive this.

Suzi’s primary doctor referred us to a wonderful oncologist and new information began to trickle in.  He, in turn, referred us to a great GYN surgical doctor who offered even more optimism and hope, and for the first time I began to think this was not going to be the end of times for us, that they could indeed beat this monster that was taking over my beautiful Suzi.

Prayers from our many friends, offering even more hope and reminding me to keep my faith intact and my trust in God alive and well, brought me out of my funk and I began to see rays of light through all of this darkness.  Now, with surgery scheduled for Wednesday, September 21^st*, at a good hospital here in Phoenix, I’m up and excited to begin this journey.  Hope has changed everything for us, for good people have told us that we can beat this thing.  Prayers are being said and God is listening.  My trust in Him was put to the test and I failed to respond as I should have, but I’m back on the path now. I have HOPE and with HOPE and God’s love I am optimistic that we will prevail. We can still use some prayers; this thing is just beginning; please send some up for Suzi if you will.

Photo by Amy Reid (Also a Blog Party 2011 Writer)

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Read what John's pastor and our mutual friend and hero says of him:

"John Boring didn't always know how to love his wife exceedingly well back in the day. I think that's well documented. But now, in the season where everything beautiful, deep, real, strong, faithful and loving is needed by his bride, there is John gently walking with her in the backyard, sitting together, smiling, listening to birds. There He is trusting God, entering in fully, protecting and cherishing. There he is caring for her with such a servant's goodness. There she is, experiencing the love she married him for. Christ in John Boring is a sight to behold. Christ in Suzi Boring is so bright and unquenchable. For this God created marriage."

~John Lynch

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*You can connect with John Boring and get the latest updates on Suzi's progress by following this link to his page here. Thank you for offering your prayers on behalf of my friends. 

#Hope Changes Everything, by John Boring (Part 2) #BlogParty2011

You might find yourself in this story as well... So thankful for the person of Hope and how He indeed changes everything. My friend, John Boring, is back. I'm thrilled that you all get to hear from him again during our Blog Party 2011! (To read John's other post click here.)

My Story

I considered myself to be a Christian for as long as I can remember.  I believed in God, had no doubts that He existed, but I felt He was an elitist, favoring some while ignoring others. I fell into the ignored category but that did not stop my belief that there was a God. I simply did not rely on Him for much and He was certainly not a deity I could trust.  To my mind, my life was mine to control and if I was going to survive it would be because of my actions, not God’s. 

This God I believed in was not a kind God, quite the contrary.  He was vengeful and angry. He promised us things but He had doubts any of us could measure up to His standards enough to earn those rewards.  This image of God was the one given to me through the various churches I attended.  It was not a God I wanted to look up to if these preachers were right, and I eventually quit going to churches altogether.  Instead, I found God in the great outdoors, in the magnificent scenery of mountains, streams, lakes, sunrises and sunsets, and in the perfection of his creations such as birds and animals.  I found the peace and contentment I sought from churches in these outdoor delights.  Here was the church of the God I could look up to, the God of my childhood; the kind of God I could worship; a kind and loving God who could take time to create such wonder and beauty.

Then, in April, 2005 we lost our 24-year-old son, Dan, to cancer. During his five year fight, I had tried to help by being there for him and offering advice about treatments and procedures to try, but I never once called on God to intervene.  That job fell to Suzi, my wife, whose life-long and steadfast faith in God never wavered.  After Dan passed, I thought about her faith a lot and how I had not ever supported her in that area.  I did not attend church with her, did not join her in prayer. Those thoughts shamed me and I announced I would be in church with her in the future, regardless of the preacher and what he had to say about God; I would be there to support Suzi.

She was thrilled by my decision and in an effort to make it easier for me knowing how little I liked her pastor, she gave up her church and looked for another one for us to attend. It ended up being Open Door Fellowship Church in West Phoenix.  On our first visit there in the summer of 2005, just a few months after Dan’s death, we walked through the doors into this small, window-less auditorium.  No stained glass, no silk banners, no gold trappings.  Just a bandstand and a podium.  But, the place hummed with conversation as the congregation trickled in and took their seats.  People were greeting each other with hugs and kisses, laughing and talking.  When seated, many of the women moved close to their man as lovers do in movie theaters.  Others hugged children close to them as the worship music began.  Something inside of me began to stir, emotions began to rise that were unfamiliar and foreign.  There was something in the room that I could feel, a presence I had never before felt or experienced.  The emotions I was feeling quickly overcame me and I began to cry; huge, racking, sobs that had nothing to do with Dan’s death and everything to do with feeling God’s presence and His arms around me.  Along with this release of emotion came a sense of peace and contentment.  A feeling of coming home.

Then John Lynch began to speak and the words he delivered seemed to be aimed straight at my heart.  Doors opened that had been closed since my childhood and I understood for the first time that our God was indeed a loving and caring God, that loving me was one of His highest priorities.  It all made sense and in that clarity of thought I was changed inside forever.  I had also found my home, the church I had been looking for and the preacher I had longed to hear. It was the combination of the love I felt in the room and demonstrated so clearly by the congregation, as well as the theology preached from the pulpit in that little church that did it. And, one other ingredient:  It was God who directed me there and it was God who decided it was time for me to meet His son on that particular day.  It was God, who put His arm around me that morning and led me home.

That’s my story and it’s an ongoing love affair.  ODF is my church for life and loving God, and loving others in His name, is now my lifetime mission.

John Boring

P.S.


When Christ rolled into my life one special Sunday in 2005, three things happened almost immediately:  I received the gift of grace, it became easier for me to love others and I developed a big appetite for pie.  This means that I am a grace-filled, pie-eating, hug-giving man. I live in grace because God gifted me with it.  I eat pie as often as I can because I’m addicted to them. I give hugs because I can’t help myself; it’s the purest way I know to demonstrate my love for others.  I’m also an elderly dude who will become wise and respected when I turn 80 this November.  Can’t wait.

Hope Changes Everything, by Amy Reid #BlogParty2011

I'm SO honored and thrilled to introduce this amazing woman to you....that is if you don't already know her. She is one of the most engaging, authentic, joy-filled and gracious women I know. And we've never even been in the same place at the same time. One of the great things about technology is that it connects us to people we wouldn't otherwise get to know. 


Most of you, if you've followed anything I've done in the past 5 years or so, have heard me mention regularly (possibly even obnoxiously?) John Lynch with Truefaced and Open Door Fellowship in Phoenix, AZ. John and his fabulous wife, Stacey, have done an incredible job leading many, many people into a greater understanding of grace, authentic community, and living out of who God says we are. Imagine getting to be their kid. Right? Wow. Well, since we don't all get that honor, I wanted to introduce you to someone who does have that honor:


Meet Amy Lynch Reid!

Hope Changes Everything

"Hope" is a feeling of expectation or a desire for something to happen. I think about how disappointing it can be to be hopeful for things- to hope for a raise; for a friend to pursue you back; for your car to start running better, etc. We hope, and desire, and expect these things, and so many more, to happen. And when they don't, we feel discouraged and hurt and let-down. Hoping can be scary and risky. But when we put our hope in the Lord, He doesn't disappoint. It is so beautiful to experience this first hand, to trust that there is someone to put your hope in who will not let you down.

I am a super happy, joyful, positive, energetic almost-24-year-old girl. I love life- I love traditions and holidays and surprises and all the little moments that make life special. I don't have many down days. But just in this last year, my life got really shaken up. A series of really hard situations put me in a bad place. Circumstantially, my life seemed like it was upside down. And as someone who has had very few sad days in her life, I was contemplating antidepressants. I couldn't make sense of my life. I couldn't get a grip of my emotions. I couldn't find my way out of my disappointment and hurt.

I started reading through the Bible in a year in January. And a few months ago, I got to Job. I've always known the story of Job, but it's never been something I could relate to. He experienced so much suffering; so much was taken away from him; he couldn't figure out why or find answers to his situation. But after all of his loss and suffering, he says "you have redeemed my soul and I will live to enjoy the light." I kept reading and re-reading this verse. Regardless of his unfortunate circumstances, he was choosing to live for the light of Christ. I was reminded that in my darkest days, when nothing seems to make sense, He is absolutely enough! When I choose to put my hope in Him, it changes EVERYTHING. He has always been and will always be enough. If every other piece of my life falls apart; if I lose everything...I can still find joy by putting my hope in Him. He promises to protect those who love Him. And He does. He has taken such good care of me, especially on those dark days when I cry out to Him. I will continue to put my hope in Him because it really does CHANGE EVERYTHING!


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More about Amy, in her own words...


My name is Amy Reid. I'm 23 years old. I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona; nurtured and protected by one of the sweetest communities on earth. I moved to California for college when I was 17. I met a California boy, fell in love, and got married in 2009. I'm now a California girl, living in Alta Loma, with my handsome husband, Danny, and our adorable dog, Dupree. The things that make my world spin 'round are: my faithful Jesus, my flat-out awesome family, my precious husband, and my addiction to Starbucks, chocolate, and all things fun!

Heart Condition, Part 2

Theologians teach that the Bible's definition of the heart is "the seat of reflection." Therefore, we can examine the state of our heart by the decisions we make. Faulty decisions can come from a faulty heart, but they can also come from false beliefs about the real condition of our hearts as well. If we believe our hearts to be something other than they are, we're going to make a lot of faulty decisions in life because from our thoughts our actions follow.

Before we come to Christ, we do have a very serious heart condition. Scripture teaches that those who are still "in Adam" are going to display the realities of that family line. In order to have hope, lasting change, and peace, the fruits of the Spirit, etc--not to mention eternal life!--we must not simply be changed, or improved, we must be made brand new. We must become a part of a different family line.

Enter Christ Jesus.

When God sent His Son into the world, it wasn't just to teach us a better way to live. He could have used a prophet or even an angel to communicate a message like that. It wasn't to teach us how we can change our behaviors, He could have continued to send the Law. It wasn't even just to forgive us for all of our sins so we could go to heaven when we die. God could have established another way of getting folks to heaven. God sent Jesus to take our place for us as a man so that we could become a part of a different blood line through that sacrifice, through that atonement, and through our identification with Christ on His bloody cross. Only God could fulfill God's Holy Laws of perfection. Only God Himself could fix what man had broken. Only God would love the whole messy world enough to do so.

For those of us who are "in Christ," we no longer have ties to our Adam blood line. We weren't merely given a blood transfusion to empower us, we were given a complete heart transplant! We were made brand new! God has already changed us. We have a brand new identity. We have a brand new name. We have a brand new spirit. And now, it is His purpose and plan to mature us into who we already are. This new genetic identity allows us to reflect on events and circumstances differently, and by this, confirm to ourself and the world our new nature.

My friend, John Lynch, says this so much better than I ever could:



If you feel like a berated little caterpillar, have hope! God sees you, and God loves you. He knows where you've been. He knows all your stuff. Nothing you can do can make Him love you more and nothing you can do can make Him love you less. He is slap-happy crazy about you. What He desires most is that you would trust Him.

You see, most of us know that God wants us to draw close to Him. Most of us know God is concerned with our behaviors. Most of us know that God is holy and has called us to be a holy people. But what we don't realize is that God also knows we can only draw as close to Him to the degree that we trust Him. This is true of any relationship. He knows we can force behaviors, fake attitudes, and deceive people--even ourselves--into believing that our behaviors, good or bad, are an accurate measure of our faith. Trust, though, can't be faked. You either trust or you don't. And, eventually, that will make itself evident in our lives.

God also knows that we will only trust someone to the degree that we feel loved by that person. If we question their love, it will decrease our trust level.

You have an enemy who is going to do everything he can do to convince you God doesn't really love you. Or maybe, he'll just try to convince you that God doesn't like you as much as He likes someone else. Don't buy it.

You are loved. The One who made you loves you and desires to be close to you and to have you come up close to Him. And, He also knows that real, honest trust that leads to maturity, takes time. I still don't believe this myself at times. I need the reminder of truth when the world is bombarding me with lies on a regular basis. I thought maybe you could use a reminder today, too.

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So grateful for help with this post from Dr. Brenda Wagner. You can meet her and hear her on August 17, 2010 at Church 4 Chicks!

Got Sad?

Got sad yesterday. That unsettling sad. Still don't know why. Driving to the office minutes ago...thinking how many things have to go right just to hold it together, to be healthy enough to keep giving our lives away. How God must surround us. We're fragile beings. How we need places where we can be known, loved, and still enjoyed amidst our confusion, fear and fragility. I thank Him for you who are that for me. ~John Lynch, via Facebook

I just read this from my dear friend and hero, John Lynch. John is the teaching pastor at Open Door Fellowship in Phoenix, AZ. He is also a co-author of several books and a really funny, wise, kind and gracious person. John is an amazing friend to many, one of the greatest communicators out there, awesome husband to his wonderful wife, Stacey, and is a father like none I've ever witnessed. My favorite thing, though, about John, is that John is absolutely real. John doesn't try to be impressive and he never comes across as superior. John really loves Jesus. He really loves people. And I'm never left wondering if I encountered the real John Lynch...he is absolutely and unequivocally the real deal personified! His being a real person, learning to live out of who God says he is, gives me the permission and grace I often need to remember that I can be real, too, as I am on a journey of learning to live out of who God says I am. 

John's post meant so much to me when I came across it today. The truth is that his post above, simply stated as a Facebook update, could be my own words right now (had I his talent for communicating!).

I wonder many times when I read Twitter 'tweets' and Facebook status updates and the like, "What's really going on?" I wonder sometimes as I put up a tweet or a status update how much I should share... 

It's hard to find the balance when it comes to social networking and blogging, isn't it? It's always easier to say, "I was sad last week, but I overcame it through faith and prayer," than it is to admit, "I'm sad right now," don't you think?

I'm curious, how do you choose how much to share on line and how much to keep "off line?"

By Faith We Please God

What IS it that God wants from us? Most days, I think we'd be content to figure out what our spouse or boss or parent or child(ren) want from us. Any of the above at any time is great. All at one time...well, that's probably not gonna happen any time soon! But I guess that is a big part of what keeps life from becoming boring. With God, though, the mystery can be solved.

In today's post, we're going to look at Hebrews 11:5 which says,

"Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been satisfactory to God." (italics mine)

Because of Enoch's trust in God, and his understanding that it is our trust that most pleases God, Enoch experienced life, but never death.

Wow. Let that sink in for just a minute.

As I type this and attempt to imagine what that must have been like, I honestly just can't. I cannot imagine the experience Enoch must have had: to be walking through life with God and to be 'translated' to my forever home. To not even have a glimpse of death. Wow.

But one thing I can identify with--or at least I'm learning to--is the relationship Enoch enjoyed with God and that God most desires that I trust Him: His character, His goodness, His forgiveness, His redemption, His plans, His motives, His nature, His will, HIM! You see, as my friend John Lynch has so beautifully taught me and others, you can spend your life trying to please God and never learn how to trust Him. But, when you trust Him, He says, "My child, you've never pleased me more!"

You see, it is out of a relationship based upon trust that the relationship will thrive and mature into all it is intended to be. I will obey with genuine, heartfelt obedience to the degree that I trust God. I can only be as close to someone to the degree that I trust that person. This is at the core of so many relationship issues: friends, married couples, parent/child, work associates, etc. Most people don't really trust others. And, as I've also learned from my friends in Phoenix, if I don't trust you, you can't love me, no matter how much love you have for me.

Until we can trust all of who we are to all of who He is, we will never experience the adventure, the joy, the authenticity, that is the abundant Christian life.

And, just how is trust developed? Time and experience. God takes that mustard sized seed of our faith when we trust Christ as our Savior, and as we choose to be intentional to know Him more, and obey Him with the faith we have at present, that relationship and trust develop and mature. This doesn't happen overnight, and it usually happens when we least expect it. Trust is developed and matures as we struggle through the challenging, painful, and even wonderful things we experience in life. It happens as we get to know God through His Word and through relationships with others.

"Because of faith...(Enoch) pleased God..." Because of our trust in God, our faith in Him above all else, He is pleased with us--you and me. This is good news!! This is the Gospel=bringing God and man back into right relationship with one another, with nothing standing between us.

Oh God, may my faith in You be strengthened more and more as I make it my life's mission to know You more!

Pleasing or Trusting?

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42).

I used to read Scripture, especially passages like this one, as though it was mainly a 'to-do' book of rules and regulations if one wanted to know what pleased the Omniscient, Invisible, mostly angry, Being-in-charge. I was, from an early age, taught that God loved me, and that He proved this by sending His Only Son, Jesus, into the world to take my punishment for "sin" upon Himself by dying on the Cross. I embraced this message as a young child. And then, somewhere along the ways, something happened. I began to believe that my behavior was more important to God than who I was. I believed that it was up to me to keep God happy with me so I could avoid the ugly consequences of my bad behaviors. I pictured Him keeping an eye on me to catch me in wrong-doing so He could make sure I never got the impression that I'd ever get away with it. Somewhere inside of me, I believed He loved me and delighted in me and just wanted to enjoy me; but that seemed way too good to be true. So I spent most of the next 20 years or so trying to figure out how best to prove to Him and others that I could one day really belong in His family. I lived mostly in fear of disappointing God and others, and I saw the opinions of those in authority as indicators of how well or how poorly I was doing.

Those who have known me a long time would attest to the fact that I've always been a pretty good girl. I sought ways to honor others and to be a good leader, even as a child and teenager. My brief stint of rebellion was very short-lived and, on my worst offense, would probably make most folks still label me as a 'goodie-goodie.' I never minded that because I thought my good behavior was all adding up to a goal I desired: to one day feel God's favor and blessing; to one day put my check marks for verses memorized, gold stars for attendance, and good grades into a file that would finally put me over the top--moving me from the B List I felt I was on to the coveted A List in Heaven's Kingdom.

And, you know what, I didn't even realize I was doing any of this at the time.

I just thought I was doing what any grateful and good Christian would do. I was motivated by a deeply imbedded desire to please God. I did love Him, although I was still very fearful of Him. In fact, my life verse from the time I was 15 years old was Philippians 1:20. I had read this verse on January 1, 1990 in Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" which my dad had given me as a Christmas gift the week before. It says,

"My eager desire and hope being that I may never feel ashamed, but that now as ever I may do honour to Christ in my own person by fearless courage." Philippians 1:20 (MOFFATT)

This verse continues to mean a lot to me, but for a different reason today than back then. For years I read this verse feeling the pressure to perform and try harder and work myself to exhaustion in order to prove to God how much I loved Him. I thought about all the things I was already ashamed of and didn't want to add any more to that list! The hole I was trying to fill just kept getting bigger though, and no amount of striving could fill it up--not even close. The more aware I was of my shortcomings, the harder I worked to overcome them. The harder I worked to overcome them, the more aware I became of how far I had to go. My focus was on sinning less but not on loving God more. Oh yes, I wanted to love God more, but I always saw my sin as a roadblock to intimacy with God rather than understanding a very key truth:

Intimacy with God was purchased for me through the Person of Jesus Christ who not only died FOR my sin, but became my sin and removed the barrier forever!

2 Cor. 5:21 says it plainly: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (ESV)

How did I miss this for so long?

When a person embraces Christ's gift of pardon, God does something pretty incredible that no other world religion even comes close to promising: Yes, He forgives our sin and that's amazing! But He goes on to do something even greater: God's very Spirit and Nature becomes one with that person's spirit and nature, making US the righteousness of God! (See Colossians 1:27)

So, as I have been learning more and more about the new nature I was given at salvation and the redemptive work of the Holy Spirit in me, I have been finding more and more freedom to be who God has already made me to be--rather than trying to become something in order to prove something. It has changed everything! No longer focusing on sinning less, I am free to enjoy my relationship with God loving Him and trusting Him to reveal areas in my life where He desires to prune, remove, strengthen, mature, etc. I used to think I was being humble by berating myself over every little thing I did that I felt didn't measure up--I now realize how prideful it was to continually focus on me and my abilities to bring about maturity and spiritual growth. There is a freedom to be had for all who have trusted Christ for salvation and that is the freedom of trusting Him for our sanctification (maturity) as well!

Now, with this in mind, take a look again at Mary and Martha's story. We hear all the time that we need to 'be' more like Mary and 'not be' like busy, angry Martha. But I see something deeper than that at work here. Notice that Jesus never scolded or belittled Martha. He recognized that her understanding of their relationship was skewed--just like mine was. He knew that Martha loved Him, that wasn't in question at all. The thing was, though, that she was trying to prove her love by pleasing Him and to please Him, she did what she did best naturally: she served Him. BUT, in all of her serving Him, she wasn't trusting Him. Hebrews 11:6 teaches that our trust in Him is what pleases Him most. It's not our "striving to please Him" that proves anything! I can obey God all day long and still never learn to trust Him. But once I begin to trust Him, I will find that I am much more inclined to obey Him.

Mary understood that "one thing" that was vital--and it's even deeper than spending time reading Scripture and praying--the "one thing" is that Jesus was someone she could fully trust and rely on. She trusted in His love for her enough to know that it was more than okay for her to simply enjoy spending time with Him and listening to Him. She trusted in Him and this was so pleasing to Jesus. Any time our trusting Him is a motivator to anything we do or don't do, this is what delights our Heavenly Father most. Whenever we are striving to remove the sin barrier ourselves--whether to earn salvation or to earn our sanctification--we miss it by a longshot!

When Christian leaders use their platform to get people busy for God, they often miss the opportunity given to them to teach those readers, listeners, students, congregations, etc who God is and who He has granted them to be. They often resort to guilt, pressure, and manipulation unintentionally in their efforts to see growth and maturity take place in others--and even in themselves. But, what might happen if we began to spend some time learning with one another what it means that we are now new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17)? What if those of us in leadership would trust the work of the Holy Spirit more to bring about desired change as we encourage people by teaching them who they are?

Here's are some examples of a shift in motive:

What if, instead of trying to convince others to obey God to prove they trust Him, we instead taught others how trustworthy God is?

What if, instead of trying to battle some life-dominating sin in order to get it out of the way so I can be close to God, I live out of who He says I already am, and I allow Him in close to deal with that issue Himself as I trust Him with what is absolutely, and even painfully, true about me?

What if I learn to reveal to others who I really am rather than trying to prove my authenticity by working harder to become who my "masks" give an impression that I am? What if I let the masks come off and allow God's glory to shine through my weakest places?

Someone told me a while back that they knew some things about me that they could use to hurt me. The thing that gives me freedom and removes any fear is that I've openly shared my true self and the things of my past to key people in my life who already know the worst about me, and love me more, rather than less. I've been able to share on TV, on stage, and in print some things that once held me in shame, but no longer, as I've received the GRACE of God who knew the worst about me before I was ever created and wanted me still.

So, ask yourself, "What is motivating me most--a desire to please God or trusting Him?"

For further (and much better!) clarity on this topic, please go to www.truefaced.com and order a copy of the book and/or DVD. My friend, John Lynch, does such a great job with the DVD message and he and the co-authors, Bill Thrall and Bruce McNicol, worked together to create a book that has literally changed my life and the lives of many others.