More Than the Current Value

A friend of mine was telling me how she was at work and found $10 on the ground. Much as she wanted it - after all, it was lying on the floor out in the open - she felt she needed to find the owner. She was not happy, but then a thought popped into her mind - are you only worth $10? Is it that important to you? Later, she was blessed with a different monetary gift that far surpassed the $10.

When we are moving to our next level, getting our wing strength together, it is so easy to focus solely on the situation. We get caught up looking at the current surroundings, frustrated and struggling to break through, grateful for even the smallest reprieve. It can hurt us, really overwhelm our senses and make us think there is no way out. We have no idea what the true end goal is, just that it'll exceed, abundantly, more than we could ever ask for if we can only push forward.

Bill Gates knew that the software he had was special, even at $10 a share, but couldn't fathom that no household would be without it years later. Joseph did not know just how impactful his dreams could be when he was sitting in jail. The woman with the issue of blood did not know that she could impact the entire world when she was pushing through to touch the garment. We have no assurance what the outcome will be, just that it will make us more than what we are currently worth.

This week, stay positive, remain focused and keep moving. It is all apart of growing your wing muscles and increasing your current value.

The Butterfly Season: Shedding

No audio today - should have it all back up and running on Thursday.

This month, the time immediately following the Resurrection, we’ll declare it the Butterfly season.  Why Butterflies?  First, they are symbols of tremendous change in a short time frame.  A butterfly’s life spans the course of about a month, which means there’s little time to be idle.  There is, of course, also the “butterfly effect” where it’s believed if one flaps its wing, a hurricane could be created.  Let us be inspired to live a new life this month, during the Butterfly Season.

There is a well-known story of a man watching a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. It struggled to move through a small hole, the butterfly itself too large to fit.  After after a while, the butterfly stopped moving, seeming frustrated and exhausted.  The man, knowing the potential of the butterfly, decided to cut the cocoon to release it from its entrapment. However, the body was small and the wings crumpled. The man waited for the butterfly to fly away, but it was not able to for its wings never became strong enough to fly.

This week starts the emergence process.   It would seem that after laying a strong foundation, eating the right foods to get strong and laying in wait that the coming out would be easy. It is actually the most trying part of the journey.  This is the point where we have to allow our past to groom us all the while struggling to let it go.  “How can we just let go of something that did so much for us?” we ask ourselves. The truth is that it only served us well in that stage of our season.  Just like our bodies that grow and change with the times, we are never to remain mentally or emotionally in the same place.  

In the days after the Resurrection, the Disciples often did not really understand their journey until they were faced with situations that were familiar to them. Peter and Paul speak openly in their letters and have stories recounted of how they heal, blessed, prayed over and performed miracles on those they met after.  Their experiences up to that point made it so that they could understand how, through Jesus Christ, do anything. Everything we have ever learned prepares us to appreciate our wings.  We will remember where we came from, but know that we have press through to move higher.

Consider this week wiggling, slowly, from what shaped you and moving to the new outlook your call has for you.  

A bonus...three this week!

Hi Everyone,

This week, the Connectional Young Adult Ministry (CYAM) of the CME Church featured a post of mine as one of their devotions, so I'm also bringing it here.  That means three this week instead of the normal two!  The title, "When God Says No", can be read here at http://www.thecyam.net/#!fire-devotional/c1qlv.  A bonus to the Peace and Praise readers is the audio version so that you can still get the full effect (to be posted as soon as youtube allows me to).  Enjoy!

Lying in Wait

Hear this post above!

This month, the time immediately following the Resurrection, we’ll declare it the Butterfly season.  Why Butterflies?  First, they are symbols of tremendous change in a short time frame.  A butterfly’s life spans the course of about a month, which means there’s little time to be idle.  There is, of course, also the “butterfly effect” where it’s believed if one flaps its wing, a hurricane could be created.  Let us be inspired to live a new life this month, during the Butterfly Season.

These posts about the cocoon are the hardest because, I believe, I'm not as comfortable as I perhaps should be with being inside of it.  So this post is more of a reflection on myself - I pray that it ministers to others.

While the butterfly cycle is fairly short, as mentioned before, there are times when that stage we are in becomes prolonged.  If seeds, for example, are lain in the winter, they will wait til the spring to hatch. Likewise, the pupa (cocoon) stage can last for far longer, until the development on the inside is fully complete.  It's hard to think that we, of all people, could in fact not be ready to move forward, even when all the signs point to it. 

  I feel like I've been lying in wait for almost four years now.  It's been the definition of insanity, caught in a holding pattern, doing the same things over and over expecting a different result.  But it wasn't until a couple nights ago, when I was tired but unable to sleep, that I realized why I haven't moved.  Instead of cultivating my skills, I have constantly focused more on existing from day to day.  I often procrastinate with things in my immediate surroundings - washing dishes, settling bills, setting a constant menu for my allergy filled diet - by filling my time with events like going to work, rehearsing, doing things for others.  It is not bad to embrace the work of ministering to the masses, however, if I can not work on myself, how effective am I to anyone else? 

A minister friend of mine, also cocooning, recently mentioned that this place is meant for rest.  I am starting to believe that it is, additionally, meant to completely unravel us to the core, down to the very seed of what makes me who I am.  This is unnerving for someone like me, who prefers some measure of structure and control.  I am reminded, though, of Philippians 4:6-7 "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  We can only bind up our wounds, heal our broken hearts and renew our dreams when we are willing to be unraveled, stripped and exposed, ready to face our true selves.

As we continue the move through the cocoon, consider writing a reflection of your own, addressing something you've neglected facing, and pouring it out to be left when we shed for the final time next week.

The Butterfly Season: Going into Hiding

  Hear this post above!

This month, the time immediately following the Resurrection, we’ll declare it the Butterfly season.  Why Butterflies?  First, they are symbols of tremendous change in a short time frame.  A butterfly’s life spans the course of about a month, which means there’s little time to be idle.  There is, of course, also the “butterfly effect” where it’s believed that if one flaps its wing, a hurricane could be created.  Let us be inspired to live a new life this month, during the Butterfly Season.

Children are fearless.  They are willing to take a risk, oblivious to the limitations their size, knowledge or financial obligations places on them.  They are quick to run and jump off a ledge or commit to an opportunity without thinking it through fully.  This seems reckless, but the truth of the matter is that children are less likely to doubt themselves when a new situation arises. There are no caves to dangerous to explore; matter of fact, children will create one, even if with a blanket, just to have the experience.

When it is time for the metamorphosis, a caterpillar makes a small patch of silk to start the cocoon, then sheds their outer skin to make the chrysalis.  Up to now, caterpillars constantly shed to accommodate their new bodies and the growth that occurs, which means they are constantly moving.  The cocoon is a place where they must remain still. They are unprotected on their surface, truly vulnerable, so they conceal the location, for even the potential is beautiful.  Some can make vibrations or rely on the company of other animals and insects to protect them, partnering to ensure the strength of the journey. 

Many of us fear the cocoon stage of our lives even though we are all called through it.  The inside of the cocoon is dark, isolating, and uncertain.  We wonder, what will we find in the space?  What if the cocoon breaks or collapses?  We will probably protest because we always want the sunshine in our lives.  Truth of the matter is that we need this space to experience the pressure and the hide away. We can not grow to our full beauty in the open wide audience, for then we will shape and mold ourselves in their image. Into the cocoon we must retreat if we’re ever to know who we are.

The cocoon requires full and total trust in God.  This trust melts away the concern and, after a while, we get comfortable and learn to recognize the many ways the Lord is presented to us.   “Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will feel no evil for though art with me” (Psalm 23:4).  Going into a cocoon strengthens and gives us the ability to grow in an uneasy place.  We have no idea how we will come out, but it makes us like children all over again, vulnerable but ignorant to the weight of the impossible.  For now, while in the cocoon, let us bask in the beauty of our potential and rediscover the adventure of learning our abilities.

Amina S. McIntyre

Consider making the space to retreat -  it could be over a quiet lunch, at a friend’s house, or even on a small trip away from everything; let's take time to remind ourselves of the gifts we have. 

The Butterfly Season: It's Not Easy Eating Greens

Hear this post above! 

This month, the time immediately following the Resurrection, we’ll declare it the Butterfly season.  Why Butterflies?  First, they are symbols of tremendous change in a short time frame.  A butterfly’s life spans the course of about a month, which means there’s little time to be idle.  There is of course also the “butterfly effect” where it’s believed that if one flaps its wing, a hurricane could be created.  Let us be inspired to live a new life this month, during the Butterfly Season.

“There are no short cuts because even when you think you’ve made it or the world says you’ve made it, there is still more work to do. Making it is getting up every day and fighting to remain humble, grateful and to find a bigger purpose or another level to why you are who you are.” Laurieann Gibson

Eat your greens! Many of us heard this command from our parents or guardians when we were little.  Some of us definitely took offense, abhorring the taste of cabbage, kale or broccoli, not understanding how they promote healthy skin, hair and strength, and low blood pressure.  Even Popeye the Sailor man could not convince children of the importance of spinach.  All we could consider then was that the greens were some tedious process that we wanted to avoid.  It seems crazy to think back because these same greens are some of our favorites now.

The main job of those in the caterpillar stage is to eat these greens to get big, healthy and strong.  The leaves are everywhere, like new business partners taking time to develop a business plan, athletes dedicating time to stretch and lift in the weight room or a student planning a time management grid for the pending week.  This stage may seem to have very little action because you can’t see progress, but everything is taking place on the inside.  Here we build confidence, stamina, agility and even develop the craft behind our call.

Taking time to eat the greens means there will be some struggle.  We will be told to wait when we think we are ready.  We will see a glimmering hope of what things could look like, but then have to go back to the drawing board.  We will get jobs or be placed in situations that seem counterproductive to our progress, but it is simply munching.   “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV).  We have to be willing to stay at the table just a little longer. The dessert is coming and we don’t want to be stuck trying to get over one hurdle because we didn’t like the taste. All of it is in the name of preparation. 

Consider, this week, that the caterpillar crawls on the ground now, but will fly later, when the time is right.  Let’s bask in the shade – there is much to do soon.  For now, eat up. 

The Butterfly Season: Our World on a Leaf

Hear the post above!

What if we woke up this morning with every need taken care of?

Imagine - it was the best sleep of our lives, so refreshing and calming. The house is clean, breakfast is already made and set. Clothes are pressed and hanging.  Homework was done before we even received the assignment.  The car is warmed and ready to drive, and no traffic on the road. That would be a good morning, so easy to maneuver.  No worry whatsoever is occupying our minds.

That’s how a caterpillar arises when it’s time for the egg to hatch.  A caterpillar wakes up typically with no one to guide them on how to navigate life. Once the egg hatches, all it knows is that it is on a leaf it can crawl upon and eat. The butterfly, not long before, knew that the caterpillar would need this leaf and, after caring for the smallest thing, we can see the fruits of her choice by the fact that the caterpillar exists. The caterpillar will grow and grow, crawling to other leaves and munching away with their other cater-companions. The very first awakening moment is easy, with little else to worry about but feeding and getting strong (and maybe balancing weight on the leaves).

When we answer our call, we are placed in situations with all the necessary tools to accomplish them.  Soon as we wake up, we have the basics to grow deeper in our path and establish the necessary connections – they just present themselves because of the foundations we have made. It is like the scripture says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:16).  We have already been given what we need to thrive in all environments.  We are already on our leaves – let us open our mouths and take a bite.

Consider opening our eyes to the gifts and tools surrounding us that relate to our calling. The season is here – allow the ideas to grow and grow.

How Firm a Foundation

Hear this post above!

“In every condition, in sickness, in health;


In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;


At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,


As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.”

~ from How Firm a Foundation by John Rippon

Even wonder how a giant gets big or how a celebrity got so famous?  It often seems like overnight there they were, unable to be overlooked for that thing they did. But the majority will tell you that they had to start somewhere. Silas House, author of The Hurt Place and other books, once said to a group of budding writers that it took him 8 years to become an overnight sensation. Before that, there were many drafts and manuscripts and rejections.  His entire journey started from a simple place: by writing the first word.

The strength comes in that starting place.  A butterfly’s egg is the foundation and everything that happens to it helps to shape its experiences. On the outside is a shell hard enough to withstand any climate.  If the butterfly lays the egg in the wintertime, they will not hatch until the spring comes.  The shell also has a coat of glue that allows it to stick to the leaf and not be removed once it is planted, firmly. 

When we are walking in our calling, that overnight celebrity status seems like a farfetched idea at first.  Whether we make an impression on our job, in children’s lives or in our churches, we often start with the tiniest idea.  We protect it, not worrying about the competition and what naysayers say.  If the idea comes during a season where it can not be cultivated to grow -- maybe we aren’t able to write that full novel at the moment -- we will put it away for a spring day. But more than anything else, we stick to that call, because deep within it is the life source that will move us to our maximum potential. 

This idea will get tested, pushed, molded, shifted out of the way and criticized. But, the foundation is there for a reason - everything we learned there will carry us through.  “That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built” (Luke 6:48).  If we remember the strength of the egg, the humbleness of the beginning, handling a little recognition will not alter the core, for the glue will stick us to it course. 

Consider identifying the whisper of your call and jot it down. Protect those little eggs of life budding within you, making sure the you can build a strong foundation to handle whatever brings to you.

It All Starts With the Smallest of the Small.

My apologies...no recording for today...I have a bad cold. Should be up and running again on Thursday.

This month, the time immediately following the Resurrection, we’ll declare it the Butterfly season.  Why Butterflies?  First, they are symbols of tremendous change in a short time frame.  A butterfly’s life spans the course of about a month, which means there’s little time to be idle.  There is of course also the “butterfly effect” where it’s believed if one flaps it’s wing, a hurricane could be created.  Let us be inspired to live a new life this month, during the Butterfly Season.

“We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?” ~ Marianne Williamson

A butterfly lays an egg on a leaf.  This simple action does not seem to be anything particularly fantastic, but it is an action none the less. The egg rests there, stuck until the conditions are just right.  This tiny egg will soon produce something great that will bring its own unique joy to its surrounding.   But what if the butterfly didn’t think so highly of such a tiny thing?  What if it was laid in the water, where it could be swept way with the current?  Or on the soil for the seed to be crushed by any creature that comes its way? Or even still on a stick or a piece of wood where the wind could blow it off?  It’s the smallest considerations that make the difference.

How often do we not think of taking care of something so small?  Did we carelessly toss our keys to the wind when we came in the door, out of sight and mind until it was time to move our cars again?  And what havoc missing keys can wreck on a schedule!  Or what about that tooth we noticed needed some attention, but put off getting fixed until it became a big tooth ache?  Now instead of a filling, the tooth must be extracted.  Maybe it is the idea we gave to the wrong person, believe they would take as much care with it as we would.  We so often places our eggs in places where they could not possibly survive.  It’s the smallest considerations that make the difference.

One man’s presence may not seem to have much of an impact, at least not at the time, but there are billions of people across the world who now follow him.  More than what Jesus symbolically meant for so many, the legacy of giving is what he probably wanted us to remember above anything else.  Instead of splitting hairs of what is to be done right in his name, perhaps we should worry more about those who would benefit by us living to help those not often thought of.  Matthew 25: 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’” His life and death was just a tiny seed, placed in a safe environment so that it could be nurtured and eventually grow into a movement.   Listening, paying attention to and treating well “the least of these” is what makes a difference in this life.

Consider planting something small egg in a safe place, either an idea in a journal, $5 dollars in a saving account or a bus card for someone in need of transportation to a job interview.  As we go through this month, watch how this seed can blossom into something greater.