Hi, I thought you may get a kick out of this skit I wrote for our women's group at Paisley UMC.



Heart to Heart
Skit
(Toni enters walking heel to toe, arms wide, as if walking on a tightrope, carrying an umbrella in one hand for balance. Loses balance briefly, reverses direction on tip toes, notices audience)
 
Toni: Oh, Hi. (Looses balance briefly) I suppose you’re wondering what I’m doing up here. Well, this is kind of what a United Methodist woman looks like to the rest of the congregation. Oh, not that we look like circus performers to them, but they’re wondering what could possibly motivate us to be involved in so many different things. You know, its kind of like they’re wondering if we’re for real and waiting to see if we lose our balance (loses balance briefly) and fall.
 
And then, since appearances can sometimes be deceiving, there’s some people who think we’re just a social group. They think we just get together to eat donuts and spread gossip. It’s a lot easier to ignore us if we look silly and insignificant -. So, we have to be very careful… and stay on our toes, if you know what I mean. (teeters again briefly). You see, in reality, we are very involved in all kinds of mission work. We share our funds and ourselves with needy women and children all over the world. We also help those in need right here in our own community too. Sometimes it’s a lot to deal with. We try to balance, (turn heel to toe again, pretending to walk the tight-rope) love of God, love of family, love of neighbor and love of self, all at once and still try to be attractive to women out there that have yet to join us. We need all the help we can get! When you get right down to it….It’s all about love!
 
  
(Joann, Phylis and Lois come up front and join Toni., Lois gives Toni her sign and stands next to Toni’s right, then Phylis, then Joann)
 
Joann:  Hi Toni. I was listening to you talking to everyone. (Turn toward Phylis) So, what do you think Phylis? What exactly is love?
 
Phylis:  Excuse me?
 
Joann:  I said, what is love?
 
Phylis: How about this? Is this love? (Points to Toni and Lois who turn to speak)
 
Lois:  (To Toni) I love your new necklace.
 
Toni: Thank you and I love your shoes.
 
Lois: (Looks down at her shoes as she smiles…then back at Toni)
Don’t you just love this beautiful weather?
 
All:  Yeah, I just love this weather. (All turn around and wait a minute, then)
 
(Joann and Phylis Turn back)
 
 Joann: No, that can’t be love. Its just talk.
 
Phylis: Well, then, maybe this is love. (Points to Toni & Lois as they turn back around)
 
Toni: I just love David! (Place hand over heart and flutter it)
 
Lois: Oh and he just loves you too! I’ll bet he proposes soon!
 
Toni & Lois: (Sigh aloud and turn around.)
 
Phylis: Well, all that talking about it could be love. But, it could be just talk too.                                 
 
Joann: How do we know the real difference?
 
(Lois and Toni turn back around)
 
Toni: David asked me if I knew how he knew that he loved me.
 
Lois: And what did you say?
 
Toni: (Smiling dreamily, speaking coyly) I said, no I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?
And then (Smile big and roll your eyes) He said,… because I feel it in my heart.” And he patted his chest just like this…(Put hand to heart again and flutter it)
 
(Toni and Lois sigh aloud again and turn away.)
 
Phylis:  Well maybe he was just in a good mood. Maybe Toni made him something extra special for dinner that tasted so good that… I don’t know…  Maybe he just lost his head! He may not feel the same tomorrow, you know.
 
Joann:  I know! Now here’s how we can be really sure its love. (Points to Lois and Toni as they turn back again.)
 
Toni: Well, now I know David really does love me.
 
Lois:  You do! How?
 
Toni; He showed me. He bought me this engagement ring, knelled down and asked me to marry him.
 
Lois: Oh, that’s just wonderful! (Then they sigh together but stay facing front.)
 
Phylis: So…. (Snaps fingers.) (Excited) I’ve got it! Love is not something you say. It’s not even something you feel. It’s something you do!
 
Joann: That’s it. We’ve finally got it!
 
(Ruth comes up front with tray and four cups of water.)
 
Ruth: Hey girls, I knew you were in here working on your United Methodist Skit. I thought you’d probably be thirsty by now, so I just brought you a little drink to quench your thirst..
 
Joann: Wow, that’s so nice of you. (To audience with hand cupping mouth as if revealing a secret.)  Now, that’s love!
 
(Everyone one sips, smiles,  pats each other on the back and then they all walk off.)

When David and I attended the 6 day advanced lay-speaking class. I was blessed to be voted by all the different classes to give the final sermon at the end of the week. David just found it on a disk I thought was lost. I hope you like it.

P.S. Please leave a comment below.

​ 


I’d like to read from the 116th Psalm, verses 12-14
What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?
 I will take up the cup of my salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord. Now in the presence of all His people.
 
Let’s pray:
Thank you Father for your Word and for your love. Bless us this morning as we seek wisdom from your word and power from Your Holy Spirit.  In Jesus name, we pray.
Amen
 
David was right when he said that our experience of the past two weekends was rewarding. Actually, that’s an understatement. The people involved with the Lay Speaker’s program are a group of dedicated, truly spiritual people who put together a wonderful program for us.
 
When some of you asked me, “How was school”, all I could say was, “Well, I thought it was very interesting… but possibly out of my league.” That too…was a gross understatement. But, nevertheless, I went and put on what I call my “Paper Lion Suit” and pretended at least partial nonchalance. That’s my survival tactic when I’m really scared witless. So…now you can probably better understand why I titled my talk: 
 
Who Do I Think I Am?
Although I enjoyed the experience of being at Lay Leaders school, after the fact, I really was a somewhat reluctant participant.  If you can picture the old vaudeville image of the truly rotten performer who is yanked off the stage by this huge hook around his neck, that’s a good visualization of how God got me there that morning!
 
The basic group consisted of a bunch of people and so we were divided up…And, of course, David and I were each put into different classes.
 
We were first directed to introduce ourselves and tell a little bit about jobs and families, which I guess was okay…you know, somewhat uncomfortable for us introvert types, but a pretty normal request in a new group and all… But then… as an  “ice breaker”, and I almost couldn’t believe this, our teacher told us to give a five to ten minute impromptu presentation about our the two most important people in our lives that had been the most influential to us through our spiritual growth. Nothing like jumping in with both feet!
 
 In the face of everyone’s testimonies, right off the bat, I was glaringly different from everybody else in my class…. They each had all these lovely recollections of generations of loved family members who had provided them with these wonderfully strong, nurturing backgrounds. We won’t go into my background, but believe me it wasn’t anything like there’s. So, from almost the first hour of class, I felt myself to be somewhat lacking…Somehow less qualified to position myself for leadership than the others because I never had any nurturing type experiences as a point of reference or source of confidence as they had.
 
            But like the psalm I read to you, I still felt gratitude towards God that I needed to express. When I asked what I could do to show my appreciation to God, I had ended up there in that class, so in some way, I did belong there.
                       
So…Though I might have come from a very different childhood and environment than my classmates, it wasn’t really about that… or even about who was less or more qualified. For me, it was just about loving the Lord for what He has done for me and needing to share Him with others.
 
I once had an angry, bitter heart. God healed me of that dark outlook on life and that was a tremendous blessing. But that’s another long story and not what I’m here to talk about today. I’ll just say that God’s ability to heal anything …matters. ...It matters a lot.
 
I learned about forgiveness when it was next to impossible to be forgiving. Because, you see, that lesson was for my benefit.  My forgiveness wasn’t really for those who I eventually forgave. That’s the part of it that is so important  -. That God literally changes us from what we were into what He wants us to become and it’s always better.
 
We are actually transformed by the word of God and the love contained within it…And unless we are willing to proclaim that fact, we are being selfish children.
 
A lot of what Paul wrote to his friends from his confinement in a Roman jail became quite literally, food for my thought. I’m sure you all know the verses I’m referring too, where Paul more or less says,
            Brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one thing more: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others.  Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.
 
Those words… those words inspired by the Holy Spirit did literally change my way of thinking. And so dismal, angry thoughts were eventually replaced with happy, life-giving ones. Christian thoughts… delivered from resentment and shame. All I had to do was accept His healing and simply choose to fill my mind with His goodness through the power of His word.
 
So great…But that has to mean more than just sitting around all day having nice thoughts.  There has to be some effect…some action…that my Christian thinking and living has on the world around me. The beauty that has been disclosed to me is not meant to be held as my own personal secret.
 
 
 
In Matt 5:13-16 Jesus said,
You are the world’s seasoning, to make it tolerable. If you lose your flavor, what will happen to the world? And you yourselves will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
 
You are the world’s light – a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see.  Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see… so that they will praise your heavenly Father.
 
I can’t let my uplifting thoughts go unrealized, which they will if I’m not taking some action to share them and give them life. So then I must do something, take some action. 
 
Serving God with singleness of purpose and putting the concerns of His kingdom first are actions that follow His will and free me from anxiety over any lesser things.
 
Jesus tells us not to accumulate treasures on earth and not to even worry about our lives at all.  He illustrates His point by comparing what He gives us to God’s provisions for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. We may not know them word for word, but we all know those verses:
Basically, He tells us not to sweat the small stuff but to use our energies more wisely. To seek God and His ways and everything else will take care of itself.  But, we so often overlook this instruction.
 
We are progressive people, becoming more and more educated, more and more capable - We acquire more and more prestigious things, all the while puffing our chests out further and further. Either that - or we’re worried sick because we’re not as accomplished as so and so, or we haven’t acquired the new car or overpriced house on the lake.
 
Whether we are situated on the outside or the inside of that treadmill, the resultant anxiety is the same. Worry has become natural to a lot of us - As natural as eating or sleeping. Why I know a lot of people and I’ll bet you do too, who couldn’t possibly get through a day if they didn’t have something to worry about. It’s almost as if worrying was a part of their nature.
 
Does this tendency to worry have anything to do with what Jesus means in the seventh chapter of Matthew were He talks about entering heaven through the narrow gate? He says that the highway to hell is broad and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes who choose its easy way. But the gateway to Life is small, and the road is narrow and only a few ever find it. Do you suppose we will find it by worrying?.
 
We are literally required as children of God to abandon concern for anything other then our spiritual growth and the commission given to us of telling the world about Him.  God is God. He knows what we need and only He controls tomorrow. So are we going to actually obey God…or just think about our striving to be obedient? That was the decision I had to make - You know, actually “Walk the talk.”
 
It’s a bit unnerving to consider what Jesus says in Matt 7:21.
Not everyone who says to me Lord ,Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
 
For most of us, it’s easy to designate things like lying or deliberate cruelty, or murder, as sins…Those are pretty clear-cut and we can simply decide not to commit them. But worrying is also sinful. Jesus says it is. And that’s just not something most of us think of when we think of being sinful.
 
For example;
All I could do, from the time we were given the assignment to get up in front of everyone and give a ten minute sermonette, until… well, from that Saturday till the following Tuesday afternoon, was to consider all the possible subjects I could speak about and then worry my heart out about my inability to do it.
 
My thinking went something like this:
How in the world did I get myself into such a predicament?
Whatever possessed me to think myself capable of preaching to anybody else?
I have no credentials or special talents in relation to public speaking – What was I thinking?
 
Who in the world do I think I am?….And on and on like that till I had a knot the size of a melon gripping my stomach. It wasn’t until I forced myself to stop and look at how worried and fearful I had become that I was able to actually start to work on this assignment.  But before I could do it, I first had to hand it over to God - Truly leave it with Him.
 
You see, all the worrying in the world wasn’t going to make me the least bit more capable.  Only God’s grace could do that.  Only when I turned the outcome over to Him could I envision myself speaking clearly and comfortably without having a heart attack from the stress.
 
Again, my answer came from His Word: (Phil4:13)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
 
So when the temptation to second guess my situation – to beat myself up with thoughts of inadequacy comes, I have to see that for what it really is.  Its just another way that Satan has of creeping into my thoughts and stealing my confidence and perverting my good intentions until I think myself foolishly presumptuous.
 
Who do I think I am to stand up and preach the Word of God? Well… I’m predestined to adoption as a child of God, purchased and redeemed by the blood of Jesus and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise who guarantees my inheritance into heaven.  That’s who I am and there is no room for false pride or insecurity in the power of that!
 
All I have to do is ask the Father to give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.  Because then the eyes of my understanding are enlightened and I recognize the nature of His calling in me which is far above any puny negative power.
 
 So I can answer the question of whether I should presume to be here with faith. (Eph 2:8) For by grace I have been saved through faith, and that not of myself, but it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest I should boast. For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them.
 
So, I put on the armor of God… that I may be able to stand and open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel. I am not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers few. So, like others of us here, I have heard the Holy Spirit call me and I have chosen to be among the few.
 
And I believe that we are called with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. (2 Tim1:9)
 
I’d like to close with one final Bible quote from Matt 12:31
Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
 
When the Holy Spirit calls, we can only obey.
Praise God and may He so richly bless each of you.
 
 

                                                              Forgiveness Isn’t Always Easy
 Toni Smothers
 
Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:8-12
.Click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: Mat 6:14-15 (NIV) For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
 
Christians are told to forgive an offense, even if we need to forgive it seventy times seven times. Yet, we often seem to have trouble forgiving a single offense. It's easier to forgive if our offender apologizes and asks us to forgive him. But, if our offender does not ask forgiveness, we are still to be kind to that person and not harbor malice toward him - On top of that, we are not to speak ill of him and continue to be helpful to him.
 
God's Truth instructs us to be forgiving without exception, if we want Him to do the same for us. (We may be in trouble here!) Our pride, the bane of our destruction, rears up and claims rightful indignation when someone is offensive to us. God's Word says to offer a gentle spirit of forgiveness as soon as the sting of being wronged is felt. Christian or not, our broken humanity screams out for revenge. Jesus is our only solution to this conundrum – we must cry out to Him for a forgiving heart. When we humbly repent, lean totally on Jesus for the attitude of love that fosters forgiveness, He will provide it. We can forgive, but only if we lay down our brokenness at the feet of Jesus.
 
Today’s meditation: Truly desire to be forgiving.
 
Memory Verse: And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12 (NIV)

​Question: "How do I know which of God's promises are for me?"

Answer: There are literally hundreds of promises in the Bible. How can we know which promises apply to us, which promises we can claim? To frame this question another way, how can one tell the difference between general promises and specific promises? A general promise is one that is given by the Holy Spirit to every believer in every age. When the author penned the promise, he set no limitations on time period or recipient.

An example of a general promise is 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This promise is based on the forgiving nature of God and is available to all believers everywhere. Another example of a general promise is Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This promise is made to all believers who, refusing to worry, bring their requests to God (v. 8). Other examples of general promises include Psalm 1:3; 27:10; 31:24; John 4:13-14 (note the word “whoever”); and Revelation 3:20.

A specific promise is one that is made to specific individuals on specific occasions. The context of the promise will usually make clear who the recipient is. For example, the promise of 1 Kings 9:5 is very specific: “I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever.” The preceding and following verses make it clear that the Lord is speaking only to King Solomon.

Luke 2:35 contains another specific promise: “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” This prophecy/promise was directed to Mary and was fulfilled in her lifetime. While a specific promise is not made to all believers generally, the Holy Spirit can still use a specific promise to guide or encourage any of His children. For example, the promise of Isaiah 54:10 was written with Israel in mind, but the Holy Spirit has used these words to comfort many Christians today: “my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.”

As he was led to take the gospel to the Gentiles, the apostle Paul claimed the promise of Isaiah: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47). Isaiah’s promise was originally meant for the Messiah, but in it Paul found guidance from the Lord for his own life. When claiming a promise from Scripture, we should keep the following principles in mind:

1) Promises are often conditional. Look for the word “if” in the context.
2) God gives us promises to help us better submit to His will and trust Him. A promise does not make God bend to our will.
3) Do not assume to know precisely when, where, or how the promise will be fulfilled in your life.


​© Copyright 2002-2010 Got Questions Ministries

                    Toni Smothers                 tasmothers@gmail.com        www.writingforthemaster.com

                                                                 The Trouble with Obedience

            As children of God, we desire and faithfully pursue Christ’s redemption, while we also yearn for God’s grace. We pray that His Holy Spirit will saturate our lives. In our gratitude, we develop a truly worshipful love for our Savior. When God accepts our worship, His glory is revealed to us as He inhabits our praise. We experience a deep communion with God’s presence as He pours His love and unfathomable peace into our hearts and minds.  But, before any of that becomes possible, we must discard the world’s standards and replace them with God’s Law.
 
            In the Old Testament we read about God’s demand for holy perfection and the blood sacrifices required for forgiveness of sin that the Israelites lived under. God says in Leviticus 18:5 (NIV), “Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.” You will notice that God doesn’t say, keep some of the laws. God’s laws were, and still remain, inflexible and they demand complete obedience.
           
            God is holy and He wants His people to be holy also. This is a very real problem for us. Even on our best day, even deliberately separating ourselves from the world, how could we shed all the pride and selfishness inherent in our nature? We try, sure, but we can’t actually live sinless lives. We are sinners in desperate need of complete change.
 
            The Pastor, the Elders of your church or the Christian you most admire are all sinful people!
             
               Even if we know Romans 7:22 by heart, (“With my whole heart I agree with the Law of God.”), we simply cannot live that out by ourselves. That’s the reason, in His love and mercy, God sent us Jesus. (See John 3:16) Jesus lived a sinless life and offered himself as the blood sacrifice for our sins. Jesus has broken sin’s power and polluting influence over us. The problem with perfect obedience has been solved because God accepts Jesus’ covering over His believers and grants us forgiveness. We now have the privilege of living an abundant life in the present, with the Holy Spirit as our guide. Once we physically die, we are promised an eternity in heaven with God - We are truly blessed!
 
"For the law of the Spirit, which brings us life in union with Christ Jesus, has set me free from the law of sin and death."  Romans 8:2
 
Check out Romans 8:1-11 to read more on this life changing subject.

​Who Pulls Your Strings? X
 
Stressful lifestyles are prevalent in the twenty first century. Stress can be a good thing, if it is mild and simply serves to motivate and jump start your body. It can become a problem, though, when you begin to feel like your family and work obligations are less like normal activities and more like a frantic juggling act. We’ve all been there; it’s when these pressures become the norm, rather than the exception, that you feel a tightening in the pit of your stomach. When your daily activities are consistently hectic and all your time is scheduled down to the hour and minute, with unreasonably urgent deadlines, that’s a surefire clue that something has to change.
 
Short fuses and long lists of health issues are characteristic byproducts of our lives spiraling out of control. There needs to be a sense of calm restored to balance all the fast-paced anxiety trying to overwhelm us. Our bodies are equipped to handle stress, but not on a continuing basis. There are ways to stop living as if we can handle anything and everything without consequence. We can restore peace of mind and consequently healthy bodies, if we take action by implementing a sensible plan.
 
God did not say that life would be uncomplicated, but He did equip us with the resources to cope. A Christian’s first line of defense is his or her faith. Knowing that God is aware of you, that He has a plan for your life and that He wants peace to dominate your inner being, can cause you to turn away from yourself and toward Him for solutions to your problems. God designed us with the ability to communicate with Him through prayer and by reading His Word, the bible. That’s why it is most sensible to invest a few minutes the first thing every day with God. Let him know your concerns and wait expectantly for answers.
 
It is the independent spirit that stumbles when calamity strikes. God wants us to need Him. We are so conditioned by the world to become better, smarter, faster, or whatever. But the world is ruled by darkness and lies. Satan wants you to be self-sufficient because then he can be certain that you will fail. Don’t fall for pressuring tactics that have you striving to get through your stress by yourself. God is waiting for you to find your strength in Him!
 
Toni Smothers

​A Christian Never Reaches The End Of His Rope
 
Trials abound in the ministry and sometimes we feel pressed on every side by troubles. But, we are not crushed and broken by disappointments and even though we may become perplexed, we don’t give up or let out faith waver because we know in our heart of hearts that God never abandons us.
Although sometimes we may forget it, we are never really at the end of our rope.  No matter what dreadful thing may occur around or to us, we always have hope. Because Christ has won the victory over death, we have eternal life as our inheritance. As children of God, we have the assurance that even death submits to the power and glory of God. I praise him for that incredible promise. I envision even the smallest corner in the darkest closet in Heaven as a glorious place compared to anything that has ever or will ever exist here in our lifetimes.
     But, while lavishing in imaginings of the grandeur and blessings of Heaven may be kind of neat, we must never let the future detract us from the present. The Bible teaches us that through suffering we share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in us. But, is it? Is the life of Jesus truly showing in each of us? That’s really what I want to address today.
     I don’t believe we were saved to spend the rest of our lives yearning for eternity. Yet you can find many who will say that they have to endure this life until God calls them home.  Their self-imposed endurance test keeps them diligently doing rather than gratefully experiencing. So is your cup half full or half empty today? The optimists’ cup is half full and the pessimists’ is half empty – What about yours?
     Do you spend most of your time doing for others so you can show God how faithful and self-sacrificing you are? A lot of Christians do, you know. But by doing that, they are probably missing many of the blessings God has for them.
     Realize this...God is the only one who understands what true faithfulness is and He is the only one who has made the ultimate sacrifice of his son’s life for us. Even our noblest efforts are as filthy rags compared to what he has already done.  He doesn’t want that kind of futile effort from us.  He just wants to love us and be the center of our lives. Fellowship with God does not have to be a far off goal to become real only after death. His spirit is very real and immediate.
     Sometimes we get so busy doing for God that we forget that. We go around spinning our wheels and leave little or no time for just waiting and listening for Him.  His still, small voice is always with us, guiding, comforting and sustaining. God is present, now, today, as we live and breathe.  As I write His message, He helps me choose the exact words that will communicate with your hearts, as well as your minds. 
     We need only accept that it is actually possible and true that He is here with us today – Just as He always is. We need only let our hearts believe, without question or rational explanation, that our Father wants to be that involved in our lives! He is not simply to be summoned periodically throughout our days when we pause to acknowledge Him with our prayers or good deeds.  He wants to be so much more intimate with each and every one of us then we can ever conceive of in our grandest imaginings.
     How close is your heart, your own emotions? God is closer. How well do you know yourself? God knows you far better than that. How many hairs are on your head? Even you don’t know that. But your Heavenly Father knows that answer. This incredible reality is often too huge for us to fathom, but it is still true.
     I think that we are meant to live in multiple realities. We are our children’s parents, our parents’ children, our friends’ friend, our students’ teacher, our husbands’ wives, and on and on. We are not easily defined.  But above all that we know ourselves to be in this life, God knows us as His children and that means so much more than all the rest.
     It means that no matter how much adversity or evil we come against in our lives, we can always have the comfort and the council of our Father - And not only that! We can also have His celebration and companionship in our times of joy! He is always, and I underline always, with us! So all of our accomplishments, our risks, humiliations and trials, are really just opportunities for God to demonstrate His power, presence and love in and through us. We must not let anything steal that truth from us because we are meant to live joyfully in that knowledge!
     We all have faced problems in our relationships or in our work or our homes that have seemed overwhelming at times.  But that’s only because we temporarily forgot who faces those problems right there and then with us.
     It’s true that God didn’t promise us an easy life, but he did promise to send us the Holy Spirit. Once we acknowledge Him, invite Him to take up residence within us; we live in two distinct realities for the rest of our lives. We live among the lost and hurting world in a state of blessedness that can only be experienced. It can't be explained or adequately verbalized.  But I can tell you this much... that state of blessed communion with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, can turn the hardest that life delves out, into wonderful opportunities to show the world God’s Glory in us.
     If we accept that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and that we are predestined to adoption as children of God, purchased and redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise who guarantees our inheritance into heaven, we are truly then saved. Those are the facts in a nutshell, so to speak. No more is necessary to obtain that eternal life in Heaven after death. And, unfortunately, many of God’s children remain satisfied with that.
     But, that’s just part of the good news because if we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us and direct our lives here and now, we can also understand and therefore claim the joy of our salvation. There’s such a tremendous difference between the two ways of being God’s child.  I can’t emphasize enough how vastly different the presence of the Holy Spirit as a daily reality can make in our lives now.
     Other than Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, I can’t imagine a more precious or perfect gift. The power and indwelling delight of the Holy Spirit’s presence must not be trampled by our nonsensical busyness. God blesses us according to our willingness to receive and share, and not for any other reason. That power and tremendous joy remains ever ready for all who will receive it. So my prayer for each of you today, is that you will also claim the joy of your salvation.
You know, as spirit-filled children of God, we leave the optimists of this world in the dust because our cup is not only half full; it is full and overflowing with the love of our Heavenly Father.
 
Toni Smothers

​                                                                                Jesus Waits
Toni Smothers

​His Spirit within me was risen and freed.
A long time ago – Dark day at Calvary.
He joined with The Father, the earth and the sea.
His gift of salvation,  just waiting for me.
 
But life with its burdens, its worries, its cares,
Smothers His Presence and stifles my air.
It steals the pure freedom; He wants to give me.
It makes me conform, like a lock and a key.
 
Lost sight of the wonder His Spirit does bring,
I hear only the sad song my flesh often sings,
Of woe and of anger, the fight to be first,
I join in the nonsense – I feel I could burst!
 
I follow, I lead, I move farther away,
From His Spirit that whispers, “Make this a new day.”
He tells me to turn toward the subtle, the weak,
To commune with the lovely, the peaceful, the meek.
 
Speaking his message so sweet to my heart.
He’s my loyal companion, an infinite part –
Of God’s perfect mercy - Forgiveness for free,
As crucial to life as His need to love me.
 
I loose Him, I wander, I yearn for my friend.
Till His Spirit within me can surface again,
To chide me, to guide me, to keep me aware –
That Jesus my Savior will always be there!

​The Witness of a Wee Little Man
 
 
“Zaccheas was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a Sycamore tree the Savior for to see.”
 
There was a little kid once who lived in New York City. Years ago, there were many musically talented people, preachers, mimes and all sorts of talented people who would perform right on the street corners, among the crowds mulling around in the city.  One of the street shows included a magician.  People clapped, laughed and ooohed at the magician. The little kid wanted to see the act.  Scooting around to the right the child was met by tall people. Squeezing to the left – again – tall people. Finally, on  tip toes, the kid could barely make out the performer’s head.  As this child prepared to be amazed with the crowd guess, what stepped right in front? Yep - a tall person.  Where’s a Sycamore tree when you need one?
 
The child missed the magician because of the crowd.  Zaccheas was missing Jesus because of the crowd. Crowds take up space and block views.
 
Consider this question:
What’s blocking you from getting close to the Savior?
 
With so many details of life surrounding us, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. It’s easy to let the Lord walk on while a mob of misplaced priorities comes between us.
 
Take a que from Zack. Get ahead and above the crowd. Look beyond it. Whatever it takes to get a clear view of Jesus…do it! The mass of things begging for our attention, or stepping between the Lord and us rarely subsides unless we deliberately force them to. Our wee little friend ran ahead of the multitude and climbed.
 
When Jesus got to the tree where Zaccheas was perched He stopped and told him to come down. The Lord doesn’t want us just to get above the crowd, or watch Him from some lofty, far out location.  He wants us to walk with Him, talk with Him and spend a lot of time with Him.
 
Zaccheas may have been a wee little man, but through Jesus, he became great. When we become wee little (less self-centered and pre-occupied with ourselves), we’ll then be ready to be used by God as well.
 
Take a moment now to ask God to help you think more highly of Him than you do of yourself and your own interests so that he can position you for His service.
 
 
 

​This is an article  I had published in 1999


Toni Smothers                                                                         Approx. 2,460 words 
Paisley, FL, 32767
 
  
Understanding the Battering Syndrome 
           
“Stop! Please, no more,” she pleads, as she crawls away from him.  Blood drips from her nostrils; a sickening reminder of his fist.
​
Her only thought is escape.  She rolls under the table for protection.  The table is lifted and smashed against the wall.  His drunken, irrational anger lashes out.  He kicks her hard - again and again, tearing into her ribs.  She moans, partly from the immediate pain, but mostly from the shame his brutality evokes in her.  Eventually she crumbles and is finally immune to the blows that follow.
Beaten and defeated – She wishes she were dead.
* * *
The liberation of women has been a slow struggle and its influence on society is still relatively weak, with many merely giving lip service to it.  The process of change is never rapid.  We are a society in reluctant transition; mixed messages and archaic belief systems abound, leaving many in a confused sort of limbo.  Is it any wonder that spousal abuse, behind closed doors, remains an adhesive custom of right?
 
Understanding the victimization of the battered woman is essential to change. The batterer physically and psychologically abuses her and then society further contributes to her shame by condemning her for not ending her abuse.  The battered woman is deeply affected by this attitude of blame, which serves to compound her feelings of helplessness and self-loathing; emotions that contribute to her inaction.
 
The notion that the battered woman provokes her batterer beyond his tolerance is ingrained in her thinking as well.  This self-accusation fuels the problem by robbing the man of responsibility for his actions.  This myth has become internalized, nevertheless, and she assumes the guilt for her batterer’s behavior.
           
It is still commonly assumed that batterers and their victims are mostly undereducated, frustrated people living under deprived conditions.  Contrary findings were reported in Professor Lenore Walker’s book entitled, The Battered Woman, where she states that physicians, service professionals and police all had a very high incidence of wife beating.  As a group, batterers are indistinguishable from any other group of men in terms of capability, income or education – As are the battered women.
           
Studies on violence report that a physical assault occurs in close to one of every three marriages.  A statistic like that certainly confirms a grossly underestimated problem.  Real attitude adjustments and major investigation into tangible solutions seems urgent.
           
Laws and programs have been developed to enable the victim of abuse to escape her situation.  Since options are now available, we naturally expect that the battered woman will automatically embrace these relatively unproven supports. We unwittingly discount her terror by expecting her to risk everything because society has finally taken some interest in her welfare.   But we forget that the battered woman’s ability to trust has already been shattered.  The man she chose to love, her own physical inferiority and quite likely her family history, all contribute to a weakened ability to trust effective intervention by strangers.  Especially when those strangers expect her to accept their “quick fix” or be judged a fool for the paralysis she experiences while continuing in her abusive relationship. Such assumptions are disrespectful and demeaning.  When we minimize her dilemma by claiming it to be a simple matter of free choice, we do not comprehend the battering syndrome.
           
The battering of women goes back to Biblical times.  Wife beating was accepted as a husband’s right by the English and American courts even into the early nineteenth century.  These attitudes seem to have tenacious roots.  Gender stereotyping refuses to be banished entirely.  Society’s underlying message that a woman belongs to a man destroys a woman’s self-esteem.  Believing herself to be powerless against her man and her situation, she is immobilized.
Additionally, some batterers threaten harm to the woman’s family or friends.  She holds no doubt that her batterer’s retaliation could include severe danger to her loved ones.
 
The women interviewed in Professor Walker’s study described their batterers and themselves as having dual personalities.  They deceive friends and associates into believing that they live normal lives, while their actions within the home are out of control.  Besides the physical brutality, the battered woman must endure possessiveness, jealousy and intrusiveness.  Generally, she must account for all her time and despite his constant surveillance, the batterer is still suspicious of any relationship his wife has with other people.
 
The question remains, “How do women tolerate this lifestyle”?  In Del Martin’s book entitled, Battered Wives, her findings concurred with most other current research: The battered woman remains in her abusive relationship due to the inter-relatedness of complex psychological and sociological factors.
           
If we can get her to risk taking a chance on a safe shelter, the duration of her stay and the financial support available is too limited.  Long-term assistance is not as yet available.  Fear of inadequacy and financial dependency will not be defeated without viable, extended alternatives.  It seems obviously unreasonable to assume that the battered woman could change her failure expectancy without considerable counseling. Then we have the marriage counselors who still tend to encourage keeping the family together at any cost.  And, incredibly, the batterer and the battered woman fear that they can not survive by themselves.  All these factors perpetuate a continuance of their peculiar relationship and the only comfort to be found for them is in its familiarity.
 
Professor Walker refers to these kinds of feelings as “learned helplessness”. This theory is explained in three parts: Thinking about what will happen, expectations about what will happen and behavior toward what actually does happen. The problem lies in expectations and reactions; she sees them as totally independent of each other.  This is where the motivational disturbance begins.  The question is not whether the woman has control over the outcome. She believes that she does not have control, so she gives up any attempt to change the situation, believing it to be hopeless.  Walker uses the example of the patient who loses the “will to live” and dies when he could have lived.
 
There are very specific stages of the battering relationship: First the tension builds, then the batterer explodes, and after he has vented his frustrations, there is a calm period; until the cycle repeats itself.  The battered woman is adept at keeping the first phase of the cycle at a fairly constant level, avoiding the actual battering incident for a time.  As she tiptoes over eggshells, the tension inevitably accelerates until even her submissive behavior can no longer maintain the equilibrium. Once the tension becomes unbearable, the acute battering incident will occur once again.
When the actual attack is over, the woman feels shock and denial.  She finds ways of rationalizing away her batterer’s hostile intent.  She minimizes her injuries, convincing herself that they could have been much worse.  She hesitates to seek help immediately following the beating unless she is severely injured.  By not telling anyone about her beating, she can pretend that it wasn’t really too bad. Besides, the battered woman knows that officers dislike playing mediator in domestic dispute calls.  Many police respond with reluctance and often fail to take appropriate action against the batterer.  This hesitant attitude only promotes the abuse cycle, subtly affirming to the assailant that his actions are not viewed as legally serious.
 
In Kansas City, a study on police effectiveness found that over 80% of all women murdered by their spouse had called police one to five times prior to being killed!  Is it so difficult to understand why a woman might believe that no one, including the police, could protect her from her man’s fury?
 
Once the actual battering incident is over, the batterer’s loving and contrite behavior begins, which only serves to sabotage the woman’s emotions even further. Fearing that he has gone too far, the batterer becomes apologetic and he tries to make it up to her by acting charming and repentant.  He begs her to forgive him, swearing that he will never do it again.  Somehow, he manages to convince her that this time he positively means it.  For example, if alcohol is a problem, he will swear off drinking to demonstrate his sincerity.
 
The batterer works on her guilt by telling her that he really does love her and that she must save their marriage by forgiving him. In addition, the battered woman wants to believe that she will never have to take another beating. Her batterer’s newfound reasonableness helps her to believe that he will change his ways and that the loving, contrite behavior will become permanent.
It is at this point that the outside sources of help are trying to persuade her to leave the relationship.  But this is precisely the time when her relationship with her batterer is at its very best.  She believes that he needs her and will usually drop charges or back down on separation.  As Walker so perfectly put it, “she becomes an accomplice to her own battering”.
 
Inevitably, the calm romantic behavior is replaced with building tension and a new cycle of battering behavior begins.  Her self-image is further damaged as she faces the awareness that she has traded her will being for a brief period of contrite affection from her batterer.  Once again, she sees herself as a failure and her feelings of helplessness are reinforced.
 
The final atrocity is the fact that this syndrome is passed down from generation to generation.  The children who are forced to watch their mothers being beaten suffer great psychological scars.  Additional relationships are later created where violence against other family members is the norm. Children who are taught that it is reasonable to love and hurt someone at the same time carry these values into their adult lives.  Unfortunately, this violent lifestyle is continued rather predictably.
 
 It’s obvious that the battered woman suffers from far more than beatings. Our accusations and blame are inappropriate.  We have to search for effective measures of assistance to ensure the destruction of a tragically, heretofore, unending cycle. The injustice of continued wife abuse must be terminated.
 
Shelters offer the battered woman a supportive environment free from abuse.  The time a woman and her children are permitted to remain in their sanctuary should be lengthened to more realistically deal with the woman’s fear of the unknown and readjustment to a new, independent lifestyle.  Hopefully, as we progress in our understanding of the battering syndrome, the council found within these shelters will become even more patient and effective.
 
Rainbow Retreat, in Phoenix, Arizona, was the first shelter to open its doors to abused women and their children in 1973.  Since that time, many communities and virtually all major cities have followed with shelters and hot lines to assist these women.  Shelters assure the rights of women to be physically protected by the society in which they live.  Though shelters do not solve the problem of battering, they have become a constant reminder to the public of the need for change in attitude toward the victims of wife beating.
 
More specialized training of our police is essential in handling domestic violence and the needs of the battered woman.  They must take the same legal action they would if the assailants and victims were not man and wife.  If no arrest is made, officers should provide victims with information about available shelters and arrange transportation to protect the woman and her children.  Since domestic assaults are more likely than other assaults to recur, these incidents should be recorded and kept readily available as a reference to alert officers to an abuser’s history of violent behavior.  Police can no longer substitute mediation for law enforcement, even if that means arresting the batterer without the frightened victim’s initiation or consent.
 
Abuse victims should be treated no differently than victims of other crimes.  Responsibility for criminal acts belongs to those who commit them.  The prosecutors must begin to give battered women the same protection and high priority given other victims of violent crime, basing their decisions only on the merits of the cases.  Again, more thorough training about the causes and criminal nature of spouse abuse and about steps to be taken for enforcing statutes that prohibit such conduct is needed, along with intensive counseling for the batterer once he is incarcerated.  Prosecutors should not dismiss legitimate cases for any reason.
 
As an educational priority, all law enforcement personnel must have a perfectly clear understanding of the appropriate sanctions for violating civil protection orders and criminal laws pertaining to spouse abuse.  Protective orders need to be obtained more expediently.  Judges must decide between civil and criminal remedies on an individual case basis in accordance with the seriousness of the offense.  Our states can pass precise legislation providing protective orders for abuse victims with effective means for enforcement.  These measures will make it vividly clear to abusers that the courts and society in general will no longer tolerate the unquestionable crime of domestic violence in this country.
 
When consequences are strictly implemented by law enforcement, restraint is more likely to develop in the batterer.  Respect for the abused woman’s fear and understanding what a giant leap of faith it will take for her to actively change her situation, may eventually bolster her confidence.  We must enable the abused women to begin to trust again.  If judgmental condemnation can be abolished and exchanged with insightful compassion, we will finally approach the sorely overdue elimination of this archaic and barbaric syndrome.
           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
End