Have Fun Being Creative!

How do you express your God-given creativity? 

Some people paint, sculpt, act, sing, garden, decorate their homes or dress with flair.  Looking out of my window at bright, yellow daffodils swaying in the wind, emerald green grass, and dainty white flowers in the neighbor's yard reminds me of the incredibly creative God that we know and love.

This past weekend I spoke at a gathering of women, many of whom were incredibly creative.  They decorated tables around a forties/fifties theme, served root-beer floats and popcorn, wore aprons, and had an old cookbook exchange.  It was a delight to see how their imaginations and ideas contributed to the enjoyment of the weekend.  So let me encourage you to let your inner creativity flow--go draw a picture, make a cake, re-arrange your furniture, put different items of clothing together, find a new place to cozy up to God and enjoy the fact that You have been created in HIS image.  Oh, and have fun!

Here's a creative poem a mother and her daughters put together and gave to me as a fun memory:

Poppy, Poppy, your words are not sloppy.
We love your cool accent and we know you are heaven sent.
We like your yellow hair, and we think you're as sweet as a pear!
Your sense of humor is sublime.  We could just listen to you all the time.
Poppy, Poppy, your words reach our heart, and through our Christ we'll never be apart.

HOW DO YOU EXPRESS YOUR CREATIVITY?  I'D LOVE TO KNOW.

Making Good Decisions while Battling Jet Lag!

Getting up at 4 a.m. two days ago to get my flight from Singapore to Japan and on to the States set the stage for jet-lag.  If you've never experienced jet-lag, it is a spacy, semi-sick feeling that keeps you up at night and makes you sleep during the day!

Last night I stayed up till nearly midnight watching the spectacular displays at the Winter Olympics.  Being in Asia the past three weeks, I've missed seeing any of the competitions.  This morning, I'm dragging! 

Lying in bed early today, I was struck by the power of our decisions.  I could stay in bed another hour (after all, I woke up at 5.15 a.m.) or get up and put away the laundry I did yesterday and start working on my to-do list.  Bed seemed a much better choice! 

Whether our decisions are minor or major, they have a ripple effect:

• If we stay in bed when we need to get up, our decision affects what we get done that day
• If we consistently eat more than we need (another poor choice from jet-lag!) we gain weight
• If we sit around instead of getting some exercise, even for twenty minutes, we feel sluggish
• If we consistently indulge our bodies cravings and our emotions, we develop patterns that don't work for our best.

There are many more ripple effects from the constant decisions we face every day.  We see this in Samson's life.  He repeatedly made poor decisions: indulged his love for women, missed his calling as God's person at that time in history, and wasted the opportunities God intended for him.  As I battle jet-lag for the next few days,  I'm glad God's Spirit reminded me that I can, and must, still make good decisions every day.

How about you?  What poor, or good, decisions are you making that affect your life--even if you're not jet-lagged?  

Tiger Woods: A Champion What?

Reading the Sunday paper here in Singapore, you can't escape the world wide interest in Tiger Woods.  Yes, he is a champion golfer.  Possibly the best the world has ever seen. He sent tv ratings sky high whenever he played in a championship game.  Unfortunately, those same tv ratings went even higher when he publically acknowledged that he had been a champion adulterer.

I have written and spoken in various places on the issue of Sex and Power in the Workplace. (For a CD, check my website audio offerings: http://www.poppysmith.com/ ) Covering how men attact women, and women attract men, I encourage both genders to watch for and take steps against sexual temptation that, if acted on, almost certainly leads to regrets.  In addition to loss of reputation, possibly loss of job, marriage and family, for the Christian there is the loss of a witness that honors God.

 Tiger Wood's work brought him fame and incredible fortune; it also brought him the power to attract women with no scruples about having an affair with a married man.  Tiger said in his press conference:

"I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply.  I never thought about who I was hurting.  Instead, I thought only about myself."

Sexual temptation is powerful--we're foolish if we don't realize that. Tiger Woods knows it--and now the whole world will watch to see if his reputation as a blatantly unfaithful, spouse can be redeemed.

In God's dealings with us--the answer is always "Yes."  We can be redeemed no matter how far we've strayed from God.  He promises that "if we confess our sins, He IS faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from ALL unrighteousness" l John.1:9. 

This promise applies not only to us, but also to Tiger Woods, and all the women who had affairs with him.


  Poppy
http://www.poppysmith.com/

You're Equipped and Empowered to Serve!

Before I left teaching with Bible Study Fellowship, one of my leaders said, "Maybe God will use you in speaking at women's retreats and conferences." 

I responded: "Why would I want to do that?"

Later, the Holy Spirit convicted me of taking charge of my life rather than offering it to God for His purposes.  Repenting of my "I'll do what I want" attitude, I asked God to forgive me for ever telling Him what I would or would not do.   Now that I can look back at what God had in mind, I'm really glad I had a change of heart and attitude!

As women God wants to use to bless others, He promises He will make us capable.  Here's three truths we need to hold on to:

We're equipped to serve by our gifting from the Holy Spirit: l. Cor.12:4-7; Romans 12:5
We're empowered to serve by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit: Eph.3:16-21
We're expected to serve and bear fruit that glorifies our Father: John 15:1-8.

Hope these powerful promises encourage you to keep saying "YES!" to all God calls you to do and be.

Poppy

Is God Working on Your "Stinky Fish"?

I'm writing from sweltering Singapore having spent the last week in rainy Hong Kong.  In case you're wondering what "stinky fish" means, let me tell you.

 "Stinky Fish" are those dry, hard, and stinky places in our spiritual journey that we'd often rather forget--but, given into the hands of Jesus to bless and use, can become life-giving sustenance for others.

Last Saturday I gave a talk at a Women's Leadership Seminar in Hong Kong.  The passage I spoke from is a familiar one, Matthew 14:13-21, which describes the feeding of the 5,000.  It  has some great points about how God shapes our character so His power can flow through us and meet the spiritual hunger and needs of others.  Check these out:

• Jesus, the One we follow, sees needs and has compassion--Here's a character check: are you seen as a compassionate person?
• Jesus invites and challenges us to meet the needs around us--Being honest, would you describe yourself as more sensitive or more indifferent to those needs? 
• Jesus takes what we offer Him, ourselves, inadequate as it is for the needs around us--Are we available to be used by Him or do we look at our inadequacies and hold back?
• Jesus gives thanks to the Father for what WE bring to Him, so HE can bless and make us sufficient--Is offering yourself to Him for His purposes a regular part of your spiritual journey?
• Jesus takes the few loaves of bread, what we offer Him from who we are, and feeds others.
• Jesus takes the "stinky fish," those places of our failure, weaknesses, dryness and transforms them into life-sustaining food and hope for those who feel their own spiritual weakness.
• Jesus doesn't waste anything from our lives when we offer it to Him--in fact, there is an abundance left over for feeding the hungry people God brings across your path.

I'll share some more on the character God wants to develop in us in my next blog.  Until then, read through this list again and ask God, "What areas of my heart and life need your transforming touch?  Speak, Lord, because I want to grow and have my life bless others."

Secret To A Life God Uses!

Last Thursday I spent an hour being interviewed by Linda Goldfarb, the host of CLASS Radio, Communicating with Power on the topic of Leadership.  Specifically,we talked about the creation, calling, and character of a leader.

We began by discussing how God shapes the person He uses to lead others, whether through their position (such as Moses, a pastor, or a team leader) or through being an influencer.  I was never influenced by someone with a "title", but I have been profoundly helped by several older women who had never heard the word 'mentor' or saw themselves in this light.

Leaders or spiritual influencers don't just arrive, they have been prepared by God over the years through much inner soul work.  God uses situations He allows to reveal who we are--and then calls us to become who we can be in Christ.  Paul cried out, "What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Rom.7:24).  But he also knew the secret of spiritual transformation: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Gal.2:20)

I shared during the interview (which you can listen to by clicking on the Facebook link on my Home webpage) that my first halting steps towards leadership came through being jealous and annoyed with another woman!  It was only after the Holy Spirit convicted me of my wretched attitude, and I acknowledged it in repentence, that the door opened to becoming a discussion leader in Bible Study Fellowship.  It was also through that incident that I realized the desire God had implanted to lead other women into a closer relationship with Him.

If  you're thinking this doesn't apply to you because you're not a leader, yes it does!  God's shaping of a leader is no different than His shaping of any one of His children.  He wants to refine and reshape your inner stuff just as He does in me.  Why?  So we can reflect Him in our homes, workplace, with relatives, neighbors, or fellow believers who drive us crazy, as well as in our spending habits, thought-life, and moral choices.

Think about your journey so far: 

• How has God shaped who you are at this time? 
• Have you been moldable and responsive to what He has said? 

I've needed so much 'hands-on' work by the Holy Spirit and it isn't over yet!  I feel shock and awe when I think of His patience, perseverance, and power to shape a strong-willed woman's heart (and mouth!) and turn her in the direction He planned.  But this is the secret to a life God uses.

How about you?  How is God shaping you right now?  I'd love to get a glimpse into your life by getting a comment back--even if you don't leave a name!

So what's the character He's trying to produce in us?  Sign up to get an email notice when I post the next blog and I'll answer that question in a few days.

Blessings,
Poppy
http://www.poppysmith.com/

Email: poppy@poppysmith.com

Haiti Horrors--Email from a Survivor

I just received an email from a friend whose cousin and other family members live and work in Haiti. Her cousin wrote that they were in their home with two friends when the house started rocking. She said it felt like being shaken in one of those glass snow toys. She and her husband braced themselves in doorways with their guests but when the back wall of their house collapsed they quickly got outside. They survived with just their passports--everything else lies under their pancaked house.

In my book, I'm Too Human to be Like Jesus: Spiritual Growth for the Not-So-Perfect Woman, I probe the issue of What Matters Most?  Watching the images coming from devastated Haiti reinforces the importance of that question. 

• What does matter most to us?
• What do we want to accomplish while we can?
• Who do we want to be and how do we want others to remember us?
• Is knowing God and living a life that honors Him our priority? 
• How are we doing that?

Sobering questions for a sobering time--but thinking about them, and praying and listening to God's response, will yield a life that has purpose, direction, and the fulfillment He intends.

After taking care of your family and pets, what else matters most to you?  I'd love to know!