Monday, November 2, 2009

"Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Today's Meditation: 1Samuel 3:1-12; Focus--verse 9 "And Eli said to Samuel, Go lie down: and it shall be, if he shall call your name again, you shall say, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth..."

"Said the night wind to the little lamb, "Do you hear what I hear?" These are the opening words to one of my favorite holiday songs. As a little girl in my elementary school Christmas play, I recall with great fondness having been selected to portray little Mary, the mother of Jesus--all the while, our tiny voices sang this wonderful account of Jesus' birth.

What was always most fascinating to me was the fact that in the song, the Wind could speak to an animal, who in turn delivered the message to a shepherd boy! It all seemed so magical and mysterious to me...Incredible? Impossible? or Miraculous?

That same sense of awe and wonderment I had as a 9 year-old girl remains with me today each time I hear the voice of my invisible God speaking to me today, so that I might deliver His message to the world. How must young Samuel have felt? He did not know God very well yet, but because he had been set apart, consecrated, and properly dedicated to the Lord by his parents, his ears were supernaturally opened to the voice of God.

Hearing from God requires that you be available (free & willing). Listening to God requires that you be obedient (disciplined). Listening is a call to action. Listening to God requires your soul to be in a place of clarity, calm, and purity. Hearing God requires a level of humility and a bowing down to every word that comes forth by His Spirit. Once the Lord knows and is fully confident that you have made yourself available to His voice, He opens the floodgates of revelation, instruction, wisdom, guidance, and simple communion with Him! So the question is:

When is the last time you really heard from God? I mean, really heard Him speak to you...

Today and always, let us continually keep ourselves open to the fresh Wind of God to reveal himself in whatever wonderful way He chooses to do so. Amen.
--Rev. Steph

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

"KEEP IT MOVING"

Today's Meditation: Nehemiah 3:6 "...And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?"

Have you ever been in the middle of an important project or task and the phone rings? Or working hard to meet a deadline but you are interrupted with another emergency that requires attention? Maybe you were not previously under any undue pressure because you thought that you had methodically organized and planned out your week's workload--but then a colleague contacts you with an urgent request?

I once saw a poster which read, "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency response on my part." I never forgot that saying. And although everyday life will always require us to be flexible and adaptive to change, we know that people will be people. It doesn't matter the environment: church, home, business, school, family--unfortunately, persons who are highly productive and successful in life seem to be the targets of lazy, unimaginative leeches who expect everyone to "stop, drop, and roll" whenever they call. When it comes to Kingdom building, my own theory is that these people are often used by the enemy to impede progress, stagnate the work, and maintain the established status quo.

Distraction, jealousy, procrastination, back-biting, envy, and silly mind games people play are just a few of the many weapons in a kit full of confusion launched by the devil. They are of great use to promote dissension among friends and co-workers--especially when there is a great mission to accomplish. In times like these, it is critical for us to ensure that our hearts and minds remain sober, clear, sharp, and focused--we must, like Nehemiah, "Keep it moving."

Nehemiah was a builder who was all about business. As he neared the completion of his great masterpiece, so many rumors and false allegations surrounded him. So-called friends and enemies alike sent messages trying to pull him away from his work, but the wisdom in Nehemiah had taught him better; " I am doing a great work...why should the work cease, while I leave it and come down to you?" And Nehemiah did NOT stop...He kept it moving! Don't you just love it! We will always be faced with the real and perceived limitations to a wonderful dream or vision. But I believe that dream or vision is not our own, rather it belongs to and was given to us by God.

My prayer for you today is this: Believe that God is more than able to grant you provision for the vision--no matter great or small. Know that when you are called to accomplish something great, you have the power to press through until you breakthrough. Understand that greater is HE that is IN YOU, than all the negativity and systems of evil which are present in the whole World. Plant yourself firm, take a deep breath, and keep it moving!
Amen.
--Rev. Steph

Sunday, October 18, 2009

"SUMMER TIME" - Seasonal Relationships, Cont'd.

Now that God has navigated you successfully through the newness and excitement of your Spring Relationship season, you realize that almost without notice, the season has changed and now it's Summertime. Even the very mention of the word puts you in a particular frame of mind. By now, the seeds of inquiry, friendship, discovery, and character should have begun to take root. It is now, in the wonderful warmth of the Summer Son, that your relationship must withstand the test of the heat: heat of mood swings, heat of personality conflicts, heat of integrity, heat of truthfulness, heat of disclosure, and the heat of temptation. For some, it is the heat of the Summer that seems to relax us, slow us down, and make us become even a bit lazy; the sun is high, and our guard is down! For others, the heat of Summer seems to activate a new-found spirit of boldness and adventure. Funny thing is, no matter how the Summer affects us personally, when we find yourself in new friendships, we seem to lose sight of how this dramatic shift in climate is affecting the other person! If God has truly placed authentic and healthy relationships in your lives, they will not lose their savor and saltiness when Summertime comes. We are all creatures of our environment, and must know beyond a shadow of a doubt in what atmosphere to we thrive the most, and in what atmosphere do those whom we love and are in relationship with the most challenges. With so many options at our disposal, if we are not careful, the blessing of that God-ordained "summer shift" may be under-appreciated and under-developed. Ask God to train you to discern every season --both spiritually and naturally.
Amen. --Rev. Stephanie

Monday, October 12, 2009

"SEASONAL Relationships"

To Everything there is a Season, and a Time to every purpose under the heaven. (Ecc. 3:1)

No matter who you are, a discussion surrounding the topic of relationships is bound to peak your interest on one level or another. With each passing year of life, I am learning not only the value of good, healthy relationships, but also how discern those acquaintances and interactions which are in fact "seasonal".


In some regions, people live with four seasons winter, spring, summer, and fall. In tropical regions, there are just two--dry season and rainy season (which for the Caribbean includes Hurricane Season.) At any event, appreciating the season in which you find your relational encounters may better help you understand why certain things are occuring (or not) with you; and it will also release you from harboring any guilt, resentment, disappointment or bitterness as a result of a relationship which simply "came, to pass".

Today, just a few words about "Spring Relationships":

Spring Relationships: Fresh, new, and as unpredictable as the wind. These relationships capture our hearts, our imaginations, and expand our views on what 'might be'. Spring relationships seem to bring out the best in every human; whether a love relationship or a platonic friendship, the 'newness' of it all is, at first delightful. The air is sweet, the birds are singing, everything's coming up roses--God is just "good all the time"! Spring relationships can cause us to mount an all out sales and promotional campaign on ourselves; we are exceptionally attentive, free-spirited, and just down-right "on it". In the Spring, "it's all good". Or is it??


Caution: While you enjoy the Spring, and your heart has opened up to new possibilities, don't retire the good, practical sense and discernment that God gave you. God is love. God LOVES authentic love. But the best human love begins with friendship. You are no one's "better half": you are a fearfully and wonderfully created WHOLE person with much to offer. Spring is great! Just don't lose yourself in the wind. Amen.
--Rev. Stephanie

Next up...."Summer Time".

Friday, October 9, 2009

"Stay FOCUSED"

Today's Meditation: "I will be focused, alert, and sensitive in all that this day presents to me."

Anyone who aspires to become an effective leader in whatever their area of service, must first cultivate and develop a lifestyle and discipline of focus. It is so easy to become distracted by things great and small--especially when there is work to be accomplished. But I have learned that distraction breeds procrastination; and procrastination makes us unproductive.

Unproductive people cannot be world changers. In the life of those who are Believers, our unproductive-ness can be detrimental to maintaining the anointing on our lives. It can negatively affect our creativity, our motivation, and our zeal to advance the Kingdom of God. Because God loves you and me so very much, He will sometimes use whatever means and methods at His disposal to gain or RE-GAIN our attention. God's divine plan for you life and mine requires that we are always seeking; always open; always ready to both hear and obey His prompting.

Is God trying to tell you something? Don't let tragedy or a crisis come upon you before you decide that now, I will pray...Now, I will focus on my purpose...Now, I will discipline myself...Now, I will Focus. May God give each of us supernatural will power to stay focused on "the now" while we strategically prepare for our prophetic future. Amen.
Rev. Stephanie

Thursday, October 8, 2009

"Walk Holy, Walk Humbly"

Today's Meditation: "We beseech you and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God, so that you will abound more and more.... v.7 For God has not called us to uncleanness, but he has called us to holiness." 1Thessalonians 4:1 and v7

As a minister of dance, presentation is everything. How we look, how we speak, how we behave--how we live, how we love; even up for critique at times: how we laugh! Our very lifestyle as Believers and as citizens of this Kingdom here on earth is always on display and observation, thus up for some one's discussion. Our posture as dancers is so much more than sitting in a chair properly, moving across a room gracefully, or standing in the perfect upright position when we are in public.

The question is, what is the posture of our hearts and minds? Are we standing in upright position with God when no one is watching? I am constantly confronted with decisions, temptations, and opportunities to live a life in direct opposition to what my very soul knows to be right, as I'm sure many of you are DAILY. In these moments, my strength comes in remembering that indeed I can live holy, if I walk in humble authority among humanity. I remember that the power of the Call, far outweighs the power of negative thoughts, words, and deeds. Let this be our prayer today: "I am walking in the Light of God. Lord, lead me into the path of ever-increasing holiness of mind, body, and spirit." Amen.
Rev. Stephanie

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Morning Meditations with Stephanie Butler

TV Program based on physical fitness and meditation with strong elements of inspiration, spirituality, and dance. Based on the book, 'BREATHE, BALANCE, AND STRETCH: Movement Meditations & Daily Dev...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDSfjVflN3U