I have found myself often relating to the person of Peter, one of Jesus' disciples. Peter was a bit of a knuckle head. He was impetuous and impulsive. He put his foot in his mouth and did stupid things. He is the kind of person who would jump off a building and on the way down think "Hmmm, I probably should have thought this out a bit....." Peter didn't hold back. It was all or nothing. Sometimes he got it wrong and sometimes he got it very, very right. Peter didn't like to play it safe - he wanted to be with Jesus, see what Jesus saw, do what Jesus did. That's why it was no surprise that when Jesus appeared to the disciples, walking on the water, Peter was the one who said, "If it's you, call me to walk on water." Jesus did just that, AND Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water. Yes, he took his eyes of Jesus and began to sink, but Jesus used that as a teaching opportunity for Peter. BUT, he got out of the boat!!! And because he did, he walked on water.
What's holding you back? The last few years of our life have been tough. I'm not going to lie. Everything we knew, everything we considered "secure" was gone in a flash. No job. No friends. No church. See that was our "in the boat moment". It was the time that we saw the wind and the waves. Just as we thought we were done in, along came Jesus, walking on the water of our life. He walked on what we saw as turmoil. He told us to come, step out of the boat, and we did. We have gotten to experience God in a new way - total trust, total dependence. We told God a long time ago that our lives were His - He could do whatever He desired. This has been a wild road, but God has been in it. We are going to stay out of the boat, walking on the water. God has us in His hands. He is birthing things in us. To walk on water, you have to keep your eyes on Jesus. That is not such a bad thing!!
I want to encourage you today!! Don't waste your life fearing what could happen. TRUST GOD! Get out of the boat and see what God can do with a bunch of water walking Christians!!!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Why "ruined"?
Welcome to this blog site! Ruined Ministries is in its fledgling stages and as we begin, we want to invite you on this journey.
Let me tell you about myself. My name is Sharon McLaughlin and I have been in ministry for over 25 years. I have held several roles including lay leadership, Youth Pastor, Music Pastor and Associate Pastor. It is my privilege to be associated with the Assemblies of God and it is to them that I am accountable. I hold the job description of Servant. Odd wording? Not really, see I don't think Pastor is a title, I think, indeed, it is a job description of servanthood. I am passionate about the lost and those whom the world has tossed aside. My heart beat is to see lives restored to life and more life.
So, why have I named my ministry, Ruined Ministries? Several years ago, in preparation for a missions trip with my youth group, I had asked God for a specific word or theme for our trip. During my prayer and devotions, He led me to Isaiah 6. and specifically, vs. 5-7. I was excited and realized that the theme was Ruined. I thought I understood what He was going to do - He was going to ruin my kids for anything of the world and call them only unto Himself. The word "ruined" means to be "undone to the place of never going back to your original condition." YES! That's what I wanted to happen to my kids. HOWEVER, what took place on that trip ruined ME. I can't look at "ministry" the same way. Status Quo is OVER. I lived as a homeless person for a mere 40 hours and it opened my eyes to see the people we look past - those who while ignored by the world are precious to God! My heart was broken. It was ruined. I will never be the same. Ruined Ministries' goal is to bring that same spiritual ruining to anyone who is willing to allow God to have His way.
That passage in Isaiah is the perfect example of ruined and restored. From that trip and this passage of scripture, Ruined Ministries was born. I have spoken to women's groups, youth groups, and Bible Studies of all sizes. If this is something you are seeking for your group or your church, please contact me! I will be happy to help in any way I can!
Let me tell you about myself. My name is Sharon McLaughlin and I have been in ministry for over 25 years. I have held several roles including lay leadership, Youth Pastor, Music Pastor and Associate Pastor. It is my privilege to be associated with the Assemblies of God and it is to them that I am accountable. I hold the job description of Servant. Odd wording? Not really, see I don't think Pastor is a title, I think, indeed, it is a job description of servanthood. I am passionate about the lost and those whom the world has tossed aside. My heart beat is to see lives restored to life and more life.
So, why have I named my ministry, Ruined Ministries? Several years ago, in preparation for a missions trip with my youth group, I had asked God for a specific word or theme for our trip. During my prayer and devotions, He led me to Isaiah 6. and specifically, vs. 5-7. I was excited and realized that the theme was Ruined. I thought I understood what He was going to do - He was going to ruin my kids for anything of the world and call them only unto Himself. The word "ruined" means to be "undone to the place of never going back to your original condition." YES! That's what I wanted to happen to my kids. HOWEVER, what took place on that trip ruined ME. I can't look at "ministry" the same way. Status Quo is OVER. I lived as a homeless person for a mere 40 hours and it opened my eyes to see the people we look past - those who while ignored by the world are precious to God! My heart was broken. It was ruined. I will never be the same. Ruined Ministries' goal is to bring that same spiritual ruining to anyone who is willing to allow God to have His way.
That passage in Isaiah is the perfect example of ruined and restored. From that trip and this passage of scripture, Ruined Ministries was born. I have spoken to women's groups, youth groups, and Bible Studies of all sizes. If this is something you are seeking for your group or your church, please contact me! I will be happy to help in any way I can!
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