The Gift of Your Presence

“At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged.”

Paul was in dire straits at this point in his life. He had been accused of stirring up riots, desecrating the temple, being an all-around troublemaker by the chief priests and leaders, spent two years in a Caesarean prison, faced more hostility and accusations, was put under Italian guard, and spent a grueling winter-long sail from the island of Malta to Rome, to face yet another trial. When Paul landed in Rome, these men came to meet him. And boy, were they a sight for sore eyes. Their mere presence brought encouragement to his spirit, gratitude to his soul, and a heart full of praise toward God.

Are the desperate and discouraged filled with gratitude and encouragement by the mere sight of you?

As we prepare to gather with family, friends, church members and co-workers for holiday festivities this week, it would be beneficial to be intentional about our interactions. What will your presence bring to those in need this Christmas season?

What's Your Response to Injustice?

I love how Acts 16:25 reports that: ‘Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.’ This would not be so noteworthy had it been on the Sabbath in the synagogue. Yet this was not the case.

This took place after they have been falsely accused, publicly stripped, severely flogged, thrown in prison, and fastened to the stocks. The crime? Doing what God called them to do – praying, honoring women, setting the oppressed free. Do you know what else grabs my heart? The end of that sentence simply states, ‘and the other prisoners were listening to them.’

How do you respond to tragedy, injustice, persecution? Would your behavior honor God before man?

Do you think it is reasonable to respond differently at work than in a social situation?

If a competitor treats you or your business unjustly, or an ex-employee maligns your reputation, how would you respond?

Are You a Door Opener?

So much on my heart and mind—not sure where to begin except to state: I’m not Linda so don’t expect the deep, thoughtful and profound communication she is so good at.

As she prepares for an upcoming speaking engagement she needed someone to do the weekly blog. I thought a good topic to blog on would be about opening doors for others. It’s something that has been on my heart for awhile because I see it happen a lot with the Christian men leaders I get to associate with but I haven’t seen it happen as much for us gals. Why?

I’d like to propose a few reasons, some may have validity and others may just be my way to voice concerns, either way, if you’re reading this I hope it prompts you to think about doors you need others to open for you and doors you need to open for others.

#1: You’re too self-reliant to let others know you need a door open. (This one hurt!)
#2: You may not think you’re worthy to have others open doors for you.
#3: You don’t want to be ” duty bound” to help when others need it because life is just so busy, overwhelming or unpredictable that you can't imagine doing one more favor for someone else.
#4: You’re not sure what the “rules” are for playing.
#5; You’re jealous of the God-given gifts of other women so you can’t possibly open doors for them to succeed because that means you won’t. (What a lie-when we lift Jesus higher, He draws all men to Himself. How do we lift Jesus higher? By walking confidently and assuredly in His gifts demonstrated by our lifestyle).
#6: You’re a perfectionist and nothing others do is going to be good enough, so if you can’t do it yourself, it’s not from God.
#7: You’re indecisive and tossed by every wave that comes your way so you don’t know which door to ask others to open for you.

Do any of these resonate with you? If so, what do you need to do or who do you need to reach out to? Take the next step and see what happens. It’s all a grand adventure when we live outside our comfort zone, anyway!

Something To Be Thankful For – For Sure!

Acts 10 describes the calling, purification, baptism and Holy Spirit filling of Cornelius’ family and close friends. This was a monumental moment in the early church; God included Gentiles in the blessings originally promised to his chosen people. It changed the face of what the Christian-Jews thought Christianity was going to look like.

(Has God ever radically changed your understanding of His Kingdom?)

Even beyond Old Testament prophecies, this event was foretold within the Jews’ own traditional writings. I find this fascinating:

“the Jews themselves own, that what is now unclean, will be clean
in the time to come, or the times of the Messiah; they say, ‘every
beast which is unclean in this world, the holy blessed God (htwa
rhjm), cleanses it, in the time to come, (the times of the
Messiah,) as they were at first clean to the sons of Noah (Genesis
9:3), wherefore, as the herb was clean to all, and as the beasts
were clean to the sons of Noah; so also in the time to come he will
loose what he has bound, or forbidden.’”
John Gill, biblestudytools.org

I am certainly thankful God has loosed what was forbidden. I am certainly thankful God has included me in his saving purification!

What are you thankful for?

Are You The Most Effective Negotiator You Can Be?

This past Thursday, That’s Extraordinary hosted Shawn Scudder, an accomplished professional with 25 years of diversified experience in many professional and technological sectors. The topic? The fine art of negotiating.

Through Shawn’s quieting, evaluative style, our discussion flowed from “What are the differences between men and women’s negotiation styles,” to “What are the keys to effective communication with business men and women from different economic, generational, and geographic cultures,” to “What can I do to earn a new contact’s trust?”

We landed upon what was quickly identified as a hot topic: What is a woman’s role in business interactions with men? (Is a ten-foot pole even long enough for that one?)

Here’s a thought: Way back in Genesis 2:18 God says he created woman to be “a helper suitable.” Helper, the Hebrew word ezer means succor: somebody that provides help or relief. Suitable, neged, refers to: those which are alike, corresponding to one another. In essence, God was saying, “I will make someone like him to provide relief for him.” In context, we see that one of the ways in which the woman was to provide relief for the man was to help him tend to the task God had just commanded - to work the Garden of Eden and take care of it.

Woven throughout scripture are portraits of women carrying the foundation of their purpose into various sectors: Esther used her influence as a liason and lobbyist for her nation, the Proverbs 31 woman successfully negotiated in business dealings, and Deborah exacted her power in government, just to name a few. Deborah, a judge and leader in Israel, knew that the way to carry out God’s will for the advancement of her nation was to provide help for her male counterparts (Judges 4-5).

What if the way to effectively negotiate with, communicate to, and earn the trust of our male business counterparts is to build our approach upon this same foundation? What if we communicate from the viewpoint that our presence is vital in the proceedings because we are there to provide a source of relief; what you have to offer will help them effectively tend to their tasks at hand?

What would you have said had you been in that meeting?

Do You Have What It Takes?

Paralyzed at times by feelings of inadequacy?

Feeling overwhelmed? Like you might just not have what it takes?

Matthew 25 gives us a glimpse of what God’s perspective on that matter is:
God entrusted his property to each according to their ability.
If God has called you to a task, he has also given you the ability to carry it out!

“(The Kingdom of God) will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. The he went on his journey.”

Allelujah! I need this reminder every day. The King, owner of all talents, distributer of all gifts, entrusts me with HIS property. He knows every hair on my head. He is the designer of this clay pot. He knows what I have the ability to carry out and what I do not. His word says He will not entrust us with more than we have the ability to care for.

I just breathed a sigh of relief.

An admonition follows this encouragement: “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

Where do you want to be when the Lord comes back to settle accounts? That sounds a little ‘fire-and-brimstone-ish’, doesn’t it? I think mostly it represents the facts that Jesus is coming back; that he expects us to use his property to procure more of the same for his kingdom; and that we will be asked, ‘What have you done with all that I’ve entrusted you with?’

Personal Application: ‘Master, you entrusted me with _______________. I trust that you know I have the ability to carry it out. Using that ability and those gifts, see, I have _____________________.

Ahhhh, how sweet the sound: ‘Well done good and faithful servant!’

What is good enough?

Check out this 2 minute clip:

http://www.essentials.tv/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=bqLKI1OKKtF&b=504545&ct=624313

How does it impact you?

I was reminded of it as I read Matthew 19:16-30 about the young ruler who desperately and genuinely sought eternal life. He came up to Jesus and asked, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” The Bible reveals this young man lived a stoic and disciplined life, focused on good deeds and following the law – a life worthy of commendation. He had followed the list Jesus reiterated since he was a boy. Yet, there was more. Jesus continued. These more specific actions the young man could not do. (Could not? Or Would not?...)

I think the power and meaning of this story is found in the discussion that follows. The disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” There you have it. The gospel message! It is placed in such an understated and subtle way – I love it. It is God who bequeaths eternal life. God saves. Man cannot. Gone is the idea that good acts determine ones eternal fate.

Let's not forget the continuation of this message...John 14:6 "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through me."

One of my Bible Study Ladies found this quote on bibletools.org, "Thus, we need to remember that, even though we want to do good works, they will never save us. They are a fruit of righteousness. They are not the ultimate goal or the end. They just show that we have inculcated into us part of God's character, and the natural outgrowth of that is good works (see Ephesians 2:10)."

How do you think Jesus intended this truth to impact our lives?

What place do good deeds play in your spiritual life, business, ministry?

"I'm sorry, did I offend you?"

How often would you say you offend others?


To offend means: 1) to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, 2) to entice to sin, 3) to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey, 4) to cause to fall away. (blueletterbible.org)

Now, what would you say?

I thought offending someone was hurting their feelings, injuring their pride. I try to stay vigilant against any action on my part that might cause this in another person. I would typically say I rarely offend anyone. However, in this light, I don’t think I can answer that way at all. In traffic (or right before I’ve eaten) the tone of my voice alone could cause another to stumble. The way I look at my kids sometimes could very well cause one to doubt the sanctifying power of the one I claim to trust. This kind of hurts!

Jesus tells Peter to pay the collectors of the two-drachma tax “so that we may not offend them.” (Matt 17:27)
In context, Jesus is saying that although we are free, children of the true King, owing no man tribute, we ought to pay the tax. Rejecting laws and governmental authority may put a stumbling block in front of those who work for, and define themselves by, that authority. This may cause them to distrust us and the one we represent. It seems that relationship trumps being right.

We are to be ambassadors of Christ, called to give the message of reconciliation between man and God. Jesus is indicating here that our actions can impede that message.

Have my actions put a stumbling block in someone’s path this week?
Has my attitude enticed another to sin?
Have my words caused someone to distrust the God I represent?

Am I more concerned with being right than drawing one to Christ?


What are your thoughts on all of this?

Blessings, Linda

Astonishing Faith

“Lord”, the centurion said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”

“I will go and heal him.”

“Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished…
“Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Excerpt Matt 8:5-13

Do I have that kind of faith? The kind of faith that astonishes Christ? Does my faith, like the centurion’s, cause Jesus to stop in his tracks and marvel?

What was so astonishing about the centurion’s faith? I believe it was that he was able to see past the physical world and understand the spiritual forces that influence it. And, he recognized that it was Jesus of Nazareth, a poor Jewish carpenter, an inglorious, apolitical, unimpressive man, who had authority over these spiritual forces.

I believe it was also astonishing because he didn’t stop there. He confirmed his faith with action. This military leader, himself a man of position and authority, considered not his own reputation, but sought after and publicly submitted to the authority of a lowly Jew. He humbly denied Jesus’ offer to travel with him, enter his house and touch his servant. He requested only that Jesus speak, and he knew it would be done.

If faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see, this uncircumcised Gentile soldier could be faith’s poster child. Astonishing.

Do I have that kind of faith? Man, do I want it. This centurion is one of my favorite biblical characters, and I aspire to his faith. There are times when I do say, “This request may not heed logic, but my God moves in and out of logic. Time, power, authority, and facts bend to his will. I will humbly, yet boldly, come to the throne of grace and beseech my king for this request.”

Unfortunately, there are also those times I relate more to the poor disciples who get…shall we say…chastised by the Lord: A man approached Jesus, “I brought my son to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

“O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

The disciples asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

“Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Excerpt Matt 17:14-21

I’m thankful for the mustard seed. I’m thankful that although I may not always astonish God with my ultra-dimensional-barrier-breaking faith, He still moves. I’m thankful he chooses to honor the seed and will cause it to grow.

And then, there are those times when my faith is on an altogether different plane of spiritual reality. Times like I just experienced a few months ago. In hindsight, I see the lessons learned, the brilliance of his timing, and the mercy of his love. While I was in it, however, darkness permeated. As each new day dawned, I would lay in bed and say, ‘Dear God, not another day. I can’t see you, I can’t hear you, I can’t feel you. You have to show up today.” I would act, I would move, and the day would pass. The new day would dawn, ‘Dear God, not another day. I can’t see you, I can’t hear you, I can’t feel you. You have to show up today.” I would act, I would move, and the day would pass. The new day would dawn,…

Last month, as this period began to break, God revealed to me, “That’s what faith is daughter. Faith is continuing to walk, while still in the darkness.” Through revelations, affirmations, insight, and beautiful people, the Lord has radically turned the course of events in one aspect of the darkness, and shone such light and hope and direction in another aspect that it is now obvious my Lord heard all those cries and answered. His timing. His way. Big enough to blow me away.

My emotional and personality tendencies are to experience the highs and lows, the dark and the light. God never lets me speak about anything I haven’t personally experienced. I may yet again experience such a low; yet as long as I keep walking, I’m living in faith. And my God will hear my cry and answer.

My faith may not always be astonishing. But, I’m thankful, my God always is.

The Fire Is Lit by Linda Stevens

Our on-line Bible Study read chapters: 3-7 in the book of Matthew this past week. When I read chapter 5:14-17, I experienced an immediate recognition of truth that I had never seen in these verses before. A light went on. I felt that in that moment there was a convergence of the counsel I’d been receiving, the coaching I’d been given, and the prayers I’d been offering; all confirmed and illuminated by scripture. All I could say was, “That’s It! That’s what God wants of all of us, and for all of us!”

“You are the light of the world…. People (do not) light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

It’s so simple. That’s what God wants all of us to do. To allow ourselves to shine our light. To celebrate it. To find our stand and display our light proudly. When feeling doubtful, shy, insecure, and even a tad hermit-like, my new mantra will be, “Put your light on its stand, woman!” (Of course, it will be spoken in the spiritual tongue I always hear the deepest of truths…..that good ol’ New York Italian/Jewish accent.) They’re kind of marching orders, aren’t they? Yet, like only God’s Word can do, they are also encouraging, edifying, uplifting, and empowering.

The light which shines from within us all, is his. The stand, the lamp, the house, however – that’s unique to us. I believe God has a venue particular for each of us. One that fits our experiences and personality, gifts and environment.

George MacDonald communicates these thoughts perfectly, “There is a chamber …- a chamber in God Himself, into which none can enter but the one, the individual, the peculiar man – out of which chamber that man has to bring revelation and strength for his brethren. This is that for which he was made – to reveal the secret things of the Father.”

There is that for which we were all made. This is cause to celebrate. A cause to feel valued, significant, priceless in the kingdom of God and precious to our Father the King. The challenge before us this day is not only to identify the stand, the lamp and the house, but to allow ourselves to experience the joy and freedom and empowerment in knowing that we are a gifted vessel within whom the light of Jesus shines.

The questions for the day are:

Do I know the house in which my Father wants me to shine? (Who are the people to whom I am to minister?)

What does my lamp look like? (What are my gifts through which He will shine?)

Is my light shining brightly?

Check out www.thats-extraordinary.com if you want help through this process. We have some amazing women in who are able to help you walk through these steps.

May God help you identify your purposes and venue. And when you do, in the words of Kathy Triccoli, ‘Go light your world!’

In Him, Linda

Worship– it’s to Him; but it’s like Him to make it for us

While running home from church today I had an epiphany. I love how God seems to meet me every time I’m out there – whether ‘there’ is barren, back-roads or fume-filled city streets.

He shows up, seems to say, “Hi. I’ve been waiting for you.” I feel His smile and am filled with His mutual excitement for what we are about to share. Like two giddy kids we go off on our adventure. I feel His power in my legs, His breath in my lungs and His inconceivable joy in my heart.

He then humbles, cajoles, comforts, encourages, confirms or directs – whatever my current heart condition may need.

Today, as I was listening to Todd Agnew’s CD, ‘Reflection of Something’, I was completely enraptured by the holy majesty and freeing presence of my God - my running companion. In the silence of a break between tracks my auditory senses became flooded with my own breathing pattern. (It was loud panting actually.) In that brief moment my mood, mind-set and focus shifted – and not for the better.

In that instant I shifted from thankful, joyous, confident, strong, capable and able to accomplish the challenging task at hand to doubtful, weary, concerned, self-focused and inadequate. The moment I heard the reality of my own panting I thought, “Listen to how hard I’m breathing. Wow, this must be really difficult. I must not be doing as well as I thought I was. Hey, I’m out of breath. I’m working too hard. I can’t do this. I don’t think I can make it the rest of the way.”

And then the music began.

Again, I was in His comfort, His hands, His ability.

That was the epiphany. I finally understood, I mean really understood, not only what worship is, but why I need it so desperately. When all of my senses are focused on all that He is, I become unaware of the facts of my own condition. The earthly reality of my emotional and physical state becomes inconsequential. Reality? Yes. A burden? No. A challenge? Yes. Insurmountable? No. Still dealing with flesh? Yes. But in the beauty of being utterly and completely engulfed in His presence the facts don’t matter. They don’t even seem to show up. They fade to indiscernible.

It’s all about Him; and in that, He takes care of all of us.

When focused on me; my problems, my issues, my tasks and my burdens, the only sound I hear is the panting of my own breath; the only counsel I receive is the discouragement of my own mind; the only strength I exhibit is bound to the limitations of my own body.

But in worship-in allowing my Self to be utterly taken over; in that position of absolute surrender; of showing up and saying, “Take Me. Please”, He breaks through the time constraints of the kingdom paradox and saves again what has already been saved, purifies what has already been purified, delivers what has already been delivered, and tenderly, powerfully, brings us to that heavenly experience of peace–right here –on earth.

Worship– it’s to Him; but it’s just like Him to make it for us.

Blessings, Linda Stevens

That's Extraordinary! Takes the plunge.

Here we are--writing in the blogsosphere about issues that affect Christian leaders, specifically women. We'll be writing about all kinds of issues; spiritual, emotional, professional, relational, financial and more. What we want you to know is that God has a special and unique plan just for you! He wants you to walk in confidence, strength and his power. Our hope is that you wouldn't just know in your head that God has fully endowed you with all you need to succeed but that you would recognize the issues that keep you from walking and living in the power of God and believing that He really loves and wants to use you!

If you're like me then fear plays a big part in keeping me in my comfort zone--away from anything that might require risk, failure or embarrassment. Fear manifests itself in so many ways; fear of failure, fear of what others think, fear that we'll repeat the mistakes of our past, and fear of rejection. It can paralyze or free us.

Think about this: Who do you have in your life to help you see past your fear and walk you through the big adventure God has for you?