Public Speaking? I Think I'd Rather Die

“O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” (Exodus 4:10-11)

     Last week, I traveled to Las Vegas to attend my company’s first annual Spring Symposium for Today’s Dietitian magazine, a two-day event that included several continuing education sessions presented by highly acclaimed nutrition professionals in the dietetics field. I was asked to introduce some of these presenters each day and host a panel discussion of prominent RDs about the value of speaking and writing in their field. My first reaction was “Oh no, I don’t like public speaking. I get too nervous; I stumble and stammer over my words. Oh my goodness!”

     Then I remembered the panel discussion I participated in last year at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Houston. I was just as nervous of the thought of speaking in front of an audience, but once I started talking I was fine and I really enjoyed the experience. So I said to myself, “OK, if I enjoyed last year’s panel discussion maybe I’ll enjoy introducing some of the speakers and hosting the panel discussion.

     Here I was again relating to how Moses felt when the Lord commanded him to confront Pharaoh and demand he set the Israelites free from slavery. Moses was concerned about the very same thing I was concerned about. He was afraid of speaking to Pharaoh and what the Egyptians would think of him just as I was afraid of speaking in front of 275-plus nutrition professionals. Yikes! I was afraid of stuttering and worrying what they might think of me.

     Some people aren’t afraid of public speaking. They can stand in front of an audience with ease and give a wonderful presentation. But I’m not one of those people. So I prayed and asked God to take away my fear and give me a deep sense of peace that transcends all understanding and to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. He promised to be with me and give me the words to speak, so I trusted Him in that and everything went well. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be, and I didn’t stumble and stammer over my words. In fact, the presenters liked how I introduced them, and one of them invited me to speak with her on another panel discussion she wants to host next year at a national nutrition conference. I said “I’d love to.”

     I’ve come to learn that whenever you ask for the Lord’s presence and His peace, he answers pretty much immediately. He promises to keep you in perfect peace if you believe Him and your mind is focused on Him. So whatever you may be facing that you’re deathly afraid of, just bow your head, ask for His presence, power, strength, peace, and Holy Spirit to be poured out on you. Meditate on scripture about fear and a promise that speaks to your situation. And believe me, God will answer—and people will take notice. They’ll notice there’s something special about you. They won’t be able to put their finger on it, but you’ll know it’s the Lord’s favor, a display of His glory.

     I’m not sure what God is doing in my professional career, but He’s surely stretching me and my faith in ways I’m not expecting. He seems to be elevating me by thrusting me into the spotlight. He knows I’m nervous about being in the spotlight, but He has me doing it anyway, and He’s right there with me. He assures me there’s no reason to be afraid, and He’s right. May I praise His holy name!

The Demise of Dr. Conrad Murray

“He who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes his sins will obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28:12-14)

     I gasped as I heard the verdict read concerning Dr. Conrad Murray. As you know, he was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. Shortly after the verdict was read, he was handcuffed. I shook my head in disbelief. I felt so sorry for him. Instantly, his life was in ruins. His sentencing is scheduled for November 29. He faces four years in prison, the loss of his medical license, and a wrongful death suit the Jackson family threatens to file. Everything he’s worked so hard for all of his life has gone up in smoke!

     While a large part of me feels great compassion for Dr. Murray and hopes he doesn’t go to prison, I can’t ignore the evidence that was stacked against him. He was involved in egregious malpractice. Michael was addicted to narcotics and Dr. Murray ordered a great deal of these drugs to give to him, and he administered propofol, a powerful anesthetic that’s to be used only in a hospital surgical setting, so Michael could sleep. Propofol isn’t a sleep aid. It’s absolutely unheard of for a doctor to administer such a drug in the home setting, and Dr. Murray ordered four gallons of the stuff to give to Michael over time. He left Michael unattended while he was on propofol; he didn’t have the appropriate equipment necessary to keep Michael’s airway open in case of an emergency; and he failed to call 911 in a timely manner to save Michael’s life. This was considered criminal negligence, and for this, among other things, Dr. Murray was found guilty of manslaughter. 

     Throughout the trial, Dr. Murray wore a perpetual frown. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot from lack of sleep, and he cried on several occasions. It was during those moments that my heart broke for him. He didn’t mean to kill Michael. He believed Michael was his friend, and that he was trying to help him.

Chance to Make Different Choices

     Instead of walking down such a destructive path, Dr. Murray could’ve made other choices. The moment Michael asked him to be his private doctor and get him the drugs and propofol he needed to sleep, Dr. Murray could’ve said “No.” Secondly, Dr. Murray could’ve contacted Michael’s family to tell them about the state Michael was in and what Michael asked him to do. Thirdly, he could’ve worked with Michael’s family to stage another intervention to get Michael the help he needed—if he really wanted to help him. But that didn’t happen.

     Michael shopped around for a doctor who would do anything he asked—even the unthinkable. And he found that doctor in Dr. Murray. Dr. Murray named his price, and Michael agreed. Or, maybe Michael offered the high price, and Dr. Murray agreed. Whichever scenario occurred, Dr. Murray was having financial difficulties, and he saw this as an opportunity to get out of debt and get back on his financial feet. Unfortunately for Dr. Murray, and Michael, their plans didn’t work out.

Michael’s Culpability

     I’m a big fan of Michael Jackson. I grew up listening and dancing to his music. He and his brothers were woven into the fabric of my daily life. I own every album of his. I still listen to his music: Every chance I get I listen to his oldies but goodies and his more recent hits. In fact, I listen to his music now more than ever since he died. I dedicated a page to Michael on this blog, called Remembering Michael, in which I wrote a heartfelt article about him. He will always have a special place in my heart. 

     But No matter how much I love and miss him, I believe that Michael had a huge hand in his own death. Despite how many times his friends and family pleaded with him to get help, he refused. He went into rehab for his addiction to painkillers some years ago at the urging of Elizabeth Taylor, and he ended up taking those same drugs again. He shopped for doctors who’d write him ongoing prescriptions, and when some refused to do it any longer, he used fake names to get those prescriptions renewed. His drug habit was out of control, and he went to great lengths to sustain it. I, and millions of others, wish he’d gotten the help he so desperately needed. I wish he’d spent $150,000 a month on seeking help instead of on dishonest, greedy doctors to take part in his dark world of addiction. Maybe Michael would be alive today, and he’d be well, or at least on the road to wellness had he taken that path.

     Sigh!!

     Here’s an unfortunate but sobering truth: If Dr. Murray had said no to Michael, Michael would’ve found another doctor to agree to his proposal, and that doctor would be behind bars today for his death instead of Dr. Murray.

     As Christians, let’s pray for Dr. Murray's mind, soul, and well being as he awaits sentencing, and for God to do a miracle in his life. In Jesus’ Name.

** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays and Brag on God Friday.

Experience God's Resurrection Power

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength.” (Ephesians 1:17-19)

Three weeks have whizzed by since we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And while some of us may have moved on with our lives and placed the significance of that day behind us, it’s important to reflect on the impact and the difference the resurrection should make in our daily lives.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we can have intimate fellowship with our Heavenly Father and get to know Him better. And we need the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation to accomplish this.

God wants us to get to know Him better and experience His resurrection power in every aspect of our lives — His incomparably great power for us who believe. Just the idea of being able to experience God’s power in every facet of my life gives me goose bumps. Hope. And great joy.

My Pastor said we can miss God’s power if we’re not in tune with Him, which is why we must have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to discern when His power is at work.

However, my Pastor did say that even though we believe in God’s power, that doesn’t mean that everything is always going work out exactly the way we want it to. That grabbed my attention, especially since I’ve been praying and praying and praying for a successful career move for more than a year and not much, if any, fruit has resulted. “Why isn’t God answering my prayers?” I complain. “Is He not listening? Am I doing something wrong? Is God mad at me? How long, O Lord?” 

My Pastor reassured that God’s power is at work in our lives even though we don’t see it. “Whew! That’s a relief,” I thought. For a while, I’ve been wrestling with the horrible, unwarranted thought that God has abandoned me. I know He promises to never leave me nor forsake me, but lately I’ve just been feeling distant from God — as though I’ve entered a dry spell. My faith had been wavering back and forth.

“God’s incomparably great power is available today, right now for those who believe,” my Pastor asserted. I do believe. I believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and I want to experience His great power in my life every day. I’ve experienced it plenty of times before, so why not now?

Shameful question.

I know God has blessed me immensely and continues to do so. I have a great husband, son, and family, wonderful friends, and all of my needs are met — and then some. So yes, God’s mighty power is at work in my life indeed. Because Jesus is alive, I have great hope; you have great hope; and our world has great hope.

May we ask the Lord to give us His Spirit of wisdom and revelation to get to know Him better. May we come to know the hope to which He has called us, and experience His incomparably great power as we daily believe and put our trust in Him.

* This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays here.

Are You Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired?

     “The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him.” (Psalm 28:7)

     “I’m so tired. I don’t think I’m going to go to church tomorrow,” I whispered to the Lord last Saturday. “I have to go grocery shopping. Wash, blow dry, and curl my hair. And cook dinner,” I reasoned. “If I go to church, I’ll have no energy to do everything I need to do, so I’ll just stay home.”

     Ever feel so tired and weary that you just want to drive your car out of the fast lane, pull over, and put it in park indefinitely? That’s the way I’ve been feeling lately. Worn out from the heavy workload on my job that zaps all of my strength during the week coupled with the tiresome errands I run on the weekends. I got up Sunday morning and decided not to go to church.

      I cooked bacon, eggs, and toast, and made hot tea for my husband and son. We all sat down and ate together and enjoyed each other’s company. All the while, I felt God nudging me to go to church — to the later service. After wrestling with the idea for an hour or so, I changed my mind and got ready to go.

     “Lord, please prepare my heart for your Word this morning,” I prayed. “Minister to me through the worship songs and through your Word, and give me the strength I need to do all that I need to do today, amen.”

     Within minutes after arriving in the sanctuary, God started answering my prayers. He began speaking to me through the worship songs, and when my Pastor preached the Word. He brought additional scripture to mind for me to meditate on all week to renew my strength, and He gave me a great sense of peace. 

      If I hadn’t gone to church, I would have missed these blessings that God had stored up for me. The blessings of His presence, power, comfort, renewed strength, and the peace I so desperately needed to begin a very busy, challenging week. I probably would have gotten everything done that I wanted to get done, but I would have felt empty and even more depleted. Turns out, I didn’t get everything done, but I was able to complete it all by the middle of the week. A small sacrifice, considering the blessings I received from the Lord.

     What I’ve learned is that life will continue to tire you out. But the Lord promises to renew your strength if you trust in, rely on and wait on Him. You can wait on Him anywhere and anyplace, and He’ll be there for you with open arms. Of course, the key to receiving what He has for you is to seek Him with all your heart. In doing so, He will be found.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, when we find ourselves tired and weary from our busy lives, put a desire in our hearts to seek your face, so you can renew our strength, give us your presence, and fill us with peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays. 

Let Your Light Shine!

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

This little light of mine

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine

I’m gonna let it shine

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

       Remember this song? Many of us sang this in the choir when we were children or witnessed our own children sing this well-known hymn. As you already know, the light this song refers to is the light of Christ.

       As Christians, we have a high calling that sometimes seems unattainable. We’re called to live as Jesus lived and to have His same attitude. To develop His character and let His light shine from within us — a tall order when we’re going through a tough time, when we’re in a bad mood, or in the heat of conflict with a loved one, friend, or coworker.

       But believe it or not, it’s during these challenging times when we have an amazing opportunity to exude Christ-like character. We can speak kindly when someone is rude to us. We can show mercy when someone steals from us or deeply hurts us. We can pray for someone who threatens us, abuses us, slanders us, or undermines us.

       Just the other day, by God’s grace, I slipped away to a quiet place to pray instead of raising my voice with hands on hips to scold someone for spewing hurtful words that weren’t warranted. And it made a world of difference.

       God answered my prayers that very evening, and He continues to do so at this writing.

       When we choose to do things God’s way, He intervenes and the enemy flees. As we mature in Christ and ask to be filled afresh with His Holy Spirit each day, we realize that He is on the throne and in full control of all that concerns us. And knowing this makes it easier to respond God’s way in difficult situations when our flesh wants to take over and ruin the outcome. My prayer is that God will continue to give us the desire and power to walk in the Spirit and not according to our flesh, so that we will be blessed in all we do. May your light shine!

Godly Lessons from a Spider and Its Web?

“Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider’s web. He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold.” (Job 8:13-15)

Recently, my husband discovered a large spider hanging in a web that was blocking the entrance to our deck in the back of our home. Amazed at the size of this creature, I ran to get my camera to see if I could get a good macro shot. After analyzing the photos I took, I wondered what scripture said about these eight-legged arachnids.

Surprisingly, the passage I found was a warning for all of us: We are not to leave the Lord Jesus out of our lives. Without Him we have no hope. We are to rely on Him and Him only, because if we don’t, whatever we choose to lean on will fall apart.

I always believed spider webs were pretty sturdy. According to dandydesigns.org, spider web material is about one-tenth the diameter of a human hair, but it has incredible strength. It is 10 times stronger than a strand of steel of the same weight. Sounds pretty strong, huh? But the truth is webs don’t remain that way. A freshly spun web is silk-like, extremely elastic and sticky, so it can trap all sorts of prey. But after a short while, the web loses its stickiness and elasticity, breaks apart and can no longer capture prey.

Just as the spider’s web eventually loses it strength and gives way, so will anything we lean on other than the Lord. Many people rely solely on their jobs, bank accounts, material possessions, friends, family members, good reputations, academic titles and college degrees for security. But all of these things are fragile and will not provide a firm foundation — or any hope. Only our Lord can give us these things. So the next time you see a spider in its web, let it be a reminder to lean on the Lord, for He is our strength and our ultimate hope who will never give way. 

Surefooted as a Deer

“God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.” (Psalm 18:32-33)

        On a beautiful, hot sunny day last month, my husband, son, and I headed to a nearby park to eat a picnic lunch, go for a scenic drive and take photos with my new camera. 

       The lush green rolling hills and the variety of tall trees took my breath away. The best part of the trip was getting to see the deer grazing peacefully along the roadside. We got up close and personal, and they didn’t flinch.

"A loving doe, a graceful deer ..." (Proverbs 5:19)

       

       For some reason, I love deer. They fascinate me. I believe they’re one of the Lord’s most elegant creatures on earth. They’re pretty. Graceful. Regal. Some, almost statuesque.

       From the car window, I snapped several pictures, using my 200-mm zoom lens. Got great shots.

       As I marveled at the pictures I took of the deer, I remembered God’s promises to us when we’re feeling weary and stressed because of life’s many challenges. We’re to ask Jesus for renewed physical and emotional strength whenever we need it, because He’s the only one who can give it to us. He promises to make us “as surefooted as a deer.” That means He won’t let us stumble or slip. Instead, He toughens us up and makes us confident — and competent. He promises to help us "stand on mountain heights." That means, we’re able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble.

"I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my
strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He
will make me walk on my high hills." (Habakkuk 3:18-19)

       What more can we ask for? Obviously, God knows something about deer that we don’t. Deer generally have lithe, compact bodies, but long, powerful legs, suited to walk, run and climb rugged woodland terrain. That's the kind of power we all need to navigate the sometimes rough terrain of our lives. The good news is that God can give us that power. And as long as we receive it from Him, we will be victorious!